Stories about International Relations from November, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago: Loss of Mind?
From the tobacco legislation to the carbon footprint post-CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, Coffeewallah asks: “Has everybody in this country lost their cotton picking minds?”
Egypt: Alaa Mubarak for President?
Several names have been thrown in the pool of candidates for Egypt's 2011 presidential elections. Now a new name is being floated. Find out why Alaa Mubarak, the Egyptian President's eldest son, is a current favorite among some Egyptians...or maybe not.
Egypt: It's not the football
Writing at Not Green Data, Tarek Amr is not amused with the international media coverage following the Egypt-Algeria football match.
Jordan: The London Circus
Lama J from Jordan writes about her visit to the UK and then Canada in this post.
Morocco: Peace Corps Community Honors So Youn Kim
The Peace Corps bloggers are mourning the loss of a fellow volunteer, 23-year-old So Youn Kim, who had worked at a youth center in the southern Moroccan village of Tamegrout. Bloggers who knew her and those who didn't have memorialized Kim in a set of posts describing her ambition, her beauty, her incredible drive, and the important work she was doing in Morocco.
Malaysia-Singapore Water Agreements Under Review
Singapore sources about half of its water supply from its neighbor, Malaysia. It has two major water agreements with Malaysia. One of these agreements will expire two years from now. Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, through his blog, asks if the current government will negotiate for a better deal.
Malaysia: Selling sand to Singapore
A Malaysian blogger asks if the ban on selling sand to Singapore is still in effect.
China and Japan: Feng Zhenghu at Narita airport
Shanghai human rights activist Feng Zhenhu has been living and waiting in the hall of Japan's Narita airport since November 4 when he was barred from entering his own country...
Bahrain: Israelis for Palestine
“It’s a great pleasure to introduce to you our latest project: Israelis for Palestine. This has been in the works since the beginning of October and we’re happy to finally...
Egypt and Algeria: Much More Than a Football Match
Who would have believed that a football match could cause such tension between two nations? The trouble between Egypt and Algeria has now reached an unexpected level and many bloggers believe that the World Cup qualifying match has nothing to do with the troubles on the street. Tarek Amr has the story.
Bahamas: “F” on Crime
“Clearly the Government has no plan to address crime, there has been no improvement in the Judicial System, and…it appears that the Government will not move forward with Capital Punishment”:...
Colombia: Tensions and ‘Winds of War’ with Venezuela
As a result of several incidents along the border, tensions have been escalating in the last few weeks between Colombia and Venezuela, two neighboring countries which already have strained relations.
Pakistan: Conflict With Afghanistan
Sikander Hayat discusses about the hurdles in the path of resolving the conflicts between Pakistan & Afghanistan and some possible solutions.
China and U.S.A: Obama's letter to Southern Weekend
Shizhao has posted Obama's letter to Southern Weekend during his visit in China. Many believe that this letter has something to do with the story about Southern Weekend's missing front...
Taiwan: Movie used to mend Taiwan-Japan relations
“Hatta Yoichi” (八田與一) is a Japanese animated film about a Japanese engineer who was responsible for the development of irrigation systems in southern Taiwan. Sponge Bear comments on an article...
Russia: Blogging the Winter in Yakutia
Winter is yet to arrive in much of Europe, but one of its geopolitical attributes is already back in the spotlight: fears of disruptions of Russian gas deliveries are growing more intense, due to the recurring dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Politics aside, though, in some of Russia's regions winter has been there since early fall. In Yakutia, for example.
Australian Peacekeepers in East Timor
Notes from Abroad observes that Australian peacekeepers armed with automatic rifles are a common sight in East Timor
Cuba, U.S.A.: Questions for Obama
Cuba's Generation Y sends a questionnaire to U.S. President Obama “with some of the issues that keep [her] from sleeping” and publishes his responses.
Azerbaijan: News of IRI departure met with concern
Following the cessation of radio broadcasts from foreign stations, as well as the sentencing last week of two video blogging youth activists, comes news of what some see as yet another threat to a fledgling process of democratization.
Western Sahara: Aminatou Haidar Deported
Aminatou Haidar is a leading activist for independence of the Western Sahara (from Morocco). On Friday, November 13 when, upon returning to Laayoune (a city in the Western Sahara region), she was arrested and subsequently deported. Jillian C. York rounds up the reactions of bloggers.
Pakistan: Mumbai Attacks
Bilal Qureshi at Pakistan Foreign Policy blog comments on the 2008 Mumbai Terror attacks: “So far, we know that stateless actors were involved in carrying out these attacks. These people...
