Stories from 15 March 2006
The Week That Was – Bolivian Blogs
Fresh off some historic accomplishments such as the approval of two important laws in Congress, the convocation of the Constituent Assembly and another to finalize the Referendum for Autonomy, Bolivia again witnessed some additional meaningful events. Miguel Buitrago summarizes much of the week’s occurrences in a recent post in his...
Mongolia: New Political Party
Shards of Mongolia notes that Mongolia is one political party richer.
Caucasus: Education
At young caucasus women, young women from Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia discuss issues related to education in their countries.
Kyrgyzstan: Revolution Day
The Golden Road to Samarqand reports on the planning of festivities to mark the first anniversary of Kyrgyzstan's revolution, in which protests caused the collapse of Askar Akaev's government.
Armenia: Progress
Zarchka reports that there are small signs of progress in the music played on Armenian transit.
Colombia: Election Analysis
Adam Isacson has eight observations on the results of Colombia's Sunday elections.
Argentina: Buenos Aires in 3D
Argentine media professor, Julian Gallo posts slides (ES) of a 3D overlay of Buenos Aires for Google Earth created by architecture student, Ezequiel Galotti.
Ecuador: Protests Against Free Trade
Protests have engulfed Ecuador, prompting the resignation of interior minister, Alfredo Castillo and leaving Lisa wondering how she will get from Latacunga to Quito.
Bolivia, Peru, Colombia: Coca
A small Andean plant which was once used to flavor Coca-Cola, continues to make waves across the Western Hemisphere. Niko Kyriakou, writing from Caracas, describes the cultural and legal differences between South America and North America regarding the plant, which can be refined to make cocaine. Wall Street Cafe says...
Peru: Humala Bounces Back in New Polls
Both Leftside and Justin Delacour mention leftist presidential candidate, Ollanta Humala's recent bounce-back in pre-election polls. Fabiola Bazo quotes pollster Alfredo Torres in saying that whichever candidate is able to distance him/herself from outgoing President Toledo will win. Finally, Un Lobo en Perú describes a museum exhibit in Lima by...
Mexico: Oil Discovered Off Veracruz Coast
Arturo de Albornoz of Olganza describes a new reserve of oil (ES) discovered in deep waters off the coast of Veracruz. Chris of Cuaderno Latinoamericano says that the find is a boon to state-owned energy company PEMEX which has been borrowing heavily in recent years. Meanwhile, Portside recently commented that...
Russia: Train Rides
Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert writes about a typical train journey in Russia: boiled eggs and endless conversations are the most common features. Also, for a male foreigner, motherly attention of female compartment-mates, which would be considered rude in the West but are a norm in Russia.
Belarus: “Denim Revolution” Unlikely to Succeed
Sean Guillory guest-blogs at Publius Pundit on the upcoming election in Belarus: current president Aleksandr Lukashenko, opposition leader Aleksandr Milinkevich, opposition youth group “Zubr” – and the unlikeliness of another color revolution, the “denim” one.
DRC: Missing Opposition Party Members
UDPS Liege, the blog of the Liege chapter of opposition party UDPS reports (FR) that some UDPS members have been missing since a peaceful demonstration the party held Friday in Kinshasa. The missing members are: Asimbu Pierre, Olivier Mushita, Johnny Tshiamalenga and Emmanuel Luboya. The latter two members are law...
Commonwealth Games
Regan liveblogs the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, which took place last night in Melbourne, Australia.
DRC: Philippe Liondjo Urges UDPS Leader to Officialize Candidacy
Renouveau Congolaisand Le Blog du Congolais post (FR) letters by Banacongo member Philippe Liondjo urging opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi to register his presidential candidacy by the March 23 deadline. The letters also ask that Tshisekedi abandon his demand that voter registration be reopened.
DRC: Shots of Kinshasa and East Kasai
Renouveau Congolais posts (FR) pictures of the poorly maintained streets of Kinshasa, the DRC's capital. Poster wonders whether the current transitional government will deliver on its promise to turn Kinshasa into a modern city if permanently elected. Mostly, poster asks why international aid money has not been used on improving...
Japan: Out of the tunnel
Miyakonojo takes note of the lengthening spring days, and the shortening weeks until his wedding day. “Over the last ten days the glow of the center of our solar system has been creeping back into my life,” he writes.
China: An Altaic legend
Musing Under the Tenement Palm tracks down the source of a commonly reported “factoid” that China claimed to have invented skiing on the basis of ancient Altaic cave-paintings of Stone-Age hunters on skis in its northwestern regions.
China: Massage Milk blunder
ESWN has a chortle over a Chinese media report which gloats over the ease with which Massage Milk and Milk Pig kidded Western media into thinking they had been the victims of government censorship. After lecturing the readers on the importance of research, ChinaNews/Xinhua gets the gender of one of...
China: Plunder of the past
Angry Chinese Blogger reports on the The Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Program, a mainland Chinese NGO and subsidiary of the China Foundation for the Development of Folklore Culture. Founded in October 2002, the group has since dedicated itself to locating Chinese cultural artifacts that were taken by foreigners, and to...
