Recent Postings from the region Africa at VocalNation.net http://vocalnation.net/user/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:40:48 +0100 http://www.vocalnation.net/images/promote/vn_feed_image.png http://www.vocalnation.net Feed provided by vocalnation.net. Click to visit. Subscribe to this feed by copying the URL from your browser's address bar into your feedreader of choice. You may choose to use a web-based feedreader such as Google Reader, NewsGator, Rojo, etc. or one of the many browser-plugin feed readers. http://vocalnation.net/posting/196416/Somali+Pirate++%27Shoot-out%27+aboard+hijacked+ship+-+BBC/
"The hijacked Ukrainian ship, the Faina, is surrounded by international warships determined to stop its military cargo from falling into the wrong hands."

"He said radicals on board wanted to keep the shipment of 33 T-72 tanks and other weapons in Somalia while the moderates wanted "to back-pedal on the ransom issue"."

"The waters off its coast are considered to be some of the world's most dangerous - pirates have hijacked nearly 30 ships this year and attacked many more.

Even ships carrying food aid are often targeted, hampering the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the estimated three million Somalis in need of assistance.

A spokesman for the UN's World Food Programme said it supplies 90% of aid to Somalia by sea but that hijackings were increasing despite the number of naval forces patrolling the shipping lanes. "]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:39:08 +0100 Posting196416-1222807148 http://vocalnation.net/posting/196364/Blog+Round+Up/ GamePolitics.com.

Variety Lists Game-Legislating California Senator as "Vidgame Maven"
Rather inexplicably, Variety has included California State Sen. Leland Yee in a list of "vidgame mavens."

Spreading Some Cash: ESA Expands Political Donations
As GamePolitics reported in May, the ESA's plan to win political influence through campaign donations got off to a slow start in 2008, spreading just $4,300 among three members of Congress.But the software publishers' lobbying group dramatically increased its political donations in the second quarter of of the year.

Facebook Stabbing Game App Causes Controversy
With knife crime a major social issue in the United Kingdom these days, it's probably no surprise that a Facebook app in which players "shank" one another is raising eyebrows.

African Press: Obama Gets it Wrong, Brownback Gets it Right on Congo Coltan and the "PlayStation War"
A few weeks back GamePolitics covered the so-called PlayStation War raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The issue revolves around Congo's supply of the mineral coltan, used in PlayStation 2's and many other consumer electronic devices.

Audience Member Who Made Aussie Pols Look Silly Over Fallout 3 is Website Editor
On Friday GamePolitics reported on an incredibly clueless TV performance by a panel of Australian politicians and media types. For example, while bashing video games at length, the panel members did not even seem to realize that Australia has a rating system for games in place.

JT Has New URL We've often wondered why game-hatin' Florida attorney Jack Thompson didn't get his own website where he could push his opinions and his frequent URGENT! press releases to his heart's content.It appears that he soon will.

New Topps Card Set Includes Famed Arcade Gamer
Billy Mitchell, the legendary Floridia gamer who posted the first perfect score in Pac-Man, has received a unique form of recognition.

Famed "Last Lecture" Gaming Prof Passes Away
Last October GamePolitics reported on Randy Pausch, the Carnegie-Mellon University professor whose "last lecture" touched millions of people and gained international fame.

Controversial Blackwater Worldwide Using Guitar Hero, Xbox 360 in Recruiting Efforts
Recruiters for controversial Blackwater Worldwide, which provides "paid contractors" (i.e. - mercenaries) to supplement United States forces in Iraq, apparently distribute consoles and popular video games to spread good will among American forces.

Despite Grim Prospects, a Florida Arcade Carries on
As an old school arcade devotee, GP can't resist a nostalgic story about a coin-op joint. Naturally we found the Seminole Voice's coverage of a local arcade compelling.]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:05:12 +0100 Posting196364-1217279112 http://vocalnation.net/posting/1393/Europe+Takes+Africa%92s+Fish%2C+and+Boatloads+of+Migrants+Follow+-+New+York+Times/
"Many scientists agree. A vast flotilla of industrial trawlers from the European Union, China, Russia and elsewhere, together with an abundance of local boats, have so thoroughly scoured northwest Africa’s ocean floor that major fish populations are collapsing."]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:34:51 +0100 Posting1393-1200357291 http://vocalnation.net/posting/328/How+a+16+year+old+helped+get+400%2C000%2B+people+water/
Can one person really make a difference?  When Ryan Hreljac was a 6 year old boy, he heard about people in africa not having access to clean water, so he started saving up to buy a village a well.  Since then his has build wells across the African continent and supplied water to over 400,000 people through his organization, the Ryan's Well Foundation.        ]]> Fri, 06 Jul 2007 05:34:49 +0100 Posting328-1183700089 http://vocalnation.net/posting/79/Is+Somalia+Heading+Towards+Peace+or+Anarchy%3F++-+Foreign+Exchange+with+Fareed+Zakaria/
We’ll take you inside Africa’s most populous nation ... all » for a perspective on daily life in Nigeria.

Finally, Pakistan houses the largest Al Qaeda presence in the word. Should we worry?

http://foreignexchange.tv/]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:25:48 +0100 Posting79-1176269148 http://vocalnation.net/posting/67/Inside+Egypt+-+American+Opinion+in+the+Middle+East/
From the Arab street to corporate settings, we heard outrage at America's foreign policy in the Middle East. We also investigated what America needs to do to regain the trust of one of our closest allies in the region.

More info on this episode is available from the PBS Now website at:
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/314/index.html]]> Wed, 11 Apr 2007 03:54:44 +0100 Posting67-1176263684