Stories from 18 April 2006
Trinidad & Tobago: Why isn't modern technology more prevalent?
Taran Rampersad tries to answer the question: “Why isn't modern technology more prevalent in Trinidad & Tobago.”
Jamaica: Homophobia and defensiveness
Francis Wade offers a thoughtful response to TIME magazine's designating Jamaica “the most homophobic place on earth”. “We sound like some Chinese or Cubans when we argue that human rights issues are an internal matter, and that any outside comments are just “interference in our internal matters,” he says. “We...
Jamaica: Reggae Falls
Stunner visits Reggae Falls and partakes of various Jamaican delicacies, including “mannish water”. He posts photos too.
Brazil: Lucio Sanfilippo
Daniela Thompson describes the “extraordinary voice” of famed Brazilian vocalist, Lucio Sanfilippo.
China: Blogger suggests agenda
The Sun Bin blogger raises two issues he expects to see addressed during Chinese president Hu Jintao's visit to the United States this week: plans for Iran and Tibetan independence: “Dalai [Lama] is showing to Hu that he can command all the Tibetan separatists (I guess I can use this...
China: Beijing's USA strategy
China Confidential‘s Confidential Reporter starts off a series of posts this week looking at the Chinese government's presence abroad with ‘China Spins a Tale of Two Washingtons‘. “In preparation for Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the United States, his propaganda meisters have been playing up Beijing's notion of dramatic...
China: President's dictator rank
Chinese president Hu Jintao “falls to 6th place as world's worst dictator,” reports the Adrift in a sea of phlegm blogger.
Taiwan: Hu Jintao unwelcome
The Taiwanese blogger from Pingya's Bistro gives her account of Chinese president Hu Jintao's meeting with leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang Lien Chan just prior to the Communist leader's visit to the United States: “Those two people do not represent me, and cannot represent the entire people of Taiwan or of...
China: Blogger's Congressional support
Illegally-detained Beijing or Bust blogger Wu Hao is a legal permanent resident of the United States. Posted today on his sister Nina's website is a letter sent by Wu's Congressman Jim Gerlach to China's ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong. “I would greatly appreciate if you would inform me...
China: Imprisoned blogger
April 18 is illegally-detained documentarian and Beijing or Bust blogger Wu Hao's birthday and 56th day in prison. An English translation from the blog of Wu's sister Nina gives us an idea of how his disappearance is affecting the family: “Everyone believes he will be out soon, which is why...
Voices of African women – this week
Fleur writes about the harrowing case of 7 soldiers sentenced to life for rape and crime against humanity for the rape of 119 underage girls in Congo. The government of Congo has also admitted partial responsibility and financially compensated the family of the victims. Fleur says ….it sends an important...
China: Unconstitutional arrests
Richard from The Peking Duck writes with a link and a post on two Chinese journalists arrested within the last year who according to Chinese law are being held illegally. “Hao Wu's sister, blogging about her helplessness in the face of her brother's disappearance into the black hole of Chinese...
China: Yahoo! and Google
Asiapundit‘s myrick gives us an update yesterday on detained Chinese blogger Wu Hao's situation: “With the initial burst of reporting and support having failed to secure his release, [Global Voices] has launched a petition to directly appeal to President Hu Jintao,” and today a clarification on any possible mischaracterization of...
Kenya: Broadcasting from parliament
Bankelele reports on the opening of the Kenyan parliament to the media to show the hearing in which members spoke on their colleagues who died in the recent plane crash. He doesnt see why more sessions should not be broadcast to the electorate…”this brief window into Parliament procedures demonstrated again,...
Nigeria: Nokia uses indigenous languages
CyBlug reports that Nokia are the first telecoms company to introduce the use of Nigerian languages on their phones (Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo)
Nigeria: 3rd term and ethnicity
Just Thots of a Naijaman discusses the third term issue in ethnic terms.…”With the fight over a fresh third term in office for President Obasanjo gathering momentum, it is becoming evident that oppinions are sharply divided not on the basis of ideology but on the basis of ethnic leaning.”
Kenya: Africa Network Project
White African still needs your vote on the “African Network” project – “please email your friends from the ChangeThis website. I’m sitting right around 160 votes and could really use everyones help to get the second half of the votes needed by this Thursday.”
DRC: HIV/AIDS
Adventures of a Retired Armchair Traveler points to two reports on changes in the church's approach to HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The bad news is couples wanting to get married must be first be tested for HIV. The good news is that a netword of religious groups...
Zimbabwe: Plea for non-violence
Zimbabwe blogger, David Coltart posts an a letter from both factions of the MDC on “a plea for non-violence”.
Somaliland: Threats from Yemen
The Voice of Somaliland Diaspora-Ottawa comments on the possible threat from Yemen on the Horn of African countries and the Red sea eco-system, providing details on both.….”Nevertheless, the self-righteous Yemen continues to unabatedly step on the toes of other states and is presently threatening the interests of the countries in...
Ethiopia: Opposition leaders
Carpe Diem Ethiopia comments on the government's (EPRDF) announcement that opposition leaders will be charged with genocide and he wonders how does”one defend against the charge of genocide”.
