Some of the most insightful writing from outside the U.S. comes from local media. In this occasional feature, Gelf identifies noteworthy stories that haven't gotten much attention outside local borders.

"Unfortunately, people here are very cruel to maids. They treat them with suspicion and abuse them in many ways."—Source from the Indonesian Embassy on abusing foreign house cleaners in Saudi Arabia

Graphic created by Paul Antonson

Saudi Arabia

Last week a Saudi teacher confessed to abusing his Indonesian house keeper, according to the Arab News. The teacher caused broken ribs, a broken wrist, and burns. This case is disturbing, but not unusual. Human Rights Watch noted in a December report that it receives hundreds of grievances about the treatment of housemaids. The Indonesian Embassy said it receives about 10 complaints each day from house cleaners in Saudi Arabia.
Foreign workers, many from Indonesia and Sri Lanka, pour into countries like Saudi Arabia enticed by the promise of money and a better life. They are usually sponsored by agencies or individuals, but that doesn't keep them safe. In one case in September, also covered by the Arab News, a sponsor's wife injured the housekeeper so badly that she went to the hospital to receive treatment.
Besides physical abuse, maids report working extremely long hours and not being paid. Some are kept locked in the house because so many attempt escape, the Arab News reports.
This trend continued into the US last year when a Saudi man in Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison for keeping an Indonesian woman as a sex slave.
These abuses have been going on for years and seem to be getting worse. A source from the Indonesian embassy told the Arab News, "Unfortunately, people here are very cruel to maids. They treat them with suspicion and abuse them in many ways. Even when we file a complaint on behalf of a maid or ask for information on a case at the police, the police treat the matter with disdain.”

Vietnam

Two environmentally conscious Belgian women, Nicole Diercks and Ingrid De Wilde, are traveling around the world without using any motorized vehicles. They have just reached Vietnam, the 25th country in their adventure. According to the Thanh Nien News, Diercks and De Wilde will spend several weeks crossing the country by bicycle and cyclo. They have traveled to parts of Europe, the Middle East, and central Asia en route to Vietnam. They've ridden donkeys, camels, and horses; they've roller bladed, biked, and paddled.

New Zealand

A colossal squid weighing 1,089 lbs, measuring 10 feet long and believed to be the biggest squid ever found, was caught by New Zealand fishermen off the coast of Antarctica in February. The massive squid has been frozen in New Zealand ever since, but scientists now want to thaw it to study the rare specimen. Exactly how to do that is tricky because the researchers want no part of the squid to rot before the entire thing defrosts. The best idea right now is a gigantic microwave. Steve O'Shea of the Auckland University of Technology told the BBC, "There are certain microwave equivalents that are used by industry, for treating timber and the like, that we could probably fit this thing into."

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's Catholic archbishop, Pius Ncube, is vowing to lead protests to remove President Robert Mugabe from power. Political parties within the country have been trying to unseat Mugabe from power for many years. Archbishop Ncube has long spoke out against Mugabe, but recently announced he will play a more-active role, comparing himself to Cardinal Jaime Sin, who helped rid the Philippines of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s. Mugabe has been president of Zimbabwe since 1980, when the country first gained independence. Under his power Zimbabwe has the highest rate of inflation in the world, nationwide hunger, and an HIV epidemic. Under the pretense of security and suppressing rebellions, Mugabe's government has killed tens of thousands of civilians. In a briefing in Johannesburg last week, covered by Inter Press Service, Ncube said, "I am prepared to lead the people against Mugabe. Like in the Philippines, our security forces will side with us if we are courageous."

Israel

According to a story in the Jerusalem Post, racial profiling in Israeli airports is crucial. Non-Jewish passengers, and particularly Arabs, are treated with much greater suspicion than Jewish passengers. Security officials claim profiling is necessary because it reflects the demographics of terrorists targeting Israel. A former airport security examiner told the Jerusalem Post, "A Jew would only be coming here because he loves Israel, and he wouldn't commit a terrorist act. You can't make that same assumption about… Arabs or non-Jews."