· July, 2008

Stories about Politics from July, 2008

Russia: Reaction to Captive Nations Speech

Former Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar comments on the negative Russian reactions to US president's George Bush parallel between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in a recent speech celebrating the Captive Nations’ week. Idel-Ural Kray presents an alternative view (RUS) of the matter.

Egypt Silences the Voice of Iran

Egyptian authorities shut down the Cairo office of an Iranian TV network over a film that justifies the killing of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat by Islamic militants. Marwa Rakha sums up the opinions of Egyptian blogger Dina Ayoub about the incident in this post.

Haiti: Quest for Freedom

  29 July 2008

The Haitian Blogger publishes an article from the Haiti Action Committee Website that “expresses…the aspirations of many Haitian activists who are endeavoring to see Haiti regain its sovereignty and ability to be a self-sustaining, viable and thriving democracy.”

Trinidad & Tobago: What Next?

  29 July 2008

“What now then? Do we engage a Commission of Inquiry to look into the 1990 Insurrection? What we do next after all this time has to make sense…” Keith in Trinidad still has many unanswered questions about the attempted coup that took place 18 years ago, while Coffeewallah adds: “The...

Cuba: Carnival Time

  29 July 2008

“It is a time to shrug off the slogans, the shortages and the frustrated expectations. Dancing is a magnificent way of forgetting. And so we will have a festival along the same perimeter where, fourteen years ago, Havanans demonstrated their discontent in a social explosion”: Yoani Sanchez looks beyond the...

Cambodia: Manipulated election results?

  29 July 2008

Vuthanews reports that opposition parties in Cambodia are calling on the international community to reject the weekend election results claiming they were manipulated and rigged. Khmer Nationality writes about election campaigning in the countryside.

Thailand: Political crisis

  29 July 2008

Sovereign Myth dissects the political crisis in Thailand focusing on the “current struggle between liberal and democratic-majoritarian politics” He adds: “In the current circumstances it is not hard to imagine a descent into violence, blood letting and “democratic” excuses.”

Costa Rica: Concerts, riots and concerns.

  29 July 2008

Journalist Cristian Cambronero from popular Costa Rican blog Fusil de Chispas posts a recount of Sunday's Concert where youth rioted and destroyed the campus of the Universidad Latina in the capital city of San José. It seems that when around 3000 of them were not allowed entrance to the free concert venue where already 5000 spectators were waiting for the concert some of the irate teens destroyed the university buildings, storefronts,dismantled cars, damaged the church in the vicinity, looted, threw chairs, rocks and bricks everywhere.

South Korea: Law and Order?

  29 July 2008

Jamie from Two Koreas highlights two recent incidents showing how the government intends to impose law and order by repressing the civil society and freedom of speech.

Egypt: Activists released, then detained

“An Appeals Court in Alexandria has ordered the release of 14 activists from Shabab (youth) 6 April ,that was arrested on the 23rd of July,” reports Egyptian blog Fustat. Ibn Al Dunya further adds: “The prosecution appealed the order on the release, and then the appeals court refuted the prosecution´s...

Cuba: July 26th

  28 July 2008

This past weekend, on July 26th, Cuba marked the 55th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago that came to be recognised as the start of the Cuban Revolution. Bloggers react to President Raul Castro's much-anticipated speech at the event.

Brazil: Who is behind the ‘Cybercrimes Bill'?

  28 July 2008

Blog do Tião writes [Pt] about the companies and political groups behind Eduardo Azeredo, the Brazilian Senator that proposed a controversial Cybercrimes Bill that's being largely discussed in the Brazilian Blogosphere. The same post presents data that links Azeredo to some recently uncovered corruption schemes in the country. This link...