Stories from Quick Reads from May, 2009
Jamaica: The Calabash Experience
“What was it about this year’s Calabash that still causes its many images and tones and textures to linger in my memory, refusing to leave?”: For Jamaica's Life, Unscripted, on the Rock, it was the entire literary experience.
Japan: Aging Population and Public Transport
Yumeji's Theme sees signs of the hyper-aging population influencing Tokyo's public transport in ‘The Tyranny of the Aged‘ [en].
Honduras: First Confirmed Case of H1N1 Patient
The first case of the H1N1 virus has been confirmed in Honduras. However, Janpedrano notes that the 9-year-old girl, who is no longer showing symptoms, was “officially presented” alongside her parents, President Zelaya and the Health Minister [es].
Maldives: Controversy Regarding Presidential Arrest Warrant
Mohamed Nasheed discusses the recent decision by the President of Maldives to arrest certain politicians in the country. Some Maldivians were disappointed by this decision and there are unconfirmed reports that former President and Opposition Leader Mamoun Abdul Gayoom may be on the list.
India: Violence In Gurudwara
Amardeep at Sepia Mutiny discusses the backgrounds of the recent violence at a Sikh Gurdwara in Vienna, Austria and the subsequent Sikh sectarian violence in Punjab, India.
Sri Lanka: Trivias About Some Well Known Bloggers
London, Lanka and Drums posts little known facts about some well known Sri Lankan bloggers.
Pakistan: Naming Practice
“The way a society names its cities and places says a lot about its cultural history and social values,” writes Pervaiz Munir Alvi at Doodh Patti while discussing the naming practice in Pakistan.
Bahrain: Just Six Months For Manslaughter?
Bahraini blogger Yagoob is frustrated about the light sentences handed down in Bahraini courts.
Trinidad & Tobago: Summit Spend
Trinidad and Tobago's The Undisputed Truth links to a story which, to him, “highlights how the Summit [of the Americas] is a total waste of money.”
Guadeloupe: Analysis of the Unrest
Repeating Islands reports that “The Council of Hemispheric Affairs has just posted their analysis of the unrest that plagued Guadeloupe and other French Overseas Territories earlier this year.”
Dominica: Emancipation of the Mind
“If we as a people are to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, we must first establish a new sense of self and engage in a critical transformation of the mind”: Dominica Weekly wishes everyone a happy African Liberation Day.
Trinidad & Tobago: Is It Art?
From Trinidad and Tobago, the bookmann reviews the exhibition of the 2009 graduating class of Visual Arts Unit of The University of the West Indies.
Cuba: Antúnez Arrested
“Former Cuban political prisoner Jorge Luis García Pérez ‘Antúnez’ and six other anti-government activists were arrested in Havana…”: Uncommon Sense has the details.
Iran: Facebook is accessible again
Iranian news sites and blogs report that Facebook is not anymore filtered in Iran. Senoghteh says [fa] that national and international protest forced Iranian government to make Facebook available again.
Armenia: Yerevan sails into election week
Responding to a tweet sent out an hour earlier, Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor photographs and comments on the appearance of what might be the latest obstacle placed in the way of the Armenian opposition ahead of this weekend's municipal election — a replica of a 13th century ship.
China: Yingde Mass Incident
ESWN compared the official version and forum citizen report on the Yingde mass incident – a protest against government corruption and exploitation of overseas Chinese refugees from Vietnam who settled in Yingde in 1970s.
China: Should journalists be tried for bribery?
David Bandurski from China Media Project looked into into the trial of Fu Hua, a journalist, who was charged with bribery for accepting 5,000 yuan in exchange for a list of sources for a story about construction problems at an airport in Jilin Province. As David Bandurski pointed out the...
South Korea: Lee Myung-bak's Political Revenge Killed Roh Moo-hyun
Oh Yeon-ho from Ohmynews International pointed out that the present president Lee Myung-bak's political revenge has leaded to Roh Moo-hyun's death.
Taiwan: Comparisons of Chen and Roh
Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyung tragically commited suicide over the weekend. Some have made comparisons between Roh and former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian who is currently in detention on charges of corruption. The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato asks if both men were subject to character assassination by the judiciary and...
Singapore: Annual reading initiative
The National Library Board of Singapore launched READ! Singapore 2009, a nationwide reading initiative that aims to promote a culture of reading among Singaporeans
Suicide cases in Singapore
Reports show that suicide is one of the top causes of death among Singapore youth.