Stories about English from April, 2011
Execution Tunnels in North Korea
There are strong claims that tunnels in North Korea have been adapted for mass-executions of political prisoners if the regime ever be threatened, according to local reports. Alec Macph shared links to North Korea's human rights violation cases in the Harry's Place blog .
Nepal: No Country For Old Men
Nepali blogger opines that Nepali youth should come forward and take the charge of the Nepali politics rather than depending on the failing old leaders. There is actually a movement in Facebook against the old politicians called Retire the Netas.
Bhutan: Bonded Teachers
Tshering Tobgay criticizes a recent rule in Bhutan that teachers will never be able to apply for other government posts.
Greece: Protesting football fans rampage in Thessaloniki
In an unexpected flareup up of football violence, fans of two local football clubs, Iraklis and PAOK, clashed in the center of Thessaloniki, Greece on April 26, 2011. They attacked storefronts, apartments buildings and parked vehicles, while riot police flooded the downtown area with tear gas.
Guyana: Unsolved Murder
Last week marked five years since Government Minister Satyadeow Sawh was was murdered in Guyana; The Caribbean Camera interviews his family, who are still searching for answers.
Cuba: Ferrer Held
According to Uncommon Sense and Babalu, Dr. Darsi Ferrer and other activists were arrested today “during a protest in which they were calling for the Castro dictatorship to allow Cubans to travel freely, among other demands.”
Bahamas: Shark Tales
Bahama Pundit‘s Larry Smith shares some good and bad news about sharks.
Cuba: Bosch Dies
Cuban bloggers note the passing of Orlando Bosch, with Machetera saying: “There are good terrorists and bad ones, and clearly the mainstream media have settled on the fiction that Bosch is the former, so he gets to be a ‘militant’.”
Jamaica: Honesty in Poetry
Diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp notices “a brutal honesty” in his featured poem by Kei Miller.
Syria: “The Revolution is Continuing in Daraa; Are You With Us?”
The situation in Daraa, Syria, is becoming more destitute, as reports continue of more protests, and a more violent crackdown on the protesters. Netizens speak of a mounting humanitarian situation as protesters are killed, medical aid is running out and electricity, water and communications are cut.
Arab World: Royal Wedding Fever in the Air
The hype surrounding the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton tomorrow (April 29) has reached the Middle East, where some tweeps took a break from covering the ongoing Arab revolutions to remark on the ceremony and reception, which will follow at Buckingham Palace.
Syria: A hero father
A Gay Girl in Damascus writes about how her father stood up for her, when officers came knocking on her door one night.
Egypt: RIP Ali – A tribute to an African Grey parrot
From Egypt, Maryanne Stroud Gabbani mourns the death of her African Grey parrot Ali, also known as Ali Capone.
Iran: Islamist bloggers divided over Ahmadinejad-Khamenei rift
It appears from Iranian Islamist blogs that the honeymoon between Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Islamic Republic's Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is finally over. Some reject Ahmadinejad is favor of the Supreme Leader while others show unwavering support for Ahmadinejad.
Honduras to Implement ‘One Laptop Per Child’ Program
RNS in Honduras Politics and Culture says that the plan to give one XO laptop to every child in Honduras “would be ideal for deployment in Honduras.” However, the blogger shows some skepticism: “At the actual cost [$199], the original $3 million investment would buy 15075 XO laptops, not the...
Mexico: Senate Approves Political Reform
The Mexican Senate approved “La reforma política,” a political reform that Aguachile describes as “immensely significant.” Aguachile lists the sections included in the reform and adds: “Of course, this does not mean the reform has passed; it will now move on to the Chamber of Deputies, and then for ratification...
Ecuador: Poll Results Show President Correa Leading in Referendum
Bloggings by Boz reports: “Polls from Santiago Perez and Cedatos-Gallup suggest Correa will win on all ten questions of the referendum taking place on May 7,” adding that, “For Correa, the specifics about the reforms are secondary to the larger issue of winning.”
Rwanda: Ask Rwandan President Questions on YouTube
On May 5, 2011 President Paul Kagame of Rwanda will be the first African leader to be interviewed on YouTube World View. World View is a series of monthly interviews with the world's foremost leaders, where you ask the questions.
Iraq: Is Saddam Still Alive?
Saddam Hussein is making the rounds on social media, with a new recording claiming that the Iraqi dictator is alive and well and that his double Mikhail was the one executed on December 30, 2006. Many netizens are quick to describe the video as phoney and assure readers that Saddam is dead and gone. Had he been alive, the former Iraqi dictator would have turned 74 today.
Russia: Photoblogger Defends His Constitutional Rights
Popular photoblogger Ilya Varlamov continues to fight the common and unconstitutional ban on taking pictures in supermarkets. He posted a photo essay on his misadventures in Evropeysky, a large supermarket in Moscow, where he was prevented from taking photos.
Cuba: Bloggers Reflect on Reforms at Communist Party Congress
The sixth congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which was recently held in Havana, may have marked a major turning point for the Cuban economic system, and for Cuban society at large. Bloggers in Cuba, and those who follow Cuba from other parts of the world, offered a diverse range of reactions.
