· December, 2011

Stories about International Relations from December, 2011

Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011

  31 December 2011

2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.

Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”

RuNet Echo  30 December 2011

International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.

Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia

  30 December 2011

Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.

Iran:Blocking the Strait of Hormuz

  29 December 2011

Iran has warned that the country could block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. Filternet1 writes[fa] if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, even China, to protect its interests, will attack Iran.

Bermuda: rethinking ties with Britain?

  28 December 2011

The British government is reviewing its relationship with its overseas territories, writes Catch a Fire, and inviting Bermudans to share their perspectives. “I think we need a new Constitutional Convention to modernise and reform our relationship with the UK … and I would like each Overseas Territory to have a...

Bermuda: military mess?

  22 December 2011

The United States maintained a military base in Bermuda for 50 years, finally departing in 1995. Who should clean up the pollution that got left behind, asks Catch a Fire? “The Americans … shouldn’t need to be told what to do…. They have no right to come and pollute our...

Nepal: Social Media Diplomacy

  21 December 2011

The US Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H DeLisi, is very active in Facebook and he comments: “Social media have changed the way the Embassy does business.” Read Ujjwal Acharya's post for more.

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Garlic Wars

  21 December 2011

With tensions high between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a result of a still unresolved territorial dispute, the appearance of Azerbaijani garlic in Armenian supermarkets has made some local media hysterical.

Cuba: owing obsolete rubles

  20 December 2011

Cuba has a longstanding debt to Russia of 20 million Soviet rubles — a currency that no longer exists. Machetera asks: “how and when do you decide what a vanished currency is really worth?”

South Korea: North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong Il Is Dead

  19 December 2011

Kim Jong Il, the North Korean dictator has died. Although the death of the world's one of the notorious dictator is something what people should welcome, most South Koreans have expressed worries on the instability his sudden death might bring to the Korean peninsula.

India, Pakistan: Harmony In Matrimony

  18 December 2011

The rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of the much talked about conflicts. Quite the contrast The Life And Times Of Two Indians in Pakistan blog highlights cases of cross-border marriages between Indians and Pakistanis and the challenges the bride and groom face.