Stories about Photos from January, 2013
New Palestinian Village Bab Al Shams Established in East Jerusalem
As part of the popular resistance movement in the Palestine, a group of about 250 Palestinian activists established the new village of Bab Al Shams or “The Gate of the Sun”, on a piece of confiscated land in Eastern Jerusalem, referred by Israeli authorities as “Area E1“. Despite an eviction notice from the Israeli army, the activists plan to spend the night in the tents they have set up there.
Mourning 13 Expatriates Online in Bahrain
Thirteen expatriate workers were killed in a fire that broke out in a house in Manama. Netizens react to the incident, questioning the status and treatment of foreign workers in Bahrain.
2012: A Year of Revolt and Social Change in Francophone Countries: Part 1 of 2
The year 2012 was marked by armed conflicts in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. There were elections in Senegal, Quebec and France, while demonstrations for change took place in Chad, Madagascar and Togo. Debates raged on issues such as immigration, the economic crisis and equality in marriage laws. This is the first part of a review of the year 2012 in Francophone countries.
Richard Blanco: America's First Latino Inaugural Poet
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, requested his inaugural poem from Richard Blanco, son of Cuban immigrants and the first Latino, Spanish speaker, and gay man to receive this honor.
Journalist Killed During Ceasefire Talks in Central African Republic
The network of Human Rights Reporters in Central African Republic reports that journalist for the Radio Bé-oko Elisabeth Olofio was killed [fr] when Sékéla rebels entered the town of Bambari,...
Nobel Peacemaker Ramos Horta's Mission to Guinea Bissau
The political chaos in which Guinea Bissau finds itself embroiled - and more so since the April 2012 coup d'etat - may be a little closer to finding a resolution with the recent appointment of Nobel Peace Prize winner and former President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, to lead the United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in the country.
The Three Kings Visit New York
The Three Kings came and went, but not before passing through New York City to celebrate with hundreds of children that came out for the parade. This Christmas celebration has been a part of the Caribbean and Latin American cultural traditions for numerous centuries.
What Happened to the Cable? Cubans Discuss Internet Access
Over a year after the arrival of a new fiber optic cable to Cuba, the island has failed to see improvements in connectivity speed nor an increase in access to the Internet.
Students Revisit the Unique Link between Corsica and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico and Corsica (France) share a common bond that is often revisited by an exchange program led by the university of Puerto Rico [fr]. Notwithstanding their similar geographic and agricultural traits...
Jordan: Good White Morning from Amman
Amin Amin shares this photograph from the Jordanian capital Amman this morning:
Day by Day Happiness for the Elderly
A collective of Portuguese artists has come together to illustrate practical daily definitions of happiness for the elderly. The online calendar can be found on Felicidário.
Twitterer Called to Testify in Spain for Gramsci Quotes
A Twitter user and activist with the 15M "indignant" movement, @almu_en_lucha, has been called to testify before the Spanish police's Technology Crime Squad regarding the content of some of her Tweets.
Madagascar's Vanilla Beans Came from Mexico
Antoine Ganne tells the unique story of how Vanilla came to populate the island of Madagascar and Reunion island [fr] from the Gulf of Mexico. Ganne explains that European traders brought...
Cubans Defend Themselves Against Esperanza Aguirre's Accusations
The president of the People's Party in Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, stated that she did not recognize "any justice on the island of Cuba" and called the time that Ángel Carromero spent in prison "torture," after he was condemned to imprisonment in Havana for "involuntary manslaughter," in the car accident that cost the lives of Cuban dissidents Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero. The Cuban blogosphere reacts.
Dueling Demonstrations Surround Same-Sex Marriage in France
For several months there has been a raging debate in France surrounding 'universal marriage' (i.e. same-sex marriage). Those who oppose same-sex marriage Commitment 31 want for the whole nation, not merely the parliamentarians, to engage in the debate.
Should Prostitution be Abolished or Regulated? Part I
Two hundred NGO's from across Europe gathered at the European Parliament in Brussels on December 4, 2012. They called for the abolition of prostitution and presented the outlines of a potential abolitionist policy for Europe. For these organisations, criminalization of prostituion is the key to counter human trafficking for sexual purposes. In Europe and around the world, sex workers disagree with the proposed measures and ask for more respect for their rights.
Borinquen Brass Play Music in Every Corner of Puerto Rico
The brass wind ensemble Borinquen Brass has 13 members, including a percussionist, and six years of experience giving free concerts in Puerto Rico. The ensemble's endeavor is to offer a valuable community and educational service to audiences that otherwise wouldn't have access to this kind of music.
Spain: New Year, New Party, New System
“Happy 2013! The year in which we will reinitiate the system." This was the first message that appeared on Twitter on December 31st at midnight from Partido X, Partido del Futuro (Party X, Party of the Future), a new political group that has burst onto the Spanish Internet scene with force.
Tiptoeing Tradition, Cuba Welcomes the New Year
The year 2012, marked by the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba, Hurricane Sandy's trail of destruction, and the controversial legal regulation of the public use of music also made a mark on the island's blogosphere. The extension of Internet access was also a topic that set the digital agenda.
Taiwan's Nuclear-free New Year's Wish
The new year celebration was very special this year as popular singers, environmental and youth activists worked together to present a nuclear-free homeland as Taiwanese people's common wish for 2013.
Celebrating New Year's Eve in Central Asia
Since independence, the post-Soviet nations of Central Asia have invented a number of new 'national' holidays. Yet the celebration of the New Year's Eve still remains a cherished tradition among many people in the region. Despite some calls to denounce the holiday as 'foreign' and 'un-Islamic', families in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan celebrated the arrival of the year 2013 in line with the long-established tradition.
