24 April 2006

Stories from 24 April 2006

Colombia: Extraditing Gabriel Puerta Parra

  24 April 2006

Adam Isacson emphasizes the sensitive consequences of extraditing longtime narcotrafficker, paramilitary associate, and ex-government security agent, Gabriel Puerta Parra (alias “The Doctor”) to the United States. Included is a translation of an intriguing and recent interview with Parra by the news magazing Semana.

Brazil: Islam

  24 April 2006

Comings Communiqué, a weblog by a Christian missionary, is dismayed by the rise of Islam in Brazil.

Bolivia: Bloggers Radio Show

  24 April 2006

Blogs de Bolivia announces (ES) that blogger Sebastian (ES), his wife Anne (ES), and Sergio Mier have launched a weekly radio show on FM 92.3 Santa Cruz, which will cover happenings in the Bolivian blogosphere each Monday night from 8 to 9.

AddisFerengi returns as Ethiopia's blogosphere explodes

  24 April 2006

AddisFerengi, one of Ethiopia's most controversial bloggers, was back in business this week with a load of back-dated posts, after temporarily shutting herself down and leaving the country amid claims of threats and warnings over her safety. The French citizen and now former resident of Addis Ababa told her whole...

Writings from the Kenyan Sphere

  24 April 2006

Kenyans mourned the passing of several people. There was a tragic plane crash where 14 people lost their lives, including several members of parliament and government officials, who were on a peace mission. Many kenyan bloggers had tributes, one of them was by Ntwiga who observed The death of these...

Nepal: Who is to blame?

  24 April 2006

Even as the revolution in Nepal unfolds, Bahas> asks if this is the time for reconciliation or confrontation – “Nepalese political parties are equally responsible as the king Gyanendra for the present state of Nepal. After 1990, the political parties badly misgoverned the country, forced Maoists to abandon the present...

Pakistan: The Bin Laden Story

  24 April 2006

The various sides of the Bin Laden story. Why various stories still float around and who benefits from them on A Journey To The End Of Time.

Czech Republic: Unie Svobody and the June Election

  24 April 2006

Douglas Arellanes writes about the unlikely “first moves in the relaunch of the Unie Svobody (Freedom Union), the right of center party that is still in the governing coalition along with the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats”: their posters, their slogans and their site, as well as potential problems...

Ukraine: One Man's Chernobyl 20 Years On

  24 April 2006

Stefan at Dykun writes about a Ukrainian relative who was sent to work in Chernobyl 20 years ago: he's in his 40s now but walks with a cane. “Mykhajlo wears what must count as the thickest glasses ever worn by a human being–they should definitely find a place in a...

DRC: Informal vs. Official World Order

  24 April 2006

UDPS Liege contrasts (FR) the official world order (UN and other international bodies) to the informal world order (multinational corporations and secret service agencies). According to the informal world order, the DRC is not a sovereign nation, continues the blogger.

Trinidad & Tobago: Opposition Leader sentenced

  24 April 2006

Caribbean Free Radio links to a newsflash from a Trinidad & Tobago daily stating that Basdeo Panday, the country's Opposition Leader has been found guilty of “deliberately failing to disclose a London bank account.” According to the news item, Mr. Panday “has to pay 1.5 million TT Dollars to the...

Yemen: The chewers of Hadhramout

Yemenis are well known for chewing Qat. However, Omar does not seem to be one of them. Discover what is Qat, what it taste like, why do they chew it, and all what you need to know about it, and why Omar does not like it?

Brutal murder of Guyanese government minister sends shockwaves

  24 April 2006

“The news that the Guyanese Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, Satyadeow Sawh, was brutally gunned down at his home along with his brother, sister and bodyguard early Saturday morning is sending shockwaves around the Caribbean,” wrote Trinidadian blogger Jonathan Ali on April 23. Jonathan noted that “the Express article...

Bangladesh: Plagiarism

  24 April 2006

Deshcalling on how plagiarism in Bangladesh seems to be prevalent – “When plagiarism becomes rife as it has in Bangladesh educational institutions it devalues the degrees or diplomas awarded by those institutions and also undermines the intellectual potential of the country.”