Written by Debbie Smit Sunday, 28 June 2009 00:00
According to online reports, Neda Agha-Soltan was urged by a friend not to take part in the protest on Saturday last week where she was singled out by a sniper and shot in the chest. "Don't worry," she said. "It's just one bullet and it's over." The video of Neda's death on YouTube is accompanied by this message from the user who posted it: "At 19:05 June 20th Place: Kargar Ave., at the corner crossing Khosravi St. and Salehi st. A young woman who was standing aside with her father (he was later identified as her music teacher) watching the protests was shot by a Basij member hiding on the rooftop of a civilian house. He had clear shot at the girl and could not miss her. However, he aimed straight her heart. I am a doctor, so I rushed to try to save her. But the impact of the gunshot was so fierce that the bullet had blasted inside the victim’s chest, and she died in less than 2 minutes. The protests were going on about 1 kilometers away in the main street and some of the protesting crowd were running from tear gass used among them, towards Salehi St. The film is shot by my friend who was standing beside me. Please let the world know."
Written by Debbie Smit Sunday, 21 June 2009 00:00
Most cellphone users will admit that they have had the urge to lob the oftimes offensive instruments at some stage (either at nothing and sometimes at somebody, like the notoriously noxious Naomi Campbell once famously did). Finns make a sport of it – at the annual Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships held in Savonlinna, Finland.
Translation and interpretation company Fennolingua provides the phones (old ones with batteries still installed) for the event. Competitors are not allowed to throw their own phones, even if they strongly feel that they would like to, but can choose a phone from those provided that they feel is best suited to their stature and throwing style. Throws are judged on distance (in the Traditional or Original category) and aesthetics and creativity (this year the prize went to a dog called Cara).
While the event is mostly about fun it also aims to promote environmental issues. Flung phones are collected afterwards to be disposed of in the correct manner.