Stories from Quick Reads from January, 2011
Russia: Bloggers Protest Against Educational Reform
Blog-based address [RUS] to Russian leadership with demands to cancel educational reform has received more than 10 thousands voices of support [RUS] within two days. Bloggers protest against wide reform of the high school that would reduce number of compulsory subjects to 4 while leaving such disciplines like Russian language, mathematics,...
Honduras: New WikiLeaks Cables Reveal US Involvement in Honduran Politics
“The cables that Wikileaks have been releasing about Honduras, and that in the uproar over Tunisia and Egypt have been ignored by the mainstream media, make the level of US involvement in Honduran politics starkly clear. Very few people care at the moment,” writes Aaron Ortiz in his blog Pensive.
Russia: Blogger Released After 14 Months of Penal Colony
Irek Murtazin [RUS], blogger and former spokesperson of the Tatarstan's president, has been released today after spending more than 14 months in penal colony, “Novaya Gazeta” reported [RUS]. After published a gossip about the death of Mintimir Shaimiev, president of Tatarstan Republic, Murtazin had been accused of defamation and sentenced to 2 years...
Pakistan: Blackwater Again?
Adil Najam writes about the very strange case of Raymond Davis, a said staff member of the US Consulate in Lahore, who shot two Pakistani men dead in a crowded part of Lahore.
India: Twitter And Our Lives
“So why exactly do we twitter?” asks Indian blogger Offstumped.
Bangladesh: Politics And Dr. Yunus
An Ordinary Citizen wonders whether there are any political reasons behind the indictments against Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus and asks: “does Dr. Yunus represent the 3rd force in Bangladesh?”
Guatemala: The Left Unites During Election Year
Central American Politics reports that leaders from Guatemalan left-leaning parties have met with “representatives from the country's social organizations, unions, and peasant and environmental groups” to try to form a Broad Front for this year's legislative and presidential elections.
Comparing Mexico to Egypt
Rich, in The Mex Files, compares the situation in Egypt with Mexico's past and present. He concludes asking, “what will happen if the Mexicans decide it is time for a giant leap in Mexican power, in which the people of the largest Spanish-speaking nation demand that they be allowed to...
Africa: Has African Union become a group of jokers?
Mac-Jordan wonders why Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is included in Cote d'Ivoire's mediation?: “Instantly, I become very angry and annoyed at the decision of the African Union in appointing a dictator to mediate in the on-goings in Ivory Coast. Has the African Union become that much of a group of...
Africa: This is Africa website
Kajsa discovers This is Africa website: It is a spanking fresh culture site that trumpets “Africa for a new generation!” and sports subheadlines like “city life”, “music” and “art&fashion”.
Trinidad & Tobago: Fine Flavour Cocoa
“Gran Couva is part of the Montserrat hills in the Central Range of Trinidad, where the combination of the trinitario cacao, the weather, the soil…converge to make some of the finest cocoa in the world”: Lifespan of a Chennette tells the delicious story.
Egypt Protests 2011 in Seoul, South Korea.
Korean and Egyptian activists held a protest together in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Seoul today. Several local media published articles on today's demonstration which titled ‘ A Protest for Mubarak's Withdrawl and Egyptian's Freedom’. The Financial News posted five photos of the protest(Click the black box below article).
Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago: Looking at Egypt
Cuban bloggers speculate that the Egypt protests may set an example for Cubans, issue advice to the Egyptian people and blog about similarities and differences between the two countries, while from Trinidad and Tobago, Globewriter calls social networking “the new human rights weapon”.
Trinidad & Tobago: In Solidarity Over Kato's Death
gspotttt and Globewriter join their voices in offering “tribute to the life of slain Sexual Minorities Uganda human rights defender David Kato Kisule.”
Cuba: Arrest & Release #3
A third arrest and release for Guillermo Fariñas in three days: Uncommon Sense has the details.
Jamaica: Leah & Dog Paw
“Will she herald a new kind of representational politics since she has personally breached not only the uptown/downtown divide but also the legit/illegit one by literally commingling with a Don?”: Active Voice thinks that Leah Tavares-Finson “is a fascinating character.”
Ukraine: “Three Nations”?
Paul Goble of Window in Eurasia cites an interview [ENG] with a member of the Lviv City Council, who explains [UKR] that the real conflict in contemporary Ukraine is not between ethnic Ukrainians and ethnic Russians – instead, three different national projects are competing for dominance within the country.
Guinea-Bissau: Ready to face the truth?
Journalist Helena Ferro de Gouveia, in her blog Domadora de Leões [Lions Tamer, pt] reflects on what could be the impact if Guinea Bissau decides to create a Truth and Reconciliation Comission. She adds that “when the present is not resolved it is not easy to heal the past”.
Russia: Valeria Novodvorskaya's Blog Hacked
Vladimir Pribylovskiy reports [RUS] hi-jacking of Valeria Novodvorskaya‘s (Russian liberal politician and a former Soviet dissident) LiveJournal account [RUS]. “The Brigade of Hell,” dispersed group of generally pro-Kremlin hackers, took the responsibility for the attack. For the time being Novodvorskaya's account has been suspended.
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi's party launches new website
Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, has launched a new website. The NLD is the main opposition party in Myanmar.
China: Law student almost got arrested for attempt to capture cadre’s privilege moment
A Beijing University student ran into trouble when trying to take some snapshots of a cadre who enjoyed privilege in the train station. Full story see Olivia from China Hush.