Stories from 8 January 2007
Anguilla: What's wrong with the public service
The Corruption-free Anguilla blog is devoting a series of posts — one, two, three, four — to a detailed analysis of the country's public service and its discontents.
Barbados: Caribbean Direct Recruitment Scheme
Titilayo supplements what she knew previously about the Caribbean Direct Recruitment scheme, through which London Transport recruited Caribbean migrants to the UK, with information from an exhibition currently on at the London Transport Museum.
Barbados, Indonesia: Two views on drug smuggling
Barbados Free Press compares the attitude of the Indonesian authorities to drug smuggling with that of the authorities in Barbados, and concludes that the latter are sending mixed messages of major proportions.
Jamaica: New year crime spree
Jamaica experiences a spate of murders just as the new year begins, six of the victims police officers. Leon is outraged that the government seems more concerned about solving the crime problem for the sake of protecting the country's tourist industry than for the well-being of its citizens, and expresses...
Ukraine: Kyiv Mayor and Kyiv Land
Foreign Notes continues to cover Kyiv mayor's unlawful initiatives involving land.
Ukraine: Open Letter to AeroSvit
Carpetblogger writes an angry open letter to AeroSvit: “Should Ukraine continue on a Western, rather than Eastern, trajectory (certainly not a given at this point, given the unabated rise of the banditocracy of late) your airline might one day lose its protected status. Kyiv's strip clubs will be clogged by...
Serbia: On Travelling to Europe
Anegdote shares a gruelling and humiliating European travel experience that many citizens of the former Soviet bloc can relate to.
Russia: More on Winter in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
White Sun of the Desert writes on winter sports and posts photos of snow and ice fishing in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Russia: Graffiti and Cafe in Moscow
Snowsquare posts pictures of Moscow's Squirrel graffiti and “the last unbranded cafe.”
Russia: 2007 Forecast
Ruminations on Russia ruminates “on 2007 with half an eye on what happened in 2006.”
Romania: Bucharest Celebrates
Romerican writes and posts pictures on the recent celebrations in Romania's capital: “The 2007 Revelion wasn’t going to be just another celebration of a new year. No, no, it was going to be hand-in-hand with official admission of Romania into the EU. In other words, a momentous occasion which happens...
Romania: “2006 ‘Best Of’ Miercurea Ciuc Awards”
Csikszereda musings posts “the official 2006 ‘Best Of’ Miercurea Ciuc awards.”
Romania: Media Attention
Andy H of Csikszereda musings is willing to talk to the press: “Still, if anyone else wants to contact me to pick my brains on the EU, Romania and the relationship between Romania and Britain, take this as a come hither look with a saucy wink.”
Poland: More on “Africans+AIDS+Poland=racism”
The beatroot posts a follow-up on the African refugee's HIV case.
Poland: Collaborator Archbishop Resigns
The beatroot reports on the resignation of a Polish archbishop who had been collaborating with the Communist regime for 20 years: “Watching on TV now it looks like a wedding where all the guests turn up only to discover it’s a funeral.”
Latvia: Soviet Prison Tours
All About Latvia reports on a new tourist attraction: “For 5 lats, you can experience a Soviet prison first hand.”
Europe: Migration
Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar posts some “more migrating piffle.”
Europe: East vs West
Itching for Eestimaa poses these questions: “Why don't conferences about the need for reformist European governments include discussions on older members that could also benefit from reform? Why do people focus on the region “from the Baltics to the Balkans” when the European Union as a whole presents a far...
Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina: Xenophobia
Neretva River writes about xenophobic attacks against immigrant communities in Croatia and the growing intolerance toward non-Bosniaks in Sarajevo.
Soviet History: Fishing Industry and “Dentistry”
J. Otto Pohl writes about Russian-Germans and the Soviet fishing industry – and “Soviet dentistry” – 65 years ago.
Europe: EU Enlarement; “Stars and Soggy Bottoms”
The Economist‘s Edward Lucas on the EU's newest members – and on Central and East European “stars and soggy bottoms.”
