2 April 2009

Stories from 2 April 2009

Mexico: Next US Ambassador Speculation

Ana Maria Salazar writes about US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Mexico and speculation on the next US ambassador and what it might mean for relations between the...

2 April 2009

Egyptian Baha'is under attack

Earlier in March, Marwa Rakha wrote a post congratulating Baha'is in Egypt when the Supreme Administrative Court removed any grounds for preventing them from receiving proper official identity documents. Today she reports that after a television appearance featuring Baha'is, Baha'i houses were burnt down in Upper Egypt's governorate - Sohag.

2 April 2009

Israel: Teen Killed, Child Hurt in Terror Attack

Breaking news in Israel – Two boys were attacked with an ax yesterday (April 2) in the West Bank community of Bat Ayin. Thirteen year old Shlomo Nativ died from his injuries, while 7 year old Yair Gamliel was rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull. The incident, deemed to be a terrorist attack, lead the Israel Defense Forces to the nearby town of Khirbet Safa, where the attacker is believed to be hiding. In the Jewish tradition of burying the dead, Nativ's funeral was held on the same evening.

2 April 2009

Egypt's First Adult Graphic Novel on Trial

In April 2008, freedom of speech and creativity in Egypt was hit in its core with the confiscation of Magdy El Shafee's adult graphic novel - Metro. Marwa Rakha sums up reactions from the blogosphere about the court case awaiting Shafee and the book's publisher Mohamed El Sharkawy.

2 April 2009

Indian General Elections and Nepal

For centuries, India and Nepal have shared a very close relationship. Geographic proximity supplemented by cultural and religious similarity have helped the two neighbors remain friendly. Now winds of change...

2 April 2009

Colombia: National Police Force has YouTube Channel

The Colombian Police Force has a new strategy to share the inside workings of their work: a YouTube channel where they are uploading videos showing new technologies they are applying, videos of citizens thanking them for their assistance, new safety campaigns and shots of them in action.

2 April 2009

Sudan: Surviving without the help of NGOs

On March 4th, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan. In retaliation, 13 NGO’s were banished from the country the day after, a number that rose to 16 within the week. As a result, a handful of projects have halted operations: those offering drinkable water supply, food distribution, health care and teaching systems among others.

2 April 2009

Sri Lanka: National Flag And Minorities

Lionel Bopage at Groundviews comments: “The National Flag of Sri Lanka represents the country and her heritage, but is also a rallying device that integrates the races within a majority...

2 April 2009

India: Every Day We Observe Earth Hour

View of My World comments on the observation of Earth Hour in India: “Bangalore, and large parts of India, have been observing earth hour / earth day / earth night...

2 April 2009

Fiji's chief system debated

After a local academic argued that Fiji's chiefly system holds back the country's democratic progress because it could allow certain people to grab resources for themselves, Luvei Viti: Children of...

2 April 2009

Guinea : A Memorial for the Camp Boiro Victims

The truth about the Sekou Touré regime's repression in Guinea has long been overshadowed by his Third World leader aura. Abdoulaye Bah, a translator for GV in French, tells us about the efforts of the Association of victims of Camp Boiro towards justice and reconciliation.

2 April 2009

Dominican Republic: Book Fair

Repeating Islands Blog notes that among this year’s honorees at the Santo Domingo International Book Fair is “fiction writer and cultural critic José Alcántara Almánzar, who will receive the Dominican...

2 April 2009

Cuba: Supporting Sanchez

“Hopefully, the silly, but dangerous rhetoric will provoke greater scrutiny of the dictatorship, and greater support for Sanchez and the others. Sanchez is not defenseless. She is guarded by the...

2 April 2009

Barbados: How Many More?

“Last weekend, yet another Barbadian woman lost her life to domestic violence”: Cheese-on-bread! wants to know “how many more women are going to die before the authorities and all of...

2 April 2009

Guyana: Apology Owed

Guyana 360 links to a mainstream media report confirming that a government minister suggested that former First Lady Janet Jagan should receive an apology for “heinous acts perpetrated against her…in...

2 April 2009