February 2012
12 posts
WatchFashion Week in Pakistan: Can Couture Trump Conservatism?
“Once inside you’ll find patient fashionistas facing a barrage of political questions while prepping for their shows — not exactly what Karl Lagerfeld concerns himself with. Female designers get harangued about women’s rights, the burqa and blasphemy laws, while male designers are questioned about homosexuality, the tensions...
WatchUN warns that one third of North Korean children under the age of five are chronically malnourished
“Experts say North Korea’s hunger crisis has its roots in years of farm mismanagement as well as slumping aid and trade amid the fallout of Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs. Fears that aid could be diverted to feed North Korea’s million-strong army have also made donors wary....
January 2012
10 posts
WatchKim Jong-un drums up support at military school in Pyongyang
“Video provided by state media KRT shows North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to the “Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School” in Pyongyang on Jan 24. Kim’s visit to the school is seen as part of an effort to boost his popularity amongst the elite since taking leadership following the death...
North Korea: Please turn off your cell phone...... →
Put your phones and personal electronics away in North Korea, or risk a messy ending. The Telegraph reported this morning that cell phone users in North Korea will be deemed “war criminals,” as part of the new rules being implemented for the 100 days of mourning following former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s death.
Learn more about the leadership change in North Korea...
For Many in Pakistan, a Television Show Goes Too... →
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — One morning last week, television viewers in Pakistan were treated to a darkly comic sight: a posse of middle-class women roaming through a public park in Karachi, on the hunt for dating couples engaged in “immoral” behavior.
The skateboarders bringing peace to Tunisia →
“How do you bring people together in the immediate aftermath of a revolution?
Meet the Bedouins, a skate crew who have converted the exiled Tunisian dictator’s house into a skate park in an attempt to bring locals together. Is it working?”
Watch“In the spirit of people-power, the project, titled “INSIDE OUT: Artocracy in Tunisia”, features a hundred ordinary Tunisians, putting their images where only presidents once hung. The portraits were taken by six Tunisian photographers, in collaboration with the renowned French street artist known as JR and other international artists.”
America and the Middle East: What Lies Ahead →
As the Arab revolutions rippled across the region over the past year toppling the old order, America largely looked on from the sidelines. On top of it all, in light of the financial crisis, Americans are increasingly focused inward on jobs and the economy. So what will the future of American policy in the middle east look like? With so much uncertainty in the region, and so much changing...
For Safety, Afghan Travelers Tune In to Taliban... →
Nasratullah Niazai, in his Kabul shop, sells Taliban videos and ringtones for customers to show on cellphones.
Rebuilding Afghanistan's Villages, Rug by Rug →
“Duckworth founded ARZU, a nonprofit, artisanal rug company where every item produced and donation received helps pay the salary of local weavers and funds social programs to lift rural families out of crushing poverty”
December 2011
64 posts
French Lessons: Why Letting Kids Drink At Home... →
npr:
Growing evidence suggests that kids who are allowed to drink in the home are at greater risk of developing alcohol-related problems. That’s unwelcome news in France, a nation known for its love of wine that’s now grappling with a binge-drinking problem among teens.
“One day, your child will ask you, Papa, what were you doing when the crooks and...”
– Text from one anti-government flyer from the Russian protests (via Global Voices Advocacy)
Washington Post →
Afghan students learn to read with folk tales
Watch
Japan, Home of the (Michelin) Stars
Asia Today: Hong Kong and Macau move up in the Michelin-star tally, while Japan tops France to become the undisputed gourmet capital of the world. The WSJ’s Isabella Steger discusses with Jason Chow.
Watch
Iranian TV Airs Video of Claimed Downed U.S. Drone
Iranian TV broadcasts video of what Tehran military chiefs claim is the U.S. drone brought down over Iranian airspace last week by a “sophisticated cyberattack.” Video courtesy of Fox News.
