Stories about U.S.A. from June, 2009
Bermuda, USA, UK: Fallout over Guantanamo
Bermudian bloggers still have not stopped talking about their government's agreement to have four detainees of Guantanamo Bay to resettle on the island. Most of their focus seems to be on the fallout that Premier Ewart Brown is facing following the controversial decision.
Cuba, U.S.A.: The Cuban Five
Cuban bloggers report on the latest developments with “The Cuban Five”.
USA, Singapore: On Buying Brides with Credit Cards
The Human Trafficking blog by Amanda Kloer at Change.org in the United States declared victory on Friday in their campaign to get the credit card company Diners Club International to stop doing business with a company in Singapore that sells Vietnamese mail order brides. More than 800 people signed a petition to get Diners Club to stop making it easier to purchase women for marriage.
Bermuda, U.S.A.: Guantanamo Controversy
Bermudian bloggers are up in arms over the country's controversial decision to grant permission for four detaineees of Guantanamo Bay to resettle in the tiny isle.
Russia, U.S.: Reactions to WSJ Story on Web-Savvy Homeless
Earlier this month, Russian social networking portal Habrahabr.ru featured photos and some translated text from the May 30 Wall Street Journal piece on the online presence of the U.S. homeless - On the Street and On Facebook: The Homeless Stay Wired. The original English-language story has generated 93 comments. On Habrahabr.ru, there are currently 183 responses - and below are some of them.
Czech Republic: Missouri Family Photo in Grocery Store Ad
Eternal Remont writes about a Missouri family Christmas photo that ended up “as a the centerpiece of an advertizing campaign for a Czech grocery store.”
USA: Saberi to Ling and Lee: “You are not alone”
Roxana Saberi, the American journalist who was imprisoned for four months in Iran, is asked by the CPJ blog what she would say to journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee who were recently sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Spy Games
Cuban bloggers are abuzz about the case involving accused spies Kendall Myers and his wife Gwendolyn.
North Korea: Two American Journalists Sentenced to Hard Labor
News coming out of Pyongyang is not encouraging. After being accused of illegally crossing the border to North Korea, American Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor. The bleak outcome is eliciting strong reaction online from those who support freedom of press and want North Korea to release the two journalists.
Russia: Yuri Milner's 2% Share in Facebook
IZO translates part of an interview with Yuri Milner regarding his purchase of a 2% share in Facebook.
Moroccans Love/Hate Affair with Obama
US President Barack Obama's Cairo address to the Muslim world sparked a blaze of reactions across the region and beyond; not least amongst bloggers from the Maghreb where a fiery of blog posts and instant tweets conveyed a whole spectrum of opinions ranging from outright, full endorsement to deep skepticism and even scorn and mistrust, write Anas Alaoui and Hisham.
Algeria: Praise for Obama'a Address
Kal, from Algeria, reacts to Obama's address to the Muslim world which he delivered in Cairo, Egypt. “The speech carrying both substance and elegance. It will be widely praised and cited in the future as a major event in the “post-9/11″ period and in America’s relationship with the Muslim world,”...
China and U.S: Translating mispronunciations
Sinosplice explains how English mispronunciations are being translated into Chinese.
Egypt: Will there be any action after Obama's Talk?
As expected, US President Barack Obama's speech was received with different and contradicting reactions in the Egyptian blogsphere. While many praised his eloquence, charisma, intelligence and awareness of Arab and Islamic history, more believed it was just the same talk they had heard from other presidents but in a better wrapping. Also, they almost all agreed they are waiting for "action" to prove the supposed "good intentions."
Ghana: Speculation, excitement and hopes over Obama's visit
Bloggers around the world speculate about President Obama's choice to visit Ghana first in sub-Saharan Africa. Across the continent Africans have been asking, “Why Ghana?” Many commentators are suggesting that the choice to visit Ghana first is an explicit endorsement of the nation's recent peaceful elections and that the USA values peace and democracy above personal affiliations and more powerful nations.
Middle East: Bloggers React to Obama's Address
From being described as the "self-appointed world leader" to questioning his choice of speech venue to choosing to turn a deaf ear to his speech, blogs across the Middle East are reacting to US President Barack Obama's policy speech on the Middle East just delivered in Cairo, Egypt.
India: Reaction To The Obama Speech To The Muslim World
Sujatha at Blogpourri comments on US president Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim World in Cairo University today: “the speech is most definitely worth a read and worth sharing with our children.”
Cuba, USA: OAS Says “Yes”
After 47 years, the Organization of American States has lifted its ban on Cuba's admission from the group, with most member states restoring ties with the island nation. The United States, which still maintains a trade embargo against Cuba, was the notable exception. But the opinions of other hemispheric leaders won out. Cuba is free to be part of the OAS - despite its leadership's statements suggesting that it has no interest in returning. A few bloggers are making their feelings known...
Israel: Obama focused on things with unite, not divide
Writing at Jewlicious, Dahlia reacts to Obama's speech in Cairo saying: “In his speech, he focused on the things which unite, rather than divide.”
Jordan: Reactions to Obama's Speech
Jordanian Ali Dahmash posts reactions of friends and colleagues from around the Middle East to US President Barack Obama's policy address in Cairo.
USA: Journalists to Stand Trial in North Korea
On June 4, two American journalists will stand trial in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) for illegal entry into the country. The two women, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, both Asian-American journalists with Current TV, were detained on March 17, but despite the fame of Ling's sister (Lisa Ling, special correspondent for the National Geographic Channel, Oprah, and CNN), little attention has been paid by the mainstream media to the two women, partly due to the sensitive diplomatic situation.
