Stories from 12 January 2009
Cuba: Spain, Cuba & the Embargo
Cuban bloggers weigh in on Spain's suggestion to the international community that “Cuba will change its ways if the world would only talk to them”. Uncommon Sense: “The Spanish government has a lot at stake with its soft-shoe approach — starting with billions of Euros invested in Cuban tourism and...
Trinidad & Tobago: The Summit
Trinidad and Tobago will be hosting The Fifth Summit of the Americas later this year, prompting This Beach Called Life to comment: “Citizens of The Island were excited as The Great Summits approached. Thought the economy of The Island was in a tailspin and pensioners were being shortchanged, no expense...
Barbados: Literary Winners
From Barbados, Gallimaufry blogs about the winners of the 2009 Frank Collymore Literary Award.
Grenada: Spice It Up
The Nomadic Gourmet gives a brief introduction to “Grenada – the Island of Spice.”
Jamaica, Barbados: Future of Cricket
Jamaica's Abeng News Magazine asks “the $55 million question: Whither West Indies Cricket?”
Jamaica: Let the Music Play
Annie Paul is convinced that “2009 is going to be an exciting new year for Jamaican music!”
Armenia: Public Transport
Despite being the second largest city in the country, journeying to Gyumri from the capital, Yerevan, is not for anyone other than the hardiest of travelers. The Armenian Observer recounts a recent trip and says that while minibuses might be fast and cheap, they are often overcrowded and uncomfortable.
Russia: Racist violence on the rise – again?
Moscow Through Brown Eyes is horrified at noting the five killings of and nine attacks against migrant workers in Moscow in the first ten days of the new year alone.
Fiji floods: ‘Where is all this water coming from?’
Fiji’s bloggers have begun reporting on the weekend's serious flooding that has placed much of the Western Division of the country’s largest island under water. Debate within the blogosphere has also assessed the government’s capacity to deal with the situation.
Poland: Allegations of homosexuality as political instrument
The beatroot comments on the allegations made by a populist politician against former Polish Prime Minister Lech Kaczynski for being gay.
Estonia: Aftermath of Bronze Soldier Acquittal
AnTyx addresses the issue of the acquittals of four people standing trial for the April 2007 Bronze Soldier riots, and praises the impartiality of the Estonian judiciary.
Kazakhstan: Importing Tennis Hottie
KZBlog reports that Kazakhstan has made a deal with 19-year old Sesil Karatantcheva, the once up and coming tennis star who was ranked 35th in the world. She will become a Kazakhstan citizen and play here for at least three years.
China: The Human Flesh Search Pact
ESWN has translated the human flesh search pact launched by digtech.cn.
Kazakhstan: Prime-minister, blogger
KZBlog reacts to the launch of official blog of the Kazakhstani prime-minister Karim Massimov. “That’s a good sign that the PM, or his advisers, are pretty hip to Web 2.0″, he says.
Japan: Hakenmura, the Temp Workers Village
Over 300 people spent their nights between New Year`s Eve and the 5th of January in a tent camp stationed at Hibiya Park in central Tôkyô, referred to as 年越し派遣村 (toshikoshi hakenmura, or lit. “New Year's Village for Temporary Workers”). The people staying in Hakenmura were temporary workers (派遣社員, haken...
China: Support National Brand
A new website, I wall China, has been set up to support national brand. Netizens are encouraged to vote for their favorite brand. The background music is also very national.
China: Censorship on Charter 08
Uln from Chinayouren wrote on the censorship of Charter 08 within mainland China, in particular among Chinese websites.
Morocco: On Poverty and Gaza
Duncan Goes to Morocco, a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Morocco, discusses poverty in his village, and the reaction of the village to the incidents in Gaza.
Israel: Construction Workers From Gaza
There's a myriad of posts on the war in Gaza in the Russophone blogosphere right now, with the whole spectrum of opinions well-represented by Israeli and non-Israeli bloggers alike. The text translated from Russian below, however, is not about the ongoing conflict: Tel Aviv-based LJ user leorer took a step aside and posted his notes on the construction workers from Gaza he worked with during “the first few years of [his] life in Israel.”
Venezuela: Do the Actions of the Chávez Government in Support of Palestine Reflect the Views of the People?
In Venezuela, the conflict in the Middle East is a little closer to home due to the actions of the government of President Hugo Chávez. In addition to the explusion of the Israeli ambassador in Caracas, there have been other moves by the government and its supporters indicating that Chávez has come out strongly in favor of Palestine and against the actions of Israel. However, some bloggers' opinions indicate that the government's point of view may not speak for the entire country.
