Stories about English from November, 2011
Bangladesh: The Perils Of Dividing Dhaka City Corporation
Sazid Khan thinks that the decision of the Bangladesh government to split the Dhaka City Corporation into two zones will create more problems rather solving the existing ones.
DR of Congo: How Will the Elections Unfold?
The presidential elections in the DRC are scheduled for November 28. The stakes are evidently high, given the history of civil conflict. Many observers have highlighted the major events during the campaign, and attempted to forecast how the elections will unfold.
North Korea's Cellular Network Surpasses 800,000 3G Subscriptions
The North Korea Tech wrote about a surge of new sign-ups for Koryolink, North Korea’s nationwide 3G cellular network. It is believed 809,000 North Koreans have subscribed to Koryolink whose 75 percent of stake is owned by the Egyptian company, Orascom Telecom.
South Korea: Judge's Facebook Post Criticizing Free Trade Deal Went under Fire
A judge's Facebook post criticizing the current President and the free trade agreement with the United States went under fire. The Supreme Court has decided to refer him to the ethics committee for violating political neutrality. Some citizen journalists have secured the judge's deleted post [ko] in their blogs.
India: The Camel Fair Of Pushkar
Nisha J shares her experience of spending a day at the famous Camel Fair of Pushkar, a holy town of the Ajmer district in the state of Rajasthan, India.
Bhutan: The King Visits Japan
Dorji Wangchuk posts a photo essay on the recent state visit of the Bhutanese royal couple to Japan.
Russia: “Anti-Gay” Bill Postponed Till Nov. 30
Siberian Light reports that the second reading of the “anti-gay” bill in the St. Petersburg City Duma has been postponed till Nov. 30 – “to allow time for a face-saving review of the legislation’s wording.” The AllOut.org's petition calling “leaders around the world to reach out to their counterparts in...
Maldives: The Changes The 17th SAARC Summit Brought
Hassan Ziyau describes how the preparations for the 17th SAARC Summit brought astonishing changes in Addu and Fuvahmulah, the two atolls where the summit was held.
Russia: Siberian Light's This Week in Russia Blogs #1
Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec....
Mexico: Massive Civil Lawsuit at ICC Seeks Drug War Justice
23,000 Mexican citizens have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate heads of drug cartels, President Felipe Calderón and other top officials for crimes against civilians in Mexico's ongoing Drug War.
Trinidad & Tobago: Men and their Role
“International Men's Day kind of came and went without much fanfare here, even though the darn thing was actually ‘inaugurated in 1999 in Trinidad and Tobago'”, says West Indian Mother, who wonders whether “we [are] denying good men their role.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Anya's Section Launch
The rumour turns out to be true: Trinidad Carnival Diary says that designer Anya Ayoung-Chee's section in the Carnival band TRIBE's 2012 offering launches tonight.
Bahamas: Male Violence Against Women
Womanish Words would like the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to be called what it really is – the International Day for the Elimination of Male Violence Against Women, and posts a rant poem in an “honest attempt to contribute to the naming and defining of...
Trinidad & Tobago: Netizens Sceptical about Assassination Plot
“It seemed that the majority of online readers, if you read the comments following the Express’ first article on the alleged assassination threats, chose not to believe the government of Trinidad and Tobago”: Guanaguanare thinks that “the lack of evidence helped to destroy the credibility of this latest threat to...
Cuba: News, 24/7
Cuba will apparently soon have a 24-hour news channel; Regina Coyula says: “Despite so much supposed information, we are the most disinformed people in the world.”
Egypt: Summing up the Second Wave of Protests So Far
Miran Hosny sums up the recent second wave of protests in Egypt. The death toll is allegedly just shy of 40 and Central Security Forces and police have reportedly continued their attack-and-retreat dance with Egyptian protestors, blasting them with tear gas and other chemical gases that are as yet unidentifiable.
Kenya: Meet Kenyan Innovator Daniel Njuguna
John Karanja blogs about Kenyan innovator Daniel Njuguna who has managed to integrate his mobile phone with home made appliances and gadgets that perform a number of domestic functions: “This innovation is a precursor to what has been described as the internet of things where appliances and gadgets will soon...
Kenya: Mapping Mobile Money
Mapping mobile money in Kenya: “CrowdPesa is a Web and Mobile application with a mapping system that allows businesses to locate themselves in a map and facilitate users to find the location of the nearest financial service on their mobile phone.”
Yemen: Mixed Reactions as Saleh Finally Signs GCC Deal
There have been mixed reactions amongst Yemenis towards President Saleh's signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council deal; some are disappointed and skeptical, while others are joyful and relieved. Noon Arabia reports.
Latin American Students March for Education
Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, students across the continent marched on November 24, 2011 to demand free, high-quality education. El Ciudadano [es] links to the Facebook events organized in each country; Kena Lorenzini posts pictures of the Chilean protests in her blog, and Mike shares pictures...
More Pressure on the Chinese Government, Not Less
Chinese Human Rights Defenders argued against the “quiet diplomacy” approach put forward by Chen Min in New York Times on November 16, 2011 by looking into the case of blind activist Chen Guangcheng in Shangdong.
