Stories from 13 January 2006
Philippines: Busy Signal
Divergent Poles worries that the growth in the supply of educated Filipino graduates can't keep up with booming demand in the “business process outsourcing” industry (i.e. call centers and back office work).
Malaysia: National Car Crash?
Jeff Ooi and Cik Amoi of Anak Merdeka comment on the spiralling decline in the fortunes of Malaysia's “national car” company, Proton. The latest development is Volkswagen's announcement that it won't be producing VW-branded cars with Proton for the local market. The car company's share price plummeted soon after.
Ecuador: Six Years of U.S. Dollars
Writing on the six year anniversary of Ecuador's “dollarization,” A.M. Mora y Leon lays out the benefits of adopting U.S. currency including lower interest rates and stronger banks. Boz, however, responds in a comment that “dollarization moves the country out of rhythm with its neighbors” and that it “made Ecuador...
Afghanistan:Turkic People
Gardegah says Turkic people in Afghanistan are facing discrimination. These people,Turkmen & Uzbek who are about 12% of population, according to blogger have no place in afghan administration or government. (Persian)
Iran: Sanctions & People
The Spirit of Man says, “Breaking seals at nuclear site, moves Iran one step closer to the crisis with the West over its dangerous and useless nuclear programme”. Blogger adds “I am just worried about those ordinary Iranians who will have to live under the possible sanctions which will definitely...
Burundi: Rwandan refugees
Adventures of a Retired Armchair Traveler reports that UNHCR is preparing is preparing to recieve thousands of Rwandans seeking refugee in Burundi..
Dijbouti: US building schools
Tackling terrorism by building schools. Yebo Gogo reports that the US has built “more than 30 schools, 25 clinics and bridges in Djibouti.
Africa: Western media reports
Musings of a Naijaman comments on the BBC's poor reporting on Africa. ..it is disheartening that in 2006, the supposedly liberal and enlightened BBC still sees Africa as one huge, unyielding mass of misery, and is unable to discern the rich complex weave that is Africa
Kenya: Life in the other side of town
Kikuyumoja’s realm uses a photo to highlight the contradictions of life in Africa as whilst some people in an “informatl settlement” can afford to watch the English premier league others can hardly afford a soda.
Burundi: War crimes trial
Agathon Rwasa asks readers to support the “call for a war crimes trial for Aloys Nzabampema and independent investigation into the UN Burundi corruption scandal”
Ethiopia: Emperor's cigarette case
Meskel Square comments on the Emperor's cigarette case, a gift from some Belgians. The said cigarette case is now being auctioned by Christies of London – they are hoping to get £2000.
South Africa; Tag Africa
White Africa points to the “Africa” Tag over at 1000Tags.com …..Well, I thought this would be the first (and maybe last) place that WhiteAfrican.com would try and do some advertising. Mostly because by starting the tag “AFRICA”, I thought it would be a huge help to all of the other...
Guyana, Venezuela: Bad Neighbor Policy?
CaribPundit is surprised but pleased to note that Guyana's Stabroek News is “able to acknowledge that national security and democracy trumps the pleasure to be derived from a reflexive anti-Bushism”. CaribPundit quotes whole paragraphs from a Stabroek News editorial that is highly critical of the policies of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez...
Haiti: Reviewing the review
Alice Backer returns to the blogosphere with a detailed and clearly stated critique of a review by Prof. Lucia Suarez of Jean-Robert Cadet's memoir Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle Class American. Among the errors pointed out by Backer is the assumption by Prof. Suarez that slavery still existed...
Trinidad/Jamaica: Creole into Chinese?
Caribbean-born sci-fi writer Nalo Hopkinson announces on her blog that two of her novels are to be translated into Chinese. “I wonder how they will deal with the creoles,” she says, “including the one that's a mashup of Trinidadian and Jamaican?”
Caribbean: Plays, pantomimes, identity
The Caribbean Beat Blog solicits opinions on a newspaper review of this year's Jamaica pantomime, encourages Caribbean bloggers to engage in a “round of collective soul-searching” and publishes “outtakes” from an article in the current issue of the magazine.
Trinidad & Tobago: Prime ministers who live in glass houses
“Is there nothing Patrick Manning won't take credit for?,” asks Jonathan Ali, reacting to the Trinidad & Tobago prime minister's declaration that the recent arrests of two government ministers on bribery charges are the direct result of reports he made to the Integrity Commission. “It's more than a little curious...
Anguilla: Return of the cryptographers
Bob Green's Anguilla News is pleased to report that a group of financial cryptographers – “the brains who figure out how to create digital money” – will be holding their conference in Anguilla for the second year in a row.
Trinidad & Tobago: Mobile wars
The West Indies Cricket weblog links to a BBC news story which recounts the latest in the drama between Trinidad & Tobago's current – and up to this point only – telecommunications services provider and an Irish telecoms company about to enter the market. The Irish provider, Digicel, was also...
Jamaica: Tsunami warning center
Leon is skeptical of the tsunami warning center to be built in Manchester, Jamaica. The center will serve the Caribbean and US and is being funded by the US government.
Mexico: Bolivia Versus Fox?
World News A La Mexicana takes a look at the hostility developing between Bolivia's president-elect, Evo Morales and Mexico's outgoing president, Vicente Fox.
