Stories from 8 March 2006
Uzbekistan: Musical Tradition
On his own blog, Nick Walmsley writes about one of Uzbekistan's best known classical singers who strictly sticks to tradition. Part of this includes a heavy emphasis on the master-apprentice relationship and an unwillingness to give in to commercial pressures.
Uzbekistan: New Media Law
Nick Walmsley writes that Uzbekistan's new law on foreign journalists will make a bad situation even worse.
Turkmenistan: An Expert Speaks
Peter of neweurasia translates into English an opinion article from Rafis Abazov on Turkmenistan's future challenges that originally appeared in Russian on the Turkmen blog Karakum.
Kurdistance:
Wow, it's Wednesday again, with school and several threatening comments on my personal blog today I almost forgot. But don't worry dear readers, I am here to give you your weekly fix of Kurdish blogs! For a quick update on last week's column, I had reported about a blog site...
Armenia: Yerevan's Homeless Shelter
Oneworld Multimedia goes inside Yerevan's new homeless shelter, the city's first.
Caucasus: Anything New?
The United States claims to have a new approach to development aid to the states of the southern Caucasus. Marianna Gurtovnik examines the approach and asks how new it really is.
Colombia: Trafficking of Women
On this International Women's Day, John Guzman is saddened that when you search for “Colombian women” on the internet, the majority of results are “buy a bride” websites. Juan Gratinaiano Lopez reminds (ES) readers to “not see women only as a sexual object, but rather like human beings with great...
Belize: Local elections results
Melody reports that Belize's opposition party captured the majority of seats in two cities and seven towns in local elections held yesterday, “handing the ruling Peoples United Party its first electoral defeat in ten years”.
Costa Ricas: Taxistas Protest
Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey has an impressive set of photographs from yesterday's Taxi driver strike in San Jose.
Trinidad & Tobago, UK: Pretend Carnival fete
Franka P. and her London friends pay homage to “that staple of Trinidad Carnival – the All Inclusive Fete” by organizing the “Carnival Saddos Pretend All Inclusive Fete”. Everything turns out fine — except the doubles.
Trinidad & Tobago: Trini to the bone?
“Why should not being native born mark one apart from the Trini born among us who have the nation's welfare at heart?” asks Jonathan Ali, riffing off a journalist's description of two organizers of an exhibition on a Trinidadian icon.
Jamaica: Returnees’ advantage
Francis Wade offers an explanation as to why Jamaicans educated at foreign universities have an advantage in the workplace.
Brazil: Overmundo
Made in Brazil introduces Overmundo, a collaborative news site meant to “promote Brazilian culture in a democratic way over the web.” All content is Creative Commons-licensed and can be syndicated with RSS feeds. In addition to text, the site also offers audio and video files which can be downloaded.
Argentina: Mayor Convicted of Mismanagement in Nightclub Fire
Jeff Barry has two descriptive posts of protests by opponents and supporters of Argentine Mayor Anibal Ibarra who was given a pink slip yesterday after a court convicted him of mismanagement in 2004's fatal Cromagnon nightclub fire where 194 concert goers died.
Russia: Bribery and Urban Development
Lyndon Allin of Scraps of Moscow links to an amazing story of two Russian cities and the role a 19th-century bribe played in their development.
Central & Eastern Europe: International Women's Day
March 8 has been an official day off in Russia and Ukraine, and here are some bloggers’ reactions to the holiday – in Russia and Ukraine, as well as elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe. Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes, a Kyiv-based blog, is not happy about the universality...
The Week That Was – Bolivian Blogs
This article was written by Rolando Lopez from Rocko Weblog. This article originally appeared in the Bolivian blog community site Blogs de Bolivia. The original Spanish version can be found here. Bolivia, Blogs and Music Whether it is watching the birth of a new album, providing insight into what it...
Cambodia: Collecting Honey
Maytel 2020 takes pictures of a day collecting honey in Cambodia.
Indonesia: Investment Ironies
Yosef Ardi points out that Indonesia's government makes it difficult for foreign investors (but not creditors) to do business in the country. “If we couldn't trust foreign investors (FDI) and the government who invited them in the first place can't protect their existence, why the cabinet should waste their time...
Malaysia: Absence of Choice
Mack Zulkifli at Brand New Malaysian writes about the irony of politicians and bureaucrats telling those hit by recent fuel price increases to “change their lifestyles.” Many politicos have drivers and government cars to ferry them around. “These people do not have to change their lifestyles. They can afford not...
Philippines: A New Voice
On Feb. 27, in the wake of demonstrations calling for the overthrow Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Filipino blogger Bong Austero wrote a post called an “Open Letter to Our Leaders” in which he expressed his frustration and anger at opposition leaders’ grab for power. “You know why?,” he wrote....
