Stories from 30 August 2010
Armenia-Azerbaijan: More dialogue through film
With national television in Armenia and Azerbaijan controlled by the authorities or government-linked individuals, there is little opportunity for independent reporting. Now more objective and human interest stories can be found on the Internet.
Nicaragua: The Result of the 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media
The 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media took place on August 12 and 13 in Managua, Nicaragua. Here we summarize the even't results through images, podcasts, videos and blogs.
Caribbean: “Earl” Watch
It's that time again: Hurricane season. Regional bloggers, having been affected by brutal storms in the past, are keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Earl, which has now been classified as a Category 3 storm. Within the next 36 to 48 hours, it is expected to affect the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, among other islands.
Mexico: Fleeing Monterrey
Hernando y la Silla writes [es] about why people are leaving Monterrey, a city that “has become the center of the conflict between the various criminal gangs.”
Western Europe: A journey through tech for transparency projects
Sylwia Presley takes us on a tour of technology for transparency projects in Western Europe.
Ghana: Photos of Ghanaians threatened with relocation
Bunmi displays Devin Tepleski's portraits of the inhabitants of Bui, Ghana, who are threatened with relocation by a new hydroelectric dam.
Ghana: Former President Connects With People On Facebook
It has been almost a year and half since John Kufuor respectfully handed over power to Ghanaian President Atta Mills. Despite leaving office, Kufuor still sees the need to communicate with the public. Thanks to social networking, Kufuor communicates to Ghanaian citizens using his Facebook account, which has 15,066 followers (at the time of writing this post).
Zambia: Abuse of copyright rules online
Malama Katulwende comments on the recent abuse of copyright by tZambian Watchdog and Lusaka Times websites and the issues it raises on the legal and ethical practice of the the websites.
Cuba: Naming Names
“After all the hubbub about Cuba agreeing to release 52 political prisoners in jail since the ‘black spring’ crackdown of March-April 2003, there still remain in prisons across the island 21 members of the Group of 75″: Uncommon Sense posts their names.
Trinidad & Tobago: Music Royalties
“Fight down, fight down, and more fight down. That seems to be the life of the local artiste”: Outlish Magazine shines the spotlight on “a recent decision taken by the Trinidad and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association…which allegedly paves the way for radio stations to not pay royalties to their...
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Welectricity
Abeni wants you to vote Welectricity, “the brainchild of Vincentian energy consultant Herbert A (Haz) Samuel”, which delivers energy efficiency through social networking and is in contention for the GE Ecomagination Challenge.
Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana: Ramadan Cake Recipe
“There’s a particular kind of joy attached to this month. Yes, it’s all about ibadah (worship) and the fasting and extra night prayers (Tarawih) can be a test, but there’s a sense of community that abounds during this month”: Lifespan of a Chennette says that “Muslims like making nice things...
Latin America: Blogging at Los Superdemokraticos
Coinciding with several Bicentennial Independence celebrations in Latin America, from June to October 2010 German and Latin American bloggers [es] will be writing for Los Superdemokraticos about their “daily lifes [sic] in international political contexts.” Posts are published in German and Spanish; five texts are translated into English each month.
Cuba: Interrogation
Luis Felipe Rojas blogs about his detainment by the Cuban authorities and says: “I think about the path that has brought this country the totalitarian power that is eating away at itself. What will be my next punishment?”
China: Blogger Fang Zhouzi was attacked
Famous blogger or the Science Cop, Fang Zhouzi, was attacked by thug yesterday (August 29). ESWN translated his blog post about the attack.
China: Tibetan blogosphere
Dechen Pemba introduces the Tibetan blogosphere for tomorrow's BlogDay at the comment factory.
Australia Still Waiting for a New Government
A week after its election, Australia is waiting for a new government. Neither side won a majority of the 150 House of Representative seats. Bloggers have been busy speculating not only on possible outcomes but also the reasons for the hung parliament.
South Korea: Government Plan To Increase Cigarette Price Meets Public Backlash
South Korea’s health department announced on tripling the price of cigarettes to curb the nation’s high smoking rate, prompting a new round of cigarette price disputes online. Many Koreans agree that smoking rates should come down, but still doubt the effectiveness of the new move.
Africa: Maker Faire Africa 2010: First Day
Photos and first day account of Maker Faire Africa 2010: “This year, besides having jua kali creators from Kenya, we also have makers from Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and South Africa. It’s a great turnout, and continues the tradition from Ghana last year.We’re seeing all kinds of incredible ideas...
Kenya: My Take on Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's Autobiography
Njeri Wangari reviews Ngugi Wa Thiongo's new autobiography: “Dreams in a Time of War… let you get an understanding of Ngugi that you probably have never before. We all to tend to think that Ngugi a radical who is too pragmatic about use of his mothertongue only drawing his characters...
Japan: Web Startups Present at WISH 2010
The second edition of the web industry event WISH was held on August 28th, and hundreds gathered to hear a panel discussion by industry leaders and 14 presentations by startup services.