Follow One Pakistani Girl’s Journey, 10/11/09 New York Times (NYT)

In all the news about war, some of the most interesting stories are not on the front lines. A few NY Times Reporters write a blog on war-torn areas like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. One of them followed a Pakistani family for several months and produced a piece on the daughter’s journey throughout her family’s difficult journey. Check out the video here. Read more about Pakistan here.

Single Moms Get Support in Korea, October 7, 2009, NYT

So, here in the U.S., single moms (and ladies) are no big deal. It’s not uncommon to find unwed mothers having babies (or even “babies having babies), bt in Korea, it’s still a very big deal. Being an unwed mother is so taboo, that women are frequently pressured into having abortions or giving their babies up for adoption to save them from the shame of being a single mother. Well a group of women is now trying to change that, by starting :the country’s first unwed mothers association to defend their right to raise their own children.” Interesting story, check it out.

The Nobel Prizes were awarded- President Obama won one; and first prize for a woman in Econ.

Here’s a little background, courtesy of Nobelprize.org, “Every year since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. The Nobel Prize is an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize. Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and a cash award.”

President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Another winner from the U.S., Elinor Ostrom, became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics. Yay! Congrats!

See a full list of all the winners here.

Women Targeted in Violence in Guinea, 10/5/09 (NYT)

According to news reports, there was a political demonstration in Guinea last week ad soldiers came in to shut it down. It was violent and people were killed. There is also evidence (cell phone photos) that women, in particular, were being targeted- beaten, raped, and abused. Here’s more info. on Guinea.

Mobile Phones Becoming Popular in Uganda and other Rural Areas, 10/5/09, NYT

In rural parts of Uganda, there is almost no electricity and practically no Internet. So people there are using cell phones to get and send information- about crops, sports scores, money transfers, and to sell things. According to the article, “Africa has the fastest-growing mobile phone market worldwide.” MOre info. on Uganda here.

Monsoons in India, 10/5/09, NYT

After a drought in India, four days of heavy rain leave 240 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Here’s more info. on India.