Citizenside - News for and by you

Transatlantic race Jacques Vabre : Jean Le Cam's boat keeled over

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:01:48 PST

The trimaran Actual of Jean le Cam has capsized on Sunday, only five hours after the start of the race, a few kilometers off Cherbourg.

Yves Le Blévec and Jean Le Cam are safe and sound.

Nancy celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:20:31 PST

There was a reconstitution of the night of the fall of the Berlin Wall, in Nancy, France, on the 8th of October.
A wall in plywood with graffitis was set up for the occasion and cellists played music.

French comedian Dany Boon about to play his new one-man-show in Aix-les-Bains

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:18:30 PST

French comedian and director Dany Boon ("Welcome to the Sticks", "Micmacs") in Aix-les-Bains (Savoie) on the 4th of November, 2009, to play his new one-man-show, "Trop stylé".

"Save Indonesia from corruption !"

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:56:10 PST

Support for the eradication of corruption among law enforcement officers continued to flow by.

Latest support comes from Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia, an international pan-Islamist political party, which held mass actions simultaneously in several cities in Indonesia. In Surabaya, the action is centered in Apsari Park,surabaya,east java Saturday (07/11/2009).

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo announces he will investigate 2007-post-election violences in Kenya

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:08:19 PST

Luis Moreno Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), came to Kenya to send a warning that he would soon be starting his investigations on the violences that followed the December 2007 presidential election in Kenya.

He also visited the Nairobi National Park where he spent some time looking at animals including a cheetah some game warders said they would name Ocampo.

The Prestige Motor Show in London

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:52:59 PST

The Prestige and Performance motorshow staged is staging in London from the 5th to the 8th of November 2009.

Attracting the latest high-performance and luxury automotive brand names, many novelties will be exposed at this show like the Caterham Superlight R500 or Keating’s TKR supercar.

Four Iranians arrested for drug trafficking in Indonesia

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:05:10 PST

Four Iranians have been arrested by Indonesian Customs Narcotics Team on Tuesday and Wednesday for smuggling more than 9 kg (for probably more than a million US dollars) of liquid methamphetamine into Indonesia through Juanda International Airport in Surabaya.

Fifteen Iranians have been apprehended for drug trafficking in recent weeks according to the Jakarta Globe.

10th annual Photoshow in Milan

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:32:37 PST

Over 300 agencies were represented at the most important photo, video, and digital imaging event for the Italian market, notes our contributor.

Here are a few of the big brands that were in attendance: Apple, Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, JVC, Mamya, Mitsubishi, Nikon, Noritsu, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung, Sony.

Along with commercial stands promoting their latest gadgets and technological advances, the event also hosted numerous exhibitions with themes as varied as "Facebook Wall" (a collection of images posted to Photoshow's Facebook group), Icelandscapes (a series of the young photographer Fabiano Ventura's photos of Iceland), and Canon's Premier Young
Photographers (an exhibition of the winners of the contest that has been discovering emerging talents in the world of photography for the past 10 years)

Also scheduled during this year's Photoshow were a series of workshops given by various agencies and organizations active in the photography industry.

Portrait of an african tribe : the Maasai

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:27:53 PST

"The Maasai are an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people located in Kenya and northern Tanzania, says our member.

Due to their distinctive customs and dress and residence near the many game parks of East Africa, they are among the most well-known of African ethnic groups.

They speak Maa which is a member of the Nilo-Saharan language family that is related to Dinka and Nuer, and are also educated in the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania : Swahili and English.

Although the Tanzanian and Kenyan governments have instituted programs to encourage the Maasai to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle, the people have continued their age-old customs.

Recently, Oxfam has claimed that the lifestyle of the Maasai should be embraced as a response to climate change because of their ability to farm in deserts and scrublands."

Michael Jackson's gravesite at Forest Lawn cemetary?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:58:13 PST

"These pictures represent the Michael Jackson's grave in the Holy Terrace section of the Forest Lawn cemetary, near Los Angeles. They were taken on October 30, 2009 by someone very close to Michael Jackson's family. We can see photos and flowers offered by the family", our Citizenside member, who apparently found these pictures on Facebook, says.

But our member didn't tell us precisely who took those pictures, and where they come from... Thus we remain extremely cautious about the authenticity of these pictures. As the photos are spreading on the web, we'd like to ask our members and visitors their advice: is this the Michael Jackson's grave?

A blogger, Lisa Burks, wrote an interesting note about this place, and the fact that Michael Jackson could be buried there, but still remains cautious ("this is not an officially confirmed fact").

And you , what do you think? Are these photos of the Holy Terrace section of the large cemetery’s Great Mausoleum representing Michael Jackson's grave?

Elegance and luxury at the Surabaya International Jewerly Fair 2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:11:44 PST

The Surabaya International Jewelry Fair 2009 took place at the Empire Palace Surabaya, Indonesia from the 30th of October to the 2nd of November 2009. It was supported by the government of East Java and was followed by several jewelry companies in Indonesia, bringing the latest jewelry trends that will be the future for women, men and children. Miss Indonesia 2009, Kerenina Sunny Halim, attended the fair as a special guest.

First Air France Airbus A 380 lands at Charles-de-Gaulle airport

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:03:02 PDT

Air France on Friday became the first European airline to take delivery of the new Airbus A380 superjumbo passenger jet

Crafting the idol of Devi Durga

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:52:42 PST

"These are the stage by stage snaps of how the idol of Devi Durga is being created by immensely skilled artists, our Citizenside member writes. Right from the creation of the basic structure by straw and clay to the colouring. Have a look. This is simply an awesome experience."

2010 Olympic Torch Arrival

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:03:39 PST

"Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper along with British Columbia Primier Gordon Campbell welcomed the Olympic Flame from Athens (Greece) into Canada, says our member.

Chiefs from four First Nations tribes presented the flame to start the event.

Along with the Leader of Canada and the Primier of British Columbia were dignitaries."

Baptism for the arrival of the first Air France Airbus A 380 in Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:48:01 PDT

The new Air France Airbus A380 superjumbo passenger jet sits under water for its baptism on the tarmac of Paris's Charles-de-Gaulle airport on October 30, 2009.

The French flag carrier Air France is the first European airline to take delivery of the plane. Its first commercial flight is scheduled for November 20, from Paris to New York.

The festival of Durga puja in Kolkata

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:20:56 PDT

"Durgapuja is one of the biggest festivals in India, says our member.

The festival is celebrated mostly in Kolkata and adjoining areas (West Bengal). People spend a lot of money during the festival in order to buy clothes and celebrate the occasion. Check the grandeur depicted in the images taken between the 24th and the 28th of September, 2009.

An indo-us joint military exercise : Yudh Abhyas 2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:09:46 PDT

"The exercise, Yudh Abhyas is a regularly-scheduled bilateral exercise hosted by the Indian and U.S. Armies, says our member.

The exercise is designed to promote cooperation among the two militaries while sharing training, cultural exchanges and improving partnership readiness.

The Yudh Abhyas partnership exercise commenced in 2004, at Chaubatiya in the Himalayan foothills, and was followed in 2005 with US Army contingents coming to train with Indian troops at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Vairangte, Mizoram. In Yudh Abhyas 2006, Indian troops went to Hawaii for training.

In 2007 there were two phases of the exercise; both in Fort Wainwright (Alaska). In 2008 the exercise shifted back to Hawaii on Fort Shafter Flats. In 2009, Indian Army soldiers from the 31st Armored Division are working with US counterparts from Hawaii, in a multi-echelon, full-spectrum, combined operation.

Yudh Abhyas 2004 – Yudh Abhyas 04 was the first conventional Army-to-Army training in India since 1962. During Yudh Abhyas 04, the two forces focused on basic infantry skills, including individual marksmanship, reflexive firing, battle drills, ambush, patrolling, and a fast roping technique called slithering, and land navigation and survival in the jungle.

They also focused on dealing with terrorists and insurgents, including interrogation techniques and identifying improvised explosive devices. The Indian-U.S. troops learned the tactics of the counterinsurgents as well as terrorists.

In 2006 the exercise had two phases. Phase I was in India and Phase II was in Hawaii.

The first phase of the exercise focused on counter-terrorist operations in forest and under-developed terrain. Phase I was held in the thickly forested environment. Phase II was at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and focused on counter-insurgency operations.

Yudh Abhyas 2007 – Yudh Abhyas 07 was also conducted in two phases; both at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Soldiers from B Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, trained with Indian soldiers from 4 Rajput, Indian Army from Sept. 9 to 24 in a combat tactics and cultural exchange at Donnelly Training Area.

Yudh Abhyas 2008 – Yudh Abhyas 08 was back in Hawaii at Fort Shafter Flats. Soldiers from the Army Reserve’s 9th Mission Support Command (MSC) and the California Army National Guard’s 40th Infantry Brigade Combat Team took part in the opening ceremony of Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2008, a two-week joint military exercise conducted with the Indian Army’s 49th Brigade.

Yudh Abhyas 2009 – This year’s YA takes place from October 12-27, at Babina, Uttar Pradesh, India.
This year the exercise will include a multi-echelon, full spectrum combined operation focusing on a United Nations Peace Keeping Operation scenario, while executing a maneuver live-fire exercise. This year’s Yudh Abhyas features 17 Stryker vehicles — the largest deployment of the vehicles outside of Iraq and Afghanistan for the U.S. Pacific Rim forces. Along with the 17 Strykers, the U.S. will showcase the Javelin Anti-Tank Missile system, employed to defeat current and future threat armored combat vehicles.
YA 2009 constitutes the largest troop exchange since the YA partnership exercise commenced in 2004. Indian Army Soldiers from the 31st Armored Division are working with U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry regiment, “Strykehorse,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Republican Holiday Celebration in Istanbul

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:12:13 PDT

The 86th year of fondation of Turkish Republic was celebrated in Istanbul, Turkey in the night of 29th October. In celebration, Istanbul Municipality organized a big firework display in Bosphorus.

A protest of students against the privatization of education

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:38:20 PDT

"A group of 500 students of the School 'Normal Rural Atequiza' left on the 28th of October at noon to the Tower of Education, to call for an improvement of the conditions of the campus, says our member.

The mobilization had the dual purpose of remembering the 21rst anniversary of repression by state police against students on the 28th of October 1988, and to present a list of demands to the Ministry of Education of Jalisco.

Also they demanded better furniture and to provide them with blankets and mattresses.

Considered by Mexican intelligence as a subversive group in the past, it has been suppressed by police state"

Germany prepares to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:44 PDT

Berlin started restoring some frescos made on the East Side Gallery, on the Berlin Wall.

In 1990, 106 artists used this 1300m remaining part of the wall to make it a festival of colours and messages.

Berlin will celebrate 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall on the 9th of November, 2009.