Flat Earth: All Greek to me

WELL, maybe it was the heat (it was the hottest June day in years). Or maybe it was the presence of royalty which turned his head. In any event, when the New York Mayor, Rudolph W Giuliani, greeted the Japanese Emperor and Empress in Manhattan on Thursday he caused several frissons in the audience. First, after apologising for the murk which concealed the skyline, he dreamily opined that the presence of their Majesties was a sign of the friendship between Italy and America. After the audience got over that surprise, more was to come: suddenly 'hizzonner' stopped speaking English and launched into another tongue to complete his toast. But which one? Well, it wasn't Japanese, according to the royal entourage. On the other hand, maybe in a state of mystic awe, he simply began speaking in tongues.

No one knows. City Hall, when pressed for a translation, maintains a sybilline silence.