Stories about International Relations from October, 2011
Colombia: Palestinian Leader Mahmud Abbas Visits President Santos
In Latin America, the countries that don't recognise Palestine are few --including Colombia. As a result, President Abbas visited Juan Manuel Santos in Bogota to discuss relations between Palestine and Israel.
Uganda: Heartbroken Ugandans Discuss Failure to Make a Comeback to Continental Tournament
Next year’s African Cup of Nations will be missing many giants in African soccer like Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa but last weekend’s deciding match between Uganda and Kenya was much harder for Ugandans to take in.
Uruguay: Controversy Over Former President's Statements on War With Argentina
Former Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez said he feared a dispute between Uruguay and Argentina over a paper mill would turn into an armed conflict. “This is a strange story” as Bloggings by boz reports, “and a strange shakeup in Uruguayan politics.” Boz also asks some questions sparked by Vazquez's statements....
Iran: “Stranger than Fiction” Saudi Ambassador Plot Accusations
Accusations of an Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in the United States has captured the front page of websites and newspapers around the world. Iranian blogger opinions on this “stranger than fiction” story are diverse as ever.
Jamaica: New Prime Minister Designate
As Jamaica prepares to swear in a new Prime Minister, Girl With a Purpose says: “It is expected that the government of Jamaica will call an early election this year. This is so that they can capitalize on the upsurge in popularity of the JLP since electing a new leader-designate...
Mexico: U.S. Alleges Iranian Assassination Plot Involving Los Zetas
Reports that the U.S. Justice Department charged two men with conspiring with "factions of the Iranian government" to assassinate Saudi Arabia's U.S. ambassador and to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington - allegedly with assistance from the Los Zetas drug cartel - provoked strong reactions from netizens in Mexico and around the globe.
Slovenia: #OccupyLjubljana on Oct. 15
PIRAN CAFÉ posts photos from Ljubljana's recently renovated Congress Square and writes that this is where the #OccupyLjubljana gathering is expected to take place on Oct. 15 – “one of dozens, if not hundreds planned around the globe that day.”
Ukraine: Reactions to Yulia Tymoshenko's Sentencing
BlogActiv.eu, Foreign Notes (here and here), OdessaBlog and OpenDemocracy.com comment, among other issues, on the implications of the Oct. 11 sentencing of ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko for the EU-Ukraine relations. Ukrainiana and Ukraine's Orange Blues post photos and video taken near the Kyiv Pechersky Court on the day of the verdict....
Bulgaria: #OccupyBulgaria on Oct. 15
Bulgarian activists announced that they would join in the global #Ocuppy action on Oct. 15. There is a Facebook event and a group call for action, real democracy and #OccupyBulgaria. The activists have been inspired by the protests in Greece, the United States and Spain.
Myanmar: Did Thai Prime Minister Snub Aung San Suu Kyi?
Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visited Myanmar last week but intrigued some netizens because she failed to meet global democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. Here are some online reactions translated from Burmese.
Azerbaijan: More Voices
Aaron in Azerbaijan introduces his readers to other bloggers writing from the former Soviet republic, including one half of his two fellow PCVs who went viral with their Caspian Dreaming music video and a young female blogger already making a name for herself with personal observations of life in her...
Pakistan: Music Improves Relations
Habib R. Sulemani thinks that Pashtu music can improve Afghan-US-Pakistani relations.
Curacao: Triple 10 – Fooled Again?
A year after the dissolution of the Dutch Caribbean federation formerly known as the Netherlands Antilles, TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA examines the fallout: “They still whipping us with a refurbished copy paste Dutch colonial constitution. Same old problematic political coalition system. New government old tricks new business elite same greediness as...
Guinea: Another Bloody and Violent September 28
September 28 is a date feared by all Guineans whether they live in their country or abroad. This year opposition activists demonstrated peacefully to denounce the government's unilateral acts, but suppression was fierce.
Uzbekistan: Uzbeks extradited from Kazakhstan get long prison terms
Avicenna reports that three of the 28 ethnic Uzbeks who were extradited from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan in June, were sentenced to different prison terms, with the longest being 15 years.
Bangladesh: Beheading of 8 Bangladeshi Workers in Saudi Arabia Sparks Rage
Eight Bangladeshi migrant workers were beheaded in public in Saudi Arabia on 7 October for being involved in the robbing a warehouse and killing of a security guard. Netizens were enraged by this horrific punishment and questioned the transparency of the trial.
Azerbaijan: Easy travel with e-visas
Aaron in Azerbaijan updates readers on a positive development in Azerbaijan ahead of next year's Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the capital, Baku. The blog says that making visas available online as well as at the airport will be a good way to promote tourism, ease travel, and...
France: Discussing the Merits of a “Robin Hood” Tax for the Europe Union
A. Rousseaux discusses the merits of a potential Robin Hood tax for the European Union with economist Dominique Plihon [fr]. Plihon argues that such a tax could have a real impact on curbing down excessive speculation on the European market.
Curacao: Inadequate Narrative on Slavery
A Netherlands-based Curacaoan blogger shares his impression of the debate on the television series “De Slavernij” (The Slavery): “It seems…that the production team (I’m excluding the historians and experts for now) has put little to no thought in how to structure the complex narratives surrounding the subject of slavery.”
Bermuda: Economic Impact of Term Limits
“One day it's [term limits] about long term residency. The next about not letting expats steal jobs from Bermudians. Just pick one already will you”: Politics.bm says that the government is “doubling down on term limits with an election coming. This is very dangerous for Bermuda.”
U.S. Releases Report on Social Media in Latin America
The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean recently released a report titled “Latin American Governments Need to ‘Friend’ Social Media and Technology”. Bloggings by boz helps break down some of the report's main points.
