Ireland

I do not like the word ?tolerance? at all because it contains some kind of a favor, a grant. It is a show of thinking of one?s self as superior and tolerating those who are inferior to you, the ones you actually cannot stand. 

Who is able to tolerate who and on what grounds? What kind of a bragging is that? Tolerance does not contain equality.

Ireland became the first country in the world which voted (62.3% for) in a referendum which allows for same-sex marriage, turning its back to conservativism. Now the Greek Ministry of Justice is putting the final touches on the agreement of the law which allows same-sex couples to live together, while it also extends the rights of different-sex couples living together.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott May 24 said his country would not follow Ireland's lead and hold a referendum on gay marriage, adding that any decisions would be made by parliament.

Irish voters have resoundingly backed amending the constitution to legalize gay marriage, leaders on both sides of the Irish referendum have declared Irish voters have resoundingly backed amending the constitution to legalize gay marriage, leaders on both sides of the Irish referendum declared on May 23 after the world's first national vote on the issue.

Ireland goes to the polls on May 22 to vote on whether same-sex marriage should be legal, in a referendum that has exposed sharp divisions between communities in this traditionally Catholic nation.

The second Eurovision semi-final in Vienna will be taking place tonight. Cyprus is going to fight for a place in the finals, with John Karayiannis and his song “One Thing I Should Have Done”.

By Barbara Lewis

Europe's inland and coastal waters have become cleaner and nations such as heavily-indebted Greece and Cyprus boast some of the most pristine bathing spots, according to this year's EU report on water quality, published on Wednesday.

Prince Charles offered a historic handshake on May 19to Gerry Adams, longtime leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party and reputedly an Irish Republican Army commander when the outlawed group killed the prince's great-uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, in 1979.

Ireland could become the first country in the world to vote for same-sex marriage in a historic referendum this week in this traditionally Catholic nation.

Voters on May 22 will be asked whether or not to add an article to the Irish constitution saying: "Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex."  

In 2013, a majority (51.2%) of women in the European Union (EU) gave birth to their first child when aged in their 20s, while 40.6% became mothers in their 30s. In addition, more than 127,000 births of first children in the EU in 2013 were to women aged less than 20 (teenage mothers) and around 65,500 to women aged 40 and over.