Stories from 24 March 2008
Guyana: Commonweath Writers’ Prize
Signifyin’ Guyana notes that among the regional winners of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize “was Guyanese-born, Nigerian-based Karen King-Aribisala for Best Book.”
Armenia: Terrorism Concerns
A new blog, khirimian's thought, responds to concerns expressed from some quarters that the radical opposition in Armenia might resort to more violent action unless their demands are met.
Environment: Colbert on World Water Day
On ecopolitology, Tim Hurst posts video clips of Colbert on World Water Day: “Stephen Colbert celebrates World Water Day – the way only he could” Colbert is a popular American comedian, satirist and actor.
Environment: A recipe for seed bombs
Rory of Carbon Copy posts a recipe for seed bombs which can be thrown into “…vacant lots, pavement cracks, long-standing rubbish piles, or anywhere that would benefit from a bit of random greenery.”
Japan: Eyes on Tibet
Essa at the Uncategorizable Blog proposes (in Japanese and also in English) a simple way for bloggers to focus attention on Tibet, by adding a Tibet-related link to their everyday posts. He emphasizes that: “This movement focuses on decentralized weak concerns. It suggests your readers just to see it. Not...
Environment: Pictures of a landfill in Nairobi
Kikuyumoja writes to Kenyans, posing the question Dear Nairobians,: “Ever wondered what happens to your *waste*? He posts pictures of a dumping site in a place called ‘Dandora’ in a bid to raise awareness about the environmental impact of improper waste management.
Environment: Paper magazines better on carbon than websites?
On the enviro blog Gristmill David Roberts takes on Wired Magazine Editor,Chris Anderson, who states that paper mags are better on carbon than websites. “The claim is mostly based on the fact that by cutting down (sustainably managed) trees and burying them in landfills, paper magazines sequester carbon. There are,...
China: Bloggers declare war on Western media's Tibet coverage
Once the news of Tibetans slicing children's ears off and burning people alive sunk in, Chinese netizens worldwide seized onto initial misreported details from the situation in Tibet and don't seem willing to let this one go. In fact, they've declared cyberwar on major western media outlets, and anti-CNN.com is campaign headquarters.
Green and sustainable life
Among the many good links Lucia Malla [pt] tips us with today in her travel blog, there is the Ecoblogs Network [pt], for selected bloggers who promote “green and sustainable life”.
Armenia: Threat of Terrorism
Unzipped says he agrees with presidential candidate Arman Melikian that Armenia now faces the possibility of violent actions and terrorism by the radical opposition in light of the arrest of many of their leaders and the lack of dialogue with the government.
Kyrgyzstan: President's Missing
The Azamat Report reviews rumors that are circulating in the Kyrgyz society about president bakiev, who had left the country for Germany three weeks ago, allegedly for medical treatment.
Turkmenistan: The Country's Greatest Secret
Maciula reports on the announcement of the company chosen by President Berdymukhammedov to audit Turkmen gas reserves and wonders if the outcome of the audit will be made public.
Turkmenistan: Better times for businessmen
Maciula writes about the economic reforms announced recently designed to develop the private sector and boost foreign investment in Turkmenistan.
Uzbekistan: Islam in Fergana Valley
Libertad writes about Islamic trends in Fergana valley and new religious group emerged in Kokand city.
Kazakhstan: 6% of .kz Domain Works
KZBlog reports that according to a media outlet's research, there are 16 431 domains that end in .kz, but of those only around 1 000 are actually functioning. Many of the idle .kz domains were bought in the hopes of selling them.
Afghanistan: Russia-NATO Near Deal
Patrick Frost says that a deal is in the works between NATO and the Russian government for greater cooperation in Afghanistan. The looming deal would possibly allow NATO troops the use of Russian land and airspace, the possible leasing of Russian planes and trains, and Russian training for Afghan helicopter...
Afghanistan: Warlord as “Person of the Year”
Joshua Foust reports that Radio Free Afghanistan has named Gul Agha Sherzai, the governor of Nangarhar province, “Person of the Year” for advancing the cause of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and reconstruction, and criticizes this award for shallow insight.
Paraguay: Candidates Using Blogs to Reach Voters
Paraguay’s Presidential elections will be held on April 20, 2008. Many of the top presidential candidates, such as Fernando Lugo and Blanca Ovelar are using blogs as a way to communicate with potential voters. The blogs are published in one of Paraguay’s mains newspapers called Diario ABC.
Colombia: Campus Party Rescheduled
Cafe Gua Gua [es] is reporting that the Colombian version of Campus Party has been postponed a week due to many requests from participants.
Bolivia: James Bond Visits Bolivian Territory in Chile
In the next James Bond film, the main character visits several real-life Chilean towns, but in the movie are said to be part of Bolivian territory causing some complaints. With the ongoing claim for access to sea by Bolivia, Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] writes about the relationship between...
Uruguay: File Sharing Site Closed
Martin Balao reports that the popular file-sharing site Fotos de Uruguay has been shut down [es], and speculates that it may have been due to legal complaints from record companies.
