France: French jail probes prisoners’ ‘Harlem Shake’ video
Prisoners in a high-security French jail have caused an Internet sensation after two videos, one of them a “Harlem Shake” group dance, were widely shared on social networking sites, leaving prison authorities red-faced.
In a second video a prisoner at the Montmédi detention centre in northeastern France is seen wearing a prison warder’s uniform and smoking marijuana. ...
France 24
Sweden: Tourists frightened off by southern Swedish accent
The distinctive southern Swedish dialect has been accused of scaring off potential visitors from the rest of the country according to a new report.
Tourism in Skåne carried out the study to gauge reactions from other Swedes about their southern cousins. It was the Scanian dialect that came in as the top reaction, with its unique words which often confuse non Skåne natives. ...
The Local
New Zealand: Coffee - NZ’s stimulant of choice
Coffee is one of the most popular stimulants around the world - Kiwis consume their fair share and we generally like it strong.
Figures show that the average NZ cafe coffee is often made with more than twice the amount used in the UK. So while four cups of freshly brewed coffee is considered moderate consumption in England, it may only take Kiwis three cups to get to the 400mg level of caffeine a day that is considered safe. ...
New Zealand Herald
Kenya: Two boys abducted after raiders attack village, steal over 300 goats
A nine-year-old boy was shot and seriously injured when suspected Turkana assailants attacked Kamurio village in West Pokot County and made away with over 300 goats. The attackers who stormed the village at about 4pm on Wednesday also took hostage three young boys during the raid that was fiercely resisted by armed Pokot youths. ...
Standard Digital Kenya
Finland: Survey ranks Finland’s top cultural figures
A survey by the Finnish Cultural Foundation has identified the most recognized cultural figures in Finland. Tampere musician Juice Leskinen topped the rankings, with Jean Sibelius and Tove Jansson trailing in his wake. ...
Uutiset
Juice Leskinen
Jean Sibelius
Kuwait: Volunteers offer to cover stranded girl’s education – Govt urged to avoid deportation
The story of 16-year-old Furaha, a girl who became stranded in Kuwait after falling victim to a human trafficking ploy, sparked strong reaction from people who showed compassion over her case and demanded better efforts to tackle illegal activities that affect expatriates coming to the Gulf state for work or other reasons. Meanwhile, Al-Rai daily which was the first to report the Congolese girl’s story, reported yesterday that many Kuwaitis have called to offer help by providing a place for her to stay and even cover expenses for her education ...
Kuwait Times
Philippines: MMDA designates 17 Christmas Lanes
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Thursday released a list of 17 routes it has designated as Christmas and Mabuhay lanes to aid motorists to avoid heavy traffic during the Holiday rush.
The MMDA’s special lanes were opened as alternate routes to shorten the travel time of motorists during the Holidays, when traffic flow in the metropolis are expected to be heavy. ...
Philstar
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