Stories from 19 May 2006
Bolivia: On the Brink of Land Reform
Reform by presidential decree – this time land reform – continues in Bolivia says Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas. But, the regions of “Santa Cruz and Beni are not going to let this happen without a fight.”
Argentina: El Buenos Aires de Borges
Professor Julián Gallo was happy to see Borges and Buenos Aires mentioned in the New York Times, but he says [ES] Larry Rohter was mistaken when he wrote that an audio guide of Borges’ city is only available in Spanish. “The audio guide is also available in English and Portuguese,...
El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Chile: Internet Day
May 17th was “El Día de Internet,” or “Internet Day” in Latin America and several bloggers offered homages to the World Wide Web. From El Salvador, Hunnapuh asks [ES] “but really, what is the significance of the internet?” A commenter at BlogsPeru remarks that just around the corner is “International...
Arabisk – The Arabic Bloggers Ken
The following is an abbreviated translation from some of the Arabic-language blogsphere. Music… Amal, in her latest cartoon: “See my Wawa, kiss my Wawa.” The Wawa is the little tiny hurt “ouch”.. In this cartoon; a poor bleeding Palestinian child is begging from a wealthy Arabian man who seems not...
Around West Africa
West African blogs round-up [Week 20, 2006]
Trinidad and Tobago: Visit from a televangelist
Rentaempress takes on Benny Hinn, the American televangelist visiting Trinidad this weekend. “The last time he was here he made all sorts of pronouncements about how many demons he had to cast out,” she says. “I'm damn vexed … that we still haven't emancipated ourselves from this colonial mentality.”
Singapore: Citizen Journalism
Kevin at theory.isthereason.com has a post on citizen journalism during Singapore's recent elections. Kevin says “I can’t wait for the next elections to see more people turn off their televisions (passive media), and tune in to the internet to not just listen, but join in (active media).”
St. Lucia, Grenada: Kweyol lesson and photos
Georgia Popplewell at Caribbean Free Radio is travelling in the Eastern Caribbean this week; she's struck by “conservative” St. Lucians’ frankness about condoms, and gets an impromptu Kweyol lesson from two women in Castries. She also posts some photos taken in St. Lucia yesterday, and some from Grenada the day...
Puerto Rico: Building walls
Inspired by the US government's decision to build “a ‘state-of-the-art’ wall” along the border with Mexico, Gil the Genius sarcastically compiles a “list of things in Puerto Rico that need walls all around them”.
Trinidad and Tobago, USA: Trinidadian man caught in child seduction sting
Steups reacts with disgust to the news that a Trinidadian man has been caught in an Internet child-seduction sting in Florida set up by Dateline NBC. “It's not enough that citizens here are causing consternation and shame but now we have expatriates casting negativity upon us.”
China: Catholics demand film ban
Journalist-blogger uleewang at Non-violent Resistance posts on the joining by mainland Chinese Catholics of the protest against the newly-released Hollywood film The Da Vinci Code and their demand it be banned: “[W]ho knows, common resistance against the movie may help bring up the flirtation already going on between the Chinese...
China: Three gorges update
An update on an old but ongoing environmental story from AB at Me Old China: “As the construction of the Three Gorges Dam comes to an end, the battle for hearts and minds has intensified once again. Propagandists with the Three Gorges Project Corporation and the state government have been...
African Diaspora: Victory for Sarkozy's Immigration Law
” [French Interior Minister] Sarkozy's immigration law [CESEDA] passed in the French National Assembly! ” says (Fr) Aimafrica . “For a country like Mali, this could be the beginning of an economic catastrophy. France … after having looted our riches and our people, wants business as usual. She no longer...
China: Campaign targets Microsoft
Activism made easy at China Activist Weekly with a post from blogger Celia on an Amnesty International letter one can send to Microsoft regarding their behavior in China. Having it delivered is the hardest part: “Oddly enough, it's apparently not possible to email Microsoft. I have searched for a general...
Taiwan: Chinese spy confesses
A Taiwanese agent for the Chinese government wasn't so covert in trying to purchase an F-16 fighter jet engine and cruise missiles, blogs James J. Na at The Korea Liberator, followed up by a post from Joshua on the defection of another senior North Korean scientist: “The bad news is...
DRC: Pastor Kutino's Detention
Rvd. Kutino Fernando, founder of Sauvons le Congo [Save the Congo], was recently taken from his church by policemen and his whereabouts are unknown, says (Fr) Tony Katombe at Le Blog du Congolais. The blogger is skeptical that Kutino was stocking weapons in his church or inciting violence as alleged...
China: Party pal plagiarizes?
Eight, writes Donald C. Clarke at Chinese Law Prof Blog, is the number of observers who will be allowed into the upcoming trial of Zhou Yezhong (周叶中), a legal scholar with friendly ties to Communist Party of China leadership currently being sued for plagiarism by Peking University law professor He...
Iran: From Hostage taking to Blogging
Abbas Abdi, reformist politician & a hostage taker in US embassy, has launched his blog. He says if human being does not communicate, he/she becomes weaker than animal. Blogger adds at present situation internet is a very good instrument which helps citizens to communicate (Persian).
Iran: Professor in Danger?
Samimanetar writes that it seems Dr.Ahmad Naghibzadeh, Professor of Political Sciences in University of Tehran, is under pressure (by government). Blogger says recently Kayhan, a very conservative journal, talked about Naghibzadeh's relation with foreigners (Persian).
Nigeria: Engineer wins award
Ethnic Loft reports that a Nigerian engineer has won a prestigous engineering award the “Total Excellence in Electronic Manufacturing (TEEM) award by the U.S based Society of Manufacturing Engineers.”
South Africa: COSATU strikes
Its The Question That Drives Us Mad comments on the COSATU led strikes in South Africa – Striking for jobs and discusses the role of unions in advancing workers rights.
