Jordan: Violent confrontations erupted between Jordanian security forces and protestors during a demonstration today. The protest was organized in central Ammam by popular and youth movements, which have named themselves the July 15 Parties. Jordanian police used batons to disperse hundreds of protestors who chanted "the people want to reform the regime." Tomorrow, they will hold a sit in at the prime minister's headquarters.

Libya: Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that the International Contact Group on Libya will recognize the National Transitional Council as the official representative of the Libyan people. Frattini told reporters that the international recognition for the Council leaves no choice for Muammar Gaddafi but to step down. Gaddafi's supporters took to the streets in Ajalat, west of Tripoli, in their largest demonstration yet to support Gaddafi and reject foreign interference.

Tunisia: Police prevented demonstrators from pitching protest tents at the government square in al-Kashbah and dispersed the protestors using tear gas. The protestors are demanding the dismissal of the interior and justice ministers, the judiciary's independence, and the prosecution of anyone responsible for the killing of protestors during the revolution.

Egypt: Thousands of people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the "Friday of Final Warning." They are demanding that the authorities hasten the transfer of former President Hosni Mubarak to Tora hospital and assign a court to prosecute anyone responsible for killing revolutionaries. They demanded that members of the court be independent from the former judiciary and for the former president to be the court's first defendant.

Syria: Demonstrations were held in a number of cities to mark the "Friday of Freedom for Prisoners." In Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that two people were killed and dozens were injured by security forces' gunfire, while Syrian TV reported that one civilian and two security forces were wounded by gunmen. According to the Syrian opposition's websites, almost 150,000 people protested in Hama, while Syrian TV said the city witnessed a limited gathering of participants demanding that the authorities combat corruption, adding that the rally ended without any security concerns.

(Euronews: 1118 PST, April 4, 2011) Libya's rebel National Transitional Council has rejected a proposal to end the conflict from Colonel Gaddafi's most prominent sons. Salaam and Saif al-Islam reportedly want to be interim leaders if there is a transfer of power and their father steps down. But after talks with Italy, which has now recognised the National Council, there was a very negative reaction.

(Associated Press: 0945 PST, April 4, 2011) Libyan rebels on Monday took back much of a strategic oil town that has repeatedly changed hands in weeks of battles with Muammar Gaddafi's forces along the nation's northern coast.

Interview with Hamid Karzai

(Channel 4 News: March 1, 2011) Jon Snow from the UK's Channel 4 News interviews Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the military surge in Afghanistan, talking to the Taliban, corruption, and WikiLeaks.

Lampedusa: The Gate to Europe?

(Euronews: March 3, 2011) The small Italian island of Lampedusa, closer to Africa than Italy, is facing an influx of illegal immigrants from Tunisia. As the situation in Libya deteriorates, there are fears of a fresh wave of refugees.

Democracy, Indonesian-Style

(Al Jazeera English: March 4, 2011) After freeing itself from the grip of dictatorship more than a decade ago, Indonesia offers an example of how Islam and democracy and go hand-in-hand.

Christchurch Quake Unearths Time Capsules

(ITN News: March 1, 2011) What appear to be two time capsules have been discovered in the base of a statue in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in New Zealand.

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 1135 PST, February 16, 2011) Libya has become the latest country to be hit by a wave of protests. Hundreds of people have clashed with armed police in Benghazi. Protesters are calling for a "day of wrath" on Thursday against Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule.

Elsewhere, thousands took to the streets of Bahrain's capital Manama for a third day of protests against the government. In Yemen at least two people have been killed in fighting with police in Aden. It's the sixth day of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh's three decades in power. And the uprisings in the Arab world are having a knock-on effect on countries like Italy, where more than 5,000 Tunisian and Egyptian migrants have arrived in recent weeks.

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 0635 PST, February 15, 2011) The king of Bahrain has made a rare appearance on television, offering condolences for protesters who have died in anti-government demonstrations. Two people were killed in clashes with police; the king has also promised an investigation.

Police in Iran confirmed that two people were killed during Monday's anti-government protests in Tehran, but they blame oppositions protesters for starting the violence.

The head of Egypt's ruling military council has issued a decree ordering the constitutional amendment committee to finish its work within 10 days. It's hoped reforms can speed up the transition to democratic rule and subdue ongoing labor protests. Sectors such as tourism have been hit economically due to disruptions caused by anti-Mubarak protests.

And the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to stand trial on charges he paid for sex with an underage girl and then tried to cover it up.

In 2009, movies finally began to present stories about the devastating impact of the current global economic crisis. The movie that grabbed the most attention and was hailed as capturing a zeitgeist moment on corporate downsizing was UP IN THE AIR. Despite its acclaim and multiple predictions that it would be the one to beat at this year’s Oscar’s, it went home empty-handed. Truth be told, I wasn’t a big fan of the movie and thought its depiction of the economic crisis was more slick than illuminating. Where were the personal stories that showed the real devastation of job loss?

Italy’s satisfying answer is DAYS AND CLOUDS, directed by Silvio Soldini (BREAD AND TULIPS, AGATA AND THE STORM).  It traces the harrowing economic descent of a sophisticated, upper-middle-class couple in Genoa after the husband loses his job. Flawless performances by Margherita Buy and Antonio Albanese as the couple (Elsa and Michele) keep us riveted as they attempt to grapple with their escalating fears about an unfathomable future.

All seems fine as the movie opens with a surprise celebration of Elsa’s graduation from an art history program.  But when Elsa wakes up, Michele confesses that he hasn’t worked in months and they will probably have to sell their home. Elsa is furious at what she perceives as a betrayal of marital trust. While Michele explains that he did not want to distract her from her exams, it soon becomes clear that much more is at issue—Michele’s unbearable shame for jeopardizing a way of life that he can no longer maintain.

The theme of shame runs deep as Elsa discovers her own inability to share the news with her daughter or close friends. The stress of these multiple non-disclosures begins to create a weight so heavy that the marriage starts to buckle under the strain. The pain is so palpable I felt my heart racing as fast as their downward tumble.

I picked the clip below because it shows how the couple’s economic unraveling is beginning to invade all aspects of their life. It also highlights Michele’s state of denial and embarrassment as he pretends that everything is OK. In this scene, with the news of Michele’s job loss still fresh for Elsa, the simple act of picking up a dinner check with friends quickly devolves into an angry confrontation:

One review of this film suggests that Michele’s denial and anger are, in part, exacerbated be an “Italian machismo” that impairs his ability to cope with a surreal loss of stature. I’m not sure that’s correct. It seemed to me that Michele’s reaction was more universal and not necessarily affected by any cultural distinctions.

Michele’s search for employment flows from denial to desperation so quickly that he has difficulty adjusting to a reality that finds him working odd jobs as a postal messenger and plaster/painter--anything to avoid the horror of doing nothing. Elsa must also adjust to a future that requires working two shifts as a secretary. And she discovers that she must make decisions about whether to consider alternate life choices including other men. A pass from a wealthy, attractive businessman is not so easily dismissed and the pain of this discovery is revealed in a breathless moment of sadness, vulnerability and desire.

Film’s ending does, however, provide a glimmer of optimism and it is Elsa’s art restoration that serves as an apt metaphor: if you can scrape away the years of passive neglect that can camouflage a marriage, you may find, if you’re lucky, something very beautiful that has somehow managed to endure. Whether that’s true or not, we finally have a film that accurately captures the economic calamity that can happen to anyone. And it’s pretty scary.

I knew I couldn't be the only person doing video journalism in world music. Sure enough, meet Toni Polo, founding member of the Groovalizacion collective, and co-director of the webradio www.groovalizacion.com who is also a filmmaker. He recently contacted me about a series of short portraits he is doing of artists in Bamako, and I found them to be charming and informative. Most of the pieces will need subtitling, but he sent me a few that already had English subitiles, so here is an engaging look at a duo from Italy and Cape Verde who seem to read each other's minds.

Duonde, músicas populares de Brasil a Cabo Verde from Toni Polo on Vimeo.

About Groovalizacion radio:
24h Internet radio about multicultural vibes, peripheral music, suburban grooves, nomadic sounds, tribal and regional blends... These are the soundtrack of migrations and cultural fusions, the voices of ethnic groups which animate our cities. Music is a white flag brandished at racial tensions, insufferable religious or economic wars and the closure of borders....Groovalizacion breaks the digital frontiers and brings people together: artistes, listeners, displaced citizens. Also with podcasts, videos, agenda and articles in Spanish, French, English and Portuguese.