Stories about International Relations from December, 2011
Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 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”
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
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
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.
Macedonia, Greece, Turkey: Bridging the Divides Through Multilingual Reporting
Two recent initiatives by civic-minded journalists added value to the e-content in local languages from Macedonia and nearby countries: Diversity Media is offering news analysis through text and audio podcasts in Macedonian and Albanian, and Balkon3.com is enabling “peeking over the neighbors’ fence” in Macedonian, Turkish, Greek, and English. The...
Bethlehem: Armenian and Greek Clergy Clash at Christmas
Armenian and Greek priests have once again clashed, but this time at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, much to the astonishment and amusement of social media users worldwide.
Bermuda: rethinking ties with Britain?
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...
Algeria: What Independence means
Algerian algerianna, at Patriots on Fire, asks readers to share their views on the true meaning of their country's independence.
North Korean State Websites Started Praising the Heir after Kim's Death
North Korea’s state-run websites have begun to print the regime's young heir, Kim Jong-un's name in a style previously reserved for lately deceased dictator, Kim Jong Il, reported North Korea Tech blog.
Pakistan: An Uneasy Alliance
Saad Hafiz at the Pak Tea House discusses the uneasy alliance between Pakistan and the United States
Hungary: Presidents in Correspondence, Journalist in Blind Copy
Attila Mong, a Hungarian journalist, has obtained and published on his blog the letter sent by José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, to the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán. Marietta Le reports.
Bermuda: military mess?
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
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
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.
China: Censorship and Kim Jong-il's death
Southeast conversation looks into the discussion about the death of Kim Jong-il and makes some observation on how portal websites censor the news and netizens’ comments.
Cuba: owing obsolete rubles
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?”
Mexico, USA: Border Cities Juárez and El Paso Growing Apart
The blog Just the Facts reports on what three WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America) staff members saw in the El Paso-Juárez border zone: “We found two cities that, while separated only by a narrow river, are rapidly growing further apart.”
China, North Korea: Kim Jong-il Dead, Chinese Netizen Reactions
Fauna has translated Chinese netizens’ reactions over the news of Kim Jong-il's sudden death.
Responses to the Death of North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong-il
Since North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il's death on December 17 from a heart attack, the South Korean Twittersphere has lit up with numerous responses to the news. Lee Yoo Eun reports.
South Korea: North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong Il Is Dead
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
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.
