Stories from 1 May 2007
Japan: CarPET
A new product that combines the function of pet, carpet and heating device was introduced by Edo at Pink Tentacle.
Macau: May Day Protest Turned Violent
A peaceful May 1 workers and grassroots protest turned violent as the police blocked the demonstration route. Well-armed Macau policemen fired warning shots into the air, but there were no reports of injuries resulting from the gunfire. Onemanbandwidth has a brief report. The blogger has written a background post about...
South Africa: video from SA bloggers’ 27 dinner
Aquila Online posts a video from South African bloggers’ gathering, 27 dinner: “Another 27dinner has come and gone and it was awesome. Apart from the rain and miserably cold weather, it was hot and happening at the Cape Town Hotel School. Excellent speakers, fantastic company, great food and Stormhoek!! Need...
Tanzania: a short scene from Bongoland film
Bongoland is a Swahili fim with English subtitles about Juma, a Tanzanian undocumented worker in the US, chasing the American dream. Chemi posts a clip from the film.
Zimbabwe: more arrests, regional neglect, and Western duplicity
Zimbabwe's bloggers have a wealth of information on the week that was in the troubled southern African country. There are reports of more arrests and torture, an emergency monetary policy statement, and an indepth look at the myopic bigotry of some in the West with regard to Mugabe. First, a...
Jamaica: The Simple Life
Moving back to Jamaica has also made Francis Wade move towards a different mindset: “I wonder how I used to live with an unquestioned commitment to make a lot of money, as quickly as possible. A Move Back to Jamaica brings with it a certain kind of common-sense, a return...
Government campaign for “Beautiful Japan”
Blogger tokyodo-2005 came up with a rough estimate for the amount of money spent by the Japanese government (Ja) on an advertisement that recently appeared in major newspapers. The ad asks Japanese citizens to submit their ideas about what they think is “the essence of beautiful Japan”.
Kenya: government official active in Kenyan online forums
Majonzi writes about the changing face of government in Kenya: “The first time, Bitange Ndemo, Information and Communication PS responded to an article I had sent to the KICTANet mailing list, I could not believe it. I thought someone else was doing it on his behalf.”
St. Vicent & the Grenadines: Goodbye, Cricket World Cup
In a bittersweet farewell to Cricket World Cup 2007, Abeni writes: “So you gone and I am still wondering about the legacy word. We made some pretty stadiums and fix up the place nice nice for you. Now we wonder if even in the long-run we will be able to...
Africa: global promotion of African businesses
Wenze Business Report: “As you can see this is not just a one-African-country promotion, it's a global promotion of African businesses in the African continent, around its Diasporas, as well as any business community wishing to do business with this market.”
Mali: the incumbent leads the poll in Mali, opposition grumbles
Sociolingo's Mali blogs about the presidential elections in Mali: “OK, tis official, ATT [Amadou T. Toure] is leading the poll. There was a press conference last night and here are the early results courtesy of www.maliweb.net. I note that the participation rate of 37.9 is quite respectable and higher than...
Jamaica: McNeill Poem
Geoffrey Philp was happy to receive a photograph of the late Jamaican poet Roy Anthony McNeill and posts a poem and podcast in his honour.
Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago: Teachers & Students
Living Guyana has some ideas about teacher training that may also benefit the Caribbean region. And in Trinidad, The Manicou Report shares his thoughts about student protests.
Japan: Bloggers cry foul over plans for Henoko Bay
Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture, consists of some 160 islands in an archipelago stretching from Kyuushuu to Taiwan. For many decades, Okinawa has borne the brunt of Japan's post-war military burden, having been seized and occupied by American forces immediately following the end of World War Two. The latest chapter in the ongoing tale of America's military presence in Okinawa involves a plan to construct a new military airport in Henoko Bay, a plan which has been opposed fiercely by local residents and environmentalist groups.
Barbados: World Cup Failure
Barbados Free Press reports that the international media has been “less than complimentary” about the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Naipaul Circus
On V.S. Naipaul's visit to Trinidad in honour of his 75th birthday year, Jeremy Taylor wonders, “Why did he fall for it…given his well-known disdain for his once-native land? It can only be that he enjoys performing. I hate this idea of the writer as a sort of circus, being...
Dubai: Jewellery Theft Gang Arrested
Dubai-based blogger Seabee announces the arrest of the “gang responsible for the ram-raid at Wafi Mall.” “Congratulations are in order to Dubai Police. They said they'd catch the gang responsible for the ram-raid at Wafi Mall and they've been as good as their word. Three people are in jail, two...
Yemen: Women Abuse
Jane Novak links to an article which states that 70 per cent of Yemeni women are abused. “More than 87 percent of those surveyed said that families are responsible for abuse and violence against women, as 191 of the registered cases, accounting for 35.9 percent of the total sample, complained...
Tunisia: Gay Bloggers?
Tunisian bloggers are debating whether the entry of a blog by a gay Tunisian is welcome or not on their country's blog aggregator. ‘Houhou is the creator of TN.blog. Despite his efforts, he often gets criticized for reasons that are sometimes ridiculous. I would like to know how he manages...
Turkey: Labour Day Chaos
Turkey is witnessing Labour Day chaos, writes Erkan Saka. “Because of tremendous security measures, central Istanbul districts are in a state of chaos. One of our colleagues, who was in Beşiktaş to deal with her marriage certificate was exposed to tear gas. People from the Anatolian side cannot come to...
Yemen: Isolated Villages
Blogger Jane Novak links to a news article which announces the discovery of a new village in Yemen. “The women team found a village mostly inhabited by blind and mad people, who is found to live in starvation, eat no food for many days, and sleep in the ground. The...