Stories about North America from August, 2012
Combatting Cocaine Production in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru
Drug production and trafficking is a major issue in Latin America that governments are constantly trying to deal with. However, as the continent leaders gathered last April in Colombia for the Summit of the Americas fully agreed, the so far US-led war on drugs has failed in the Region. Peru, Colombia and Bolivia are the three largest illegal cocaine producing countries in the world. What are these Andean Countries doing to combat illegal drugs?
Canada: High Stakes in Quebec General Election After ‘Maple Spring’
The 2012 Quebec general election is set to take place on September 4. This year the effects of the students' strikes in response to the increase in university tuition fees will strongly impact voters' choices. Netizens from Quebec have reacted to the opinion polls a few weeks ahead of the vote.
Taiwan: ‘National Health Insurance’ System in Crisis
The National Health Insurance system in Taiwan is quite often used as a model for reform in countries where health care depends on private insurance system. Yet, the inconvenient truth unknown to the outside world is that, the seemingly efficient health care system is built upon the exploitation of medical personnel.
Hong Kong: Occupy Central – Before Forced Eviction
The Occupy Central campaign in Hong Kong has lasted for more than 10 months and is probably one of the longest among the worldwide occupy movement. Recently the HSBC obtained a court order to evict the occupants by 9 pm, 27 August, 2012.
China: Neil Bush on Sina Weibo
Former U.S president's brother Neil Bush has a Sina Weibo account with more than 120 thousand followers. His recent joke about joining the Chinese Communist Party has caught some attention in Chinese social media. (via Beijing Cream)
France: Unexpected Parallel Between Assange and Strauss-Kahn
The blog de Casimira highlights some similarities [fr] between the timing of the charges and the ensuing judicial battles facing J. Assange and D. Strauss-Kahn. She also clarifies the peculiarities of the charge, “sex by surprise” [fr], for which the founder of WikilLeaks is being sued. This charge, which applies when the person refuses to wear...
United States: Significance of Paul Ryan for the Hispanic Population
From the day that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, there has been extensive media coverage in favor and against the decision. Little has been said, however, with respect to the effect that it will have on the Hispanic population in the United States.
Comment on Death by China
C. Custer finds the upcoming documentary Death By China by Peter Navarro sensational, arrogant and distorting.
Saudi Arabia: Reaching the Line of Gender Equality
While saluting the decision of Saudi Arabia to send two female athletes to the London Olympics, the Saudi Women Driving deplores the fact that Saudi women cannot drive. “The whole world has been watching Saudi women and their triumphant appearance at the Olympics, and most news stories about them mention that...
China, USA: The Gap Between Chinese and American Consumers
David Wertime from Tea Leaf Nation translates an Infographic which tells the huge gap between Chinese and American consumers.
Ukraine: Authorities Shut Down BitTorrent Tracker Demonoid
In what is believed to be an attempt to please the United States without angering local voters, the Ukrainian authorities have shut down Demonoid, one of the world's largest BitTorrent tracker sites, whose servers were hosted by a data center in Kyiv.
United States: MundoFox, More of the Same?
On 13 August 2012 a new TV channel MundoFox will officially begin broadcasting, becoming the fifth channel to join others in transmitting Hispanic content in the United States.
Puerto Rico: Racist Tweets Against Obama Cause Outrage
Heidi Wys Toro, one of the advisors of the current speaker of Puerto Rico's House of Representatives Jennifer González, posted some racist comments about the president of the United States, Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle on Twitter. This is not the first time that Wys, who favors that Puerto Rico becomes a state of the United States, used this network to insult president Obama.
Russia: USA's Hammon Leads Russia to Basketball Semis
Twitter user @zhenya_jane wrote on the U.S. native Becky Hammon‘s contribution to #London2012: “She's 35 years old, 168 cm tall. Becky Hammon is in the starting lineup of the Russian national basketball team. Thought they wouldn't take her.” In 2008, Hammon faced ridicule from Americans when she gained Russian citizenship...
Armenia: Conan O'Brien's Yerevan T-Shirt
Ianyan curates responses to the appearance on air of U.S. TV host Conan O'Brien wearing a T-Shirt sporting the name of Armenia's capital, Yerevan. The Storify post also details how the garment came into the television celebrity's possession.
Myanmar: Outrage Over ‘Buddha Shoes’
Myanmar netizens are outraged over the ‘Buddha shoes' created by a United States company called Icon Shoes. They flooded the website and Facebook page of the company with complaints and it seems to have worked because the controversial shoes have been removed from the online store
Bangladesh, USA: 5000 Miles Bicycle Ride For Climate Awareness
Two activists from Bangladesh are riding on a tandem bike to collect and measure the amount of plastic and other waste they come across during their 5000 miles journey from Seattle to New York.
Global: ‘International Relations’ Out of the Classroom Onto the Web
"IR has a new dimension and is no longer the subject of a few for discussion." - Former IR Student. "Blogging is not an end in itself or a replacement for real research." - IR Professor
Global: BRICS vs. NATO – Battlefield of Ideas on Interventions
China’s and Russia’s recent decision to veto the United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria -has reignited the debate over the relationship between 'new' powers Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - the BRICS - with 'old' powers - NATO - in international interventions.
Create UNAOC 2012: Apps and Games for Intercultural Dialogue
The recently launched Create UNAOC 2012 competition is an opportunity for developers across the world to produce innovative apps and mobile games to promote intercultural dialogue, in a bid to avoid global conflicts and tension. Find out how to submit your idea.
UK: Empty Seats at London 2012?
As the games enter their 5th day, Olympic fans are struggling to find tickets to the various venues in London. Many were shocked to see empty seats during the early days; forcing the London Organising Committee of the Olympics & Paralympics (LOCOG) to defend themselves.
