Stories from 27 September 2007
Myanmar: Citizen Journalism
Bangkok Parlour on Citizen Journalism in Myanmar. “Citizen journalism has arrived in Burma. And, while the risks to those who courageously capture the deplorable realities of life today in Burma are great, the potential rewards to the country as a whole are greater. Images today speak louder than words.”
Thailand: Sharing Myanmar's Shame
Fringer says Thailand shares Myanmar's shame as Thai leaders are not making a stand against the ruling regimen in Myanmar and their handling of the protests by monks and civilians.
Myanmar: An Australian View of the Protests
Australian author and journalist Mark Bowling writes “History shows that eventually, regimes like Burma's military junta can't last. People need their dignity and are resilient enough to hold out for basic human rights.”
Colombia: Blogs y Polas 3
Medallo Bloguero [ES] posts pictures of the recent Blogs y Polas 3 blogger get-together.
Costa Rica: Frustrations with Telecommunications
Competition in telecommunications is supposed to lower fees and improve service. However, Fusil de Chispas [ES] does not see it that way and provides examples of customer complaints.
Indonesia: Bloggers Gathering
Unspun says Indonesian first ever large scale bloggers gathering, Pesta Blogger, will be on October 27 in Jakarta.
Chile: Microsoft's School of the Future in Peñalolén
Luis Ramirez writes about Microsoft's new “School of the Future” that was launched in the municipality of Peñalolén, which is only one in 12 schools that will implement this educational model. The special report can be found on the blog Un Computador por Niñ@ [ES].
Myanmar: Wearing Red on Friday
South East Asian bloggers mental jog, unspun, Elizabeth Wong and Kelvin Quee are going to wear red in support of the monks in Myanmar
Philippines: Corruption scandal reaches the presidential palace
A $330 million national broadband network deal between the Philippine government and ZTE firm from China. Critics describe the contract as overpriced, unnecessary and disadvantageous to the Philippines. Tales of bribery, corruption and harassment have surfaced which could implicate the First Family.
Bolivia: Evo Morales on the Daily Show
President Evo Morales of Bolivia became only the 2nd sitting president to appear on the Daily Show, a popular comedy show that focuses on current events. During his visit to New York City for the United Nations Summit, Morales sat down with host Jon Stewart and through the use of translator spoke about his ideas for his country and for the world. However, many bloggers thought that the comedic nature of the program became lost in the translation and that many of Morales' statements sounded too good to be true.
Poland: The Women's Party
The beatroot and Dr. Sean's Diary write about the Women's Party of Poland.
Czech Republic: “Tabloid Transitions”
Dr. Sean's Diary critiques Transitions Online‘s “confused tabloidy democratization writing” on the Czech politics.
Iraq: Seventeen Ministries without Ministers
“The NYT has a report on the troubled government of Nouri Al Maliki. The story says that 17 ministries now are without a minister and those ministers who are left are in many cases doing double duty, making it difficult to improve the performance of the agencies,” writes Iraq Pundit.
Jordan: Letter to the Censor
Jordanian blogger Hareega writes an open post to the censor here, and sarcastically notes: “We need you here. Our Jordanian blogsphere is polluted with cracked, uneducated, totally rude, unpatriotic, anti-freedom ignorant Jordan haters. I need you here. I need you to teach me to love my country, to watch my...
Egypt: Committee to Defend Universities
A National Committee for the Defense of Universities has been formed in Egypt. Read more about it in Hatshepsut‘s post here.
Moldova: Transnistria 2
Douglas Muir of A Fistful of Euros posts the second installment on Transnistria.
Ukraine: For Sale on eBay
Orange Ukraine reports on how someone tried to sell Ukraine on eBay – and about the Sept. 30 vote: “The undecided, the casting of votes to smaller parties, the votes “against all”, will decide Ukraine's future.”
Ukraine: Political Mess
Foreign Notes roundups a few news reports that reveal “the mess the country is in, which could endanger its democratic development.”
Ukraine: Unresolved Cases
Mark MacKinnon writes about two unresolved cases that don't do any good to president Yushchenko's image at home and abroad: the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze and Yushchenko's 2004 poisoning.
Ukraine: Sept. 30 Vote
Mark MacKinnon writes about the upcoming Sept. 30 vote: “Pity the ordinary Ukrainians who are trapped in this never-ending tug-of-war.”
Sri Lanka: Vehicle Art
Cerno has pictures of vehicle art in Sri Lanka.
