Stories from Quick Reads from August, 2005
Ethiopia: The president reacts
Nazret.com's Ethioblog posts the response of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to criticisms of the country's elections by EU monitors.
Guinea: Private broadcasters allowed
The West African state of Guinea has become the last in the region to allow private broadcasters to operate, reports Black Star Journal.
Kenya: Imagine you are a girl
Arjen Westra (AfrikaReporter) hopes that the rights of women will be better protected in Kenya's new constitution.
Ukraine: Materialist dialectic
Blog de Connard oozes sarcasm at attempts by Belgian singer-songwriter Michel Querriere to “avoid the materialist West” in the Ukrainian capital.
Romania: News from Baton Rouge
Romanian blogger George Popescu posts an account from a former fellow student of her experiences as Hurricane Katrina hit Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the town where she now studies.
Russia: Cultural imperialism rivals Disney
Neeka ponders Russia's answer to Walt Disney after seeing a girl in Turkey sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with the cartoon character Masyanya.
Uzbekistan cuts off gas to Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan has cut off contracted supplies of natural gas to Kyrgyzstan, blogs Laurence at Registan, a move Kyrgyz officials see as motivated by their government's rescue of 439 Uzbek refugees following violence in the Uzbek city of Andijan in late July. A comment on this post offers another perspective.
Indonesia: Dutch scholarship
A. Fatih Syuhud highlights StuNed (Studeren in Nederland), a scholarship programme that aims to contribute to the development of Indonesia through the strengthening of human resources in Indonesian organisations. Some 200 full scholarships are offered for professionals to follow master programmes, short courses or tailor made training, all conducted in...
Turkmenistan: All your base?
Registan speculates that the U.S. government is now trying Turkmenistan as a possible location for a Central Asian airbase, after being evicted from Uzbekistan.
Philippines: Economy refocus
If it succeeds, Philippines will be one of the beneficiaries including the other 99 heavily indebted countries. Jose de Venecia’s program called “debt-for-equity-in-investments” has won Kofi Annan’s endorsement “as a creative way of approaching the issue”, as well as from the Italian and German governments. The JDV’s proposal also sparked...
Armenia: Grandiose subway
Naeri posts a series of photos at Flickr of the Soviet-style and rather grand Armenian subway, on the way to an underground bazaar.
Macao: Better air routes
Budget airlines are adding new routes linking Macao and South-East Asia. Singapore-based Tiger Airways will launch flights between Macao and Manila in late October 2005, in addition to its Singapore-Macao route. Air Asia currently operates Macao-Kuala lumpur and Macao-Bangkok flights.
Vietnam: English blooming
Vietnam is discarding its Francophone past. English is the language of business and travel in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City now. Every child is now taught English from the time they start school, while schools teaching English to adults are everywhere. Via Richard McKinnon.
Myanmar: HIV/AIDS agencies leaving
Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia is concerned over media report which said many HIV/AIDS agencies are leaving Myanmar as it has proved so difficult to work within the military rules and regulations. Currently, there are an estimated 170,000 to 620,000 people living with HIV in Myanmar. Infection rate among its...
Cambodia: Bridging digital divide
The Panos and Global Knowledge Partnership is inviting submissions for 2005 “Reporting on the Information Society” awards. ThaRum highlights projects targetting at bridging digital divide in Cambodia so that Cambodian working journalists could use them to take part in the competition.
Cambodia: CamboKids
Johnny Crook reports that community work at CamboKids is about reintroducing Khmer traditional culture and heritage which were almost destroyed during the past war and using activities that might help ensure children grow up and develop with stable mental health.
North Korea: Unhappy, negotiations delayed
Intelligence Watch records a media report which said North Korea has declared a two-week delay to September 12 before it would resume its nuclear program negotiations in Beijing. Probably reason: North Korea is unhappy with plans for a joint United States-South Korea military exercise.
North Korea: Massive festivals
North Koreans are flocking to Pyongyang for a massive festival marking the August 15 Liberation Day and the 60th anniversary of the Workers Party. Migukin blog editor Shelton Bumgarner echoes doubts whether Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can ill afford the resources given its troubled economy.
Japan: Geisha goof
Japundit says the movie version of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, scheduled for Christmas release, is a goof. Apparently, the American producers had cast Chinese actresses in the roles of the Japanese characters, and the dialogues are in English. Bottomline: So un-authentic.
Panama: The Web Industry
Jorge Arango reflects on the Internet in Panama over the last 10 years.
Guatemala: Expats in Europe
Chapines en Europa is a web portal for Guatemalans living in Europe to share their experiences. The most popular post, as of late, links to live video feeds from Guatemala.
