9 October 2008

Stories from 9 October 2008

Turkey: Time for Questions

From Turkey, Erkan's Field Dairy notes: “After the attack on the Aktütün military outpost on Oct. 3, killing 17 soldiers, something new has happened; for the first time people are openly starting to question the General Staff.”

Haiti, U.S.A.: Big Stick Policies?

  9 October 2008

The Haitian Blogger is curious about John Mc Cain's debate reference to “his hero, Teddy Roosevelt, who said, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick'”, adding: “When you look at the world economic crisis that has resulted from the U.S. doctrine of ‘total world domination’, the instinct is to say–how...

Barbados, U.S.A.: Being Presidential

  9 October 2008

Barbadian diaspora blogger Jdid weighs in on the “town hall-style” US Presidential debate: “Obama has shown himself to be presidential material just by his cool manner…I'm speaking about his grace under fire, what seventeenth century Caribbean buccaneers referred to as being ‘pistol proof’.”

Cuba, U.S.A.: Thoughts on the Embargo

  9 October 2008

Cuban diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution disagrees with the suggestion of an “independent scholar” that “lifting the embargo is no longer ‘just a noble but hopeless idea’ but smart politics.”

Barbados: Draft Freedom of Information Bill

  9 October 2008

The government distributes the draft Freedom of Information Bill for feedback, prompting Barbados Underground to encourage citizens to read it and make suggestions: “This is what democracy is about, PEOPLE participation by the PEOPLE!”

Azerbaijan: Election Web Cams

  9 October 2008

Herron Family News reports on a return visit to Azerbaijan to review preparations for next week's presidential election. The blog notes that the country's Central Electoral Commission has authorized the installation of web cams in polling stations so that voting can be monitored online.

Bahamas, Jamaica: Money & Culture

  9 October 2008

Bahamian Nicolette Bethel and Jamaican Geoffrey Philp have a conversation about art, culture and money that leaves the latter to conclude: “Culture is too important to be left in the hands of people who only know about money or power.”

Azerbaijan: The Forgotten War

  9 October 2008

In an extended post accompanied by photographs, Michael J. Totten introduces his readers to the unresolved conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The blog compares the mood in Azerbaijan with that in neighboring Georgia, another country in the region with its own territorial conflicts...

Guyana: Working It

  9 October 2008

Guyana-Gyal gives an example of the “true, true story that some watch while you labour in the heat, then they sneak in cool, cool and reap.”

Liberia: Rebuilding National Media

  9 October 2008

David blogs from Monrovia about rebuilding Liberia's national media: “Developing Liberia’s national media is key to 1.) promoting democracy, 2.) promoting national identity, and 3.) fighting corruption. We have been visiting all the different players involved in Liberia’s media development. First stop was the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism...

India, Pakistan: Death by religion

  9 October 2008

Diganta Sarkar at The New Horizon comments: “the religion first eats non-religious, then the other religions, then starts eating the self. Pakistan has already arrived at the last stage. India is still at the second one … but how long?”

Madagascar: Reporting from the edge of the world

  9 October 2008

Ethan writes about reporting from remote parts of Africa :”How do we get stories from places like Ilakaka, remote locations in Africa with no permanent press presence? Historically, we’d have to wait for something bad to happen – a mining disaster, an outbreak of disease. I see the photos in...

Maldives: First free election underway

  9 October 2008

Maldives Live covers the first free election in Maldives that started yesterday. The latest results indicate that the long serving (since 1978) president Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom is leading.

Japan: Verbal gaffs and Japanese politics

  9 October 2008

Blogger Ken writes about verbal gaffs in Japanese politics [ja]. Ken uses the example of a recent statement by Minister Nariaki Nakayama, which the blogger says became a gaff because Nakayama offended both the teachers union and citizen groups opposing expansion of Narita Airport. Ken argues that verbal gaffs are...

Bangladesh: Celebrating Durga Puja

  9 October 2008

Shahnaz at Dhaka Dweller posts pictures of Durga Puja, an annual Bengali festival that celebrates worship of Hindu goddess Durga. She also describes the festivities covering ten days.

Indonesia: Views on the U.S. Financial Crisis

  9 October 2008

Americans are afraid of another Great Depression as the Wall Street crisis continues to worsen. Meanwhile, many Indonesians are afraid that the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis will happen again if the U.S. economy continues to deteriorate.

Kazakhstan: Language, Economics and Foreign Policy

  9 October 2008

The Kazakhstani authorities have again brought up the issue of state language. Kazakh language has been heavily depreciated in the Soviet times against the background of inculcation of Russian language. Earlier, officials restrained themselves from outright expulsion of the Russian language (which still dominates in the official paperwork and in...

Egypt: Gaza Solidarity Activists Kidnapped, Abused and then Released

While celebrating the 6th of October victory and in alliance with the International Solidarity Movement to break Gaza Siege, activists from different Egyptian civil entities, syndicates, and political parties decided to head to Gaza in an attempt to break the siege. The attempt was cut short by the Egyptian Security, and around 36 activists were ‘kidnapped' and detained.