April, 2006

Stories from April, 2006

DRC: T.I. Petition & Elections Debate

  30 April 2006

“Master of the Universe,” a threat to Kabila? By Etienne Ngandu Today UDPS Liege echoes an AFP article announcing the presidential election will take place July 30. The election was postponed for a year last June and the July 30 date is later than the June 30 deadline mandated by...

Rep. of Congo: Activists Free At Last

  30 April 2006

Le Pangolin celebrates (FR) the liberation of human rights activists Mounzeo Christian and Brice Massoko. But the blogger cautions vigilance because “they are not yet completely free to go about .” He adds: “dictators are afraid of publicity regarding their ugly ways. Since they like to act as saints, we...

Iran: Virginity Matters!

IranJensy (Persian) says virginity of a girl is so important in Iranian society. Blogger asks how men, who have had sex with many women can expect the girls have no sex before getting married?

Iran: Refugee Seekers in Church!

Panhajoyan (Persian) writes that a small group of Iranian refugee seekers, since 24 April, have occupied a church in Belgium to stay in country. Many Iranian refugee seekers are under threat by Belgian government to be sent back to Iran.

Martinique: Tourists Turned Off

  29 April 2006

Bien Vu worries (FR) that Martinique is turning tourists off. Some have complained to him, he says, about: “a poor welcome, bad company, not feeling safe during their vacations and to top it all off, women being the subject of obscene insults.”

China: Truth penetrates firewall

  29 April 2006

In ‘China Good News Vol. 3‘, the Laowiseass blogger posts a letter from a reader: “I just saw a PBS documentary about what happened in Beijing in the summer of 1989 with my roommates. The three of us were shocked by not only the bloody, barbarian event, but also the...

Martinique: Gas Ration In Case of Strike

  29 April 2006

Bien Vu laments (FR) rumors of an imminent gas station strike and hopes a new twenty Euro per person ration is not in vain. “You don't want to be driving a 4X4 right now” he says.

Man and anthill (Guyana)

  29 April 2006

Admiring an anthill in the north Rupununi, Guyana, with the Kanuku Mountains hidden by clouds in the distance. Photo by Nicholas Laughlin.

Belarus: Support for Jailed Opposition Leaders

  29 April 2006

Minsk, March 2006 – by anonymous: “One young woman was arrested while standing outside an internet cafe near October Square on Monday, as the tent camp was formed. She was released after three days, and returned on Friday to the prison walls to hand out letters from other detainees she...

What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — abortion and gay marriage

  29 April 2006

A variety of issues have been discussed in the Salvadoran blogosphere in past weeks. Much discussion went to Jack Hitt's article in the April 9, 2006 Sunday New York Times Magazine titled Pro-Life Nation. In the article, Hitt describes El Salvador's complete criminalization of abortion which includes the prosecution and...

China: Blogger still held

  29 April 2006

With help from her father and friends, Nina Wu—older sister of illegally-detained Beijing or Bust blogger Hao Wu—has become a one-woman lobbying force as seen in today's post ‘contact‘.

Martinique: Do Not Piss Here

  29 April 2006

Bien Vu finds a “Do not piss here” bilingual french/creole sign near the Tourism Bureau in downtown Fort-de-France and concludes “In Martinique, we spell things out.”

East Timor: Update from the streets

  29 April 2006

Things have quietened down in Dili, the East Timor capital. Blogger at Dili-gence drives around the streets of central Dili to look at the damage. A largely peaceful protest by sacked soldiers turned violent on Friday when gangs of unemployed youths joined in started looting.

Venezuela: New CNE Board and Friday Night Fiesta

  28 April 2006

While Katy explains how the board of Venezuela's Electoral Council (the elections governing body) is selected, Francisco gives some background on the new five board members. Away from politics, Adriana of CaracasCafe recommends getting rowdy tonight at El Tunel's open bar.

Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba: Morales’ TCP

  28 April 2006

Evo Morales has announced a free trade agreement with Venezuela and Cuba. A free trade agreement except that it shall be called a TCP, or “Trade Agreement of the Peoples.” Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas explains the difference, or lack thereof, in a two part series. Chilean blogger Carlos Gustavo Machicado Salas has...

Mexico: Debate Didn't Change Voters’ Decisions

  28 April 2006

Two polls taken after this week's presidential debate show Felipe Calderón as the winner despite bloggers’ insistence that it was Patricia Mercado who left in best shape. Another poll, however, reveals that 90% of those surveyed did not consider changing their vote after viewing the debate. For more numbers from...