Stories from 6 November 2006
Russia: Winter Blackouts
Ruminations on Russia wonders if there's going to be a blackout in Moscow this winter.
Albania: Winter Blackouts
Our Man in Tirana writes about possible winter blackouts in Albania.
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Russia: The Energy Card
Neretva River writes about reports on Russia's plans to use energy card against Bosnia: “In a hideously cynical move to try to once again project power in the Balkans, Russia has turned to its status as a major energy supplier to the former Yugoslavia in a bid to force Bosnia...
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Neretva River
Neretva River writes about the campaign to save the river after which the blog is named.
Thailand: No $100 Laptop
Technology blog Engadget reports that Thailand is pulling out of the $100 laptop project for its schools. “Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was a big fan of NickNeg's pet project, but sadly, his countrymen kicked him out of office in September, making Thailand somewhat of a tough sell now.”
Malaysia: Free Access Zone in Johor
The blogger at aisehman.org feels that Malaysian citizens might find Johor's plan of setting up Free Access Zones (where the residents can seamlessly travel to and from Singapore) insulting. Johor is a Malaysian state that neighbours Singapore and it sees these Free Access Zones as a way of attracting foreigners...
Fiji: No Coup
Ms. Vakaivosavosa in Fiji downplays the coup rumours. “Life is normal here and there's so much more to worry about than the war of words in the media. I spent the day out of the office today and nothing is unusual or out of the ordinary. People are aware of...
India: Being Osama in New York on Halloween
The author at Synchroni-Cities decides to dress up as Osama for Halloween in New York. Fascinating account of what people observe. “people chose to laugh, rather than being angry or afraid of a brown man dressed as ‘Osama’, and in downtown New York, not so far from the WTC. And...
India: Punjab, Globalization And A Brief History
a reader's words on Punjab, a brief political and economic history and questions on the future of the state and identity. “What implications would these new processes have for the manner in which we have imagined Punjab and Punjabiyat – within the national and global contexts? Will the processes of...
Pakistan: World Islamic Economic Forum
Metroblogging Islamabad on the World Islamic Economic Forum. “This year the forum is opening under the theme of “Unleashing the Potentials of the Emerging Markets” and it will be organized jointly by Pakistan and the Asia Strategic and Leadership Institute (ASLI) based in Malaysia.”
Nepal: The Royal Silence
Who exactly will determine whether or not Nepal needs royalty? Nepali Netbook says “In the end, here’s what everything boils down to: Nepalis may believe they are capable of running the country without the king. The external stakeholders don’t seem to be so sure. Now, isn’t the royal silence getting...
Bangladesh: Long hours in Tokyo
Even as people from South Asia send remittances back home, Drishtipat talks of the wave in the 80s when the promise of money had people from Bangladesh going abroad. “He told us how he’d gone to Shobuj and Maroof’s flat and found 7 men sleeping in 2 small rooms. He...
Reactions to the Burmese “Royal” Wedding Video Clip
A clip from a leaked video of Myanmar's (Burma) military ruler Senior General Than Shwe‘s daughter's wedding was posted online last week. People who have seen the video are appalled by the vulgar display of wealth. Myanmar blogger Myouez at Blog of Nyen Chan Yar writes. People of Myanmar want...
El Salvador: Volcano Alert Cancelled
Salvador Canjura has posted photos of Volcán de Santa Ana while the blog of El Salvador/CNY Companion Diocese notes that the red alert for Santa Ana's Ilamatepec volcano was finally cancelled.
Guatemala: Ricardo Arjona
Chapinadas congratulates Guatemalan singer and songwriter, Ricardo Arjona for his Latin Grammy award for best male album in vocal pop with his new album “Adentro”.
Bolivia: 42 Regions
Miguel Buitrago criticizes a plan by the Bolivian government to add a political layer of 42 regional subunits between the country's nine departments and 327 municipalities. Miguel Centallas, however, argues that the new subunits might actually strengthen the municipalities. The two Miguel's have a useful discussion on the issue in...
Mexico: Multimedia Oaxaca
IndyMedia Mexico has a wealth of multimedia resources related to the ongoing conflict in Oaxaca including video, audio, photography, and text.
Mexico: Three Bombs Explode in Mexico City
“Three bombs exploded in Mexico City just after midnight last night, damaging buildings but injuring no one. The bombs, which exploded between 12:03 am and 12:15 am, did significant damage to the Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federacion (TEPJF — the nation's election judges), PRI party headquarters and...
Arabisc: How did Arab bloggers react to Saddam Hussein's verdict?
While Arab bloggers writing in English jumped on the opportunity to comment on Saddam Hussein‘s death sentence, those writing in Arabic seemed to be slower to react. Among the few commenting on the story making the headlines yesterday and today, Batir Wardam from Jordan, says what is more important than...
Brazil: Shooting Araucarias in Rio Grande do Sul
Ricardo Carreón has posted some breathtaking photographs of the unique Araucaria trees near the Brazil-Uruguay border.
Nicaragua: Early Election Results
“Daniel Ortega is President again,” writes VivirLatino as the Sandinista frontrunner remains about six percentage points ahead of Eduardo Montealegre. Boz reminds readers of “el pacto” between former Presidents Aleman and Ortega which has led to the latter's plausible victory. Randy Paul gave some more background information on election eve....
