Stories about English from May, 2011
Jordan: Debating Economic Policies and the Road to Reform
The state of Jordan's economy, specifically discussing economic policies since 1989 and the national debt, were the highlight of the 7iber #HashtagDebates. The conversation hosted prominent Jordanian economists Ibrahim Saif and Yusuf Mansur, and was streamed with aramram.com for an online audience. The 7iber #HashtagDebates are part of a vital and ongoing conversation on reforms in Jordan.
Arab World: Ibn Khaldun Gets Doodled and Tweeted
Considered the greatest Arab historiographer and historian, the philosopher Ibn Khaldun was born in present-day Tunisia in 1332. He is also known as the father of cultural history and modern social science. Google's Doodle sparked the Twitter hashtag #ibn5ldoon, reminding us of this great scholar and his work.
Egypt: Tahrir Speaks
Egyptians flooded the streets around the country on Friday (May 27) to affirm their unwavering commitment to the vision and spirit of the revolution they ignited on January 25, 2011. Here is a round up of Tahrir events on Jadaliyya by Bassam Haddad and Ziad Abu-Rish: Tahrir Speaks, which features...
China: A Murder and Protests in Inner Mongolia
C. Custer from China Geeks has written a very informative post about the recent protest sparkled off by a murder in Inner Mongolia.
Bangladesh: Options Left For Dr. Yunus
An Ordinary Citizen comments on the options available for Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus after he was removed from the position as Managing Director of Grameen Bank.
Germany, Ukraine: Implications of the Demjanjuk Ruling
Alexander J. Motyl writes at Ukraine's Orange Blues/World Affairs about the implications of the May 12 sentencing of John Demjanjuk “for being an accessory to the murder of 28,060 Jews in the Nazi concentration camp in Sobibor, in occupied Poland.”
Hungary: Corruption On the Rise
Hungarian Spectrum writes about corruption in Hungary: “A few days ago Ernst & Young made public its latest survey on corruption in Europe and came up with the startling result that Hungary is the most corrupt country within the European Union. It can be compared only to Russia.”
Pakistan: TEDx Karachi Inspires Pakistanis
The second TEDx Karachi event took place on the 27 May, 2011, and it included speakers like Mukhtaran Mai, Raja Sabri Khan, Fasi Zaka and Imran Khan. Pakistani netizens share their opinions about the event which inspires to 'Make the Impossible Possible'.
Bangladesh: Wi-Fi And Digital Campus
Mahfuzur Rahman Manik writes about the present state of Wi-Fi networks in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and whether students can access them.
Sri Lanka: The Best Twitter Feeds
Are you interested in following news from Sri Lanka? Groundviews posts two Twitter lists containing the best Twitter feeds on and from Sri Lanka.
Venezuela, the USA and their ‘Oily’ Co-Dependence
“The current flap between the United States and Venezuela, where the U.S. is imposing sanctions on PDVSA, almost immediately brought up the elephant in the room: co-dependency,” Greg Weeks argues in Two Weeks Notice.
Guatemala: Voters Register for Upcoming Elections
Antigua Daily Photo posts a picture of a registration booth in City Hall in Antigua, Guatemala: “This is an election year in Guatemala and the Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) is rushing to get all potential voters registered and updated.”
Cuba: Any True Democracy?
“When Castro says that Cuba is the most democratic country in the world, I am uncertain if he is being serious or it is black humor”: Iván García says that he will only “believe in the Socialist democracy, as advocated by the regime in Havana, when you see a negative...
Haiti: Vendors in Delmas
Throwing Down the Water reports on “the chaos” associated with clean-up efforts in Delmas, the capital's largest commune.
Trinidad & Tobago: Politricks?
Plain Talk, tongue firmly in cheek, gives a quick run-down of the political goings-on in Trinidad and Tobago, while Weblog Bahamas quips: “Politicians confuse me.”
Spain: From Spanish Revolution to World Revolution
Mobilizations in Spain have ignited what has been called a “World Revolution”, with more than 600 demonstrations and camp outs taking place in solidarity with Spanish protesters. Websites, Twitter hashtags, and Facebook accounts are being used to spread and share information, thoughts, and opinions.
Cuba: Repressive Action
Cuban bloggers cite numerous cases of the authorities cracking down on dissidents, calling the arrests “part of a vicious series of repressive moves by the dictatorship to target the opposition.”
Bermuda: Gay Rights
“Bermuda has a long history of discrimination rooted in slavery, the restricted vote and racial segregation. Those who championed resistance to these injustices, those who have benefited from their elimination, should be sensitive to any discrimination set upon any other group”: Respice Finem wants to put gay rights back on...
Ethiopia: Blog of Ethiopia Musician Meklit Hadero
Visit the blog of Meklit Hadero. Meklit is a musician “born in Ethiopia, raised in the U.S. and nurtured by San Francisco’s richly diverse arts scene, this acclaimed singer embodies worlds.”
Tanzania: Recipe for Pilau Masala
Recipe for Pilau Masala from A Taste of Tanzania blog: “This masala is mainly for pilau, but it can be used in many other dishes like samusa, Nyama choma (bbq) etc.”
Rwanda: Army Officer Refutes Claims of Arrest
Major Justus Majyambere, a Rwandan army officer who recently travelled to the US on official duty, has refuted claims of arrest: “Reports on some websites and blogs run by Rwandan exiles had insinuated that Major Majyambere had been arrested by US authorities over indictments issued in 2008 by a Spanish...
