Stories from September, 2010
Nepal: Political Gridlock Continues
Today Nepal failed its ninth bid to elect a new prime minister. Anup Kaphle, for the Pulitzer Center on crisis reporting, notes the consequences of this political gridlock.
Pakistan: Don't Feed The Rumor Mill
Kalsoom at Chowrangi is furious after reading the rumors in the Pakistani and international media that the Pakistan army is considering options for an indirect intervention in Pakistan’s political sphere. “I think we need to stop feeding the rumor mill,” the blogger writes.
Nigeria: This Bitch of a Life Tour
This Bitch of a Life Tour in Nigeria: ““Fela: This Bitch of a Life” is a moving account of Fela, told from the inside. During his stay in Nigeria, Carlos will read from the book, discuss Fela and his times with Very Special Guests…”
Cameroon: Tale of 50-year old rape
Victim's tale of rape in Cameroon: “First, she was told by her husband that no one would ever believe her. Much as it had petrified the 15 year old then when he had first said it after mounting off her and zipping his pants with a smirk on his face…”
Trinidad & Tobago: The Big Question
Continuing his examination of the terms of the CLICO bailout, Afra Raymond asks the $57,000 question: “‘If the CL Financial group is insolvent, then how are we paying for all this?’”
India: A Plebiscite In Kashmir
Raja Basu at Potpourri gives logic why the question of a plebiscite should not arise for deciding the fate of Kashmir.
Nigeria: Nigeria@50: What is there to celebrate?
Nigerian blogger Adeola Aderounmu says the country’s democracy is in a shambles and the N17bn for the independence celebrations is money ill-spent.
Cuba: “En Practica”
In the wake of massive public sector layoffs, how exactly are the rules for proposed self-employment going to work? Generation Y says: “Like a repertoire of destitution and dependency, this enumeration of private work seems more in tune with a feudal village than a 21st century country”, while El Yuma...
Jamaica: Tropical Storm Nicole
“Well, the trials and tribulations of Buju Banton have abruptly been ejected from the Jamaican imagination by a raging storm which brazenly breezed its way across the island when no one was looking”: Tropical Storm Nicole takes Active Voice by surprise.
Grenada: Blog Action Day
Blah Bloh Blog is ready for this year's Blog Action Day, saying: “The theme this year is WATER. Access to clean water is not just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue. An animal welfare issue. A sustainability issue.”
Guyana: Women's Plight
Local news headlines tell the sad story of a young woman driven to suicide, allegedly because of a domestic dispute; The Guyana Groove concludes that “these are most certainly desperate times for women.”
Pakistan: A Journalist Seeks Protection
Habib R. Sulemani, a Pakistani journalist, writes that he is in self confinement in his house for six months to avoid assassination attempts on him. He seeks protection of the government from the persons who are trying to kill him because of his writings on taboo subjects.
India: Live Blogging The Ayodhya Verdict
Offstumped is live blogging a controversial verdict on the Ayodhya issue, which has created much tension between the Hindus and Muslims of India and beyond.
Vietnam: Blogger Pham Minh Hoang Charged with Attempt at Overthrowing the Government
Reporters Without Borders reports that French-Vietnamese blogger Pham Minh Hoang was charged with “Activities aimed at overthrowing the government” and membership of a “terrorist organisation” (the banned opposition party Viet Tan). His wife opines that the reason for her husband’s arrests was his opposition to bauxite mining [fr] by a...
Jordanian Bloggers Promote Dialogue With U.S.
Jordanian bloggers advocate for dialogue and moderation rather than extremism in responding to U.S. misconceptions toward Muslims.
Russia: September 30 is Internet Day
Russian online users celebrate Internet Day in the country on September 30. This day also traditionally marks the start of the voting process for the best Internet project in the country that will be determined by the most amount of votes by the second half of November.
Brunei's “national twitter account”
Meet @BruneiTweet, probably Brunei's most famous twitter user who blogs about the lives of ordinary young Bruneians. GV interviewed him about his online projects and other advocacies.
China: 7 Departments on censorship
Isaac lists out in Twitter 7 government departments that are responsible for censorship in China.
China and the U.S.A: Yuan's value and stock market's move
George Chen notices a coincidence happened before the China national day: Goldman Sachs chose the day to sell up to $2 billion-worth of shares of its stake in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the U.S. House of Representatives passed the China currency bill by a vote of 348-79.
Japan: Pachinko, a legal gambling game
A blogger at theJapaneseTutor.com shortly explains [en] what pachinko [en] is and why this gambling game is legal in Japan.
Hungary: Citizens Protest Against Auchan Shopping Mall
Marietta Le posts an update on the ongoing efforts by Hungarian citizens to save the Dunakeszi marsh, which would be destroyed if Auchan Hungary's expansion continues as planned.