Eritrea - Ministry of Information

• They couldn’t stop cycling, because the people felt it. Even as people were dying, cycling continued, it was the dream of the people.’ Giovanni Mazzola.

Asmara 7:30 pm. People are returning home; on foot, on a bicycle and by car. You are also homeward bound. Some streets are quite dark. But you have gotten accustomed to the situation. One more crossing of the street and you will be right home with your family. Whoosh! What was that? An unidentified flying object? A ghost? The spirit of God carrying a message of doom? NO. That was a bicycle. You didn’t have time to get even a shadowy glimpse of it. Phew! It was a close one.

Two of my all-time favorite art idols: Pablo Picasso and Leonardo Da Vinci. Why am I using their name as the title? … That is because yesterday morning I felt a massive powerhouse of energy from 43 young art graduates. I asked some of them about their future plans and they answered by saying that they, one day, want to be like Picasso and Da Vinci.

Artists are after God the only real creators in the physical world. In fact, they have the capacity to become co-creators along with the divine being, if they can put all their intelligence and their utmost efforts to produce a work of art.

Get used to Eri-International, an increasingly popular sports blog, writing about the newly-turned 17 year old Alexander Isaac, who is taking the Allsvenskan (Swedish Premier League) by storm. On September 21st, Alexander Isaac (an Eritrean-Swede) celebrated his 17th birthday with two goals in a high profile football match. As early as the 16th minute, Isaac was looking at his third opportunity at a goal against a strong team in Djurgården. He scored his first goal, which was a beauty, with ease.

Eritrean cyclist Yohana Dawit finished ninth place at the first stage of the Green Mountain Race in Vermont, USA. Her remarkable race on September 2 marks a significant milestone in her career- as the first Eritrean female cyclist competing for an American cycling team (Amy D.Foundation race team).

The history of cinemas in Eritrea dates back to 1920s during the Italian colonial period, when the Eritrean people were familiarized with the culture of cinemas. But not all the Eritrean citizens had the opportunity to watch movies in the cinemas which were abundant even back then. The only few privileged citizens who were allowed to watch cinemas were the ones who worked with the Italians and only with their bosses were they allowed to get in. Almost all the movies back then were Italian, especially until the early 1940s.