Stories about Politics from February, 2010
Iran: Webcomic about a young protester
Zahra's paradise ,a graphic novel, is the fictional story of the search for Mehdi, a young protestor who has disappeared in the Islamic Republic’s gulags.”
Armenia: Diplomatic Academy
Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences reports that a Diplomatic Academy supported by the EU, OSCE and UN has been opened in Yerevan with the purpose of creating future career diplomats. The blog notes that several among the first intake were women.
Qatar: Artist MF Husain trades Indian passport for Qatari one
Reactions on the Internet ranged from shock, dismay and delight as MF Husain, one of India's most celebrated and reviled artists, is offered Qatari citizenship - and accepts.
Nigeria: Has God answered our prayers?
On Yar'Adua: Has God answered our prayers? Nigerian blogger Imnakoya asks in a post about the health of the Nigerian President: “First, the prayer is not for the president to just return, but be able to function fully as the president.”
Nigeria: Is Mrs Yar'Adua running the country?
Loomnie tries to answer controversial questions surrounding Nigeria's presidency:”…is Mrs Turai Yar’Adua, the wife of the president, really the one running the country? Did she make them release that press release in order to cover up the fact that her husband is very sick?”
Nigeria: Acting President yet to have access to classified information
“Nigeria's Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is yet to have access to the cateory “A” classified Information vault located in the inner chamber of the President's office,” from Chidi Opara Reports.
Greece, Germany and the middle finger of Venus de Milo
In the continuing drama of the Greek financial crisis, a row erupted last week because of a German magazine cover that depicted ancient Greek statue Venus de Milo flipping a middle finger at the European Union.
Trinidad & Tobago: New Opposition Leader
“Kamla Persad-Bissessar will take her seat today in the Red House in Port-of-Spain as Trinidad & Tobago’s first female Oppostion Leader”: Islandista and Trinidad and Tobago News Blog weigh in.
Belize: Teachers’ Strike
Teachers are on strike in an effort to secure a pay raise: Belizean reports.
Cuba: On the Front Line
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense says that “Orlando Zapata Tamayo's fight for liberty is not over, as reports…are that other Cuban freedom fighters are taking his place on the front lines of the struggle.”
Bermuda: Budget Day
Today is Budget Day in Bermuda. 21 Square “throw[s] out a few thoughts.”
Russia: Closure of Torrents.ru Makes People Suspicious of .Ru Zone
The decision to close Torrents.ru is certainly controversial and became one of the major discussion topics in the country. Going beyond the copyright concept, bloggers wonder how safe it is to have a domain in .ru zone.
Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana: Rights of LGBT
gspottt has its eyes on developments in Guyana regarding the filing of “a constitutional challenge to a law criminalising ‘crossdressing’ in that country’s high court.”
Bermuda: Southlands
Bermudian bloggers discuss the issue of Southlands, which involves the government's plans to develop a green site.
Rwanda: Controversy surrounding opposition candidate
This is Africa discusses Victoire Ingabire, the Rwandese opposition candidate who has been “the target of a relentless campaign of intimidation and perfidious perfidy, no doubt engineered by the ruling junta in Kigali.”
Cuba: Hunger Striker Dies in Havana Prison
The death of the first Cuban political prisoner to die on hunger strike since 1972 is eliciting a combination of speechlessness and outrage on the web.
Russia: Government Supports Blogger School
Gov-gov.ru blogs [RUS] about a new online initiative: government-sponsored blogger schools that emerge in Tomsk (Siberia) [RUS] and Dagestan [RUS]. The Dagestan region has one of the lowest Internet penetration rates in the country. The schools involve the most popular Kremlin-affiliated bloggers.
Nepal: Monarchists Shut Down Capital Kathmandu
Pro monarchy groups demanding restoration of constitutional monarchy, and establishment of a Hindu state in Nepal forced its capital Kathmandu to shut down.
Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis: Corruption Watch
Barbados Free Press has its eyes on St. Kitts and Nevis when it comes to transparency and government accountability.
Bermuda: Budget Day
“With a very important budget looming I've been thinking about what the individual parties can get out of it”: Politics.bm considers the upcoming Budget Day in Bermuda.
Greece: Bloggers respond fiercely to financial crisis
Greek bloggers react with uncommon drama, spirit and gravitas to the financial crisis facing Greece. The socialist government elected last October is battling currency speculators while trying to avoid defaulting on the country's debt.
