Stories from June, 2009
China's Stimulus Package and its Effect
China elections and governance has a series of article on the China's economic stimulus package and its effect. Part one is An introduction to China's stimulus package. Part two is The green dragon soars on the wind: Chinese stimulus and the environment. Part three is Migrant workers and social unrest....
India: Celebrating Rain
Gargi at POV celebrates the rains which have come late this monsoon season. She reminds us that: “the link that India has to rains, is much like the colder nations of the North have towards Spring. A lot of our mental and physical well being is linked to it raining...
Trinidad & Tobago: Taking Issue
Trinidadian diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch takes issue with a government anti-crime advertisement.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Connecting the Dots
Call it coincidence, but diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense thinks that in light of news that Cuban human rights activists Jorge Luis García Pérez “Antúnez” and his wife were once again arrested, “it might be best to connect the dots”, particularly “in the wake of the NED ceremony, at which Antúnez...
Cuba: Fear of Change?
“Like the seemingly never ending US blockade that attacks Cuba’s economy from without, from the inside a corrosion process is gradually eating away at the relatively young 50-year revolution”: From Havana, Circles Robinson says that “there is a conservative political class of managers at most workplaces and government offices who...
Jamaica: Bloggers on Jackson
Michael Jackson's death has Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Philp ruminating on the meaning of life, while Annie Paul says: “the mainstream media has limited credibility for me now [post Jackson's death] particularly in the wake of the Iraq War which they triumphantly and confidently led us into.”
French Caribbean: Farewell Mickael
The news of the death of the King of Pop was like an earthquake felt around the world. The shock wave reached the French Caribbean, where bloggers from Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, all pay homage to the late artist.
Bangladesh: Grameen – Workable Idea Worldwide
Naveen Bachwani at Grey Matter is fascinated by the works of Grameen Bank and Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh. His idea of Microcredit and Social business has been replicated in many countries and can work in any country of the world.
Japan: Shiso-flavored Pepsi
Pepsi Shiso (Japanese for perilla or beefsteak plant) went on sale a couple of days ago – Curzon loved it while Darg thought it was nasty.
China: Being blocked
Uln from Chinayouren shares his frustrated feelings on being blocked by the Great Fire Wall of China.
China: Netizens’ reactions over Michael Jackson's death
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese netizens’ reactions over Michael Jackson's death.
China: A migrant worker strikes back
Michele Scrimenti from Chinageeks translated an excerpt of a post by Wan Xiaodao, a rural migrant worker in his 20s who criticizes the society from grassroots point of view.
Grimaces of education in Kazakhstan
From June 01 to June 10 school graduates in Kazakhstan were undergoing Unified National Test (UNT) – the first and one of the most important tests in their lives. As Zara, one of our bloggers, writes, the average test result has been 74.9 points, which is 7 points higher than...
China: Online social movement
Fili An posts a review on Chinese censorship and netizen's online social movement.
Myanmar: 1st H1N1 Case Confirmed
Myanmar on Saturday confirmed its first case of swine flu, with state media reporting that a 13-year-old girl had tested positive for the virus on her return from Singapore.
East Timor: Press freedom situation
The Daily PCIJ reports on the press freedom situation in East Timor
Morocco: Celebrating the First Female Mayor of Marrakesh
The Moroccan elections of two weeks ago brought surprising results and were received with mixed reactions, as Hisham pointed out in this post. One such result was the election of a woman to the position of mayor in Marrakesh for the very first time. Fatima Zahra Mansouri, who studied law,...
Honduras: Zelaya Arrested and Removed as President
The day started across Honduras with news that President Mel Zelaya was arrested in his home by armed soldiers on the same day of a controversial referendum. Days earlier, Zelaya had removed the head of the Armed Forces. Reactions ranged from calling the situation a coup d'état to those who saw the move as the only way to stop Zelaya's attempts to run for an additional term.
Africa: Bloggers pay tribute to Michael Jackson
In Africa, bloggers are paying tribute to Michael Jackson after his recent death by posting pictures, music videos, poetry and reflections. "RIP MJ," writes Kenyan blogger WildeYearnings. "You now have the whole sky to moonwalk on..."
Palestine: Lebanese Activist Stuck At Egypt-Gaza Border
Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra, who reported from Gaza during Israel's attacks in January, is not being allowed to cross out of the Gaza Strip into Egypt.
Russia: “Ingushetia, boom”
A Fistful of Euros writes about the assassination attempt on Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and the situation in Ingushetia and other North Caucasus regions.