Stories from Quick Reads from February, 2009
DRC: Police raise revenue, but whom are they keeping safe?
In the DRC, Cedric Kalonji questions the Inspector General of the South Kivu police who, in a recent radio interview, pledged that the police were committed to raising revenue through security taxes or fees for the issue of public documents. Kalonji writes: “While killings, lootings, rapes and murders, which...
Martinique and Guadeloupe: Vocabulary of the general strike
le blog de [moi] [Fr] discusses how a new vocabulary has entered into the creoles of Guadeloupe and Martinique since the beginning of the general strike: “What was really surprising (and for me, I admit, a little unsettling) was to see how in interviews, men and woman on the street...
Iran: A village where smoking is a sin
Potin has publsihed several photos of an Iranain village, Makhoonik, in South Khorasan Province where smoking is considered as a sin and villagers has another name for TV:Satan!
Armenia: 1 March Anniversary
Dispatches from Armenia comments on tomorrow's first anniversary of the post-election clashes which left eight opposition supporters and two policemen dead. The blog calls the incident a slaughter at the hands of the authorities.
Azerbaijan: Sumgait
The Armenian Observer posts video from 21 years ago showing rioters in Sumgait during an anti-Armenian pogrom which left 26 ethnic Armenians and 6 Azeris dead.
Armenia: No dollars in Yerevan
Life in the Armenian Diaspora reports that panicked citizens have been converting their local currency so frantically that there are now no dollars to be found at exchanges in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The blog blames the artificial manipulation of the Armenian dram to benefit government-linked importers.
Israel: Battling Cancer
Daughter of Cancer from Israel describes the suffering her 56-year-old mother is going through battling brain cancer.
Paraguay: Why Do Fellow Citizens Leave the Country?
“Why do Paraguayans leave our country?” writes Jasy Moroti on Somos Paraguayos [es] and lists some of the reasons including not being given opportunities, sometimes based on the personal interests by some.
Bangladesh: Why The BDR Massacre?
Shada Kalo analyzes the motives behind the BDR (Border guards) mutiny in Bangladesh and discusses the intelligence and negotiation failures as the horror of massacre of army officers by the mutineers came to light today.
Colombia: Restrictions and Curfew in Medellín
In Medellín, Colombia, Juan David Escobar is critical about the new restrictions for male passengers on motorcycles and a city-wide curfew for bars outside of designated areas [es]. He points out that in spite of what the government has been saying over the past 10 years about the arrival of...
Bolivia: Donations Other than Ambulances
With the recent crisis involving dengue fever throughout Bolivia, Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] writes that there are more pressing health concerns in which donations other than ambulances are needed.
Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Aggravation Nation
Trinidadian blogger Now is Wow Too is finding the U.S.A. “an unfortunate source of aggravation”.
Trinidad & Tobago: Living for Carnival
This Beach Called Life suspects that Trinidad Carnival may have a positive impact on longevity.
Bermuda: Budget Response
From Bermuda, Vexed Bermoothes comments on the opposition's response to the government's 2009-10 Budget.
Bangladesh: Massacre Cannot be Justified
“What do you call it when a group of ‘disgruntled’ BDR soldiers [Bangladesh border guards] started their expression of grievances by open-firing on the commissioned army officers? Mutiny? Rebellion? Revolt? Uprising?” asks Kotha-Chilo. The blogger concludes the post with: “BDR soldiers – now I feel ‘disgruntled’ at your massacre. I...
Jamaica: Passion
Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Phlip republishes text from a lecture he gave about the importance of pursuing your passions.
Armenia: 1 March post-election clash anniversary
As the opposition prepares to mark the 1 March post-election clashes which left at least 10 dead, The Armenian Observer says tensions are increasing in the capital, Yerevan. Meanwhile, writing for the Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor comments on the release of two damning human rights reports...
Armenia: Dollar Panic
The Armenian Observer reports that many in the country are rushing to change their local currency into dollars and limits have been introduced at currency exchanges.
Kyrgyzstan: Smoke Country
Elena published some information about smoking among the youth in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan: Rally of the opposition
Zhanna writes a post about the rally staged by the leading Kazakhstani opposition party in Almaty.
Kyrgyzstan: Hard Time for the Opposition
Elena writes a history of the persecution of the oppositional movements in Kyrgyzstan.
