5 May 2011

Stories from 5 May 2011

Cuba: Return Prohibited for U.S. Professor and Blogger

Ted Henken, professor at Baruch College at the City University of New York, a well-versed blogger in the Cuban blogosphere, has been informed by authorities from the Department of Security of the State of Cuba that he will not be returning to the island. Over the course of his 12 day stay, Henken interviewed over 40 bloggers for an investigation about blogs and the Internet in Cuba.

5 May 2011

Colombia: The Vallenato Legend Festival

Vallenato is one of the most popular and representative music genres in Colombia. There is a whole culture around Vallenato, and the city of Valledupar is paralyzed by the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival), a festival that takes place during late April.

5 May 2011

Japan: Sanka, Legendary Gypsies Living in the Wild

A documentary has recently revived interest in the existence of the 'Sanka', a group of people who are said to have lived in the remote mountains and plains of the Japanese archipelago until the 1970s. Some bloggers have speculated on the origins of these legendary nomads.

5 May 2011

Mexico Prepares for Massive National Protest on May 8

Next Sunday May 8, 2011, Mexican citizens will march to demand the end of the "War on Drugs." Thirty one cities in Mexico, in nearly all its states, have already scheduled protests. International cities like Berlin, London, Hamburg, Río de Janeiro, New York, Montreal and Barcelona are also participating.

5 May 2011

Cote d'Ivoire: An Aid Worker Diary

Oxfam aid worker, Charles Bambara, describes his journey through war-torn Côte d'Ivoire, visiting communities of displaced people. He says people are in urgent need of food and sanitation in overcrowded...

5 May 2011

Kyrgyzstan: Osama Bin Laden Dies, Bloggers React

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, the remote Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan proved itself a key ally in the United States-led war on terror. Washington's presence in the country has often been viewed ambiguously. It comes as no surprise then, that the death of Osama Bin Laden, the popularly assumed mastermind of the attacks, was treated by many Kyrgyz bloggers - and some politicians - with a sense of apathy and even cynicism.

5 May 2011