27 January 2009

Stories from 27 January 2009

St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Call for Justice

  27 January 2009

“Let the courts speak loudly on behalf of all the little children whose voices are silenced by these criminals”: Blogging from St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Abeni is all for throwing the book at sexual offenders.

Cuba: Political Prisoners

  27 January 2009

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports on the experience of some of Cuba's political prisoners because he believes that “it is a truth that one day will set them, and their country, free.”

Barbados: Help Needed

  27 January 2009

“If you need an ambulance in Barbados…call a newspaper reporter!”: Barbados Free Press hates “the ‘island time’ third world standards and attitudes that keep us down.”

Madagascar: Negotiations canceled as unrest spreads

  27 January 2009

There was a slight hope of a rapid resolution in the currently undergoing social unrest in Madagascar. Leaders of both government and opposition announced a meeting would be held yesterday. That meeting was canceled after both parties failed to agree on preliminary conditions. In the meantime, lootings are still ongoing...

Iran:The first mixed football game draws punishment

  27 January 2009

The first mixed football (soccer) game — females vs. male teenagers — since the 1979 Islamic revolution led to punishment, as an Iranian football club said it had suspended three officials involved. Coralit,an Iranian blogger, says [fa] that some people filmed the match by their mobiles and these films were...

Japan: Robot Puppets

  27 January 2009

Edo from Pink Tentacle blogs about the use of robot technology in classic bunraku puppets in Japan.

DRC:Virunga Gorilla Population Has Grown

  27 January 2009

On Tuesday, 27 January 2009, D.R of Congo's Virunga National Park authorities issued a press release declaring that the population of habituated – or human tolerant – mountain gorillas in the Park had increased by 12.5% in the last 18 months (from August 2007 to January 2009) despite the fierce...

China and U.S: The Timing of Charter 08

  27 January 2009

Roland discusses about the timing of Charter 08, a joint statement for political reform signed by more than 300 intellectuals, in relation to the politics in the U.S to account for its impact.

Armenia: Voting Rights

  27 January 2009

As the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gathers to consider the possibility of withdrawing Armenia's voting rights in connection with the arrest of opposition supporters and unfulfilled resolutions against the country following last year's presidential election, The Armenian Observer comments on news reports that sanctions will most...

Madagascar's resourceful kids

  27 January 2009

This week, two videos from Madagascar show us how children make do with their situation and rise above it using ingenuity, creativity and a bit of daring. First is Toky, who makes tin cars out of waste materials, and the other is the Green Boy, a kid who makes a living in the streets not by begging, but by showing off his acrobatic skills.

Russia, Ukraine: “Gas War IV”

  27 January 2009

Leopolis analyzes the Ukraine-Russia gas dispute and the agreement signed: “There is a natural temptation to assess the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of the Russian-Ukrainian Gas War IV, which emerged from a commercial crisis to a political game.”