Stories from 5 January 2006
Mexico: “Ponerle Cuernos” to President Fox
With glee, AnimalPolitico documents the “putting of the horns” to President Vicente Fox (ES). The quality of the president's penalty kick is also called into question.
Panama: Colon City
After having liveded in Panama City for 8 years, Leon Kadoch headed back to his hometown of Colon and wasn't happy with what he saw.
Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago: Poet Rafael Cadenas
Guillermo Juan Parra announces the end of his Antología blog, which contains his translations of various Venezuelan poets. He says the 12 posts will serve as a skeleton for a print anthology of 20th century Venezuelan poetry. This last month features poet Rafael Cadenas while he was living in Trinidad...
Poland: Purges
the beatroot reports on the new Polish government's recall of 10 ambassadors as part of a purge of officials with connections to the communist-era security services or the Communist Party.
Azerbaijan: Upbeat on NK
Oneworld Multimedia says that Azerbaijan's president is sounding upbeat about reaching a Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal.
Ukraine: Winners and Losers
foreign notes discusses who won and who lost in the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute.
Poland: Satan Offensive
the beatroot reports on a case in Polish courts in which a television producer is facing charges connected to a 2004 broadcast of a concert by Norwegian metal band Gorgoroth featuring Satanic imagery. The band had also faced the “religious offense” charges, but courts have dropped the case against them.
Turkmenistan: Coming Out On Top
Peter at neweurasia says that the onlooker, Turkmenistan, appears to be the winner in the dispute between Ukraine and Russia over gas. He says they apparently have figured out how to sell the same gas to two buyers.
Chile: Podcast on Elections, Pension System
Bicyclemark talks with Chile-based American blogger, Brad of Willing Warrior about the second round of Chile's presidential elections as well as the country's controversial private pension system.
From the Nigerian Blogosphere
As we experience the beginning of the new year, 2006, the Nigerian blogosphere's presents itself with new appearances that not only shows an impressive way forward, but also reveals the progressive and continuous awareness which is quiet commendable. This year presents itself with an old but newly surfaced political blogger...
Nigeria: Africa is normal
Teju Cole blogs about his 4 week return to Nigeria… Here he points out that, surprise surprise, Africa is normal……..”The most important thing to know about Africa is that it is normal. But no one who depends on American media for information can come away with this impression.”
DRC: referendum untruths
15 fun tidbits on the Congolese referendum.… 007 in Africa lists 15 “wholly untrue tid bits from various new sources”….1) Most people have not had enough information on the ConstitutionSource: Colleagues and friends… (2) The Diamond-rich city of Mbuji-Mayi only has one copy of the Constitution Source: Colleagues and friends……….
South Africa: Colour bar in local hotel?
The Fish Bowl questions South African politician Patricia de Lille (leader of the Independent Democrats) assertion that racism was behind her refused entry into an international hotel in Cape Town.…..”Call me cynical, but this just seems like another one of De Lille's publicity antics, and I doubt that it will...
Kenya: Kyoto Treaty
What good is the Kyoto Treaty really? Curious presents the argument that the Kyoto treaty is not the problem. The problem is how it will be used…”Kyoto treaty will not be the cause of the hindrance to economic growth in poor countries, but it will be the mechanism through which...
Zimbabwe: African leaders criticise Mugabe
Yebo Gogo comments that finally African leaders are speaking out against Mugabe….”The report (Lonodn Guardian) says “the continuing violations and the deterioration of the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, the lack of respect for the rule of law and the growing culture of impunity.”
Nigeria: Aviation industry
Chippla continues his discussion on Nigeria's aviation industry and responds to a commenter who accuses him of “presenting “extremely libelous” information that contained “factual inaccuracies.”
Nigeria: Death in Jos
Kid's Doc in Jos writes about the death of the four year old son of his friends in Jos…”Our own questions are mostly unspoken. As the speaker, Dr Danny McCain, said, many of these “why?” questions will never be answered for us, at least not in this life. But, he...
Malaysia: Covering Coverage of Black Metal
Malaysia's Centre for Independent Journalism has started a blog documenting the local media's coverage of a controversial police raid on a “Black Metal” concert in Kuala Lumpur. Religious and political authorities have alleged immoral influences and drugs as reasons for the crackdown.
Kenya: Foucault, Nietzsche etc
African Bullets and Honey posts an email conversation with a friend “Some Email Considerations on the African Bush and its European Saviour”... ………”Below are some emails that I exchanged with one of my closest friends (PK) just after reading James Miller's great essay, ‘Carnivals of Atrocity: Foucault, Nietzsche, Cruelty,’ (in...
Ethiopia: Meles lives in fear
Ethiopian blog, Satisfy My Soul, writes an extensive piece on the tryanny of Meles Zenawi which is forcing him to live in fear.... going to the bathroom has become a perilous journey; eating has become a task only imaginable in Fear Factor and when it is time to leave his...
Singapore: Kidney Fund Scandal
Big in the Singapore blogosphere is continuing discussion over the National Kidney Fund, a popular and large local charity that had been plagued by scandal since the middle of last year. The discussion was reinvigorated by an auditors’ report that recently revealed the NKF had used only an average of...