Just six years ago, Tom Cruise was infamously jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch on the Oprah Winfrey show, publicly declaring his undying love for then-girlfriend, Katie Holmes. Meanwhile, Katie was just as joyous publicly announcing that her dream as a little girl was to one day marry Tom Cruise. The whirlwind romance blossomed and soon the two were married. Now with one child that they have together, it looks like the two haven’t had the fairytale ending they had once anticipated.

Just two weeks ago, Holmes filed for divorce from Cruise after their five year marriage, while Cruise was filming a movie in Iceland. Reports have speculated that Cruise was shocked by Holmes’ filing.

Now the main concern is their six-year-old daughter Suri and a custody battle, as well as raising eyebrows that wonder if Scientology played a role in Holmes’ decision.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Holmes used a disposable cell phone to keep in touch with her attorneys, and she has hired three different law firms in three separate states. Last week, a settlement was reached regarding custody, and Holmes was granted primary custody of the little girl while Cruise was given generous visitation rights. Holmes also was granted the leading role in how to raise their daughter. She can decide whether to raise her with the beliefs and ideals of Catholicism— which is how Holmes was raised— or with Scientology— which Cruise is extremely devout to.

On Monday, “the former Hollywood power couple requested privacy and said they have “respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other’s roles as parents,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cruise’s attorney, Bret Fields, denies that Scientology played a role in the couple’s divorce. And even though the former couple has publicly announced that they are going to work together to raise Suri, many are questioning how this can be done with their conflicting beliefs. According to reporter Mark Rathbun of The Daily News, “It’s a very coded statement, especially when they say they are going to respect each other’s beliefs. That is not allowed in Scientology. He’s prohibited from respecting others’ beliefs if he’s going to raise Suri in Scientology. There’s no neutral ground.”

Additionally, an unknown source close to Holmes, told E! News, that the 33-year-old was “never truly comfortable” with the religion. It was additionally stated, “It was something she accepted and put up with for many years because it was important to Tom,” the source said, adding, “It wasn’t that she was against Scientology… but she also didn’t want it to be her everything, and for Tom, in some ways, it was.”

In Holmes’ efforts not to confuse Suri with their different beliefs, Holmes has requested that her staff accompany their daughter while she is visiting Cruise.

Image Courtesy of  s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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Glaciers are massive ice formations made from snow naturally accumulating over the years. In Iceland, glaciers cover an area of about 11,400 km², which makes up around 11.1 percent of its total area. Icecaps can also be found in Iceland covering the tops of the Icelandic volcanoes.

Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland and the second largest in Europe. It covers about eight percent of Iceland’s area. At the end of 2011, Vatnajökull, which literally means ‘Glacier of Rivers’, was used as a shooting location for the American TV series, ‘Game of Thrones’. The average thickness of the Vatnajökull glacier is an estimated 400 meters, while the maximum is about 100 meters.

In June 2008, the Vatnajökull glacier was added to the Vatnajökull National Park, in addition to the surrounding rivers and volcanoes. It is the largest national park in Europe with an area of 12,000 km². Both of  the glaciers and icecaps have attracted some companies that can benefit from them. These benefits vary from producing mineral water to promoting them as tourist spots.

Icelandic Glacial is a famous example of one of the companies that sell glacier mineral water from Iceland. This water is produced from the Ölfus Spring. The GT group is also selling parts of the glaciers themselves to decorate the luxury ice bars and hotels.

GT Travel, a part of the GT Group, organizes trips around Iceland, adding the glaciers to their top destinations with strict environmental policies to avoid polluting the surrounding environment. Melting glaciers are a sign of global warming, and environmental scientists claim that all of the Icelandic glaciers will disappear within 500 years if global warming continues at its current rate.

Snæfellsjökull is the smallest glacier in Iceland, which is beginning to melt quickly, and might to disappear within the next few decades, according to an interview with the glaciologist, Tómas Jóhannesson, with The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.

The best time to visit the Icelandic glaciers is in the summer because in the winter, there is a massive amount of snowfall, which makes it difficult to get around, especially if you are not used to such an extreme climate. While visiting, it is advisable to book with a local tour agent since all of the glaciers are on the outskirts of large cities that have limited transportation options for solo travelers, and the public buses only operate in the Greater Reykjavík area.

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Iceland, is the ideal holiday destination if you want to see the Northern Lights. The country is located midway between Europe and North America with direct flight routes from both continents

Aurora Borealis is the Latin name for the Northern Lights, which are one of the most spectacular shows on this planet, can frequently be seen in Iceland from September through April on clear and crisp nights. They can be seen clearly just 20 minutes’ away from Reykjavík, the capitol of Iceland.

Although the Northern Lights occur in both the north and south poles, they are called the Northern Lights on both sides.

One of the popular beliefs among the Inuit people about the Northern Lights is that they are the souls of the dead engaged in a noisy primitive-type game of football, using the skull of a walrus as a football. Laughing and dashing about, their aim is to kick the skull so that the tusks stick firmly in the ground upon landing. Some groups of the Inuit even say the skull is still living and actually attempts to stab the players! One of the modern day explanations of the Northern Lights is that the sunlight reflected from the polar ice. Another explanation is that the lights are the result of giant icebergs colliding in the polar seas. Interesting theories, but they are wrong!

The Northern Lights exist in the outmost level of the atmosphere, and begin occurring at an altitude of 100 kilometers and above. They are made by electrically charged particles that make the thin air glow as fluorescent light. They can be seen in an auroral line that forms 20 to 25 degrees around the geomagnetic poles.

Small particles, protons, and electrons from solar wind on the sun are stuck in the earth’s magnetic field. They begin to spiral back and forth along the magnetic lines. In other words, the particles circle around the magnetic pole, so to speak. While rushing around endlessly in their magnetic trap, some particles escape into the earth’s atmosphere. They begin to smash against particles in the atmosphere and these impacts cause the particles to glow, creating the auroras.

White and green are the main colors of the lights, but sometimes there are considerable color variations, as the pressure and composition of the atmosphere varies at different altitudes. At extremely high altitudes where the air pressure is very low, a reddish glow tends to be produced by oxygen particles when they are hit by the tiny particles of the solar wind. At lower altitudes, where the air pressure is higer, impact-irritated oxygen particles may glow with a greenish shade, and sometimes there is a reddish lower margin created by particles colliding with nitrogen particles in the immediate vicinity.

There have been numerous reports of the aurora emitting sound, but there is no scientific evidence to support this. Among the indigenous people of the north, there are claims that certain whistling and crackling sounds come from the auroral sky. Their explanation is that it is the spirits of the dead attempting to communicate with the living. One scientific explanation offered for any likely sounds heard has been that the aurora causes electricity to build up in the atmosphere.

The phenomenon is simply explained by modern science. What the ancestors may have thought when they watched into the brightly-lit winter sky is quite another matter. But by all means don’t let any scientific explanation spoil your gratitude of the beauty of the Northern Lights. They are a truly impressive demonstration, whatever their cause.

The Northern Lights can only be seen on a clear night, therefore the tourist should re-book Northern Lights tour if the evening sky is clouded and weather conditions are not favorable rather than losing the money.

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Yes, we all know this: right now is the best time of the year. For many of us in the northern hemisphere, the flowers are blooming as we’re taking out shorts and tank tops from the back of our closet after a long cold winter. The Caribbean’s, especially, are known to be a winter escape, packed with tourists from North America and Europe during the months of December through February. For many places along the Equator, it’s currently a storm season- making it difficult for water sports, and more importantly, possible delayed or canceled flights.

These islands on the list below come alive in summer, when events and major festivals sprung up while restaurants and cafes are bringing out chair and tables for outdoor seating. The weather just couldn’t be better.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Being the largest island off the west coast of North America, Vancouver Island is composed of many different ecosystems making it one of the best places for outdoor activities. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, for instance, allows you to explore the incredible wilderness.  Central Island area allows visitors to enjoy water activities and fishing, since this region is primarily made up of sandy beaches, ocean, and lakes. If you’re more interested in the local gourmet scene, then head to the Cowichan Valley, where there are plenty of wineries, farmer markets, and fresh seafood docks. More of a city vibe fan? No problem, Victoria, a city located in the South Island, has all the things you’re looking for.

Iceland, Europe

Iceland, considered to be Europe’s largest national park, is indeed a great destination for both summer and winter. Moreover, it is an ideal place for photographers, painters, or those who are interested in a beautiful, unspoiled landscape. You won’t find much development in Iceland, comparing to major European cities, yet it has enough metropolitan city atmosphere for a comfortable and convenient stay as there are plenty of restaurants, hotels, bars, and attractions. Once in Iceland, try not to miss its famous thermal swimming pools or spas. Activities such as glacier trekking, whale watching, midnight golfing, and salmon fishing are also easily reached from Iceland’s capitol, Reykjavik.

Hong Kong, China

What could have been a better time to visit Hong Kong if not summer, when the goods go on sale and events are popping up everywhere. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival is one of the most anticipated annual festivals in the city. It’s a three day competition during mid-June in which each team races their dragon boat. Here, spectators can enjoy a party scene, where cold beverages and tasty snacks are served. Not your thing? Other hot events are Summer Pop Live in Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong Beerfest, and Hong Kong Restaurant Week. Most people I know, even myself, tend to go to Hong Kong for unbeatable shopping deals and mouthwatering Hong Kong style dishes. Don’t miss out on a bowl of roasted duck noodle soup or Hong Kong style congee. “It’s certainly the type of place you go for good food and shopping, and not so much about nature and outdoor activities.”

Bora Bora, South Pacific

First island on this list that has the kind of sand and sea most of us would look for, transparent blue ocean and white sand beach. Why visit Bora Bora in summer? Well, since the island is in the southern hemisphere, our summer is their winter when the weather is at its best: less rain, lower humidity, and not crazy hot. Though never have been there myself, a friend of mine who visited this incredible place told me “No doubt, it’s beautiful. It’s a place for a complete relaxation, but it comes at a price. We stayed at a hotel where our bungalow is built over the water. Couldn’t have asked for a better honeymoon location” Here, visitors can enjoy endless water activities (snorkeling, diving, canoeing, jet skiing – really, you name it) or, you can explore the island on foot. If you’re a little bit more adventurous, don’t miss out on the shark and ray feeding excursion, which was said to be the most popular activity in the island.

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European air traffic controllers have told the BBC that about 500 flights have been cancelled so far as a result of the ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption on Saturday. Services out of the northern UK are expected to resume after thousands of passengers were affected yesterday.

The Grímsvötn volcano is situated in the southeast of Iceland and had been dormant since 2004. It started erupting on the eve of 21 May and quickly discontinued all air traffic in the country. Since then, the ash cloud has drifted over the Northern part of Europe and Germany has as of Wednesday closed its northern airspace – Berlin is due to cancel its traffic later today.

Memories of the chaos caused by the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajoekull have already made stranded passengers and carriers worried. The BBC reported that there was a strong possibility the ash would travel over part of Scandinavia on Wednesday, but the impact on flight is likely to be limited.

The tough stance by the German transport authority has created some unease since Germany’s rules on air traffic through volcanic ash seem to differ from the rest of Europe, the BBC reported. Calls have been for Europe-wide rules.

The eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano last year in April caused the largest closure of European airspace since The Second World War and meant losses of up to £2 billion. Experts have made clear that the case of Eyjafjallajoekull was unusual and the conditions of last year’s eruption created an unpredictable but explosive mix. A Danish/Icelandic scientific team ruled the decision to close the airspace as a consequence as the right choice, according to the BBC.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has said that although the Grímsvötn eruption was bigger, the likelihood of equal amounts of airspace disruptions is small. This is due to the ash plume being injected much higher into the atmosphere.

“Ground-based radar measurements in Iceland indicate that the ash reached heights of 12-17 km and is initially moving towards northern Scandinavia,” ESA explains on their website.

Furthermore, the particles from Grímsvötn eruption are larger and will fall down to Earth faster – which in combination with the current weather-conditions would mean that no substantial quantities of ash will drift into European airspace. Still, the BBC reports that the meteorological agencies will be ready if the weather situation changes.

This morning, a spokeswoman for the British National Air Traffic Service (NATS) told the BBC that there was no volcanic ash currently predicted for airspace of the UK at a density that would have an impact on flights.

In the UK, the ash has meant the US President Barack Obama has been forced to shorten his visit to Ireland. Elsewhere, football fans are watching the situation closely as the players of Barcelona FC are expected to play at Saturday’s Champions League Final against Manchester United at Wembley, London.

All passengers traveling on the affected routes in Europe are advised to keep in close contact with their travel agents or airlines for the latests status updates.

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25-year-old Herbert Snorrason is not a regular recent graduate. He comes from Iceland, the European island country which came under international attention during the global financial crisis when its banking system collapsed and revealed gross neglect in the national financial sector. He is a student of history but has an interest in the digital age – and interest that led him to join one of the most important – or controversial – organizations in the last decade; the hybrid between news media and intelligence agency, Wikileaks.

In an interview with Toonari Post, Herbert Snorrason told our investigative reporters about his experience in Wikileaks and how it led to the creation of the upcoming leaking site Openleaks.

You used to work for Wikileaks – can you tell us how you got involved in this organisation?

Wikileaks published a document concerning an Icelandic bank in late July 2009. Shortly after that I got in touch with some people from Wikileaks because of a minor technical issue there. Then a few months later I invited those people to speak at a conference in Iceland [for the Icelandic Digital Freedom Society] that I was one of the organisers of and the people who arrived was Julian Assange and Daniel Domscheit-Berg and that’s essentially how I got involved with Wikileaks.

What grabbed your attention about the Wikileaks project?

My attention was essentially because it is something that think needs to be done and when I saw that there was somebody doing it I was very interested and I had actually been following Wikileaks for a year and a half by the time that I got in touch with them.

We read that you claim to be an anarchist, is that why you got involved with your line of work?

I believe that organisations don’t really have a right to secrecy and I believe that the more open a society, a society where people have more information is a society where we can take more informed decisions and where we perhaps won’t need the gatekeepers that are currently in place as much

How would you describe the product that Wikileaks deliver [and it’s impact]?

I think that what Wikileaks is ultimately trying to deliver is change and whether Wikileaks is successful at that or not is something that will have to be decided later. It’s way too soon to say what the real results are or will be or have been.

Why did you leave the Wikileaks organization?

I left Wikileaks because I felt certain reforms were needed and it was made very clear to me that those reforms would not be made and there would not be any sort of accountability for the leadership of that organisation.

And from your shift from Wikileaks to Openleaks, what values are you taking with you and what values are you leaving behind?

That’s a pretty difficult question. I think it’s fair to say that we’re trying to continue with the ideals behind Wikileaks but trying to leave behind some problems of implementation. Which is not to say that we think we’ll be flawless but we think we can avoid some of the flaws that have plagued Wikileaks

Do you feel there’s any difficulties being implicated in projects like Openleaks [and Wikileaks]?

I don’t think there is any reason for the people who are involved to be worried. I can see why people would be but I myself don’t think there’s any reason to worry so… Look, I come from a country where intelligence consists of three people in the national commissioner’s basement. It’s not like it’s something that I’ve been used to worrying about so I think my perspective on what to worry about may be a little skewed.

How would you respond to the statement that leaking classified information is a weapon?

Well yes, information is a weapon that is unquestionable so if you look at it that way then why is the government hoarding or collecting such a great armoury of information on just about everyone so I mean, if they are accusing us of using information as a weapon then obviously that’s because they’re used to viewing information as a weapon so anyway you look at it, they’re doing more of it than we are.

We can predict that there are many expectations around the launch of Openleaks – How is the launch coming along?

Well, there is a bit of pressure. Mostly it’s that there are too many people interested for us to be able to help everyone which is a shame but we will have to start quite small and grow rather slowly so we will have to disappoint quite a few people unfortunately. My main worry is that we will not be allowed to grow slowly enough but we will see what happens.

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