Ripley's Blog | Ripple's Web

Nelson Mandela, now 94, endured 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa’s first president from 1994 to 1999. Pictured, Mandela in Mmabatho for an election rally on March 15, 1994.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/28/africa/gallery/nelson-mandela/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/Z4vEfMzTgQc/photos-life-of-nelson-mandela

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/qEclWoDyiQE/photos-life-of-nelson-mandela

Johannesburg (CNN) — “This shouldn’t be happening” — these were the words of a visibly nervous and frustrated sheriff of the court as he rang the outside bell and knocked at the gate belonging to a woman still considered by many in South Africa as the “mother of the nation.”

Joe Maluleke and two other officials arrived at Winnie Mandela’s house in Soweto on Tuesday to execute a court order granting a Johannesburg school permission to auction her belongings and pay an old debt. Among the goods meant to go under the hammer were 50 paintings, a round table, chairs and a silver tea set.

The problems started when the ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, the country’s first black president and an international icon, registered her great niece, Nobantu Vutela, as a boarding student at Abbotts College in Northcliff, Johannesburg, according to court papers filed in 2008.

The accommodation fees for the year were 40,000 South African rand — the equivalent of about $4,000 today. Winnie Mandela, 76, who earns an annual salary of around $90,000, as a member of parliament, was given six months to pay the full amount. It’s unclear why she and not the girl’s own parents enrolled her into the private school.

Despite the documents stipulating that R10,000 ($1000) be paid up front, lawyers representing the school say Mrs Mandela never paid a cent. They started instituting proceedings against her in October 2008. The case dragged on for five years. A lawyer acting on behalf of the school told CNN Mrs Mandela made her first payment last year but that she still owes nearly $5,000 with interest included. Mrs Mandela’s lawyer is disputing the interest amount.

With dozens of journalists surrounding him, not a single bidder in sight, and Mrs Mandela’s bodyguards stationed on the other side of the wall, Sheriff Maluleke knocked in vain. People could be seen moving around inside and outside the house, but nobody came out to let the sheriff in. At one point a car sped out of the premises using a side entrance. It is unclear who was in the car.

Maluleke was instructed by lawyers to get a locksmith and force his way into Mandela’s house, but he was understandably reluctant. At one point a spectator shouted, “Why don’t you climb over the wall?” The sheriff’s irritated retort: “And get shot at?”

The tense standoff lasted for about two hours. Maluleke left Winnie Mandela’s property empty-handed and dejected. He later admitted that the task he was expected to carry out was a difficult one. “Is it because she is the mother of the nation?” he was asked. “Exactly,” he responded.

Read this: How South Africa avoided ‘bloody racial war’

Outrage at pictures of ailing Mandela

2012: Nelson Mandela’s early years

Nelson Mandela’s family wine venture

Celebrating Mandela at 94

On Monday night Winnie Mandela’s lawyer Yandisa Dudula had been frantically trying to stop the auction from going ahead.

“Mrs. Mandela has given me a check for R16,000 ($1,696), and another R4,000 ($212) has been given to the sheriff,” he told CNN. “The auction is not necessary.”

The school’s lawyers insisted on getting the money in cash, failing which, they said the sale of her goods would go ahead as planned.

Confused neighbors looked on as the spectacle at Mandela’s property unfolded.

“We thought she had money, it is very surprising that her goods are now having to be auctioned in order to recoup funds for a debt,” one of them told CNN.

When asked what it is like to live next door “the mother of the nation,” the neighbor said, “We never see her. When the old man (Nelson Mandela) lived in Soweto he would walk around, shake people’s hands, greet and talk to them, he even invited us into his home.”

“Winnie keeps to herself, but we still call her ‘mother of the nation’ and no-one wants to see her humiliated,” the neighbor said.

Commentators say Winnie Mandela has become increasingly isolated, not only by her political family, the ruling African National Congress, but seemingly by her biological family as well.

“Internal tensions within the family could have played a role in no one coming to Mrs Mandela’s aid,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told CNN. “The family is fragmented and recent squabbles over money have further emphasized these divisions.”

Two of Nelson Mandela’s daughters — Makaziwe Mandela and Zenani Dlamini — are currently embroiled in a legal battle over the former political prisoner’s money. They have filed court papers in an attempt to remove Mandela’s longtime lawyer and friend, 84-year-old George Bizos, and others as directors of companies owned by the Mandela Trust.

The children’s legal battle over their iconic father’s monies has come under heavy criticism in South Africa. Bizos told local media the lawsuit is “a ploy to resuscitate the sale of Mandela’s artworks” whose proceeds go to the companies at the center of the dispute.

Andrew Mlangeni, who was incarcerated on Robben Island with Mr Mandela, told CNN: “This is a matter that should have been resolved internally within the family.”

Makaziwe recently rebutted accusations that her intentions are motivated by greed, telling the New York Times: “This issue that we are greedy, that we are wanting this money before my dad passes away is all nonsense.”

The feud over Nelson Mandela’s millions and now the threat of an auction at his former wife’s residence underscore the contradictions and complexities in what many consider South Africa’s political “royal family.”

Read this: Big brands target South Africa’s middle class

This is by no means Winnie Mandela’s first brush with the law, although for years many saw her as untouchable.

The former freedom fighter was implicated in the 1980s murder of 14-year-old anti-apartheid activist Stompie Seipei. Her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, stood by her, despite a mountain of damning evidence. In 1991 she was convicted of kidnapping Seipei and for being an accessory to assault, but her six-year jail term was reduced on appeal to a fine and a suspended sentence.

In 2003 Mrs Mandela was convicted for theft and fraud in connection with an elaborate bank loan scheme where the ANC party letterhead was used to obtain loans for bogus employees including her youngest daughter Zinzi. The conviction carried a jail term, but that sentence too was suspended.

A few months ago police confirmed that they have reopened the murder case of two more former freedom fighters, allegedly last seen at her house more than 20 years ago. Their bodies were exhumed in March.

Musical tribute to Nelson Mandela

Securing the release of Nelson Mandela

Securing the release of Nelson Mandela

From prison number to fashion line

In recent years, “the mother of the nation’s” influence in the country and within the ruling party has waned, and the protection she once enjoyed along with it. Last year she was voted second-last in the party’s national executive committee. She had been top of the list at the previous ANC conference in 2007.

Still, respected columnist and journalist Justice Malala says he is astonished Winnie Mandela couldn’t get help from a single one of her former comrades.

Malala told CNN: “It’s great that she was paying for her great niece’s school fees but I’m surprised that firstly she didn’t feel she could raise the money from her own salary and secondly that no-one in the ANC was willing to help her. She could have also approached the Mandela Trust. Mandela has given money to president Jacob Zuma before when he was in trouble.”

Perhaps the most astonishing part of the tale is why her children and grandchildren appear to have stood by and watched as threats of an auction became more serious.

Two of her grandchildren, Zaziwe and Swati Dlamini have recently launched a reality show in the U.S. called “Being Mandela.” They also have a clothing line named “Long Walk to Freedom” after their grandfather’s autobiography. Their mother Zenani Dlamini, Winnie’s eldest daughter, is South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina.

Despite the family’s many ventures and connections, Winnie’s lawyer says money isn’t always readily available.

Winnie Mandela has often courted controversy, but she is still adored by many in South Africa.

She endured years of torture, torment, banishment and imprisonment by the apartheid regime while fighting resolutely for racial equality in the country.

And despite her legal and financial troubles over the years, very few South Africans are celebrating her downfall. Many of them took to Twitter to express their solidarity. “We cannot forget Winnie Mandela who stood tall for three decades” wrote one person.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/africa/winnie-mandela-sheriff-auction/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/p6I-JDAotGg/winnie-mandela-and-the-debt-collectors

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/qo8CTR8PXqU/winnie-mandela-and-the-debt-collectors

.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

The victim killed in a cleaver attack on May 22 was identified as Drummer Lee Rigby of 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. The brutal killing of Rigby shocked the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister David Cameron saying the act appears to have been a terrorist attack.

Left to right: mother of the slain soldier Lyn Rigby, stepfather Ian Rigby and Lee’s wife Rebecca Rigby grieve as Ian reads a family statement on Friday, May 24 in Bury, England.

Flowers have been laid close to the scene where Rigby was killed on May 24, in London.

A man places flowers near the scene on May 24.

A police officer stands with flowers in a storm on Thursday, May 23, close to the crime scene in front of Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.

A man contemplates the makeshift memorial outside Woolwich Barracks in London.

Flowers lie outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23.

Soldiers walk outside Woolwich Barracks on Thursday, May 23, near where the soldier was killed.

Notes and shirts sit outside Woolwich Barracks on May 23. The slain soldier was wearing a “Help for Heroes” shirt when he was killed.

British soldiers stand guard outside the barracks on May 23.

Britain’s prime Minister David Cameron addresses media representatives at 10 Downing Street in London on May 23, a day after a soldier who was hacked to death in a London street by two suspected Islamist extremists.

Members of the far-right English Defence League wear balaclavas as they gather outside a pub in Woolwich on Wednesday, May 22.

EDL supporters confront police in Woolwich on May 22.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson joins supporters at the crime scene on May 22.

A police officer guards a tent that’s been set up at the crime scene as investigations continue late May 22.

Mary Warder brings flowers to the scene of the crime on May 22 to pay respects to the victim.

Men place flowers near the scene on John Wilson Street.

A police officer guards a blocked-off area in Woolwich on May 22.

A general view of Woolwich Barracks, near the scene of the crime.

Police officers block off a road in Woolwich.

Forensic officers investigate the crime scene on May 22.

Police walk to the scene in Woolwich on May 22.

A still frame from video shows a man outside the Woolwich Barracks in London holding a cleaver and addressing the camera directly, moments after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street on May 22. The man in the video swore “by almighty Allah” to keep fighting.

People stand around the body of the victim in the streets of Woolwich on May 22.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

London (CNN) — A soldier lies in a pool of blood in the middle of a nondescript inner-city London street. His two apparent killers brandish bloodied kitchen knives and meat cleavers. One of them rants at a passer-by who films the whole extraordinary encounter on a mobile phone.

These shocking images are unlike anything seen before on the streets of Britain, where the murder rate is one of the lowest in the world and where police officers do not routinely carry guns.

London attack: Terrorists targeting soldiers at home again?

There is little sense of panic among the dozens of witnesses, some of whom argue rationally with the suspected killer. If the British can still be characterized as being hard to panic with stiff upper lips, this street scene was a bizarre illustration.

Others mill round taking photos — as if a celebrity has arrived. At one point a woman with a shopping trolley even walks past the man without changing course as he makes his radical statement. In the distance is the sound of police sirens: later the men will be shot — although both survive — by armed officers.

London attack suspect caught on video

Tensions running high in London

This is suburban London on a quiet day in May 2013.

The attack, which is being treated as a suspected terrorist incident by the UK government, begins in a fairly anonymous road in Woolwich, a deprived largely blue-collar neighborhood in comparison to its historic neighbors Greenwich and Blackheath.

The area was hit hard, as was much of London, by the summer riots of 2011, when several shops and properties were burned to the ground. But beyond that violence is rare: thousands of visitors attended Olympic shooting events last year at the army barracks where the soldier was heading, without incident.

At 2.20pm on Wednesday, a small blue Vauxall Tigra hatchback with blacked-out windows mounts the sidewalk of Artillery Place and mows down a soldier.

Read more: London attack mirrors plot to behead Muslim soldier

The soldier, later named as Lee Rigby, 25, a father of a 2-year-old boy, is wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo of “Help for Heroes,” a military charity that in little more than five years has raised well over £100 million ($150 million) for members of the Armed Forces wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two attackers get out of the car, then fall on Rigby, stabbing and slashing him to death with their knives and cleavers before they drag his body into the middle of the road.

The murder brings the mid-afternoon traffic on Artillery Place, just yards from the busy arterial John Wilson Street, to a standstill. From the relative safety of a stationary bus, passengers start to film: later the footage will be broadcast by the world’s media.

One clip starts by showing the car smashed into a lamp-post: then the camera pans round to show that this is no ordinary traffic accident. The footage reveals that the victim lying in the road being tenderly stroked by a passer-by. We do not know at this stage at what point Rigby died.

Watch: Terrorism analyst on soldier killing

About 50 yards behind the commotion a silent crowd of people has gathered to watch proceedings. One woman, apparently oblivious to the unfolding carnage, casually walks past the scene carrying her shopping bag.

In one clip that will later be streamed on a newspaper website, one bus passenger feels sufficiently emboldened to leave the vehicle while filming — even though it is far from clear that the attackers will not strike out at other people. Then, amazingly, one of the two suspected assailants walks up to the camera in an agitated state. He is dressed in black and wearing a black beanie hat, his hands drenched in blood. In his left hand he grips a knife and machete.

Opinion: The real enemy in London hacking death

The suspect begins to address the camera, as if explaining himself to a wider audience that goes beyond those gathered on the street.

“The only reason we killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers,” he begins. “And this British soldier is one. It is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I apologize that women had to witness this today but in our lands our women have to see the same. You people will never be safe. Remove your governments. They don’t care about you. You think David Cameron is going to get caught in the street when we start busting our guns, you think politicians are going to die?”

At this point in his rant, an elderly woman pulling a shopping trolley bustles past the man without even slowing and continues on her way. Both ignore each other.

The man continues. “No, it’s going to be the average guy like you, and your children. So, get rid of them. Tell them to bring our troops back so we can all live in peace.”

He then walks back up the road, towards the victim and a second man with whom he has a conversation. They make no attempt to flee the scene. Instead they walk up and down the street, having heated conversations with passers-by, some of whom plead with the pair to refrain from further violence.

One such bystander, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, will later tell the Guardian newspaper she spoke to one of the attackers. “He was very excited and he told me not to get close to the body. I didn’t really feel anything. I was not scared because he was not drunk, he was not on drugs. He was normal. I could speak to him and he wanted to speak and that’s what we did.”

Loyau-Kennett, a passenger on the bus, will tell reporters that she asked the suspect what he was going to do next. “He said it was a war and if the police were coming, he was going to kill them. I asked him if that was a reasonable thing to do but it was clear that he really wanted to do that. He talked about war but he did not talk about dying and then he left to speak to someone else.”

But the violence is not yet over. Fourteen minutes after the attack, police say, armed officers arrive. According to eyewitnesses, the two attackers, one of whom was brandishing a handgun, charged at the officers who opened fire, wounding both of the men.

The men are left at the scene while crowds surge around them, according to media reports. A police helicopter then arrives to take the men under armed guard to separate London hospitals. A large section of Woolwich is sealed off for the evening by forensics officers who comb the area around Artillery Place for evidence.

Wednesday’s attack is not the first time that soldiers in Woolwich have been visited with violence. In 1974 a bomb was thrown through the window of the King’s Arms pub at the far end of Artillery Place, killing a gunner as well as a sales clerk.

The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for that attack — but unlike the two attackers on Wednesday, they were far less brazen. They fled after the bombing and went on to kill more than 30 others in a 14-month campaign across London before surrendering to police in December 1975 following a six-day siege.

Wednesday’s killing is the first jihadist attack that has killed a victim since the July 7, 2005 bombings in London that killed 52 people and the four bombers. Just like the 1970s IRA bombing campaign and the 7/7 attacks, it is likely to resonate in London and the wider British society for a long period.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/world/europe/london-attack-color/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/kF9wGW6fny8/surreal-scene-of-cleaver-attack

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/PPHMMMbuyTI/surreal-scene-of-cleaver-attack

.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

Jes Baker, who blogs under the name “The Militant Baker,” changed Abercrombie and Fitch’s logo to “Attractive Fat” to challenge CEO Mike Jeffries’ comments about marketing to “cool, good-looking people.” The company doesn’t carry above a size 10 or large for women.

“I was inspired by the opportunity to show that I am secure in my skin and to flaunt this by using the controversial platform that you created,” Baker wrote. Here, she poses with model John C. Shay.

Baker said Jeffries’ comments “created an incredible opportunity for social change” about body image in the fashion industry.

Baker said she was nervous about the shoot, but only because she had never modeled with another person or in a sexual manner.

“The only thing you’ve done through your comments (about thin being beautiful and only offering XL and XXL in your stores for men) is reinforce the unoriginal concept that fat women are social failures, valueless, and undesirable,” Baker wrote to Jeffries.

“Never in our culture do we see sexy photo shoots that pair short, fat, unconventional models with not short, not fat, professional models,” Baker wrote.

Baker said the shoot isn’t about larger sizes at Abercrombie, “it’s about teaching the world that everybody is equal in value.”

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

(CNN) — Jes Baker is cutting retailer Abercrombie Fitch down to size.

Baker, who blogs under the name “The Militant Baker” and wears a size 22, changed the brand’s AF logo to “Attractive Fat” in a mock, black-and-white Abercrombie ad to challenge the line’s branding efforts.

The photos come as a provocative response to contentious comments Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries made in a 2006 Salon article about the multibillion-dollar brand’s target audience.

“In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” Jeffries said. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”

The divisive remarks resurfaced earlier this month after a series of protests went viral, from Greg Karber’s video of himself giving homeless people Abercrombie clothing to a Change.org petition for larger sizes by a teenage eating disorder survivor.

Video mocks Abercrombie and Fitch CEO

The plus-size community particularly took umbrage to the CEO’s business model because the retailer currently does not offer clothes above size 10 or large for women.

“I challenge the separation of attractive and fat, and I assert that they are compatible regardless of what you believe,” Baker, 26, wrote in a public letter addressed to the CEO.

Jeffries has since apologized in a statement: “While I believe this 7-year-old, resurrected quote has been taken out of context, I sincerely regret that my choice of words was interpreted in a manner that has caused offense.”

Baker spoke to CNN about Jeffries’ comments and her motivations to address them. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

CNN: You start your letter with a preface that Jeffries’ opinion “isn’t shocking; millions share the same sentiment.” The comments are from 2006 — what motivated you to act on them?

Jes Baker: It really wasn’t upset or outrage at all. I’ve been an art major for the majority of my academic life, and so I am always trying to find opportunities to do something artistic.

I just thought we don’t see the juxtaposition of typical and atypical bodies in advertising specifically. Since I am a woman and I am fat and that’s what I have to work with, I wanted to show that contrast by finding a male model.

Really, it just came because I wanted to not be angry about it. I wanted to not say, “This is an outrage, I’ve never heard of this before,” but say, “OK, well, look at this. Look at how awesome this is.”

And, I think when you’re talking about really serious subjects, and this is kind of serious, it’s important to be a little bit cheeky and pull in a little bit of humor so that it’s approachable — and it worked.

CNN: In your letter, you credit Jeffries with creating “an incredible opportunity for social change.” What did you mean by that?

Baker: In the body-positive world, which is still a subculture, fashion for fat people — what they call “fatshion” — is a really big political statement. So is the concept of, for example, a fat person walking around wearing cut-off shorts and not apologizing for their body being so observable.

Being positive and having confidence is a huge deal. Through a very, very large company that deals with fashion and also deals with unrealistic body images, it’s a perfect opportunity. You’re bringing in fashion, you’re bringing in body consciousness in general, you’re bringing in kids who shop at the mall — it’s all these wonderful things combined in one opportunity.

CNN: Have you always been comfortable in your own body?

Baker: No, no, no. I think of all of us, to some certain extent, feel the same things. I was crippled from shame my entire life. Only in this last year have I been so dedicated to this journey of learning how to survive bad days and find wanted days. If anyone tells you they have 100% good days, they’re probably lying.

I have 26 years to undo and rewire and I’m still working on it, but it’s definitely a very conscious decision. And writing has really helped, as well.

CNN: The response has obviously been huge.

Baker: It’s wonderful. I’m sure there are negatives, but for every negative, there are 20 positives.

The most powerful part is saying there is a reality that you can exist in where you’re OK, and it doesn’t make you gullible or delusional, it makes you strong.

For a lot of people, it’s just a light bulb. I know I had one where I said “What? I don’t have to live in self-loathing for the rest of my life?”

People are entertaining the idea that maybe there is a piece of self-worth for them out there somewhere. And once it starts, it grows.

CNN: Let’s talk about the actual photo shoot. Were you nervous?

Baker: I had never met the model until that day. I credit the majority of this to the photographer, Liora, because she really made it come to life.

He was the most genuine, down-to-earth person. It was so much fun.

In the beginning, I was nervous, but mostly because I had never modeled with other people. I have done solo fashion modeling, but never with another person and never in a sexual manner — so it was a really interesting experiment.

CNN: Have you heard from Jeffries or Abercrombie Fitch?

Baker: No, I didn’t write this letter technically for them. I like to not invest a lot of my time in people who are dedicated to misunderstanding me. What I wanted to do is reach women who look and feel like me. We never see this pairing; we never see a fat woman in a positive light. I want to empower the individual woman.

When Mike Jeffries is gone, there’s going to be another company. It’s not about the extra-large shirts at Abercrombie; it’s about teaching the world that everybody is equal in value.

Follow Sarah LeTrent on Twitter and CNN Living on Facebook

What do you think of Baker’s spoof ads and Jeffries’ comments? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/23/living/abercrombie-attractive-and-fat/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/ScZUQZxOras/fat-ad-spoofs-abercrombie

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/IDAqkHd8kBo/fat-ad-spoofs-abercrombie

Hong Kong (CNN) — Japan’s main trading index, the Tokyo Nikkei, plunged more than 7% Thursday, ending a red-hot rally that saw the bourse climb nearly 50% since the start of the year.

Investors reacted to negative news from the United States and China. U.S. Fed Chair Ben Bernanke left an open question on whether quantitative easing would end earlier than hoped, while new China data revealed factory activity fell the first time in seven months.

Though questions loom over the world’s first and second largest economies, analysts and economists agree that for Japan, the world’s third largest, things are just fine — despite this week’s stock slump.

The fact that investors pulled out is “a sign of health rather than a sign of worry,” said Jesper Koll, Director of Japan Equity Research at JPMorgan in Tokyo. “When markets go one way then it’s time to be concerned. The (Nikkei) has been up basically 70% over the last seven months.”

Can ‘womenomics’ save Japan?

Japan’s farms prepare for the future

Better Japanese economy = shorter skirts

In the history of global stock markets, such a major rally is very rare, added Koll. Since World War II, similar events have happened less than eight times. A correction was due.

“This looks like the selloff that so many on the sidelines have been waiting for,” said Nicholas Smith, CLSA’s Japan Strategist in Tokyo. “The Topix was undoubtedly overbought.”

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s fiscal policies for growth and inflation — known to many now as Abenomics — are not to blame so much as financial quakes and questions from the world’s other major economies. In support of Abenomics, the Bank of Japan this past Wednesday affirmed its own policies to buy long-term debt and securities. The move would double the central bank’s monetary base over two years.

“Such conduct of monetary policy will support the positive movements in economic activity and financial markets, contribute to a rise in inflation expectations, and lead Japan’s economy to overcome deflation that has lasted for nearly 15 years,” the bank said in its policy statement.

During those years of deflation and up through Abe’s election to the premiership in December 2012, Japan had a fiscal policy of “musaku” or “no policy” — “all talk but no action,” explained JPMorgan’s Koll.

Now “the most import thing is that Japan does have a policy. With Abe there is action. That’s what has been making investors confident.”

Signs of proof can be found in the return to profit of some of Japan’s exporters, in part due to the yen’s weakening against the U.S. dollar past the 100-yen mark. Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, reported net income of $9.7 billion in the fiscal year that ended March 31 — more than triple its earnings from the year prior. Panasonic forecasts a net income of nearly $500 million in the 2014 fiscal year, versus a net loss of some $7 billion in 2013.

“We think they (corporate profits) are going to rise by about 50% over the next twelve months,” said Koll, who also forecasts Japan’s Topix — considered more representative of Japan’s stock markets — will climb to 1,400 by the end of 2013 — a rise of nearly 17%.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/business/japans-stock-slump-sign-of-health/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/6sC-p6yuTSE/japan-slump-a-sign-of-health

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/HIszl0blMhA/japan-slump-a-sign-of-health

.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]

Ugandan eco-artist Ruganzu Bruno built an amusement park for children living in one of Kampala’s slums.

Bruno (right) worked with the local community to create the playground in a congested area lacking recreation facilities. “We built the playground together as a team,” he says.

Using thousands of waste bottles, the talented artist turned a school yard in Kampala’s Kireka community into a fun and safe place where children can play and learn.

For his work over the years, the talented artist has won several accolades, including the Ugandan Young Achievers award 2011.

Bruno says the park has had a positive impact on local children. “The attention of children in class has improved; the number of children who are dropping out [is falling] because now they have something to keep them busy there, ” he says.

Other attractions include swings and climbing structures created with recycled materials such as old tires.

Bruno plans to roll out several other eco amusement parks in other parts of Kampala.

A huge board game built inside the school yard in Acholi Quarters, Kireka.

In 2010 Bruno founded Eco Art Uganda, a collective of artists promoting environmental awareness.

He has also developed an eco-artist loan scheme to help the business endeavors of women in Kireka.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

(CNN) — No sooner had Ruganzu Bruno and his troupe of fellow eco-artists arrived at Kampala’s Kawempe area than their presence stirred up questions within the local community.

“What are you doing?” the startled residents asked. “Why are you using all this plastic?” they continued, baffled by the piles of waste bottles that were gradually filling a dusty compound yard in the northwestern suburb of the Ugandan capital.

What the group of artists was doing was creating “The Hand That Speaks,” an enormous structure made of recycled materials to raise awareness about environmental degradation.

“We were trying to bring out the message that the hand is the one which is throwing this trash into the environment and at the same time it could be used to collect [them] and save the environment,” says Bruno.

And once the nine artists started assembling their futuristic creation, using more than 20,000 bottles collected in the slums of Kampala, the local crowds also decided to lend a helping hand.

“At first, the community were confused but then they really loved it,” says Bruno. “They were always getting us bottles.”

Eco Art

That was about four years ago, when Bruno was still a student at the Kyambogo University fine art school. During that time, the talented painter and sculptor discovered that he wasn’t interested in just crafting artworks that would only satisfy his creative needs.

Instead, he wanted his art to have a positive impact on his community.

“When we are trying to achieve things in life we are self-centered, and as artists we tend to make work for ourselves,” explains Bruno, 30.

“I kind of felt a change within myself to think about others,” he adds. “From then on I could not only paint — I decided to work on work that was beneficial to my community.”

Driven by a desire to influence his surroundings, Bruno then became involved in eco-art projects, devising innovative ways to deal with Kampala’s acute waste management problem.

In 2010 he founded Eco Art Uganda, a collective of artists promoting environmental awareness by transforming anything from discarded bottles and cast-aside metal to broken TVs and computers into contemporary and functional pieces of art.

Read this: Specs ‘give trash a second chance’

“I was looking for materials that were not expensive and easily available,” says the soft-spoken artist, who hails from southwest Uganda.

“I really found that this trash and rubbish could actually become a really positive way of communicating to people,” adds Bruno, who’s won several accolades for his work, including the Ugandan Young Achievers award 2011.

Amusement park

In April last year, Bruno also won the $10,000 City 2.0 Award at the TEDx summit in Doha, Qatar, for his idea to create an amusement playground for children living in Kampala’s congested slums.

Using an array of recycled materials, Bruno went on to transform a school yard in Kampala’s Kireka community into a fun and safe place where children can play and learn.

The eco-park, which was completed last September, is dotted with whimsical structures attracting dozens of children each day — from a colorful helicopter and life-size board games made of bottles to recycled swings and climbing frames crafted from old tires.

Bruno says the entire community, which lacked a recreation facility, embraced the project wholeheartedly.

Read this: Boy’s flashy invention scares off lions

“I talked to the head of the school, and together with the parents and the students, they are the ones who collected the bottles,” says Bruno, who is also a lecturer in the department of Art Design at Kyambogo University.

“So we built the playground together as a team and they know how to repair it — this is very important in terms of sustainability.”

But more importantly, Bruno, who was orphaned at a young age, says the project has had a positive impact on the children.

“The attention of children in class has improved; the number of children who are dropping out [is falling] because now they have something to keep them busy there, ” he adds. “There is a really good progress and it has also helped them to express themselves in class.”

Legacy

Bruno says his goal is to recreate “as many as 100″ similar amusement parks in other parts of Uganda.

He is also using the prize money to grow an eco-artist loan scheme he’s developed, aimed at supporting the business endeavors of creative women in Kireka.

It’s all part of his continuous efforts to be an artist whose work will serve his community’s needs.

“I think a man will always be remembered by his work, “says Bruno. “I’m an advocate now of the environment; I’m an advocate for play for children; I’m an artist …who wants his work to have an effect on the people.”.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/africa/playground-trash-ruganzu-bruno-uganda/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/GX0n9pVkraI/slum-kids-play-in-trash-park

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/OubP3tintIk/slum-kids-play-in-trash-park

(CNN) — Italy is famed for fashion, food and, of course, history.

In fact, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of any country in the world.

As other social needs have taken priority in economically turbulent times, however, the country’s budget for maintaining and restoring some of its greatest tourist attractions has been drastically reduced. While the Italian State Tourist Board said it couldn’t supply statistics, as much as a third of culture budgets (€1.42 billion/$1.83 billion) have been cut over the past three years, according to a September 2012 report in The Daily Beast.

Restoration of historic monuments has instead been left largely to the generosity of private donors.

Step forward Italian fashion industry.

Over the past two years, several Italian fashion brands have pledged substantial amounts of money for the restoration of well known heritage sites.

In 2011, luxury leather goods company Tod’s pledged €25 million ($32 million) toward the restoration of the Colosseum.

In May 2013, Diesel agreed to restore the Rialto Bridge in Venice to the tune of €5 million ($6.4 million).

In Solomeo, Umbria, cashmere brand Brunello Cucinelli is helping to restore the town that it’s based in, one building at a time. The Prada Foundation, the brand’s charitable art branch, has helped restore the Venetian palazzo Ca’ Corner Della Regina for use as an exhibition space.

The latest to pledge funds is Fendi. The maker of high-end leather handbags has pledged €2.5 million ($3.2 million) for the restoration of Trevi Fountain, as well as Le Quattro Fontane, both in Rome.

Fendi to finance Trevi Fountain makeover

What brands get back

In addition to the PR value of maintaining a heritage site, some brands also gain substantial marketing advantages.

During the restoration of Trevi fountain, Fendi will be allowed to display its logo at the site. A plaque dedicated to the brand will be displayed at the site for four years after completion of the restoration.

Diesel is reportedly allowed to place advertising billboards over a part of the Rialto Bridge during that restoration.

Advertisements on some of their most cherished monuments don’t seem to bother locals.

 Restoration is another way to advertise. Diesel will place billboards over 30% of the Rialto Bridge during restoration.

width=”58″ /
Restoration is another way to advertise. Diesel will place billboards over 30% of the Rialto Bridge during restoration.

“If someone or a company is spending money to renovate a public building, which will be covered in scaffolding, green netting or white sheeting anyway, why shouldn’t they be allowed to brand their contribution?” says Primo Franco of Nino Franco Winery, speaking about the Rialto Bridge renovations.

“It is a temporary situation and renovation and restoration requires a huge amount of financing and shouldn’t this investment be recognized? Funding large scale projects via the private sector is a way to protect the future of the cultural monuments in Italy.”

“We were delighted to learn of Diesel’s generosity in contributing to the restoration of the Rialto Bridge,” said Jane da Mosto, environmental scientist, activist and co-founder of weareherevenice, an organization that seeks to preserve Venice’s unique heritage.

“Each time I walk over it, I notice another facet of the incredible construction and it is an eternal reminder of the ingeniousness of Venetian architects and craftsmanship. It is also appropriate that the shop benefiting from a strategic position at the foot of the bridge is contributing to safeguarding the heritage of the city that brings it so many customers.”

12 alternative Italian destinations

Private donation scandals

The marriage of corporate donors and restoration projects isn’t always so warm.

In 2011, the UK-based Art Newspaper reported that the Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo in Naples signed a contract in 2009 with restoration firm Grandi Progetti that allowed the firm to sell advertising space on its scaffolding in exchange for free restoration work.

While Grandi Progetti profited with €3 million ($3.8 million) in advertising revenue, none of the contracted restoration work was done. The article cited similar cases in at least 22 other Italian cities.

There are, of course, alternative sources of funding.

According to the Italian State Tourism Board, some restoration projects are funded by the Italian National Lottery. Private charitable trusts such as Venice in Peril have raised funds in partnership with restaurant chain Pizza Express to support restoration projects.

For now, however, cash infusions from big brands, with commercial images strongly tied to their Italian roots, seem to be just the prescription for the problems ailing various monuments. Especially with traditional entities of public maintenance lacking the necessary resources.

“The city administration is being remarkably inefficient in managing Venice and should not be allowed to become too reliant on the private sector to mop up the mess of its own messy housekeeping,” says activist da Mosto.

For now, though, most locals seem happy that at least someone is around to clean up the mess, even if it means identifying history with commercial promotion.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/travel/italy-fashion-saves-monuments/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/rV36paHc9oU/fashion-sos-for-italys-monuments

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/481agMU3RmI/fashion-sos-for-italys-monuments

Henderson Wave Bridge, Singapore.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/world/gallery/bridges-around-world/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/dP61loKGdGo/worlds-most-beautiful-bridges

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/lP_RwAae_QU/worlds-most-beautiful-bridges

(CNN) — Rumors that Apple is preparing major design changes with iOS 7 continue to heat up, with new reports suggesting a more muted and flat design aesthetic.

Last October, Jonathan Ive became responsible not only for the look and feel of Apple hardware, but also its software. By most accounts, Ive is not a fan of the skeuomorphic heavy design cues that currently dominate iOS.

While we previously heard rumors that Ive was planning a broad UI (user interface) overhaul with iOS 7, we didn’t have many specific details. Now, 9to5 Mac is reporting that Ive’s look for iOS 7 will be “black, white and flat all over.”

According to 9to5 Mac’s sources, many of the textures currently present in iOS — linen on the notifications panel and leather in the calendar app — will be replaced with flat black and white colors. As for the home screen, apps will no longer have gloss, shadows and shine applied to the icons, but their corners will remain rounded.

9to5 Mac alsosuggests that apps such as Mail, Calendar and Maps will gain a more unified look. The report suggests that all apps will share a similar white base each with its own unique color scheme.

The green felt from Game Center and the wooden shelves from Newsstand have also reportedly been removed.

These moves coalesce with more general trends we’ve seen in the last 12 to 18 months in mobile and web design. In fact, we’ve seen concept videos from fans that mirror many of the rumored changes headed towards iOS.

Apple is expected to unveil the new iOS 7 at WWDC 2013, its developers conference that kicks off June 10.

The big challenge with an iOS overhaul, of course, will be balancing the need for something new with the familiarity the system has with hundreds of millions of users.

What do you think of the rumored plans for iOS 7? Let us know in the comments.

See the original story on Mashable

© 2013 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/tech/mobile/apple-ios-rumors/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/ttDFT7P4mcw/apples-ios-7-black-white-flat

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/zbLT9cKBB8w/apples-ios-7-black-white-flat

(CNN) — Slumping World No.2 Rory McIlroy and defending champion Luke Donald will not be contesting the weekend action at the European Tour’s flagship event at Wentworth.

With organizers still reeling from the controversy surrounding Sergio Garcia’s “fried chicken” jibe, the star attractions comfortably failed to make the halfway cut Friday at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy 2013 travails continued as he followed a first round 74 with a 75 to finish on five-over 149 — three outside the qualification mark.

Read: Sponsor finds Garcia’s remarks offensive

McIlroy’s Northern Ireland colleague Graeme McDowell, who is leading the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, finished on the same mark, while Donald, who went to No.1 in the rankings last season with his second straight title at the tournament, was a further shot adrift.

Faldo to make British Open return

Florida welcomes two new resorts

Life on the road with Martin Kaymer

Donald, who was on antibiotics, may have had an excuse in the freezing wet conditions on the West Course, and battled to a level-par 72 in his second round after a sorry 78 on the first day.

But McIlroy, who came into the $6 million event saying he was pleased with his game, could offer little in the way of explanation for his poor showing.

“I didn’t play particularly well today,” he told Sky Sports.

Read: Woods finds Garcia ‘s comments jibe ‘hurtful’

“I’m looking forward to getting back to some golf without four layers. Sometimes when the weather is bad I try to do too much with the ball and hit some bad shots.”

Standing four-over on the par-five17th, the U.S. PGA champion needed a birdie or better to get stand a chance of making the final two rounds. A wayward tee shot into the trees led to a double bogey seven and his chances were over.

Garcia fared better and remained in contention after a battling 71 for one-under 143, but trails halfway leader Francesco Molinari of Italy by five shots.

Molinari’s superb four-under 68 in testing conditions has left the Italian Ryder Cup star one shot clear of South Africa’s George Coetzee, Scotland’s Marc Warren, Mark Foster of England and Spaniard Alejandro Canizares.

Read: McIlroy blames ‘stupid mistakes’ for slump in form

The return of golf’s ‘Mechanic’

Lee Westwood’s U.S. move

Actor Adam Scott hates the golfer

London-based Molinari said he had adapted to the inclement British weather.

“Six under is a good score given the conditions – I live over here now so I am used to it – and I’m in a great position going into the weekend,” he told the official European Tour website.

“But it’s a really tough course so anyone six or seven behind is still in it.”

Other star attractions Lee Westwood and British Open champion Ernie Els were firmly in the picture on three under, the former showing his improved short game around the green on his way to a battling 71.

The crowds were also delighted as the oldest man in the event, the ever popular Spanard Miguel Angel Jimenez, made three birdies in the last four holes to finish on one-over 145.

European Ryder Cup captains past and present, Colin Montgomerie, Jose-Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley, who takes charge of the team at Gleneagles next year, also survived for the weekend when the weather forecast is more favorable.

Article source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/24/sport/golf/golf-wentworth-donald-mcilroy-cut/index.html?eref=edition

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/NewsRipplesWeb/~3/i6ktKw5wsC8/donald-mcilroy-frozen-out-at-wentworth

Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RipleysStuff/~3/-GUc6mtOfHo/donald-mcilroy-frozen-out-at-wentworth