2 March 2010

Stories from 2 March 2010

French Muslims: From Colonisation to Citizenship

  2 March 2010

As Francophone Africa is celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence from France or Belgium, and with the still rumbling "National Identity" debate as a backdrop, a new generation of French documentary makers have decided to tackle themselves, as Muslims and French citizens, what it means to be both in secular France.

Chile: Army Deployed to Streets of Concepción

  2 March 2010

The situation in Concepción, Chile’s second largest city, has worsened considerably after the earthquake. Confirmed reports of uncontrolled looting, building collapses, violence, and even in some cases, arson led to the deployment of a strong contingent of 4,500 soldiers to the city.

Bahamas: International Women's Day

  2 March 2010

“I'm sure not one civic leader, not one business leader, not one religious leader, will give IWD a thought, much less a word. Bahamian women will be silent too”: Still, Womanish Words holds out hope “that we'll hear the voices of some good writers…speaking up with me in celebration and...

Trinidad & Tobago: Choosing the Road March

  2 March 2010

“Do people wine in a trance brought about by alcohol or are they gyrating on strings manipulated by the whims and fancies of deejays ‘pre-lured’ with blue notes?” Underground Trini Artiste has a few questions about the process of selecting the Road March.

St. Lucia: Bonding Over Books

  2 March 2010

From St. Lucia, Caribbean Book Blog profiles “a new online community designed for fans of West Indian literature [which] aims to leverage Caribbean commonality across the power of the internet to…strengthen bonds between readers, writers, publishers and book clubs in the Caribbean and its Diaspora.”

Russia: Political Party Launches Social Network

Pro-Kremlin party “Just Russia” announced the launch of the social network “Soratniki” (“Companions (-in-arms)”), lenta.ru reported. It is the second “Party-network” launched in Russia, after “Berloga” [RUS] (“Bear's Den”), a social network of “United Russia,” the country's ruling party.

Cambodia's Great Internet Firewall?

  2 March 2010

To protect internet users against pornography, fraud and cyber theft, Cambodia's government has authorized a private company to control all local internet service providers. But bloggers are worried that the state-run internet exchange point is an attempt to censor the cyber critics of the government.

South Africa: 2010 Soccer World Cup – 100 Days and counting…

  2 March 2010

Ladies and gentlemen it’s here! The countdown is on and we are about to cross the psychological number of 100 days left to go. FIFA Soccer World Cup has become the most awaited sports event in recent history not just because of its magnitude but because it comes to the world’s most colourful continent – Africa!

Azerbaijan: Prominent blogger on the BBC

Flying Carpets and Broken Pipelines posts a video recorded for the BBC's Blogworld. The blogger, Arzu Geybullayeva, speaks about her own blog, the situation in Azerbaijan, and how blogging has changed her life. Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor also interviewed Geybullayeva here, here, and here.

Azerbaijan: Eastern Europe Free Press award

Recently honored with the European Free Press prize, ANTV [AZ/EN/RU], an online citizen journalism site co-founded by now imprisoned video blogging youth activist Emin Milli, has published details of the award in English. The ZEIT-Stiftung Foundation is reported as saying ANTV “is the only independent Internet-TV channel in Azerbaijan show[ing]...

Thailand: Guilty verdict for Thaksin

  2 March 2010

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand was recently found guilty by the Supreme Court of 4 out of 5 counts of policy corruption. New Mandala uploads a summary and analysis of the guilty verdict.

Cambodia-Thailand land dispute and Google

  2 March 2010

Google was dragged into the Cambodia-Thailand border row when the Cambodian government sent a letter of complaint over a “radically misleading” google map of the disputed Preah Vihear territory.