Stories from 23 November 2010
Guatemala: Getting Ready for the 2011 Elections
Guatemala is getting ready for next year's presidential elections, as Central American Politics explains: “While campaigning cannot officially start for a few more months, parties and candidates are beginning to position themselves for the contest.”
Bolivia: 229 Years Since the Sacrifice of Tupac Katari
The story of the uprising of the indigenous freedom fighters has been passed down from generation to generation in the indigenous communities of Bolivia. This rebellious movement was led some 229 years ago by Tupac Katari and remembrance events will take place during the month of November.
Dominican Republic: The death of an exemplary human being
November 18th was a sad day for Dominicans: Freddy Beras Goico passed away. The communicator and TV host was involved in his last years in philanthropist activities helping people with low income. Bloggers and social network users lament his death and celebrate his life.
Maldives: Capital Punishment After 57 Years
After 57 years an young man in Maldives is facing capital punishment for murdering another youth. Hassan Ziyau wonders whether this verdict will be changed into a life imprisonment.
Pakistan: The Beggar Mafia
Saad Hirani at Chowrangi writes about the beggar-Mafia ring in Pakistan “that ‘employs’ children and sometimes adults to work for them”.
Turkmenistan: Musical culture heritage online
Turkmen entrepreneurs have launched Turkmenistan’s first online social music service, TolkunFM, but this is not just a rip-off of Western-style sites, writes Annasoltan.
Iran: We are all Computer Criminals
Iran's government has a law at its disposal that make it possible to label almost any Internet user a criminal. The “Law of Computer Crimes” was approved by Iran's parliament in January 2009. It has been instrumental in the prosecution and repression of several bloggers, but its articles have never received much public attention or scrutiny.
India: The 2G Spectrum Scam
Roger Reports writes in details about the recent 2G spectrum license scam, which resulted in huge loss of the Indian government.
Tanzania: NGO 2.0: Reflections on the year of blogging
Daraja is a Tanzanian NGO, which aims to make local institutions more responsive to the needs rural communities in Tanzania. The mission of Daraja is to empower communities and local institutions, and build their capacity to work effectively together to reduce poverty in Tanzania. After blogging for one year, Ben Taylor, the Executive Director of Daraja, decided to reflect and share with the world the lessons they have learned.
Sri Lanka: Tamilinzed Sinhala names in Jaffna
Rebel of Kandy lists some names of places in Jaffna which originally had Sinhala names during the Dutch colonial period but has been Tamilinized later.
Puerto Rico: New album by Calle 13
The music blog Puerto Rico Indie reviews [es] the group Calle 13's latest album, “Entren los que quieran.”
Cambodia: Stampede tragedy during Water Festival
It was the last hour of the last day of the Water Festival in Cambodia. Then a stampede tragedy over a bridge connecting a reclaimed island to the mainland killed more than 300 people. Here are eyewitness accounts and other blog reactions.
Trinidad & Tobago: Closer to 40
Lisa Allen-Agostini considers what 40 might look like.
Trinidad & Tobago: 3 Strike Law
“Our suggestion for one policy that could be implemented as part of our National crime plan is being implemented by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago!”: Trin discusses the new 3-strike law for gun control.
Cuba: 6th Congress
Sin Evasion and Translating Cuba both blog about the next Cuban Communist Party Congress, scheduled to take place in April next year.
Barbados: Tax Increase
“We had a great party while it lasted, but now it’s hangover time and it’s a doozie!”: As the country's taxes increase, Barbados Free Press says that it's time to pay the piper.
South Korea: Twitterers Mourn Over Loss of Two Marines
South Korean Twitterers mourned over the death of two marines who were killed by today's deadly skirmish between two Koreas, by (re)tweeting a photo of chrysanthemums with the deceased names on.
North Korea/South Korea: Deadly Skirmish, Live On Twitter
North Korea has fired more than a hundred artillery rockets at South Korea's YeonPyeong Island near its western border, killing two South Korean marines, injuring at least a dozen and setting buildings on fire. South Koreans have used Twitter to vent their angers, fears and worries.
Russia: New Portal Launches WebCam Discussion On Police Reform
“Talking heads,” a new socio-political portal, presents a debate on police reform in an unusual format: expert webcam chat. The idea of the website is to make a cultured, person-to-person debate available for others to watch and contribute.
Brazil: President Lula grants blogosphere first-ever interview
Outgoing Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva will tomorrow (24th November) be interviewed [pt] for the first time by a range [pt] of progressive bloggers regarding Brazil's changing media system. Renato Rovai, editor of liberal current affairs magazine Revista Forum [pt], called the event a “celebration of informational diversity” [pt]. The interview will...
Serbia: Abuse of Stray Animals Continues
The Serbian President is willing to adopt a severely mutilated dog called Mila, which became a symbol of the suffering of Serbia's stray animals. However, despite all the publicity, horrifying animal abuse cases continue to be reported in the Serbian mainstream and citizen media. Sasa Milosevic reviews some of them.