Stories from 10 November 2008
Bangladesh: Questioning the Judiciary
An Ordinary Citizen comments on the recent state of judiciary in Bangladesh which was separated from the administration about a year ago: “It was seen that the long hand of the administration on the judiciary was not over. Political cases included cases of corruption were not dealt unbiased. Bails were...
Honduras: Top 25 Sites Visited
Of the top 25 internet sites visited by Hondurans, only 3 are from Honduras including a telecommunications and newspaper site, writes Hugo Chinchilla.
Bhutan: Coronation of a King
The Himalayan Beacon posts a picture of the coronation of the new Bhutanese King, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and his quote: “I will never rule you as a King…I shall always serve you, day and night, in the spirit of kindness, justice and equality.”
Bolivia: An Indigenous as Minister of Education?
Mario Durán of Palabras Libres [es] wonders why the Bolivian government did not name an indigenous to the office of Minister of Education, while a commenter notes that the new Minister Roberto Aguilar may consider himself to be a member of one of the 36 ethnicities.
Mexico: Obligatory Military Service
La Banda writes about his experience with trying to sign-up for the obligatory military service in Nayarit, Mexico.
Mexico: Video Workshops at UNAM
Notilibertas [es] is sponsoring a video workshop at UNAM in Mexico City every Tuesday starting on November 11. The third part of the workshop will teach participants how to make videos for the internet.
Paraguay: Blogger Meet-Up
Muna Annahas writes about her meeting with some ex-pat bloggers during her recent visit to Asuncion, Paraguay.
Trinidad & Tobago: “Radio Raid” Reactions
The fallout over the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's visit to a radio station to complain about critical comments made against him during a newscast appears to have only just begun. Local mainstream media continue to apply pressure, although in typical Trinbagonian fashion, some of the coverage is peppered with humour - but bloggers see nothing funny about what many of them consider to be the Prime Minister's attempts to muzzle free speech.
Turkmenistan: A Kingdom for a Horse
Peter comments on the Turkmen president’s sudden enthusiasm for all things horse-related, which has prompted him to sign deals worth dozens of millions to build new racetracks across the country.
Uzbekistan: Inoyatov Visits Germany
Nathan reports that after the EU’s decision to lift the travel ban on Uzbek officials involved in the 2005 Andijon events, Germany is the first EU member to host one of these officials, Rustam Inoyatov – the head of Uzbek special service “for security talks”.
Afghanistan: Aid Worker Attacks in Taliban Strategy
Patrick Frost opines why Taliban is targeting and killing/kidnapping foreign and local aid workers against the background of the recent abduction of French volunteer in Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan: Academic Shenanigins in the United States
Patrick Frost reports on the scandalous case involving renowned US-based The Hopkins Institute, which has disclosed funding for three recent reports about modern Kazakhstan, revealing that the Kazak government-funded Washington lobbying firm APCO Worldwide provided $52,300 for those researches.
Tajikistan: Talco Case Begins in London
Ian says that the court case the Tajik government initiated against two former members of a consortium running Talco, the Tajik state aluminum enterprise, has gone onto trial stage in London.
Afghanistan: Fawzia Koofi in France
Azar Balkhi reports that Fawzia Koofi, the Second Deputy of the Afghanistan Parliament, attended the conference of Council of Women World Leaders that took place in France in an apparent sign of revival of gender equality in post-Taliban country.
Afghanistan: Afghan National Army
Nasim Fekrat posts a picture and writes about the national army of Afghanistan, saying that it is getting strong enough to stand up against Taliban and other enemies.
DR Congo: Fighting Continues
As the world celebrated Obama's electoral victory, fighting in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has continued in spite of the ceasefire announced by the CNDP rebel group last week. Displacement, killing and lootings haven't stopped, and while regional African leaders met in Nairobi and the world is wondering how to keep the peace in the country, the Ushahidi software has been deployed to the DRC for documentation purposes.
Haiti: School Collapses
The fact that Haiti didn't need another tragedy didn't stop one from striking. This time, it was a school collapse in Pétionville, which left scores of children dead and countless others injured. Haitian bloggers were quick to offer online empathy and support.
Cuba: Hurricane Paloma
In the latest installment of the chronicles of the 2008 hurricane season, Hurricane Paloma struck Cuba, destroying hundreds of homes in the process and compounding the damage and economic losses the island experienced two short months ago after Hurricane Ike. Bloggers from both Cuba and the diaspora were monitoring the...
Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana: From the Yard
“Growing up in a semi-rural, agricultural area of Trinidad, every household would make garden. Some larger than others, depending on the availability of land. Neighbours shared peas, beans, fruits, trade dasheen bush for avocados, encouraging diversity without having to plant everything yourself”: Lifespan of a Chennette highlights “the joy that...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: The Big 100
Blogging from St. Vincent and the Greandines, Abeni pays tribute to her village's two centenarians.
Trinidad & Tobago: 007
“I didn’t recognize him at first since he had changed so many times over the years. What eventually gave him away was the use of his precise British accent to pick up the flight attendant and the manila folder on his lap marked ‘Double-Oh-Seven-Top Secret – For Your Eyes Only,...
