31 May 2008

Stories from 31 May 2008

Brazil: Visible and Invisible Indians and Scoops

Brazilian Indians were in the spotlight of world media this week. From the images of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon, to the enraged protest caught on camera against the building of dams along the Xingu River in the Amazon basin where an official of Brazil’s national electric company got slashed by traditional machetes and clubs.

31 May 2008

Plastic bag plan takes effect in China

Starting June 1, the Chinese government's country-wide plan to make shoppers pay small fees for plastic bags, and to forbid the production of ultra-thin bags will take effect. The move...

31 May 2008

South Africa: Bloggers need to do more than just write

A few South African bloggers are thinking about positive steps to take with regard to the current xenophobia crisis in South Africa. Stii asks, “What can we as bloggers do about the Xenophobia crisis?” and Mike Stopforth calls on South African bloggers to do something. Meanwhile, Afrigator has launched a special Xenophobia Crisis Page.

31 May 2008

Brasil: Introducing the Bloguecast

Technology that brings people and generations together and censorship were among the themes of the first edition of Bloguecast, a podcast promoted by BlogueIsso [pt]. “The idea is to make...

31 May 2008

On the return of the victims of xenophobia

“Ultimately, we have not yet reached the time when the South African government will acknowledged, unequivocally, its responsibility for this whole issue. With empty thoughts and a huge incapacity for...

31 May 2008

Guinea-Bissau: Experimental Theater Group

“Guinea-Bissau is a sui generis country, because people's talents are in the most unexpected fields. Theater is one of them. Here is our word of encouragement to the Bissau Experimental...

31 May 2008

Burkina Faso: Level four culture shock

In The United Kingdom a bit more than a week ago, the Office of National Statistics reported that in the past ten years, nearly two million Britons have moved abroad, making up the second largest emigration in the country’s history. Presently, that means that 5.5 million Britons live in foreign countries. So, what does this have to do with Burkina Faso? It proves a point, a fundamental truth really, about foreigners: They eventually go home. Or at least most of them do. It just happens that in Burkina Faso, a number of foreign bloggers are getting ready to pack up their things and head elsewhere.

31 May 2008

Ukraine, Russia: Personae Non Gratae

On May 12, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was declared persona non grata in Ukraine, following his calls for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. On May 15, Russia denied entry to Vladyslav Kaskiv, one of the leaders of the 2004 protests in Kyiv and member of the Our Ukraine/People's Self-Defense faction in the Ukrainian parliament. LJ user varfolomeev66, a Russian journalist, compares the two cases.

31 May 2008

Syria: Golan Cherries for Export

From Syria, Sasa writes: “Syrian farmers living under Israeli occupation have asked Israel to allow them to sell their cherries inside Syria. Living under occupation means they can not travel...

31 May 2008

China: Sharon Stone on Earthquake

Lam Kay pointed out that the mainstream media had mistranslated[zh] Sharon Stone's comment on Sichuan earthquake and caused a lot of misunderstandings in the Chinese world.

31 May 2008

Cambodia: Freedom of Flying

Educated in France to be an engineer, Santel Phin spent two years in Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world. In Cambodia, the 31 year-old Santel presently...

31 May 2008