Stories from 8 November 2007
Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba: Lightbulb Scandal
Barbados Free Press blogs about the Jamaican lightbulb scandal and says: “Citizens of Barbados should pay close attention”, while Stunner's Afflictions asks: “Will there be criminal charges? Or will we see more bawling in the house of Parliament?”
Bahamas: Abortion Debate
“In Bahamian society, whether legal or not, abortions will happen”: Adrian Gibson at WeblogBahamas.com shares his views on a woman's right to choose.
Malawi: Insanity on the roads of Lilongwe
Madinga blogs about insanity on the roads of Lilongwe: “These devices were placed there with the aim of brining sanity to the roads of Lilongwe. Unfortunately there are a few cowboys and cowgirls on the roads who have great disrespect for these expensive traffic regulators.”
Zimbabwe: Hero to Zero: A brief history of the Zimbabwe dollar
Kubatana blog announces the release of a new DVD, Hero to Zero: A brief history of Zimbabwe dollar: “… a new DVD. Hero to zero: A brief history of the Zimbabwe dollar, tells the story of the nosedive of our precious Zimbabwe Kwacha, from Independence in 1980 – when 1...
Angola: The rise of civil society in Angola
Koluki blogs at African Path about the rise of civil society in Angola: “The one party political system also meant the virtual ruling out of any civil society organisations, whose space was filled by the party’s so-called “popular mass organisations”, and of any independent media.”
Tanzania: Meet Tanzania's acting icon
Bongoland II introduces to the world Tanzania's acting icon, Mzee Kipara: “the With the success of twenty to thirty something artists in Tanzania, it is easy to forget that even before Bongo Flava or YouTube and, even the Internet for that matter – Mzee Kipara was there.”
Kazakhstan: Media Wars
As the Rakhat Aliyev affair spins, and the ex-ambassador and former presidential son-in-law continues blackmailing the country’s authorities with discrediting materials, including publication of illegal taps of telephone conversations between the top officials, a number of websites have been recently blocked in Kazakhstan. “No explanations on the reasons of filtering...
Zimbabwe: Pliz, Mugabe must go now!
A protestor in Zimbabwe holds a banner, which reads, “Pliz Mugabe must go now people are starving“: We’ve added images of a small protest in Zimbabwe, sent to us by a subscriber, to our flickr account. You can see the thumbnails in the far right column of our blog, but...
Ghana: Female Ghanaian Hip Hop
What is the state of female Ghanaian hip hop?:”Ever since hiplife became part and parcel of Ghanaian music, the female hiplife artistes have been holding it down. Talk of Abrewa Nana, Triple M (Manye Mercy), Mzbel, LA (made up of Lateefah and Asantewaa), Ras Nigga, etc – they have been...
Uganda: Fighting for gay rights in Uganda
Is it worth it fighting for gay rights in Uganda?, asks GayUndanda: “Trying to convince people that what I am demanding is normal? Insisting that I am a normal human being? The price is high. But the alternative is too costly.”
Africa: Managing the Brain Drain
Brain drain in Africa is not a problem but a symptom, writes Omodudu: “I now know that African think tanks are gathered in Libya trying to tackle the ‘The Brain Drain Issue’ (Would definitely work for a movie title). I am glad that the word ‘managed’ is used and not...
D.R. of Congo: A video of Madilu System's funeral
Extra Extra has posted a video of the funeral of Congolese popular musician, Madilu System: “A video has surfaced of Madilu System’s amazing funeral, the biggest in years. “
D.R of Congo: Transporting goods in Kinshasa
How do you transport goods if you are in Kinshasa? Congo Girl explains: “People move items around by vehicle a lot of the time, but it's not always an option. If you don't have a truck on hand, you can always rent a guy with a wheelbarrow.”
Tajikistan: Examining the President
Vadim translates excerpts from the report on the results of a poll amongst the political experts of Tajikistan about President Rahmon’s policy during the past year.
Uzbekistan: Working in NGOs and GOs
Bordersca reflects on the state of NGO business in Uzbekistan in comparison with the work in governmental organizations, and notes that the level of technical equipment is much worse in the state bodies.
Uzbekistan: Bread, Elections and Instability
Bboyd reviews the three top news for Uzbekistan – problems with supply of bread products, upcoming presidential elections and samely bad situation with human rights despite West's sanctions – and notes that all these developments casts doubt on stability of the region.
Afghanistan: Terrorism Hits Baghlan
Peter Marton provides a final update on the yesterday's attack at the New Baghlan sugar factory against a delegation of Members of the Afghanistan's Parliament.
Kenya: ‘Virtual endowment’ for Biodiversity
Richard Leakey is proposing the idea of a virtual endowment to provide for Biodiversity disaster relief, in the event that the income for conversation is interrupted either by disaster, conflict or acts of terrorism
Korea: Special Compartments for Women on the Subway
What do you think about special compartments for women on the subway? One reason given for its necessity is to protect women from male sex criminals. A new policy that Seoul suggested causes a new kind of battle between men and women. 도쿄 경찰에 따르면 지난 2005년에 검거된 지하철 성추행범은...
China: University Students Buzzing with Green Activity
On China Dialogue, Peng Li writes “From energy efficiency to mitigating climate change, China’s students are looking for solutions. A lack of resources and experience, fundraising, management and publicity do present problems, and it is often difficult for groups to feel they have a lasting and wide-ranging impact. If they...
Turkey: Apostasy Isn't a ‘Crime’
“Apostasy cannot be considered as a crime in today's world. It is, indeed, a natural right. People should have the right to believe or disbelieve in Islam,” writes Turkish blogger Mustafa Akyol.
