“A circumcision mask from western Kenya and a headdress made from human hair from Uganda are among 140 artefacts from the British Museum that have gone on show in Nairobi – the first time the museum has lent objects to Africa.
But the exhibition has sparked debate about whether such objects should be returned to their home countries for good.

Repatriation is yesterday’s question. Questions of ownership depend on the thought that an object can only be in one place’“. (Guardian)
Oh, really? Then why not give objects back to the countries from which they were originally taken?

“Vatican ‘may relax condom rules’
The Vatican is preparing to publish a statement on the use of condoms by people who have Aids, a senior Roman Catholic official has said.” (BBC)
If it’s true, it’s incredible news.

A new site, www.noflying.info has gone live. “The site has potential to be a huge success and be highly beneficial to the cause of sustainable travel.” They’re looking for people to contribute content or help with development before the full launch around May 20.

Via http://www.worldwidewords.org, the brilliant news that people “in England (but not the other parts of the UK) are now likely to have free access to several of the major archive resources of the Oxford University Press through their local library membership. All participating libraries have access to the Oxford Reference Online, the Oxford English Dictionary, and the Dictionary of National Biography. Most also give access to Grove Art Online and Grove Music Online. The best part is that you don’t need to visit your library: you can log on to the sites from any computer at any time using your library card number.”
Links to the participating libraries and URLs of the resources.

The moral midget in the world
“Yet [John Howard’s] behaviour lately on two issues – AWB’s improper payments to Saddam Hussein’s regime and refugees from Indonesia – raises the question whether his political skills may have more serious consequence for Australia than simply keeping him in office.

In public debate, the Prime Minister nips and tucks, using words, especially adjectives, carefully so that he can later disown sentiments that he had seemed earlier to be endorsing. As he is neither a blatant bigot nor simple-minded, he does not appear to be lowering standards, whether of competence or morality. He appears, rather, to be trying to be sensible. But the effect is that the issue is allowed to crumble or evaporate in a flurry of self-protective corrections, refinements and denials, as well as complex, bureaucratic outcomes.” (Age)

“A SHEFFIELD feminist group is claiming a victory after campaigning for city stores to stop selling Playboy accessories to girls under the age of 16.

Sheffield Fems member Jayne Taylor said: “We are not having a go at Playboy but we feel these products perpetrate the sexualisation of children.” (Sheffield Today)
This story is great. Partly because I hate the idea that young girls are being sold images of commodified sexuality and partly because I’m glad to see that some radical feminist groups are still active.