Stories from Quick Reads from December, 2007
Cuba: Havana in Pictures
photo.imagina posts a beautiful Flickr photo set of shots from Havana, Cuba.
Trinidad & Tobago: Trip to Cairo
“I spent most of my first day swearing never to return, but I’ve been won over. I’ll be back.”: Club Soda and Salt visits Cairo, Egypt and finds a few similarities to his native Trinidad and Tobago.
Angola: Welcome to a new blogger
Soba L [pt] is a new blogger from Luanda, Angola, who likes examining carefully daily events. In his first posts, he analyzes the actual situation of the RAP music in Angola, the consequences of the civil war, and the recent summit Africa-Europe.
Kenya: A new President must be sworn in today
Kenyan Jurist points out that according to the Kenyan constitution a new president must be sworn in today: “My further thoughts after listening to the contestants; H E Mwai Kibaki's term expires today, a new President must under our Constitution be sworn in today.”
Ethiopia: French Translation of the Kebra Nagast
Roots and Culture interviews [FR] Samuel Mahler, who recently translated the Kebra Nagast, a sacred text of many Ethiopian Christians and Rastafarians, into French.
Cuba: The Divorce Rate
Regalado [es] writes about the divorce rate in Cuba, in which it is reported that 6 out of every 10 marriages end in divorce
Georgia: Election Polls
Comparing the situation with Armenia and Azerbaijan, Christine Quirk at Asking Tough Questions in Tough Places comments on the value that opinion polls might have during elections in the South Caucasus. The former head of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Azerbaijan turned political analyst says such polls serve a...
Mali: Old map of Timbuktu
Sociolingo posts an old map of Timbuktu, Mali: “Here is an old map of the ancient city of Timbuktu from the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas.”
South Africa: What if Jacob Zuma is found guilty?
J.S wonders what will happen if Jacob Zuma is found guilty: “I keep wondering what this is going to mean for us especially in terms of his election victory in the ANC. What will the outcome be if he gets found guilty? Some people have speculated that the ‘groundroots’ supporters...
Georgia: Voter Lists
TOL Georgia says that in just four years the electorate has apparently grown by 2 million people even despite negative population growth. The blog says that in advance of the January presidential election, serious concerns should be raised about the voters list.
Czech Republic: New Year's in Prague
The Czech Daily Word provides some stats on the upcoming New Year's celebrations in Prague.
Serbia: “Manufactured Guilt”
Gray Falcon writes that “only by rejecting this manufactured guilt and by understanding who made it and with what purpose can the Serbs begin their path to freedom.”
Lithuania: Blogger-Politician
Lituanica links to an English-language blog of “one of the most PR conscious Lithuanian politicians, ex-Vilnius Mayor Artūras Zuokas.”
Poland: Bhutto's Tractor Scam
the beatroot writes about a 1990s Polish-made Ursus tractors scam, in which Benazir Bhutto was allegedly involved: “Benazir had launched the Awami Tractor Scheme for the welfare of poor farmers in Pakistan and allegedly received 7.15 percent commission in the purchase of tractors through their front men – Jens Schlegelmilch...
Ukraine: Tymoshenko's Budget
Foreign Notes reports on the article in a Ukrainian daily that accuses Yulia Tymoshenko of going against her election promises and approving the 2008 budget that includes “a multimillion INCREASE in the money provided for the maintenance of deputies, kabmin ‘big-knobs’, and the President and his secretariat.”
Russia: Duma Cossacks
Window on Eurasia writes about the Russian Duma's Cossacks.
Russia: Messina Earthquake and Russian Sailors
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about Russian sailors’ participation in the rescue operations following the 1908 earthquake in Messina, Sicily.
Ukraine: Politics Update
LEvko of Foreign Notes thinks that president Yushchenko – like Margaret Thatcher before him – should get himself a “voice coach.”
Madagascar: Zoma market photographs
Harinjaka posts photos from Zoma market in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Morocco recalls ambassador from Senegal
Blog politique au Senegal writes [FR] about the King of Morocco's decision to recall his ambassador from Senegal in a spat over Western Sahara: “It must have been a nasty blow to [the king's] ego when a socialist ex-minister dared refuse to adopt the Moroccan line on the fate of...
Burkina Faso and the Hajj
QuophyBlogeur writes about the perils of Burkinabe muslims [FR] making the pilgrimage to Mecca: “Fortunately Allah is merciful enough to tolerate the late arrival of poor pilgrims at the mercy of an organization practically on the verge of chaos.”
