Stories about Photos from April, 2012
Sweden: Culture Minister in ‘Racist Cake’ Art Controversy
The Swedish Culture Minister's tasting of the controversial 'Painful Cake', representing the body of an African woman, at an art exhibition preview in Stockholm has provoked online reactions over alleged racism. Julie Owono reports.
Iran: Mad Graffiti Week for Political Prisoners
From April 1-7, 2012 the Facebook group Mad Graffiti Week Iran called on everyone, to stencil in honor of hundreds of Iranian political prisoners. People left their marks on shirts, fences, their homes and clothing. The effort was inspired and supported by the Egyptian “Mad Graffiti Week” which drew thousands...
Bahrain: Police Help Thugs Vandalize Shiite-Owned Shop
The owners of the Jawad Business Group, a Shiite-owned company in Bahrain, have released a video of one of their shops being stormed, robbed, and vandalized by a group of thugs on April 10, as policemen watched and even helped.
Pakistan: Hazara Community Targeted for Killings
In the recent past, targeted violence against the Hazara community in Balochistan has increased. Last year sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi distributed pamphlets threatening Hazaras to leave Pakistan by 2012.
Brazil: Homage to the Victims of the Amazon in Washington, D.C.
President Dilma Rousseff's official visit to Washington, D.C. attracted around 100 people to the Brazilian embassy in an act of solidarity with the Amazonian victims. Learn a little more about the Brazilians who were killed and are being persecuted for protecting the rainforest.
Mali: Timbuktu, a Cultural Treasure in Peril
The name Timbuktu conjures up a majestic, stately image. However, the war in northern Mali and the presence of small terrorist groups constitute a serious threat to the fate of Timbuktu. This treasure of humankind is in danger and numerous groups have raised the alarm.
Egypt: The Fall, Rise and Fall of Omar Suleiman
On April 6 Omar Suleiman, Egypt's former vice president and intelligence chief, announced his candidacy for president. On April 13, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to protest. Then, in a surprising turn of events, on April 14 it was announced that Suleiman was one of ten candidates barred from standing in the elections.
Spain: King Juan Carlos and the Elephant in Botswana
Days after Felipe Juan Froilan accidentally shot himself in the foot during shooting practice, his grandfather, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, fell while he was hunting and broke his pelvis. This would have been minor news, had it not been for the fact that he was hunting elephants in Botswana on...
Sweden: Visiting Rinkeby, Stockholm's Immigrant Ghetto
The Rinkeby district of Stockholm, Sweden is famous for its high concentration of immigrants. Curious outsiders have documented their visits.
Fuel Price Protests in Several Indonesian Cities
Several Indonesian cities were rocked by protests and riots against petrol price hikes in the past few weeks. Netizens debated if the price increase is appropriate. Twitter users have maximized the microblogging site to report clashes between the police and students in Jakarta.
Bangladesh: Welcoming Pahela Baisakh
Tomorrow is Pahela Baisakh (first day of summer, Bengali news year), the favorite festival of the Bengalis. Every year Bengalis celebrate their new year with galore. Wherever there are Bengalis in the world, they celebrate this day with different events.
Guinea-Bissau: Coup d'Etat and the Angolan Military Mission
At nightfall on April 12, the military started yet another coup d'etat in Guinea-Bissau. In recent weeks, allegations of "generalized fraud" in the presidential elections, and the announcement of the withdrawal of the Angolan military mission in the country, had raised the tension levels in the military and political arenas.
Pakistan: Incessant Violence in Karachi
The bloodshed in Karachi, which has killed more than 300 people in the last three months, hasn't come to a halt. The common people of the city are extremely dejected by the present conditions of the city. The million dollar question is, ‘why does violence always returns in Karachi?'
Colombia: Photo Exhibit Creator Denounces Attack on Freedom of Expression
In the blog El Salmón [es], Carlos Alberto Castaño denounces [es] the confiscation by Bogotá police of his photo exhibition, “Realities, because the eye and the lens do not lie.” Castaño writes about violation of freedom of expression and political persecution due to the content of the gallery, where he denounces “the...
Tanzania: Farewell to a Film Star
Tanzania bid farewell to one of its most popular film stars, Steven Kanumba, with an emotionally-charged funeral on 11 April, 2012. He died early on Saturday morning, aged 28, after an altercation with his girlfriend Elizabeth ‘Lulu’ Michael.
Armenia: Nationalist Threats Against Local Activist
Just weeks after one example of censorship in Armenia comes another with local peace activist Georgi Vanyan receiving abuse and death threats from nationalists opposed to screening Azerbaijani films in the country.
Senegal: No Slack for President Wade After Peaceful Election Defeat
While the outside world seems to celebrate Abdoulaye Wade's peaceful election defeat in Senegal, the Senegalese blogosphere is still critical of Wade's tenure as a president. Bloggers recall the victims of pre-electoral violence, the violation of press freedoms and the multiple examples of bad governance
India: Gearing Up for Better E-Waste Management
E-waste dumping and hazardous recycling by the non-formal sector has become a major challenge in India, where e-waste output has multiplied eight fold in the last seven years. A new legislation coming into effect from May 2012 hopes to streamline e-waste management in the country.
The Balkans: Remembering the Bosnian War, 20 Years On
A red plastic chair for each of the 11,541 people killed in Sarajevo in the 1990s: on April 6, thousands of people came to this stunning makeshift memorial stretching along Sarajevo's main street, in order to honor the memory of the victims of the war that began 20 years ago.
Brazil: Human Rights Violation in Several Prisons
General conditions in all Brazilian prisons remain the focus of much debate. In a country where 1 in every 262 adults is in prison, solutions to assure a reduction of these rates are just as essential as the construction of new prisons. Fernando Sapelli reports.
Mali: Silence of the Local Blogosphere
While the internet is inundated with blogs, tweets and videos from other countries, Malian internet users remain silent. The capital, Bamako, is still affected by serious power cuts as the fuel required for power stations runs out. Under these circumstances, the priority is not sending messages, but finding information about the new leaders of the north.
