9 May 2007

Stories from 9 May 2007

Brazil: The Pope's First Visit to Latin America

  9 May 2007

Libardo Buitrago [ES] is looking forward to Pope Benedict's first trip to the region, when he visits Brazil on a five-day visit. The pontiff has received criticisms for not caring about poverty reduction as much as his predecessor. Coverage about the Catholic Church in Brazil usually revolves around three storylines...

Mexico: Is Mexico Safe?

  9 May 2007

John Calypso of Viva Veracruz is an ex-pat living in Mexico and one of the inquires he most often receives from readers “is Mexico safe?” He shares his thoughts and his own experiences on the matter.

Free Monem Podcast

Free Monem campaign member Mary Joyce was interviewed yesterday, on May 8, by the activist-blogger and podjournalist at CitizenReporter.org, Mark Fonseca Rendeiro. They talked about Monem and his work, the Muslim Brotherhood, the crackdown on Egyptian bloggers and the Free Monem campaign. You can listen to the resulting podcast here.

Kenya: No e-waste for Kenya

  9 May 2007

Video journalist Africa posts a video, No E-Waste for Kenya: “They re-furbish obsolete computers from Western countries and Kenya, and then deliver them to schools. Still also a second hand computer has a limited life span. The emergence of E-Waste is looming, but not at Computers for Schools Kenya.”

Somalia: Fighting over Kismayo

  9 May 2007

Abdurahman Warsame writes, “War on Kismayo“: “Kismayo must be the most disputed city in Somalia. Just recently two militias, claiming to be loyal to the government, fought over Kismayo. The government claims that it's been attacked by Islamic terrorists but I doubt that member of this militia even know how...

China: Wen's talk on culture

  9 May 2007

Chai jing blogs about Prime Minister Wen Jia-bo talk with the cultural circle: No matter whether it is academic or artistic performance, its superiority cannot be judged by administrative order. It depends on hard academic exporation, artistic practice and democratic discussion, in the end, it is judged by practice, history...

India: Calcutta Coffee House

  9 May 2007

Trivial Matters has a delightful photo-post on the Calcutta Coffee House. “Situated in the heart of Calcutta, opposite the Presidency College, commissioned in 1942 by The Indian Coffee Workers’ Co-operative Society, the coffee house quickly developed on the lines of a student Literaten Kaffeehaus. Satyajit Ray would dream up films...

Bhutan: Film Awards

  9 May 2007

Visit Bhutan on the National Filmfare awards. “The Bhutan National Film Awards for the year 2007 saw a stunning packed Clock Tower Square on 2nd May night coinciding with the Birth Anniversary of Third King , His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. The events was organized by the Motion Picture Association...

Nepal: The forgotten elderly

  9 May 2007

Deepak's Diary on the plight of senior citizens in the country. “Abandoned and ostracized from their home and family, these septuagenarians and octogenarians live a meager existence. Death is at their doorstep and they are simply waiting for it. As I hopped from one Day Care Center to another (there...

Bangladesh: The “revenge” tour

  9 May 2007

Cricket played between India and Bangladesh promises high emotions says 3rd world view. “On the other hand it was a great moral booster for Bangladesh although they have beaten India earlier. But Indian fans see this opportunity to show Bangladesh where India stands. Bangladesh is still two ranks below India...

Morocco: French Elections Edition

Morocco, as a former protectorate of France, is still well connected to the country. Beyond French cars and French baguettes, Morocco's law and education systems are influenced by France, and more than half of its citizens speak French fluently. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the presidential elections...

Turkey is Typing…Winding Down from May Day

The days before May Day were marked by presidential protests in Turkey, but somehow with the coming of the new month, those peaceful protests became marred by violence. This week on Turkey is Typing we discuss the lasting impressions of the presidential protests, May Day, and the reform that the country is talking about.

Japan: On PM Abe's Yasukuni offering

  9 May 2007

Japanese blogger shigeto2004 comments on PM Abe's recent offering of “masakaki” to Yasukuni shrine during the shrine's spring festival last month. He also criticises the ambiguity of the series of statements the PM has made over the past months. [Ja]

Nicaragua: Open Source Software, Machisimo in the Park, and an Immigration Rally

  9 May 2007

Members of the Ubuntu Group in Nicaragua recently provided a free interactive workshop on the use of open source software. Even though the event did not touch on all of the subjects that it could have, many applauded the effort as the first of its kind in Nicaragua. Other blogs discussed shameful machisimo attitudes, the use of bio-fuels, and a firsthand account of an immigration rally in the United States, where the police used excessive force.

Jamaica: Walking the Talk

  9 May 2007

Jamaican Francis Wade encourages managers to walk the talk in order to achieve desired results: “If authenticity is the currency use to build trust, then the managers who demonstrate these behaviours are more likely to be followed by their employees.”

Bahamas, Cuba: Shooting Incident

  9 May 2007

“The discussion to resolve this issue should be very interesting,” writes WeblogBahamas.com, commenting on reports that the Cuban Coast Guard has shot two Bahamians that were “reportedly trafficking drugs through Cuban waters”.