Stories from 27 July 2006
Nepal: Dark days ahead?
Blogdai makes some dark predictions for Nepal. Who'll die over the next year, and who will be allies with the Maoists.
Bangladesh: The crisis in Lebanon
How Bangladesh is responding to the crisis in Lebanon at imperfect world 2006.
India: Open source and the Allahabad High Court
Thejesh links to High Court Allahabad's website, which comes across as rather user friendly and promotes the use of open-source, and reflects on open standards and the public sector.
Venezuela: El Conde del Guacharo
Both Miguel Octavio and Francisco Toro try to help their readers understand the candidacy of Benjamín Rausseo, better known as “El Conde del Guacharo.”
Colombia: The Casa de Paz
Adam Isacson writes from Medellín, where he describes his visit to the Casa de Paz: “The sole resident of the Casa de Paz is Francisco Galán, an ELN guerrilla leader whom the government captured in the mid-1990s. Galán is very unlikely to attempt an escape: from his previous jail cell...
Brazil: “Proud Cariocas”
Made in Brazil has a preview of Rio's Gay Pride Parade, which will take place this weekend.
Bolivia: Constituent assembly update
Miguel Centallas has an update on Bolivia's Constituent assembly.
Argentina: Cosmos Theater to Close
Jeff Barry points readers to a post on Pasa en Buenos Aires, a new blog run by the city, about the closure of the Cosmos theater (ES). Speaking of cinema, Lovers Go Home gives some short reviews (ES) of recent movies and Robert Wright had just walked out of the...
Jamaica, Cayman Islands, St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Blogger linkup
Cayman-based Jamaican blogger Mad Bull posts a short report on last night's “Caribbean Blogger Linkup”, at which ten bloggers, mostly Jamaican but including one from St. Vincent, assembled at a restaurant in Kingston.
Mexico: Barney Parody Video Taken Down
According to Ocho Cuartos, the famous parody of a Barney song poking fun at Lopez Obrador (ES) has been taken down for copyright reasons.
Pakistan: Blog-o-punishment
So, there you have it! “Collective punishment” is the new black of fashionable excuses used by governments world wide. Whether it be banning blogs or bombing to the hell out of innocent civilians, “collective punishment” pretty much is the “choice” tool of the tools in power. Following suit (of this...
Malaysia: Online Freedom
Malaysian opposition politician Lim Kit Siang is asking the Prime Minister to give assurance that online media would not be censored in Malaysia. The call comes after the Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers made negative comments about blogs and online media in general.
DRC: Candidates’ Last Minute Punches
Light in the Heart of Darkness chronicles what she calls “last minute punches” by various presidential candidates including interim vice-President Bemba, Ruberwa and interim President Joseph Kabila. Strategies include marches to the capital and burning of campaign headquarters among others.
Croatia: Dubrovnik Now and Then
Edward Lucas, Central and East European correspondent of The Economist, writes about his two visits to Croatia's seaside town Dubrovnik: in 1985 and this year.
USA: Ukrainian Sunflower Festival of Detroit
Greg of Reflections on Ukraine writes about the Ukrainian Sunflower Festival of Detroit, scheduled to take place Aug. 25-27, 2006.
Albania: Little Progress in Anti-Corruption
Our Man in Tirana cites a World Bank study, which declares that in terms of instituting anti-corruption reforms, “Albania remains the worst performer among all transition countries.”
Bermuda: “Worst of Bermuda” awards
The Limey offers his tongue-in-cheek “Worst of Bermuda Awards 2006”. Categories include “most embarrassing mistake”, “worst corporate citizen”, and “worst act of political cowardice”.
Russia: Kremlin's Big Fish Fishing
Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes about the current regime's idea of fishing: the “big fish” are Mikhail Khodrkovsky's former business partner Leonid Nevzlin, currently based in Israel, and two London residents – the “oligarch” Boris Berezovsky and “the so-called ‘Foreign Minister of Ichkeria’ Akhmed Zakaev.”
Russia: Amber Room
Copydude writes about Kaliningrad and the mystery of the Amber Room.
Jamaica: R.I.P. Louise Bennett
Poet and actress Louise Bennett, popularly known as Miss Lou, perhaps the most beloved public figure in contemporary Jamaica, has died at the age of 86. At the Caribbean Beat blog, Jeremy Taylor offers a tribute. “She wrote unforgettable poems in the Jamaican ‘patois’ or ‘dialect’ which we now learn...
Zimbabwe: The Royal Mugabes
The Bearded Man stands amazed as Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe gives the office of president something of a face-lift, endowing it with what looks a lot like the trappings of monarchy.
