Stories from 16 September 2010
Azerbaijan: Bloggers to require registration?
As the use of new and social media starts to surface in the run-up to the 7 November parliamentary election in Azerbaijan, In Mutatione Fortitudo reports that there are now calls for bloggers to be considered similar to journalists. While on the surface such a suggestion sounds positive, the accompanying...
Venezuela: Documentary Released Online Goes ‘Beyond the Clichés’
Francisco Toro from Caracas Chronicles introduces the documentary “Moving Pictures o Los Autos de Caracas” by Chris Moore, which was released online this week: “The film is a methodical meditation on just how Venezuela's dream of modernity went so badly off the rails.” Francisco will review the documentary in installments...
Nepal: The CyberSansar Scandal
Ujjwal Acharya at The Radiant Star writes about the copyright infringement by a reputed cyber business venture in Nepal and the government crackdown on its employees.
India: On Kashir And ‘Freedom’
Greatbong at Random Thoughts Of A Demented Mind opines that “what is going on in Kashmir is hardly an independence struggle, but more an expression of aggressive Islamic (mostly Sunni) revivalism.”
Bangladesh: The Privileged Members Of Parliament
An ordinary citizen discusses about the recent privileges for the members of parliament announced by the government. The incomes of the MPs will be tax free and they will be able to import a tax free luxury car each.
Azerbaijan: As elections approach, social networking steps in
On 7 November, Azerbaijan will once again head to the polls to cast their ballots in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The pre-election campaign won't officially start until 23 days before election day itself, but there already some signs of activity appearing on Facebook.
Argentina: Banks on 24-hour Strike
EconoBlog informs [es] that banks across the country are on a 24-hour strike demanding an improvement in salaries, working conditions and security.
Chile: Bloggers and Social Network Users Question Bicentennial Celebrations
On September 18 Chile commemorates 200 years of its Independence from Spain with a Bicentennial celebration. But the date has generated reactions from bloggers and Twitter users who are relating the celebrations to a prolonged hunger strike by the Mapuche indigenous group and other current issues of concern for the Chilean people.
Caribbean: Farewell, Arrow
Caribbean bloggers are mourning the loss of one of the region's soca music pioneers - Alphonsus Cassell, better known as “Arrow” - whose mega-hit, Hot, Hot, Hot is largely credited with taking soca to a global audience. News reports confirm that the singer had been ailing from cancer for some time; bloggers' tributes have been both touching and personal...
China: Shanghai’s 7 Social Classes
Baoru from CNReviews translated an article from JFDaily on Shanghai's 7 social class.
Trinidad & Tobago: Do the Math
“If citizens are being asked to trust our leaders’ public statements, then the statistics on their own departments’ websites must match”: KnowTnT.com is doing the math and says the numbers don't add up.
Smart use of mobile in a rural Chinese restaurant
Lonniehodge posted a twitpic showing the use of mobile wireless device for checking order in a rural Chinese restaurant.
Jamaica: Palisadoes’ Defeat
Snail Writer blogs about the “environmental defeat” of the Palisadoes spit, “that jointed arm that holds Kingston Harbour in loose embrace”; Labrish echoes her “lamentations for Jamaica’s special places of natural beauty and the alarm at the lack of environmental consideration given to these places that are the heritage of...
Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia: Regional Winner
Caribbean Book Blog notes that a Trinidadian teacher submitted one of the regional winning entries in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition.
Venezuela: Examples of US Media Campaign Against Chavez
Eva Golinger in Postcards from the Revolution writes, “The bombardment of negative, false, distorted and manipulated news about Venezuela in US media has increased in volume and intensity during the last few days.” She goes on to show specific examples of this.
Honduras: Another Case of Police Brutality
Juan Carlos Rivera [es] and user Hibueras [es] report on another case of police brutality during a protest led by the Resistance Front in the city San Pedro Sula. According to Juan Carlos Rivera, 20 thousand people participated in the march on September 15. He also posted pictures of the...
Guyana: Gold Rush?
Guyana-Gyal thinks the gold rush must be on again – at least judging from the influx of foreigners – and each of them, she says, “got their own winning technique.”
Africa: Diaspora Camp DC 2010
Diaspora Camp DC: Recap: “The event brought together about 120 entrepreneurs, investors, students and professionals to find out the ways to access capital to start, fund and grow small and medium enterprises as well as other kinds of ventures.”
Africa: Thank God for Colonialism
Thank God for colonialism in Africa: “The colonial state was able to offer useful things to converts, such as protection, preferential treatment, access to education and ultimately access to jobs within the colonial administration and all the privileges that came with that. Christianity became a ‘badge of honour’.”
Ghana: Political Success Story of West Africa, But…
Ghana maybe be the political success story of West Africa however its citizens have yet to experience a standard of living more associated with modern liberal democracies.
Nigeria: Images of Nigerian Feminist Funmilayo Kuti
“Yesterday, I came across this album that contains pictures from the private collection of the much loved Nigerian feminist, shero and inspiration to several young girls and women, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,” Eccentric Yoruba writes.
