Mount Etna Erupts For First Time In Eight Months

Mount Etna has erupted in a fiery show of lava in eastern Sicily.

The volcano's latest eruptions, which can last days and even weeks, began on Monday evening and are the first for eight months. The giant orange fountains of lava, spewing toward the sky, could be seen in the city of Catania and the resort town of Taormina.

Although volcanic ash clouds can cause flight disruptions, the nearby Catania airport was operating normally Tuesday. Authorities reported no danger to the towns that dot the mountain's slopes.

Etna, at 3,330 metres (10,926 feet), is the highest volcano in mainland Europe and can burst into action several times a year. The last major eruption was in 1992.

The eruption was not dangerous and the airport of Catania is still open and fully operating.

Nokia has re-released its classic 3310 model 17 years after it was first released

Nokia relaunches its old classic 3310 model 17 YEARS after it first launched complete with a month-long battery and SNAKE.

The new 3310 model pays homage to classic design but will come with colour screen. It has limited internet capabilities relying on 2.5G connectivity - slower than 3G. The old handset was very popular and sold 126m before it was phased out in 2005.

The iconic handset was a massive hit with users back in 2000 and now the mobile phone giant is relaunching it with a month-long battery, 22 hours of talk-time, and even its popular game, snake.

The 3310, a with a slick new look that pays homage to its original design, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

While the handset looks similar to its predecessor, Nokia has brought its new model up to date and instead of the original display, a monochrome 84 x 84, it has a colour screen.

However, it has limited internet capabilities, relying on 2.5G connectivity, with users browsing at speeds slower than if they were using 3G.

It also has a single camera which has just two megapixels.

The phone, which sold 126million handsets until it was phased out in 2005, will be sold by Finish company HMD Global.

The firm believe the revamped 3310 offers users the perfect compromise to a modern life.

Chief executive Arto Nummela told the BBC: 'It's almost like a digital detox or a holiday phone.

'If you want to switch off to an extent but you still need to have a [mobile] lifeline, it's a brilliant solution.

Once the undisputed king of the mobile market, Nokia's fortunes took a turn for the worse after its decision to support the Windows mobile operating system exclusively.

With stiff competition from iOS and Android, the flagging firm's handset activities were sold in 2014 to Microsoft to allow Nokia to focus on mobile network equipment.

However, HMD now hope that they can cash in world's affection for the 3310 with handsets costing around £49 each.

The tragically powerful story behind the lone German who refused to give Hitler the Nazi salute

Adopted by the Nazi Party in the 1930s, Hitler's infamous "sieg heil" (meaning "hail victory") salute was mandatory for all German citizens as a demonstration of loyalty to the Führer, his party, and his nation.

August Landmesser, the lone German refusing to raise a stiff right arm amid Hitler's presence at a 1936 rally, had been a loyal Nazi.

Landmesser joined the Nazi Party in 1931 and began to work his way up the ranks of what would become the only legal political affiliation in the country.

Two years later, Landmesser fell madly in love with Irma Eckler, a Jewish woman, and proposed marriage to her in 1935.

After his engagement to a Jewish woman was discovered, Landmesser was expelled from the Nazi Party.

Landmesser and Eckler decided to file a marriage application in Hamburg, but the union was denied under the newly enacted Nuremberg Laws.

The couple welcomed their first daughter, Ingrid, in October 1935.

And then on June 13, 1936, Landmesser gave a crossed-arm stance during Hitler's christening of a new German navy vessel.

The act of defiance stands out amid the throng of Nazi salutes.

In 1937, fed up, Landmesser attempted to flee Nazi Germany to Denmark with his family. But he was detained at the border and charged with "dishonoring the race," or "racial infamy," under the Nuremberg Laws.

A year later, Landmesser was acquitted for a lack of evidence and was instructed to not have a relationship with Eckler.

Refusing to abandon his wife, Landmesser ignored Nazi wishes and was arrested again in 1938 and sentenced to nearly three years in a concentration camp.

He would never see the woman he loved or his child again.

The secret state police also arrested Eckler, who was several months pregnant with the couple's second daughter.

She gave birth to Irene in prison and was sent to an all-women's concentration camp soon after her delivery.

Eckler is believed to have been transferred to what the Nazi's called a "euthanasia center" in 1942, where she was murdered with 14,000 others.

After his prison sentence, Landmesser worked a few jobs before he was drafted into war in 1944.

A few months later, he was declared missing in action in Croatia

How to move to Sweden and become a Swedish citizen

The Scandinavian country's idyllic land boasts some of the happiest people on earth, thanks to the country's egalitarian values, paid parental leave policies, single-payer healthcare system, and breathtaking scenery — all of which leads thousands of people to immigrate each year.

Applying for citizenship requires you to live in the country for five years and have a "proven" identity — which also means you'd have to adjust to wintertime darkness.

For those who weren't born there, here's how you become a Swede.

Be at least 18 years old — unless you know someone.

While the age requirements are hard and fast for adult citizenship, kids are given some leeway.

Parents of kids under 12 years old can apply for their child's citizenship as long as the parent is already a Swedish citizen. Kids over 12 must sign a consent form saying they want to become a citizen.

Once a child reaches 15 years old, they have to show they've been living in Sweden for at least three consecutive years "and have conducted themselves well," according to Sweden's immigration office.

Be able to prove your identity.

A passport or similar document with an accompanying photo is fine.

Alternatively, a relative or loved one can vouch for your identity, provided they're already a Swedish citizen. According to the immigration office, for a loved one to prove your identity, the two of you must have lived together before moving to Sweden.

"You must have lived together for such a period," the requirements read, "that your spouse has knowledge of your background and life story so that your identity can be attested to without doubt."

Have a permanent residence in Sweden.

If you're planning on spending more than 90 days in Sweden — for work, studying, or starting a business — you have to submit an application for a residence permit.

This is what you'll eventually need to become a citizen. 

Spend five years at that permanent residence.

If you want to be an actual Swede — a citizen — you have to prove you're in it for the long haul.

There are certain circumstances when you can cut the five years short, like when you've already been living with a Swedish citizen for two years somewhere else. In that case, you only need to live in Sweden for three consecutive years.

Be on your best behaviour.

Sweden makes it clear in no uncertain terms: Citizens obey the law.

"In order to become a Swedish citizen, you must have conducted yourself well during your time in Sweden," the immigration office says. "The Swedish Migration Agency looks both at how you have previously conducted yourself and how we believe that you will conduct yourself in the future."

The agency looks at whether you have any outstanding debts in Sweden, committed any crimes, or pose any security threats.

Learn Swedish (even if you don't technically have to).

Swedes are no slouches when it comes to speaking English.

That's comforting at first, but can become an obstacle if you're trying to fully integrate into Swedish culture.

That's to say nothing of the fact that Swedish is extremely difficult to learn. (Thankfully, you don't have to take a language test to become a citizen.)

Consider signing up for the free language-learning course, Swedish for Immigrants.

Prepare for lots of coffee.

The Swedes are an industrious folk, but they can't get by without taking a break or two.

Each day, people sit down for a cup of coffee and find something sweet to nibble on as they catch up on life.

It's a tradition known as fika, and it's just as much about the socializing as it is about the sustenance.

Buy a high-quality winter coat and get ready for darkness.

Swedish summers can offer 20 hours of daylight. During the winter months, meanwhile, nighttime can grip the country for just as long.

These stretches of cold weather mean lots of darkness and below-freezing temperatures, so best to brace yourself for the absence of sunlight.

At least the country is beautiful even when it's not lit up.

Don't bring fancy clothes.

Formal attire in Sweden looks more like professional attire in the US, which means everyday office employees — unless they're high-ranking professionals — don't wear dress clothes.

For the most part, jeans will get you by. So pack one suit or dress — it's too casual (and too cold) for much else.