Stories about International Relations from April, 2010
Azerbaijan: Nationalist propaganda
Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines recounts being verbally abused by a fellow countryman after co-presenting with Global Voices Online's Caucasus regional editor at a recent conference. The blogger notes that the reason for being cornered and harassed was her belief in tolerance and democracy in Azerbaijan as well as peace...
Brazil: Blogging Against ACTA
Brazilian cyber-activist João Carlos Caribé calls on bloggers [pt] for a mass blogging against the ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). According to the EFF, the ACTA text will be made public this Wednesday, April 21.
UK: Krakow Funeral Broadcast in London's Trafalgar Square
Rosie Walunas writes that London's Trafalgar Square “was nearly filled to capacity” on Sunday, as people gathered to watch TV Polonia's coverage of the funeral of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria in Krakow. Mark Grigorian (LJ user markgrigorian) posts more photos from the live broadcast and...
Madagascar: A Flurry of Alleged Coups as Mediation Resumes
After the Minister of the Armed forces was fired on April 7th under allegation of a Coup attempt, Achille52 wonders what the April 18th allegation of another Coup and the ensuing arrests really mean (fr). He is especially suspicious of the timing of these arrests because they happened just before international mediations including Rajoelina...
Bhutan: South Asian Leaders Meet For SAARC Summit
Bhutan is in a flurry of activity, gearing up for the upcoming SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit. Here the South Asian leaders will discuss about issues like climate change, poverty alleviation, economic cooperation and curbing terrorism and will try to find a common ground.
Laos: Song contest in honor of Ho Chi Minh
A song contest was launched in Laos to honor the 120th birth anniversary of Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh
Georgia, Russia, Poland: Imedi-TV's Kaczynski Controversy
Giorgi Kvelashvili of Jamestown Foundation Blog writes that the fake news broadcast aired by a Georgian TV channel on March 15 did not contain mentions of Lech Kaczynski's death in a plane crash – even though some recent Russian media reports claim otherwise.
Kazakhstan: Nazarbayev on a visit to Washington, D.C.
KZBlog analyzes the visit of Kazakhstan president Nazarbayev to the United States, his high-level meetings and topics discussed.
Pakistan: A Mysterious Plane in Karachi
Teeth Maestro questions “what’s a Meridian Jet doing in Karachi?” Similar planes have been used in ‘rendition’ program “in which the CIA uses private aircraft to ferry prisoners to various countries.”
Nepal Scraps MRP Print Deal with India
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that on public protest the Nepali cabinet has canceled the arbitrary MRP (Machine Readable Passport) print deal with India and decided to select a supplier through a competitive bidding process.
Central Asia: Writing “About Each Other, For Each Other”
Sarah Kendzior of Registan.net writes about the significance of Kyrgyzstan's and Central Asian social media and points out some external observers’ distorted view of them: “There is another internet, a secret internet, in which meaningful political conversations take place in Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Turkmen, and Tajik, yet the majority of...
India, Pakistan: Sania-Shoaib Mania Rolls On
The Shoaib Malik and Sania mirza wedding controversy rolls on as the media is feeding on the mania and millions of people in India and Pakistan remain engrossed with the story. As the couple prepares for their marriage overcoming obstacles, the diatribes continue elsewhere.
Iran: State Reaps Real Dividends of Double-edged Persecution
George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs, along with the Broadcasting Board of Governors, are sponsoring a half-day conference on Monday (April 12) in Washington DC entitled "Iran: Opportunities and Challenges for Citizen Engagement." Hamid Tehrani shares his views ahead of the event.
16 Years Later, the Rwandan Genocide Remembered
On April 7th, Rwanda commemorated the 16th anniversary of the genocide that took the lives of as many as 800,000 people and traumatized a whole region to this day. The genocide is commemorated to keep the memory of the victims alive and honor them but also to help the country move forward in the spirit of unity and reconciliation.
Poland: President Kaczyński is Killed in Plane Crash in Russia – Initial Reactions
Sylwia Presley reports on the initial reactions of the Polish social media users to the shocking news of the plane crash, which killed the Polish president and many other top officials in Western Russia this morning.
Uruguay: Praise for Tupamaros During Venezuela Visit
Much to the dismay of blogger from Qué pasa Uruguay? [es], that during Uruguayan President José Mujica's visit to Venezuela, President Hugo Chávez praised the Tupamaros, the Uruguayan guerrilla group from the 1960s and 70s, of which Mujica was a member.
Singapore: Fear of new immigrants
Christopher Ong explains why it is “rational” for many Singaporeans to fear the entry of new immigrants in Singapore.
Thailand: Mekong drought blamed on China
Thailand is blaming China's mega dams for the low water level of Mekong River which runs from China down to the Indochina region.
Haiti: “The Quake”
The Haitian Blogger calls PBS’ recent documentary on the Haitian earthquake “distorted”, saying: “It would have been great if the writers and producers of ‘The Quake’ had offered a documentary that was not only representative of the immediate aftermath of the devastating earthquake, but was also an accurate historical, political,...
Anguilla, Turks & Caicos: Taking Responsibility
Corruption-free Anguilla comments on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's refusal “to accept responsibility for the decline of good government in the Turks and Caicos Islands”, saying: “The inevitable result, I fear, will be the British Government’s international embarrassment.”
Jamaica: Taking it to Court
Yardflex.com reports that the Jamaican government will bring the U.S.’ extradition request for Christopher “Dudus” Coke before the courts.
