Stories from 4 May 2009
India: Improving Quality Of Lives In Cities
Argumentation Crisis and other Short Stories lists some steps to improve the quality of life in typical Indian cities.
Bangladesh: Closer To The First Nuclear Power Plant
Mohammad Farhan Husain, at Had I been in Voyager 1!!! blog is excited that Bangladesh is closing on a deal with Russia to build its first nuclear power plant. He comments: “If this deal goes through, it will put an end to the agony (power crisis) people of Bangladesh are...
Peru: The Switch to Digital Television
Peru is making the switch to digital television, but the government chose the Japanese-Brazilian standard making it more expensive for the consumer. Eduardo Villanueva of Casi Un Blog Mk.II [es] wonder why the government made that decision when it indicated that cost will be a fact when deciding on the...
Nepal: The Next Prime Minister
Democracy For Nepal (DFN) comments: “It is now time to form a new government that would include all parties except the Maoists. Jhala Nath Khanal would be the right person to lead that government.”
Guadeloupe: May Day demonstrations
In a photo-post, Guadeloupean Chien créole [Fr] blogs about the first massive demonstrations since the end of the recent social turmoil in the French West Indies: May Day celebration in Petit-Canal; meanwhile, Shakazulu [Guadeloupean Creole] reports on the number of demonstrators.
French Overseas Departments: Questioning the “Estates General”
Guadeloupean Mycho blogs [Fr] about her doubts concerning the “Estates General of the French Overseas Departments” to re-think the status of its distant departments, while bloggers Anba pyé mango-la and indiscrétions [Fr] also report on developments.
Africa: Aggregating African voices on Twitter
Kenyan blogger uses Twibes to aggregate African conversations on Twitter: “i have decided to use Twibes(a twitter based website)to aggregate african user tweets and followers.I have formed the Afritwits group at Twibes . The idea is to come up with an afrocentric twitter group where the latest twit on Africa...
Kenya: The secret cyberlaw in Kenya
What is the secret cyberlaw that was passed by the Kenyan parliament?: As unfortunate as it would be, the great story of a new beginning for the ICT sector went largely unnoticed. The new law curiously carries a section or two that traditional Kenyan media did not like. Members of...
Kenya: It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower
A review of a book on corruption in Kenya, “It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower”: I approached the book with a defensive scepticism, antennae up, mind braced, expecting a predictable caricature of an African nation in broad strokes of pitch black and sparkling white. She...
Nepal: Prime Minister Prachanda resigns
Today (Monday, May 4, 2009) afternoon at 3 PM local time, Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) announced his resignation through a press conference, pushing the already troubled country further into crises. His resignation comes after President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated the sacked army chief Rookmangud Katwal.
DR Congo: Baby Gorilla Rescued in Trafficking Bust
On Sunday, 26 April 2009, ICCN Rangers, led by the Virunga National Park Director – a former WildlifeDirect CEO – Emmanuel de Merode arrested a suspected gorilla trafficker and recovered a concealed baby eastern lowland gorilla. The suspect was accosted and arrested as he disembarked from a plane at Goma...
Southeast Asia: Reactions to the H1N1 virus
Early this year, I wrote about the virus scare which swept the Southeast Asian region. Rising cases of dengue fever, chikungunya, bird flu and ebola viruses were registered in many countries in the region. There is another threat in the region: H1N1 virus (formerly known as “swine flu”)
Sri Lanka: How Many Lives Are Still Required To End This War?
Indi.ca asks a burning question: “War is dirty and war is death. Sri Lanka has chosen war and it’s too late to turn back. It’s a terrible question, but you have to ask yourself, how many would you support killing to end this war?”
Caribbean: On Press Freedom
Yesterday - May 3 - was World Press Freedom Day - declared by the United Nations General Assembly in order to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press. Many Caribbean bloggers noted the significance of the occasion in their posts...
Sri Lanka: Tamil Websites Blocked
ICT For Peace building (ICT4PEACE) reports that Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has blocked access to a number of Tamil websites from its ADSL network.
Armenia: No policies, but plenty of perks
The Caucasian Knot, the blog of Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor posts an account, photographs and video of yesterdays pre-election campaign rally by the governmental Prosperous Armenia political party. The blog notes that back yards were asphalted just hours before the meeting and a free concert appeared to replace offering...
Caribbean: Hurricane Names
Repeating Islands reports that “three Atlantic hurricane names—Gustav, Ike and Paloma—have been retired after those storms killed more than 200 people in the Caribbean region during the 2008 season.”
Trinidad & Tobago: A Question of Integrity
“In light of all the corruption in Trinidad & Tobago, where we have fallen in the global corruption ratings steadily, this Commission is one of the last bastions of checks and balances provided to the people”: Jumbie's Watch takes issue with the confusion surrounding the appointment of the new Integrity...
Cuba: Ladies Attacked
Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to a report that says the Damas de Blanco were attacked by both police and private citizens following a Mass in the Cuban province of Matanzas.
Haiti: Election Farce
“Haiti's senatorial elections of April 19 were boycotted by the overwhelming majority of the electorate. As if to deliberately invite more ridicule, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced that a…second round of the discredited elections will take place on June 7″:
Americas: Region Responds to the H1N1 Virus
Even though the epicenter of the H1N1 virus outbreak has been in Mexico, other countries in the region are finding ways to prevent and combat it. Bloggers have been keen on taking a close look at what their governments are doing to alleviate fears, or whether they are responsible for adding to the panic by some. Others Latin American bloggers are observing the behavior of their fellow citizens, often using humor to cut through some of the tension.
