Stories from 11 December 2006
DRC: Kabila's First Challenges
Now that newly elected President Joseph Kabila has been sworn in, Sanaga Perigrinations says he has 3 main challenges (fr): “Pacify the country … Rebuild and develop the country … Learn Lingala! It is sad that this swahili-speaking president by birth does not know the main language in the west...
Singapore: Bus Handle Design
AEN Direct (via Tomorrow.sg) analyzes the standing passenger's support in a public bus in Singapore and says it fails in meeting the needs of passenger. The blogger conceptualises a more optimum design and urges the bus company to implement it.
Senegal: Justice and Class
Blog Politique du Senegal writes (Fr): “A newspaper announces that a court clerk was accused … of usury, fraud and issuance of fake checks… Verdict: 2 months. To think that stealing goats can get you 2 years!”
Fiji: Safe for Tourists
David Stanely at the South Pacific Travel Blog is critical of Australia, New Zealand and the United States for issuing a misleading travel advisory on Fiji before the coup. The author writes that Fiji is still safe for tourists. “Tourism is Fiji’s biggest industry, accounting for over a quarter of...
Malaysia: Aboriginal Rights
The recent ruling party UMNO's convention in Malaysia made a lot of noise about Malay rights in a multi-cultural Malaysia. Some Malay leaders feel that the rights of the Malay community are under attack in Malaysia. The Malaysian writes that UMNO seems to have forgotten about the rights of the...
Global Voices Delhi summit – only a few days to go!
The last details are being put together for the Global Voices annual summit being held in Delhi on Saturday 16 December. But the physical location shouldn't make a difference – please join us online from wherever you are! You can join via Internet Relay Chat (IRC). The IRC address is...
Poland: Iraq Exit Strategy
The beatroot writes about Polish troops in Iraq.
Ukraine: Vodka
All you need to know about Ukrainian vodka – over at Ukraine List.
Ukraine: Kyiv's Mayor
Ukrainiana writes about Kyiv's new mayor: “If true, that would make Chernovetsky and Yanukovych two of a kind. The “Better Living Today” they promised turned out to be a “Big Lying Tease.” Both did a great job of teasing pensioners for personal gain: Yanukovych — with an impermanent pension increment;...
Ukraine: Missionaries
From Ukraine With Love runs into the head of a baby cow lying in the middle of the street and writes about Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hare Krishna and Baptists in Ukraine.
Ukraine: More In-Fighting
Yet another update on more “political re-arrangements and in-fighting” in Ukraine, at Foreign Notes.
Chile: Reaction to Pinochet's Death
On hearing of the death of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Maegan la Mala notes that Chilean reaction has been “ranging from jubilation to mourning” and that “protests in the streets…have been met with water canons.”
Iran:Students disrupted Ahmadinejad's Speech
According to Alpar, students in AmirKabir University in Tehran, disrupted Ahmadinejad's speech.The blogger says students chanted slogans such as ” down with dictator“[Fa].
Egypt: Suiciders on the street
“You're a street vendor in Cairo. You're 23 years old, unemployed, and selling merchandise such as clothes and fruits is the only way for you to survive. You can't afford to have your own shop and you don't have a place to display your goods. So what do you do?...
Israel: A multi-interfaith-feast next week
“Next week there are a ton of things to do in Jerusalem if you are into the Interfaith thing,” Leah said.
Palestine: Divide and Rule
“A strange phenomenon has been taking place over the past few years. Israel has been carrying out a systematic plan to try and separate Gaza from the West Bank. Little attention has been given to this effort separating people – and a country – using administrative measures,” Daoud Kuttab said.
Yemen: Arranged Marriage to Counter Terrorism
A newspaper report said that the Yemeni government fights terrorism by arranging marriages for the captured terrorists. Yemeni official confirmed that this is proving an effective counter terrorism technique because marriage provides the terrorists with the familial and social stability that they need in order not to return to their...
Lebanon: Possible Breakthrough!
Mohamad Masri says: “Don't hold your breath for a possible breakthrough,” commenting on the breaking news reporting that Hassan Nasrallah and Hizballah have accepted in principle a 7-point proposal brokered through the Sudanese envoy for the Arab League when he was in Beirut last week. “I have a feeling it...
Arabisc: An Arab in Toronto and Arabs and Civilisation
Emirati blogger Osama is in North America..a place he never imagined he would ever travel to as long as George W Bush is the president of the US. لم أتخيل أبدا أنني سأنال الفرصة لزيارة القارة الأمريكية أبدا، فقبل عدة سنوات عندما كنت أدرس في الخارج قمت باستخراج تأشيرة خاصة...
Nicaragua, Venezuela, Argentina: Ortega, Chavez, Bush
Roberto Bobrow, an Argentine illustrator for Miami Herald columnist Andrés Oppenheimer gives his own bilingual thoughts about US foreign policy towards Latin America.
Bolivia: Summit of the South American Community
Miguel Buitrago at the closing of Cochabamba's big international event: “The II Summit of the South American Community is over and here is the balance. In few words, it can be said that the summit was NOT successful, even though the government, for logical reasons, might have an opposite view.”
