12 October 2010

Stories from 12 October 2010

Maldives: No McDonald's

  12 October 2010

Mohamed Saeed points to the fact that there is no McDonald's outlet in Maldives and weighs the pros and cons of having them.

Chile: All Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike

  12 October 2010

The general hunger strike carried out by Mapuche prisoners prosecuted under Chile's anti-terrorism law reached its final closure today. The end was reached after prisoners in the cities of Angol and Victoria, as well as a Mapuche youth held in youth detention center, ended their strike. Most Mapuche prisoners had ended the protest on October 2.

Serbia: Gay Pride Parade Used as Excuse for Riots

  12 October 2010

Gay Pride Parade held on October 10 2010 in Belgrade brought out the worst and the best elements of Serbian society in the open. The police had to suppress about 6000 rioters who, in a very organized manner, wrecked damage in the city center, while pro-democracy forces hailed the event as big advance for the freedoms of speech and association, guaranteed by law.

India: A View From Kashmir

  12 October 2010

Wasim Khalid, a Srinagar based journalist, shares at South Asia Wired how it is like to live under curfew in Jammu & Kashmir since June.

St. Maarten: Garden Isle

  12 October 2010

“Citizens of St. Maarten have been urged to mark their new political status…by taking practical steps to transform the new Dutch Caribbean nation into a ‘Garden Isle,’ with a view to protect the environment and to boost tourism”: Repeating Islands has the link.

Puerto Rico: Violence & Corruption

  12 October 2010

Repeating Islands draws attention to the issues surrounding “another violent weekend ended in Puerto Rico”, while Gil the Jenius maintains that “we can and have but will not survive as a society with widespread corruption.”

Cuba: Limits on Self-Employment

  12 October 2010

“According to the newspaper Granma, starting in October you can work for yourself in 178 activities” but, argues Laritza's Laws, the new regulations come hand in hand with some limitations which, “along with the stepped-up state supervision and inspection, will limit future possibilities for operating a small business.”

Guyana: Pursuit of Happiness

  12 October 2010

“Flip open we newspapers, almost everyday, bullets and blood bust out; Citizens and Opinionists throwing words like Hobbesian nightmare…screaming who fault it is…but no body ain’t saying, Let it start with me“: Guyana-Gyal wants to be happy in spite of it all.

South Korea:Photos of the Hi Seoul Festival

  12 October 2010

Blogger MyCar 9960 uploaded photos[ko] of the 2010 Hi Seoul Festival, Seoul's seasonal cultural festival. A series of indoor and street performances, parades and exhibitions are held in several spots around Seoul until Sunday.

Venezuela: Reactions to the Law of Military Service

  12 October 2010

At the beginning of October, the government declared that those not enrolled in the military record before October 21, 2010 would face penalties. The government's decision to "reactivate" the Military Conscription and Enlistment Law has generated an attitude of resistance from civil society, stronger than usual for orders coming from President Hugo Chávez.