Stories from 5 May 2006
Trinidad & Tobago: Another take on the smelter issue
Valarauka mistrusts the information being put forward by opponents of smelter project in southern Trinidad. “My opinion, as an economist, is that there is, as always, a more dynamic solution to this issue than the naysayers suggest,” he writes. “That is, I think we can have our clean air, our...
Bolivia: Will nationalizing gas mean more money for Bolivia?”
Adam Isacson pegs the crucial question for Bolivia's decision to nationalize its gas resources: “will Morales’ nationalization just push Bolivia to the other end of the bell curve, to the point where disinvestment keeps the country from getting enough of its gas reserves to market?” Here is a very clear...
Argentina: Iguana Lovers New EP
The new EP of the “mythical band” from Argentina, Iguana Lovers, is available for download on Zona Indie.
Mexico: Riots in San Salvador Atenco
In a story that has barely gotten mention in the English-language press, Ulises Mejia writes about the riots which erupted in the town of San Salvador Atenco near Mexico City. In Spanish, Jay of Arkham Asylum says that he has “lost all of the little faith that I had in...
Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru: Poll Numbers
Boz has his Latin America Friday poll numbers, Cinco de Mayo version. Three new polls in Mexico show a big change for the upcoming presidential election.
Georgia: Military Road Photos
Hans has photos from the Georgian Military Road which cuts high through the Caucasus–up to 2,379 meters according to Wikipedia–and is still fairly empty and covered with snow.
Mongolia: Smoking Laws
Luke Distelhorst writes that Mongolia needs laws restricting smoking in public, but he admits that enforcement would present enormous problems.
Armenia: Deconstructing Yerevan
Notes from Hareinik reports on renewed government efforts to destroy historic parts of Yerevan in order to make way for new construction.
Kyrgyzstan: Corruption
Chingiz writes about corruption in Kyrgyzstan, saying that only discipline will overcome the powerful culture of corruption in the country.
Martinique: Building Houses Without a Permit
Bien Vu posts (FR) a rant about people who build houses without permits and the government inspectors who look the other way.
Armenia: Yezidis
Onnik Krikorian paid another visit to the Armenian Yezidi village of Alagyaz and has a report and pictures from the village school
India: Reporting Grief – Insensitively
Does the media have the right to publish everything they capture on their camera? The death of the abducted engineer in Afghanistan plunged his family into grief. Pictures of his family coping with their grief were flashed on various news channels. War for News reports “There's a peculiar elitism that...
The State of the Argentine Blogosphere: Jujuy
Jujuy a northern province of Argentina, pegged between the province of Salta, Bolivia, and Chile. It's one of the most beautiful places of the country, but also one of the poorest. Jujuy's touristic potential has just begun to be exploited a few years ago. And it also hosts an interesting...
India: Reviewing Movies – The Ignorant Way
Sepia Mutiny on the bias (or ignorance) that seems to fill up review columns in US newspapers as they review a film on Indian Hindu widows – Water.
Bangladesh: Tatas And Investment
Drishtipat on investment in Bangladesh by Tatas – one of the most respected corporate houses in India.
Sri Lanka: So Much For Press Freedom Day
Jeyaraj at Transcurrents comments on the irony of a Tamil journalist being arrested on World Press Freedom Day. “It is learnt that she was detained initially by ministerial security division personnel in charge of Foreign Affairs minister Mangala Samaraweera who suspected her of being a woman suicide bomber targetting the...
Bangladesh: Fair Trade Fashion, Labour and Textiles
Even as we just finished covering some of the aspects of labour issues in Bangladesh, Safia from People Tree, a fair trade fashion company blogs on textile factory tragedies in the country and the direction of activism.
Russia: Update on Khodorkovsky
Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog posts an update on Mikhail Khodorkovsky's prison stay.
Belarus: “My Revolution”
Maidan International has posted translation of the notes on the protest in Minsk written by Yevgenia Kudyanova, a 21-year-old blogger activist: My Revolution.
Egypt: Happy B'day Mr. President
“I hope many happy returns for the day for Mr. Hosni Mubarak as a human not as a president , i will be very happy so much when I see you next year with God's will aways from the presidency office , not as the president and not as the...
Jordan: Race and Racism
The ultimate question for me was why would a specific race automatically consider other races less important and less civilized than it? The answer I've reached wasn't sophisticated; racism isn't concentrated over hating the other; racism is about self-idolizing, it's about arrogance and pride, hence, the different is unconsciously less,...
