December, 2009

Stories from December, 2009

The Balkans: Sarajevo-Belgrade Train

  31 December 2009

Balkanology Blog reports on the recent launch of a direct Sarajevo-Belgrade train, the first one “in almost two decades.” CAFÉ TURCO recalls Serbia's recent history in a post titled “Serbia through the eyes of a train traveller (me).”

China: Akmal's death sentence, a resolute No to memory of humiliation?

  30 December 2009

Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen convicted of smuggling heroine into China, was executed on Tuesday although his families along with the British government had pleaded for reprieve, claiming that he is mentally ill. The supreme court of China however dismissed the request of a mental assessment because the documents provided...

Global Voices needs your support

  30 December 2009

Dear Global Voices Reader, We'd like to ask you to support our work for 2010 with a financial contribution. If you've been following the activity on the Global Voices, Global Voices Advocacy and Rising Voices sites, or on any of our 17 active translation sites, you'll have experienced the incredible...

Pakistan: Arson Attack After Bombing

  30 December 2009

Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts comments on the widespread rioting and arson attack immediately after the suicide bombing on Shiite procession in Karachi last Monday.

India: Andaman Islands

  30 December 2009

Mumbai based blogger Ugich Konitari visits the Andaman islands and writes a two part series (1, 2) noting her experiences.

India: Ten Lessons From Three Idiots

  30 December 2009

Amreekan Desi was not only impressed with Aaamir Khan's latest Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 idiots’ but also learnt a lot from the movie. The blogger takes a satirical look at ten lessons from the movie.

Bahamas: Inefficient Judiciary

  30 December 2009

As a suspected murderer out on bail allegedly kills again, Weblog Bahamas‘ Sidney Sweeting asks: “How long should the Bahamian people have to put up with this nonsense and get the Judiciary to give some consideration to the law abiding, God-fearing citizens of the country?”

China: Three prominent bloggers GFWed in the same week

  30 December 2009

Following the blocking of veteran Internet essayist He Caitou's (@hecaitou) two longstanding blogs hecaitou.net and caobian.info on December 25, renowned columnist Lian Yue (@lianyue) had yet another one of his blogs, lianyue.net, blocked on the 29th; late on the evening of December 30, Peking University new media associate professor Hu...

Puerto Rico: On the Trail

  30 December 2009

When it comes to corruption, Puerto Rico's Gil the Jenius follows the “more subtle ‘influence trail'” rather than the money trail.

Jamaica: Over Hills and Valleys

  30 December 2009

Trinidadian diaspora blogger Afrobella blogs about reggae superstar Buju Banton at his best and worst, prompting Jamaican Annie Paul to respond: “Just as you…have pointed out the good and bad sides of Buju…it's necessary also to nuance what homosexuality represents in cultures such as Jamaica, that homosexuality too has its...

Ukraine: Election and Freedom of Speech

  30 December 2009

Foreign Notes writes about the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine and the impact that its outcome may have on the freedom of speech: “It must be dispiriting for journalists to know how little impact is made by their revelations of Ukraine's leaders’ systematic abuse of power, and a worry to...