21 March 2008

Stories from 21 March 2008

Russia: Tandemocracy

Scraps of Moscow reviews the terms used to describe Russia's current political system and its leaders: Tandemocracy, DIMAcracy and more.

21 March 2008

Iraq: Five long years … most of them in tears

For me the whole story of the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war can be summed up one post. One post that says nothing about the past five years but implies everything as well. We can talk about the lack of security, the number of deaths, the failure of the occupation, but all this talk has become as meaningless as glib phrases like "Collateral Damage." What really matters is how the war is affecting people's lives, writes Salam Adil.

21 March 2008

Bahrain: Kindest People Ever

Sous, a Swedish woman living in Bahrain, wonders about the impact of development on Bahrainis. “Bahrainis … are the most kind people I have ever met. They are polite, educated,...

21 March 2008

Iran: A New Year Begins

Yesterday, marked the first day of spring and the Iranian New Year. Nowruz or Norouz is celebrated in Iran and several other countries such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Several bloggers...

21 March 2008

Peru: Inflation Affecting Consumers

Inflation is beginning to affect the pockets of Peruvian more and more. Silvio Rendon of Gran Combo Club [es] writes about the rise in prices and whether president Alan Garcia...

21 March 2008

Bolivia: Maradona on the Pitch

Diego Maradona was in Bolivia for a football match to raise funds for the flood victims, as well as to protest the veto of games played at a certain altitude....

21 March 2008

Colombia: Reward for FARC Guerrilla for Killing His Commander

Shortly after the death of FARC leader Raúl Reyes, it was revealed that another high ranking member of the guerrilla forces, Iván Ríos was also killed. It was assumed that the Colombian army also was responsible, but Ríos' bodyguard carried out the killing and sought to claim the reward promised by the government. Colombian bloggers present arguments for and against these rewards. Some are pleased that another criminal has been eliminated, while others think that this reward should only serve for tip-offs and that any criminal should be tried in court.

21 March 2008

Japan: Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant fuels debate

The village of Rokkasho, situated Aomori prefecture in the north of Japan's main island Honshū, hosts a nuclear facility for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, the first of its kind in Japan. While the scale of this reprocessing plant dwarfs standard nuclear plants, most Japanese citizens have up to recently known little to nothing of its existence. This has started to change recently with demonstrations held in various parts of the country by citizen groups. Bloggers have also picked up this debate, offering varying perspectives on the costs and benefits of the latest development of Japan's nuclear industry.

21 March 2008