Category Archives: Views

Africa: Somalia Is Facing Its Worst Drought Ever

ABC News In-depth (March 23, 2023) – Somalia is one of the most dangerous places on earth. Almost two decades of conflict with the al-Qaeda backed terrorist group al-Shabaab has taken a huge toll on the country. Now Somalia is experiencing its worst drought in 40 years.

“People say that this is the worst drought in 40 years, but that’s wrong,” says Adam Abdelmoula, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia. “This is the worst drought in Somalia’s history, period.”

A map of Somalia.

With the world distracted by the war in Ukraine, the crisis is escalating away from the public gaze. This week on Foreign Correspondent reporter Stephanie March and producer/cinematographer Matt Davis travel to Somalia where makeshift camps have become home to more than a million hungry children and their families.

There, they meet mothers with babies who have walked for days without food and very little water. They hear incredible stories of courage and survival in a landscape that is unforgiving and unsafe. And they also face their own safety problems when their security team worries al-Shabaab has been told of their whereabouts.

As the Somali government fights back against al-Shabaab, another threat, which they have no control over, is driving the extreme weather: climate change. In the midst of this turmoil, the Foreign Correspondent team meets extraordinary people who are determined to make their story one of survival.

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Front Page: The New York Times – March 23, 2023

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The Fed, Still Inflation-Focused, Raised Rates Amid Bank Uncertainty

Federal Reserve officials raised interest rates by a quarter-point while they noted that bank turmoil could help slow the economy.

Michael Cohen’s Long Arc From Trump Ally to Chief Antagonist

He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now, he’s hoping to help prosecutors put him away.

Geothermal Power, Cheap and Clean, Could Help Run Japan. So Why Doesn’t It?

For decades, new plants have been blocked by powerful local interests, the owners of hot spring resorts, that say the sites threaten a centuries-old tradition.

In a Brother Act With Putin, Xi Reveals China’s Fear of Containment

Instead of focusing on a solution to the war in Ukraine, the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow reinforced China and Russia’s shared opposition to American dominance.

Bermuda Seafood: Locals Hunt For Invasive Lionfish

Eater (March 22, 2023) – In Bermuda, lionfish are an invasive species that eat many of the fish local to those waters. They have therefore become a delicacy of the island, with fishermen catching them and local chefs preparing them in dishes like ceviche, jerk lionfish tacos, lionfish tempura, and more.

Art Exhibitions: Elizabeth Price, Sound Of The Break

View of Elizabeth Price: A LONG MEMORY, The Whitworth, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, 2019–2020. © Elizabeth Price and The Whitworth, The University of Manchester.

SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT (March 22, 2023) – From March 23 to May 29, 2023, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt is presenting a major solo exhibition by the Turner Prize winner Elizabeth Price (b. 1966), including both new and recent works that are being shown for the first time in Germany.

The artist creates moving-image works, composing visuals, text, and sound to form spatial installations that restage cultural and sociopolitical events and focus attention on largely unnoticed stories. Price’s moving-image works are grounded in a conceptual approach.

ELIZABETH PRICE. SOUND OF THE BREAK

23 MARCH – 29 MAY 2023

Eliz­a­beth Price (b. 1966) makes the trans­for­ma­tion of digital works visible. The artist creates moving images, composing visuals, text, and sound to form spatial instal­la­tions that restage cultural and sociopo­lit­ical events and focus atten­tion on largely unno­ticed stories. The SCHIRN is presenting a major solo exhi­bi­tion of this winner of the Turner Prize, including both new works and others that are being shown for the first time in Germany.

Each of her video works is the result of metic­u­lous research and a wide-ranging exam­i­na­tion of archives and collec­tions of mate­rial. Over the course of her digital appro­pri­a­tion, Price develops new narra­tives from art objects and docu­ments of histor­ical events. A recur­ring topic is the changing world of work as a result of digi­tal­iza­tion, the migra­tion of manual work to emerging coun­tries that pay low wages, and the increase in infor­ma­tion work, office activ­i­ties, and admin­is­tra­tion. The SCHIRN is showing two exten­sive instal­la­tions, each with two corre­sponding videos, as well as four video lectures created during the coro­n­avirus lock­down which provide insight into the artist’s working process. Price’s videos defa­mil­iarize the past until it is no longer recog­niz­able, replacing it with new, seduc­tive, and anar­chic energy.

Press release

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Travel: Walking Tour Of Galata Tower In Istanbul

March 21, 2023 Upload: Considered among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul, Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List in 2013. Galata Tower, one of the most important structures that make up the silhouette of Istanbul, was used as a long-term fire watchtower and was named Galata Fire Tower.

Video timeline: 00:00 INTRO 01:35 BUYUK HENDEK STREET (AROUND GALATA TOWER) 07:40 GALATA TOWER SQUARE 10:40 GALIP DEDE STREET 14:40 ISTIKLAL STREET ISTANBUL 38:10 TASIM SQUARE ISTANBUL

Galata Tower was first built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinianos in 507-508 AD. The ancient Tower of Galata “Megalos Pyrgos”, which means Great Tower stood on the north side of the Golden Horn in Istanbul, located in the citadel of Galata. The tower then marked the northern end of the great chain, which was expanded across the mouth of the Golden Horn to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbor. The tower contained a mechanism for raising and lowering the chain. This tower should not be confused with the present time Galata Tower, which is still standing and located at the northernmost and highest point of the citadel of Galata.

Filmed and edited by: Walking Tour With Araz

Spring 2023 Views: Cherry Blossoms, Washington DC

Associated Press (March 21, 2023) – With spring officially here, the Cherry Blossom trees in Washington, D.C. are nearing their full bloom.

The cherry blossom trees are without a doubt the stars of springtime in Washington, DC. Visit the District during this time and you’ll find the nation’s capital is accented in pink for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place from March 18 – April 16, 2023.

Front Page: The New York Times – March 22, 2023

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Xi and Putin Bind China and Russia’s Economies Further, Despite War in Ukraine

A photo released by Russian state media on Tuesday shows President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow.

On the second day of the Chinese leader’s state visit in Moscow, Xi Jinping and Vladimir V. Putin declared an enduring economic partnership, in an effort to insulate their countries from punitive Western measures.

A Big Question for the Fed: What Went Wrong With Bank Oversight?

As the Federal Reserve reviews the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, and Congress prepares for hearings, bank oversight is getting a closer look.

Ferraris and Hungry Children: Venezuela’s Socialist Vision in Shambles

After years of extreme scarcity, some Venezuelans lead lives of luxury as others scrape by. The nation of grinding hardship has increasingly become one of haves and have-nots.

Video Shows Virginia Man’s Death in Custody

Irvo Otieno’s death was a devastating ending to a journey that began when his family immigrated from Kenya when he was a young boy, “compelled by the American dream.”

Tours: ‘Stawell House’ In Studley Park, Melbourne

The Local Project – (March 21, 2023) – Celebrating a 1970s clifftop house and its original design, Stawell House by Architects EAT is a culmination of subtle restorations and additions that bring a modern liveliness to the home’s 50-year-old history.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the 1970s Clifftop House 00:26 – The Location and The History 00:56 – Clifftop Views 01:14 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:53 – Experiencing Everything Nature Has to Offer 02:08 – The Materials 03:18 – A Personal Project for the Owners 03:57 – The Landscape 04:18 – A Restoration Project not a Redesign

Located in Studley Park, Melbourne, the 1970s clifftop house showcased original architecture that could not be replicated. However, desiring a respectful and modern update the clients chose to collaborate with Architects EAT, who agreed that retaining Stawell House’s character was important. While also taking on the role of project managers, the owners were able to maintain an intimate and collaborative throughout the entire process of restorations. Overlooking the Yarra River, the 1970s clifftop house asserts itself as part of the landscape blending effortlessly into the topography.

As the house tour begins, Stawell House’s modern renovations unfold like a sincere love letter to its original form. Beginning from the façade, the red brick home references the traditional build, yet once the door opens modern uplifts begin to take centre stage. After a linear skylight leads onto the kitchen and dining space, guests and owners make way to the balcony, which overlooks the west. Additionally, a spare bedroom and bathroom and the master bedroom have been installed on the entrance level to allow the owners ease of movement from private rooms to the public spaces.

Located downstairs, the guest room has been built with an ensuite containing an outdoor bathtub allowing the guest to fully experience the elements. To deal with the effects of a west-facing house, the architects have delivered a range of architectural devices which includes external steel shading. The external materials used for the 1970s clifftop house provide a weather resistance while also maintaining a tree like appearance to fit in with the surrounds. Honouring the original layout of the home, the floorplan remains wide as to allow an ease of movement and living.

Furthermore, timber cladding has been heavily featured on the internal walls and windows. Taken from the original home, the timber has been painstakingly removed, sanded and oiled again before re-use. Managing the entire construction process themselves, the owners work closely with the builders and trades to deliver personal modern updates to the 1970s clifftop house. Showing Architects EAT a range of design inspirations found in magazines, the owners were able to collaborate and create a home that reflects their personalities.

Additionally, the owner has also worked on the landscape, adding a deep personal touch that will grow with the home. Focused more on restoration rather than redesign, Architects EAT have worked closely with the owners and the trades to create a defining home for the modern age.

Ukraine War Views: Danish Photographer Jan Grarup “Russians Are Terrorizing”

Louisiana Channel (March 21, 2023) – Meet the award-winning Danish photographer Jan Grarup, who has covered the Ukraine war from its beginning and has spent months on the frontline.

“This is going to change the world as we know it.”

“The pictures are a documentation of the brutality within the conflict itself. It’s about civilians and civilian casualties because they are the ones hit the hardest. “

“The Russians are terrorizing the civilian population. They are hitting civilian infrastructure, may it be water, electricity, or heating. That brutality is extremely important to show. For me, it is about getting as close to these people as possible.”

Grarup is convinced that the ongoing war in Ukraine will mark the beginning of a new area that will isolate Russia from the Western World for generations to come: “I have been covering wars and conflicts for the last 35 years – just about every conflict you can imagine. In many ways, the brutality of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 is second to none. But the war in Ukraine comes really, really close. It’s basically a country which is desiring democracy and freedom and independence – and because of that, its people are killed.”

Grarups also reflects upon his feelings covering the war, such as his general discomfort with silence as “you can be sure that something is about to happen.” On the other hand, he sees the necessity to document the war for future generations and the possible prosecution of war crimes. “What I like about black-and-white photography is its timelessness. We think in our part of the world that the world has changed, developed, and moved far away from what we have seen historically.

But the fact is: It hasn’t. It’s still the same atrocities. It’s still the same victims.” Jan Grarup was born in Denmark in 1968 and is today regarded as one of the leading and most experienced war photographers globally. Already in 1991, the year of his graduation, he won the prestigious Danish Press Photographer of the Year Award, a prize he would receive on several further occasions. In 1993, he moved to Berlin for a year, working as a freelance photographer for Danish newspapers and magazines. Afterwards, Grarup covered many wars and conflicts worldwide, including the Gulf War, the Rwandan genocide, the siege of Sarajevo and the Palestinian uprising against Israel in 2000.

His coverage of the conflict between Palestine and Israel led to two series: The Boys of Ramallah, which earned him the Pictures of the Year International World Understanding Award in 2002, followed by The Boys from Hebron. His book, Shadowland (2006), presents his work during the 12 years he spent in Kashmir, Sierra Leone, Chechnya, Rwanda, Kosovo, Slovakia, Ramallah, Hebron, Iraq, Iran, and Darfur. In the words of Foto8’s review, it is “intensely personal, deeply felt, and immaculately composed.”

His second book, Darfur: A Silent Genocide, was published in 2009. In 2017 he released the prizewinning bestseller And Then There Was Silence. He is currently working on a follow-up called While We Bleed with Danish author Adam Holm about the war in Ukraine. Jan Grarup has won numerous prizes for his dedicated work, for example eight World Press Awards, the Pictures of the Year International World Understanding Award, the UNICEF Children Photo of the Year Award, Visa d’Or, Leica Oskar Barnack Award, to mention a few of the more prestigious ones. Jan Grarup was interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The interview took place at the Danish War Museum in March 2023 on the occasion of Grarup’s exhibition One Year With War. Camera: Jakob Solbakken Edited by: Helle Pagter Produced by: Marc-Christoph Wagner

READ MORE AT LOUISIANA CHANNEL

Views: A Walking Tour Of Zoo Zürich, Switzerland

March 21, 2023: The Zoo Zürich is a zoo located in Zürich, Switzerland and is considered one of the best zoos in Europe. Opened in 1929, it is the third oldest zoo in Switzerland and it accumulated a collection of 2,200 specimens of 300 species by its seventy-fifth year.

The over 90-year-old Zurich Zoo lies in an idyllic location on the Zürichberg, in the city’s Fluntern quarter. The zoo is located high above the rooftops of Zurich, surrounded by greenery, yet can still be reached quickly and easily from the city center.

Approximately 4,000 animals representing 380 different species live at Zurich Zoo. The oldest resident is Nigrita, a Galapagos giant turtle. She is over 70 years old and has been living at the zoo since 1946.

Filmed on March 18, 2023 by Jeka Kiriloff