The Call

(By Will Mathonsi)

The first call came when I was about to leave the house. The year’s most anticipated blockbuster was playing in the local cinema, and I had been eagerly looking forward to seeing it. I glanced at my phone. It was an unknown number. I was already running late so I chose to ignore the call.

A minute later the phone rang again. It went on vibrating and ringing with an irritating din, sending my patience plummeting down to its lowest level. Since I was running late I convinced myself I really didn’t have time to deal with calls from unknown sources. Who could this be? What does he or she want? I wondered…

A window on the life of immigrants in the 1800s

These remarkable photos provide a window on the life of immigrants in 19th century New York. Captured in black and white, the photos highlight the tough life immigrants had: sweat shops, shanty towns and slums.

Three children huddle together over a grate for warmth in an alleyway off Mulberry Street, Manhattan

Around the World in Five Minutes

Amnesty uncovers torture in Libya



According to Amnesty International, several people in Libya's detention centres have been tortured to death by security officials and armed militia.
Amnesty  said its researchers in Libya met prisoners in and around the cities of Tripoli, Misurata and Gheryan who bore injuries consistent with torture, including open wounds on their heads, limbs and back.
 Most of the victims were Libyans believed to be Gaddafi loyalists, but some were sub-Saharan Africans believed to be mercenaries. NGO Human rights Watch has also documented ongoing torture in Libyan prisons.

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, has expressed concerns regarding the matter.

Laugh Out Loud!!

Around the World in Five Minutes

Nigeria: Death toll nears 1,000 

According to the Human Rights Watch, at least 935 people have been killed by the Nigerian Islamist sect, Boko Haram, since it began its campaign of violence in 2009. This year alone at least 250 people have died.

 The group, which opposes western education, has claimed responsibility for bombing military facilities, churches and police stations in the north of the country. On the 20th of January Boko Haram launched its deadliest attack to date in Kano - Nigeria's second largest city - killing 186 people.

The Human Rights Watch has called on the Nigerian government to end the campaign of terror and bring those responsible to justice. 

The Truth about Human Zoos (conclusion)

  
It is an extravagant misconception to think that human zoos equal rounding up natives in a confined space and subjecting them to the glare of curious audiences. It is much more than that. 

Human zoos are the everyday photos we see in news reports capturing the pain and suffering of the ‘other’. The ‘other’, who may not necessarily be called primitive, native or be a protected tribe, is still exploited by charities, photographers, news agencies and individuals.

Chinese New Year Begins Today

Today (Monday 23rd January) marks the beginning of the Chinese new year. On the Chinese calendar, 2012 - known as the year of the dragon - is the year 4709.