Easter Greetings!

WWII German Sub Discovered

An oil company scouting a new underwater oil pipeline route off the coast of Norway has made an historic discovery.
The wreckage of German submarine U486 has been found 240m down, near the town of Bergen in western Norway.
U486 met her demise on 12 April 1945, when she was torpedoed by British submarine HMS Tapir and split in two. The entire 48-man crew died, rendering the downed vessel a WWII war grave.
The issue of what to do with the submarine is still unsettled - the discussion is complicated by environmental safety concerns and the previous discovery of another sunken vessel little more than 2km away, that's been at the centre of debate for a decade.
That is the U864, found in 2003 with more than 65 tonnes of toxic cargo on board, raising contamination fears and causing the Norwegian government to declare a no-fishing zone around the wreckage. While some are calling for the ship to be raised, others believe the safest way to deal with the ecological time bomb is to

The lost crew of U486

seal it off in a submarine sarcophagus.
The potential presence of fuel oil and unexploded torpedoes on the recently found submarine could pose a similar problem, while also raising the possibility of other sunken vessels that have yet to be found nearby.
After its invasion in 1940, Nazi Germany established several naval bases in various ports in occupied Norway, incl.one in Bergen.
What makes the discovery of U486 interesting for historians is that she was one of nine submarines that the Kriegsmarine fitted with an experimental (but very effective) synthetic rubber skin, designed to counter the Allies' asdic/sonar devices. In her short career, U486 sank the Silverlaurel, troopship Leopoldville, and two frigates HMS Affleck and HMS Capel.

Saint Kiri

How to turn a prima donna into a true diva: make her an angel!
Kiwi soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was all smiles this week, when she saw her likeness in a stained glass window at St Paul's Cathedral in Dunedin.
Dame Kiri's face was portrayed as St Cecilia - the patron saint of musicians and church music - on a recently commissioned work at the cathedral: "It's really lovely...to be in a church window is pretty amazing. I wouldn't say I've been immortalised - but it's there for hundreds of years now."
The four-panelled artwork was created by artist Peter Mackenzie, who reckoned Dame Kiri was the perfect choice for St Cecilia because she was a well-known New Zealander, and embodied the mix of cultures embraced by the Anglican Church of NZ.

"Is that ME?? Choice, bro!"

Also captured in the window was the image of Anglican Diocese of Dunedin's Bishop the Right Rev Dr Kelvin Wright, as St Paul.
After viewing her 'beatification' in Dunedin, and performing at the Oamaru Town Hall, Dame Kiri is back to England to prepare for more performances in Europe, and a guest appearance on the British period drama television series Downton Abbey, later this year. She'll play Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba in the series, and will sing as part of her roll.