MEGAPOST – HSBC “local knowledge” ads – culture, socialization, norms

Parallel parking in Germany vs. France.

America, Iran Find Common Ground on the Wrestling Mat

Published on Feb 22, 2013
On the eve of nuclear talks, international athletes square off in friendly competition.

A sporting chance in the classroom

Published on Feb 17, 2013
http://www.euronews.com/ Olympic heroes lead the way in school

Is taking part in school sport just a matter of keeping fit, or are there more unexpected benefits? And what of those pupils who want to make a career out of sport do they also need a good education?

Olympic champions Carl Lewis and Ian Thorpe conquered the world in their chosen sports, swimming and athletics.

The two sporting heroes advocate sport on the school curriculum and recall their days in the classroom.

*Beating the bullies through sport*

Sports lessons can tackle the problems of bullying and bad behaviour in school helping young people channel aggression and anger into healthy competition. A project in the USA is leading the way and shows why which shows why playing games matters in school matters.

*Sowing the seeds of excellence in Senegal*

Basketball is the key for a better future. That’s the belief behind the Seeds Academy, based 70km from Dakar, the capital of Senegal. It is where teenagers come to practice their favourite sport, and prepare for what might be their future career. Sacrifice, rigour and discipline are the key values at this academy.

2012 – Russia’s Worst Year for Human Rights Since USSR Collapse

Published on Jan 31, 2013
Human Rights Watch releases 2012 annual report, warning of the steady decline in human rights in Russia after President Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency.

Full story:

A representative from Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that 2012 was the worst year for human rights in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division Deputy Director Rachel Denber spoke with journalists in Moscow.

She says Russia’s human rights last year was the worst she could remember in her 20 years of work in the former Soviet Union.

[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“After the return of Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin, and I would say even before then, not only was the cautious progress towards liberalization of the ‘Medvedev-era’ liquidated, but in these months, authoritarianism in Russia reached a level unseen in this country’s recent history. The foundation of this authoritarian turn was a package of laws adopted by the State Duma. I don’t think it’s necessary to describe them in detail now, but I will just list them: this is restrictions on the freedom of assembly, restrictions on Internet content, the return of criminal liability for slander—which had been cancelled by Medvedev in the previous months—and this, of course includes the law about so-called foreign agents.”

Last summer, shortly after Putin was sworn into office, Russia passed a series of laws branding many rights and campaign groups as “foreign agents”.

It’s a move opponents say was an attempt to stifle protests against Vladimir Putin.

Denber says the decline in Russia’s human rights situation has been steadily worsening.

[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“For a decade since the so-called ‘colour revolutions’, the Russian authorities have been attempting to marginalize, demonize, and discredit opposition politicians, human rights activists, civil society organizations, and the political opposition.”

Human rights organizations are voicing the rights issues against the fact that Russia is set to hold the Winter Olympics in February 2014.

[Rachel Denber, Deputy Director, Human Rights Watch Europe and Central Asia Division]:
“Soon, in almost one year, the Olympics will take place in Russia, in Sochi, and I want to say that this is, of course, a very joyful occasion. But I want to say that the attack on civil society and this excessive suspicion towards foreigners is simply not compatible with the role of Russia as an Olympic Games host country. This, in my opinion, contradicts the Olympic spirit.”

Human Rights Watch says they have noted abuses such as expropriation of property, linked to Russia’s preparations for the 2014 Olympic Games.

Other issues raised include the harassment of Kremlin critics and human rights activists, and the Russian legislation banning so-called ‘homosexual propaganda’.

Also raised were the failures of the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development to meet World Health Organization standards.

Giant Graffiti Art in Rio Revitalizes Port Area for 2016 Olympics

Published on Feb 2, 2013
Brazilian graffiti artist, Toz, is painting a giant mural in Rio de Janeiro’s port region, as the area gears up for the 2016 Olympics.

Full Story:

A giant and colorful mural is bringing a bit of life to Rio de Janeiro’s poor port region. The area is being renewed for the 2016 Olympic Games.

The vibrant artwork is courtesy of Brazilian graffiti artist Toz who, together with his friends, is filling the 98-foot tall mural with bright colors and random caricatures.

The artwork is already the biggest of its kind in the city, and was commissioned by Lojas Americanas and B2W, two of the biggest brands in Brazil, which own the building where the mural is being painted.

[Toz, Brazilian Graffiti Artist]:
“My vision was to design something where there was enough space for my artist friends to showcase their work and also for me expose my work. That’s why I had this idea of these triangles, as if they were small windows into different worlds and ideas.”

To fill the space, Toz and eight other artists have used 1500 cans of spray paint so far.

Rio still has some way to go to catch up to other world cities, such as London and Berlin, when it comes to street art, but Toz believes the talent and the spaces are there.

[Toz, Brazilian Graffiti Artist]:
“Graffiti was born in those areas—the more distant and neglected areas—and today here we are, painting the side of a building, so I think not just here, but in any place which is destroyed and neglected is a perfect place for graffiti artists.”

For the people who work and live in the area, the colorful mural is a pleasant addition to the bleak surroundings.

[Carlos Magno, Construction Worker]:
“It used to be an ugly building, but now it can even become a tourist attraction, I think it’s cool.”

Rio de Janeiro’s port region will be one of the focal points of the 2016 Olympic Games.

City servants are investing millions of real (pronounced re-Al) in new transport links, road works and new housing, to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected during the summer of 2016.

Key & Peele: Player Names in East/West College Bowl – culture

Published on Sep 20, 2012 by comedycentral
Meet the flamboyant players of the East/West Collegiate Bowl.

MEGAPOST: The Drug War and Mexican Tourism

Mexico: From “Drug-Fueled War Zone” to “Well-Traveled International Tourist Destination” – This video has no official description. It’s a PR firm describing their campaign to reinvigorate Mexican tourism.

Uploaded by HDNetWorldReport on Sep 16, 2011
Many tourists no longer want to visit Mexico because of drug violence. It might be time to cross another nearby country (Guatemala) off the list, because Mexicoapos;s ruthless cartels are going international.

Published on Sep 10, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish
Northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon is considered one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. But the site also right in the middle of Mexico’s drug-growing heartland, so it is struggling to attract tourists.

Al Jazeera’s Adam Raney travelled to the canyon in the state of Chihuahua to see what it offers for those prepared to make the trip.

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Jul 12, 2011
Mexico’s once buoyant tourism industry is being weighed downby the country’s ongoing drug war. Al Jazeera’s Adam Raney reports from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Uploaded by CBS on Feb 21, 2011
As the deadly drug war in Mexico continues, new violence is spreading towards popular tourist areas. Terry McCarthy reports on conditions in Acapulco, a new battleground between rival drug cartels.

Uploaded by ANewsVanIsland on Jan 20, 2011
OAK BAY – The phones are ringing at Oak Bay’s Athlone Travel – the first few weeks of 2011 have been busy. But bookings to Mexico are down, and clients are asking questions. “They’re Concerned about the violence, if they go to Mexico are they in any danger” says Manager Liz Smith.

And you can see where skittish travellers may be getting that idea.

On Monday, 69-year-old Mike Di Lorenzo of Penticton was hit in the leg by gunfire meant for someone else in Mazatlan. He needed surgery and two blood transfusions, and likely saved his wife’s life by diving on top of her.

Earlier this month, a Montreal police officer got separated from his friends at a bar in Cancun and was severely beaten. A woman from Ontario claims was gang-raped by police in Playa del Carmen on New Year’s eve.

And in November, 33-year-old Nanaimo Realtor, father, and newlywed Malcolm Johnson was killed in a freak gas explosion at the Grand Riviera Hotel along with four other Canadians.

Royal Roads University “Human Security” expert Kenneth Christie just returned from Mexico, where he says a drug war has taken more than 30,000 lives over the past four years. But most of the violence is taking place far from your favourite all-inclusive resort. “I think tourists should be careful when they go to Mexico, stay away obviously from where the drug war is taking place, but in most of the resorts they’re pretty safe” says Christie.

He says the BC man injured this week was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Mazatlan’s been a very safe place for Canadian tourists to go.”

Liz Smith at Athlone Travel agrees, suggesting you stick to the familiar resort destinations to stay safe. “It’s like all the people that go on airplanes every day, millions of people around the world travel by air, and when there’s an accident, everyone stops to think about it, and I think that’s what’s happening here.”

For some Canadians, it appears the issue of whether or not Mexico is safe isn’t an issue at all. One viewer comments online: “Please don’t go to Mexico, way too dangerous. In fact, don’t go anywhere. Just stay home and hide under your bed, where it’s safe.”

He does make a good point – there are risks involved in doing just about anything.

Uploaded by AssociatedPress on Nov 4, 2010
In another grisly turn in Mexico’s drug war, police have recovered 18 bodies from a mass grave announced in a YouTube posting, a video saying the victims were from a tourist group kidnapped in Acapulco a month ago.

Uploaded by PBSNewsHour on Sep 15, 2010

A drop in tourism and manufacturing has left the Mexican state Baja, California, with a struggling economy. Jose Luis Sierra of New America Media reports on how the drug war and recession have played a role.

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Sep 1, 2010
At least eight people have been killed in a fire bomb attack on a bar in the Mexican tourist town of Cancun.

Local reports said the attack was carried out by a drug cartel which was trying to extort protection money from the bar owner.

It has heightened fears that drug-related violence is spreading to tourist towns.

Al Jazeera’s Franc Contreras reports from Cancun.

Uploaded by catoinstitutevideo on May 5, 2010
Juan Carlos Hidalgo of the Cato Institute on how the country’s drug problems are impacting tourism.

Uploaded by worldfocusonline on Mar 5, 2009
In Tijuana, a once-thriving city just across the border from San Diego, the increasingly deadly drug war has touched almost every part of life.

Americans used to flock to the city, but now largely avoid it. In 2005, a banner year for tourism, some four million people visited Tijuana. Last year, the number dropped to around 400,000. Residents, too, are fleeing in fear.

Worldfocus correspondent John Larson, producer Bryan Myers and field producers Megan Thompson and Ivette Feliciano explore Tijuana, beginning in a hospital that not only treats the victims of drug violence, but that operates in fear that its own people will get caught in the battle.

New Orleans – An Intoxication Destination

Published on Nov 21, 2012 by NationalGeographic
The post-Katrina drug culture of New Orleans is revealed.

Want to cuddle a stranger? Go to Japan

Chess boxing attracts growing crowds

Published on Oct 10, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish
The sport of chess boxing may sound like a joke, but its competitors take it very seriously. It is billed as the ultimate test of physical and mental strength. As Al Jazeera’s Jessica Baldwin reports from London’s Royal Albert Hall, audiences are growing and organisers are predicting a new craze.

The world’s first ‘pop-down’ restaurant opens in a mine 80 metres below ground in Finland

Published on Sep 13, 2012 by itnnews

Guests literally descended on a newly opened restaurant in Finland, where the meal is served 80 metres below ground. Report by Andrea Lilly.

MEGAPOST: Athletes tell LGBT youth “It Gets Better”

From the San Francisco 49ers: It Gets Better

Free WiFi on the back of a donkey in Israel’s Galilee

Published on Aug 22, 2012 by itnnews

At the Kfar Kedem park in southern Galilee, visitors can ride donkeys whilst surfing the web, thanks to routers round the animals’ necks. . Report by Sophie Foster.

France’s New Passion: All Things Chinese

Published on Aug 6, 2012 by VOAvideo

Not so long ago, Americans and Japanese tourists were the big spenders in France. No longer. During these summer months, France’s tourism industry is courting new clients with major purchasing power: Chinese. VOA’s Lisa Bryant reports that now the French are heading back to the classroom… to learn Chinese.

Nature, Nurture Required for Elite Athletes

“Physical endowment accounts for only about 20% of athletes’ abilities.”

Published on Aug 4, 2012 by VOAvideo

Swimmer Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time during the London Olympics. Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, Zara Philllips, helped her equestrian team win a silver medal. The American women’s gymnastics team won gold. All of them are very different athletes. All elite. Do they have a genetic edge over the rest of us? Carol Pearson consulted with doctors at the Mayo Clinic.