Black Magic Fetish Market Has One Stop Shopping For Voodoo Supplies

by Chris Owen on

Sorcerers and healers who practice black magic use a variety of raw materials to make their traditional medicines. Dessicated chameleons, snake skins and dried birds are popular ingredients as are crocodile and monkey skulls. In Lome, the capital of the west African nation of Togo, the Lome Fetish Market has one-stop shopping for just about everything a witch doctor might need.

“This place is like a pharmacy for everybody in the world. When someone has a serious sickness and the hospital cannot help, they come here to the fetish market,” said Joseph, a local healer in a BBC News report.

Also a popular tourist attraction, visitors are welcome to look. Taking photos or a guided tour is OK too, for a small fee.

Check this photo gallery brought to us by “Jess”, featuring her tour of the Lome Fetish Market and showing some of the images captured along the way via reddit, where an interesting discussion about such matters is going on.

%Gallery-177226%Those who practice black magic believe that using the ingredients we see here will cure a variety of ailments or be used to cast curses and spells (or get rid of them).

Want to know more about black magic and the Lome Fetish Market, check this short video:




[Photo Credit- Jess via Reddit]

BBC World Service receives millions to increase Arabic broadcasts, save Hindi broadcasts

by Sean McLachlan on

The BBC World Service is getting a funding increase to the tune of £2.2 million ($3.6 million) per year over the next three years.

This comes after the government broadcaster’s funds were slashed last year, forcing it to announce the cancellation of 5 of its 32 language broadcasts and reduced service on others.

The money will go to boost the Arabic language programs. An additional £9 million ($14.6 million) is being reallocated to save the Hindi shortwave service, which was slated to be shut down.

The Arabic language service is getting more attention both from the UK government and people in the region because of the ongoing unrest there. The Hindi service also has a huge number of listeners.

The BBC World Service broadcasts on TV, mobile, and online, but in many regions its shortwave broadcasts are still crucial. While listening to shortwave may seem old fashioned, in many Middle Eastern countries the Internet is censored or gets shut off completely during times of unrest. Also, many people in the developing world have a shortwave radio, but little access to the Internet.