31 October 2007

Stories from 31 October 2007

Japan: Kameda hits below the belt

  31 October 2007

(In)famous for their big mouths and bad behaviour, coupled with showy performances such as singing karaoke after their victories in the ring, the Kamedas have become the media's favourite boxing family. After the title match on Oct. 11, however, the family found themselves in the middle of harsh media bashing.

Kyrgyzstan: One-Party System Looming?

  31 October 2007

The Azamat Report reviews recent developments on the eve of parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, saying that the authorities are seemingly trying to establish a one-party system, similar to Kazakhstan with Nur-Otan and Russia with United Russia today.

Trinidad & Tobago: New Politics?

  31 October 2007

Coffeewallah has some advice for Trinidad and Tobago politicians: “Here’s a novel idea guys, why don’t you assume we all have brains, focus on the issues and tell us exactly how you’re going to deal with them.”

Afghanistan: Private Military Contractors

  31 October 2007

Afghanistan Watch quotes an online foreign policy daily World Politics Review, which has published a piece devoted to the private security contractors in Afghanistan. As reported, the media has generally interpreted the authorities’ actions to shut down the contractors as a “crackdown”, but apparently the truth is more complicated.

St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago: The True Caribbean

  31 October 2007

“Being born a West Indian means that I am less likely to succumb to the palm trees, blue sea, white sand, standard tourist pitch. The Caribbean islands are so much more complicated…” My Chutney Garden reveals what she loves about Nevis.

Trinidad & Tobago: In Search of Lessing

  31 October 2007

Jeremy Taylor can’t find copies of Doris Lessing’s work – in fact, “no one had even heard of her…what's going on here? Has the Nobel Prize become irrelevant, even to today's frenetic marketeers?”

Cuba: UN Motion

  31 October 2007

Both Child of the Revolution and The Cuban Triangle blog about the outcome of the UN motion for the United States to lift its long-standing embargo against Cuba.

China: Facebook

  31 October 2007

Kenneth Tan from Shanghaiist reports on facebook's plan to enter China and sums up bloggers’ comments on the move.

Hong Kong: City of Sorrow

  31 October 2007

Yesterday the Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung visited Tin Shui Wai, a new town with the highest frequency of family tragedy. Erynnyes criticized Cheung did not give any hope(zh) for the new town as the government did not provide any solution to the structural problem in the...