Stories from July, 2006
DRC: Voting At Last
Extra Extra writes: “It has been a beautiful day here in Kinshasa, and the atmosphere has been very peaceful and more friendly than usual wherever I’ve gone. (…) The officials at the voting centres are doing a good job, helpfully explaining what to do. (…) There have been a few...
Tahiti: Miss Bora-Bora Contest
From Tahiti, Jean-Marc posts (Fr) pictures of the Miss Bora-Bora contest.
Martinique: Plane Crash Aftermath
Bien Vu writes (Fr):”It's been more than 8 months since 152 Martiniquans died in a crash in Maracaibo [,Venezuela]. Since then, talks at cross-purposes between the Association aux Victimes du Crash Aerien [association of victims of the aerial crash] (AVCA) and the Brazilian insurer of West Caribbean Airways who cannot...
DRC: Carefully Hopeful
Echoing the optimism of another US-Based DRC blogger, The Salon writes (Fr): “The elections have finally begun. Though there are justified worries about the election's transparency, this is a a historic experience on this vast land which is as large as Western Europe. As a Congolese, while keeping a sane...
Reunion, USA: From Maryland to Florida
US-based Reunion-born blogger Reunion-USA2 discovers (Fr) cultural differences between Maryland and Florida:”My husband is happy in Florida: no more politically correct here! When he goes out with colleagues, they all drink beer –in Maryland, nobody drank during work hours so as not to be labeled a drunk. Yesterday they had...
Bangladesh blog buzz
The latest happenings in Bangladesh related blogs around the world:
DRC: Optimism on Eve of Landmark Election
Foli Kat, a new blogger based in the US, has been following Global Voices's coverage of Congolese bloggers writing about the July 30th election and has a very different perspective from the largely pro-opposition bloggers highlighted in my previous posts. Foli Kat writes that whatever their shortcomings, these elections are...
A Big Laugh in Venezuela
Venezuelans will be holding the funniest elections in the country history. Entertainer Benjamin Rausseo, better known as Er’ Conde del Guacharo (Count of Guacharo), announced this week that he will run for President. Rausseo is Venezuela’s most popular comedian, and he has no political background. His character is a working-class...
DRC: Election Survey Results & EUFOR Crash
Extra Extra posts results of a DRC election survey he conducted from his blog (most respondents thought the election would take place without major disruptions) and explains that yesterday European Union Forces “managed to crash an unmanned drone into a residential area, injuring four and destroying a house.”
Iran: No bombs on Tehran!
Visible Track has published a photo of Tehran at night and says I could not imagine a day that my dear Tehran being bombed or destroyed like Beirut!
DRC: Human Rights Watch Election Concerns
Human Rights Watch outlines human rights concerns that might impair the fairness of elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo tomorrow.
DRC: Documentary Video
The Salon posts a french-speaking video-documentary covering the last 6 year's events including the 6-day war between Rwandan and Ugandan armies, the assasination of Laurent Kabila and the promise of elections.
The Week That Was in Bahrain
Local events took the sidelines as Bahrain bloggers turned their attention to the war ravaging Lebanon this week.
Haiti: 1941's Port-au-Prince
From Port-au-Prince, Marcel Salnave posts (Fr) an article written by his journalist father of the same name in 1941: “our capital is embellishing under the welcome influence of urban planning. Gardens designed according to the demands of art have replaced almost everywhere our empty lots and where weeds once existed,...
Ukraine: Waiting for Yushchenko
Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine posts a brief update on Ukrainian politics and offers a few apolitical links.
Russia: Andrei Sychyov's Case
Sean's Russia Blog posts an update on Andrei Sychyov's case and writes about cruelty in the Russian army.
Russia: Chavez in Russia
Yuri Mamchur of Russia Blog writes about the visit of Hugo Chavez to Russia.
Kazakhstan: Nuclear Age
neweurasia reports on Kazakhstan's entry into the nuclear age, the construction of several nuclear power plants in partnership with Russia.
India: First a blackboard, then the laptop
Atanu Dey on why One Laptop Per Child isn't the right solution to India's education issues. “Attention and funds need to be directed to those issues first before one starts buying laptops by the millions. Fact is that we need basic education (literacy, numeracy, etc) and secondary education.”
India: At the Haji Ali Dargah
Ultrabrown has a wonderful photo-post on one of the landmarks in Mumbai, the Haji Ali Dargah.
Russia: Kaliningrad Travel Restrictions
Copydude writes about travel restrictions for Kaliningrad residents: “As fast the Berlin Wall came down, the EU has been building it back up. You can’t paint nice murals on the Fortress Schengen wall, but it’s just as effective at keeping people in.”
