15 February 2011

Stories from 15 February 2011

China and Mongolia: Goliath and David?

  15 February 2011

At East Asia Forum, Justin Li discussed the Sinophobia in Mongolia caused by high dependence on China for trade and investment. In another article on the Forum, Julian Dierkes questioned Li's claims, and highlighted that significant shift in Mongolia's ‘third neighbour’ policy is possible. In a separate but related article...

Ecuador: Judge orders Chevron to pay $8.6 billion fine

  15 February 2011

“The eighteen-year lawsuit against Chevron came to a climax when a judge ruled that Texaco (now owned by Chevron) was liable environmental damages in the Ecuadorian rainforest. The court decreed that the oil company pay a reported $8.6 billion fine and apologize publicly or risk doubling the damages figure,” reports...

Ethiopia: Bringing down Ethiopia's Mubarak

  15 February 2011

Tedla Asfaw says that Egyptians have taught Ethiopians a lesson: “We have twenty years of Western financed tyranny run by Meles Zenawi and Ethiopians who match in number with Egyptians but far behind in their developmental stage by any measurement can topple Ethiopia's Mubarak, Meles Zenawi in short order. The...

Kenya: Sing for Kenya on February 28

  15 February 2011

A group of Kenyans of diverse interests, political affiliations,tribes, religions and economic backgrounds have agreed to come together on February 28th 2011 and take a few minutes at exactly 1pm (East African Time) to sing the three verses of the National Anthem.

South Korea: Blood exuding from the ground where culled animals are buried.

  15 February 2011

South Korea had lost a quarter of the herd from its worst foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Fears among Koreans grow as experts anticipated the blood from culled animals may contaminate nearby underground water and soil. Twitterer @Hyeyounga posted a gruesome photo of blood exuding from the burial ground and running over...

Bangladesh: Widespread Protests Force Government To Back Down On Airport Project

  15 February 2011

A recent venture by the Bangladesh government to takeover 25000acres of wetlands (Arial Beel) 60km South of the capital city of Dhaka, for a proposed International airport and satellite city led to protests and violence in the area. Netizens too, reacted strongly to the government debating the need for a new airport and the government was forced to back down on the airport project.

China: The limits of Chinese censorship

  15 February 2011

Michael and Eric discuss China’s censorship policies in both the new and traditional media sectors in the latest episode of China Talking points podcast. Text introduction is here.

China: Apple's new supplier responsibility report

  15 February 2011

Samuel Wade from China Digital Times brings the readers’ attention to Apple company's new supplier responsibility report. The company pledges greater cooperation with Chinese NGOs in the future in the monitoring of labour condition.

Brazil: Journalist's dismissal causes outrage

  15 February 2011

Journalist Aguirre Peixoto's dismissal from the Brazilian newspaper A Tarde caused outrage among bloggers and journalists [pt]: Peixoto's reports on the environmental damage caused by a new development to the city of Salvador allegedly put an end to the contractors’ advertising in the broadsheet. After applying 30-days suspension on Peixoto,...

Macedonia: Violent Inter-Ethnic Incident on Skopje Fortress

  15 February 2011

Two large groups clashed around the old Skopje Fortress around noon on Sunday. The police failed to effectively separate an ethnic Macedonian and an ethnic Albanian mobs, which came to protest for and against construction of a church-like building that the government claims would become a museum. Some of the results include 6 injured civilians, 2 injured policemen, and alarmingly high levels of general fear and hate speech on-line.