Stories from 20 June 2011
Puerto Rico: New Online Fashion Magazine
There is a new online magazine dedicated to fashion, beauty, and lifestyle in Puerto Rico: Fashion Vitrine [es]. There will also be updates, headlines, and more shared through @fashionvitrine.
Argentina: Puyehue Volcano Ash Unstoppable in Argentine Territory
Ash from the Chilean volcano Puyehue is affecting a large part of the Argentine territory, causing officials to declare a state of emergency in the Patagonia area. The eruption will probably become one of the greatest natural disasters that the country has gone through in recent years.
Bangladesh: A Blog On River Pollution
River Pollution In Bangladesh blog chronicles pollution in different rivers of Bangladesh.
Chile: ‘Riding the Ramal’, a Photo Essay
Margaret Snook in Cachando Chile posts a photo essay of a the ‘Ramal’, a “rural branch-line train that runs 80 km (50 mi) from Talca to Constitución, from the foothills of the Andes to the shores of the Pacific.”
Latin America: ‘La Furgo-Nana’ On the Road For Children's Rights and Lullabies
A documentary, a ‘transmedia platform’ and a humanitarian project: in ‘La Furgo-Nana’ (“a Volkswagen Type II Bus from 1969″) Maria and Anton are driving through the Pan American highway from Tijuana, Mexico to Ushuaia, Argentina to “transform the difficult reality of Latin American children into a fascinating adventure you will...
Honduras: Guns, Drugs and a Family Feud
“Today I witnessed a scene right out of a Pablo Escobar film. There were at least ten guys just a block from my house standing guard at one of the houses known to be involved in narco-trafficking”: writes Blogging Honduras in a post that summarizes a ‘family fued’ tied to...
Kazakhstan: Fighting Internet Piracy
Kazakhstan is undergoing a new scandalous development with regards the Internet – this time about regulation of copyright online. On 29 April, 2011, a special roundtable that brought together lawyers, industry representatives and state bodies took place, where the “three strikes method” of fighting piracy was presented.
Puerto Rico: Indignation and Action
The online publication El Punto Es reports about an incipient social movement in Puerto Rico [es] that is following the example set by protesters in Spain, who denounced unemployment, corruption, and called for the renewal of democratic ideals. Netizens can follow this new movement through @IndignAccion.
Puerto Rico: What Happened to the .pr Domain?
The non-profit Center for Investigative Journalism published an investigation [es] on the history and many problems that have surrounded the acquisition of the .pr domain.
Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.
Caribbean: Thanks, Dad!
Father's Day, that worldwide celebration honouring dads and their important role in the family dynamic, is marked in the Caribbean on the third Sunday of June and regional bloggers posted en masse yesterday for the occasion. From the eloquent to the irreverent, here's what they had to say…
North Korea: Women Forced into Prostitution
A Seoul-based aid organization, Good Friends, released an English version of its weekly report. According to North Korean defectors’ testimonies, not a few North Korean women are forced into prostitution in order to make ends meet.
North Korea's Meth Export
Chinese authorities recently conducted a crackdown on drug in Chinese region bordering North Korea. Although it’s hard to trace the origin of methamphetamine, residents and experts believe that much of the meth consumed in the region is manufactured in North Korea. Robert Neff wrote about it in the Marmot's Hole...
Haiti: Preserving Architectural History
Throwing Down the Water is concerned that “the historical houses of Haiti are mostly being left to rot, to fall into disrepair or – worse – to be lived in happily and well, until some landlord comes along and decides that a cement box would look better in their place...
U.S.V.I.: The National Park on St. John
A Nation or Nobody blogs about a report on National Parks, Tourism, and Local Development, written 30 years ago, which he feels “should be required reading for every student in the US Virgin Islands…it [also] has the power to speak to a much larger audience on issues of development, government...
Trinidad & Tobago: Defending Our Dialect
“I doh know bout alyuh, but I love to talk Trinidadian Creole English all de time”: Karel Mc Intosh suggests that “an educational approach to Creole must start by raising the level of awareness of what Creole languages are, how they came into being, who speaks them and what their...
Colombia: Satisfaction and Scepticism for the Victims’ Law
On June 10 the Victims' and Land Restitution Law in Colombia was approved. The law seeks to make amends with victims of violence and displacement. Some netizens have expressed their satisfaction with the law, while others show scepticism towards the measure.
Bermuda: Responding to Corruption
“Corruption happens in every country around the world,” says Politics.bm, adding: “What shows your character and values is how you respond to it, not how you respond to those who want to root it out.”
Jamaica: Court Date Set for “Dudus”
Jamaica Salt notes that a trial date has finally been set for Christopher “Dudus” Coke, and takes a look at “how are things on the outside in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston” since his extradition to the United States on drug and arms trafficking charges.
Ghana: Let Them Be Gay
The Bureau of National Investigations in Ghana has begun investigations into the growing rate of homosexuality in the Western and Central regions. About eight thousand homosexuals have been registered by a non-governmental organization in the Western and Central regions. This has prompted a heated debate in the Ghanaian blogosphere about homosexuality.
South Sudan/Eritrea: Eritreans Thriving in Juba
A blogger visiting Juba, Southern Sudan, reports that Eritreans are thriving in the city: “The Eritreans I observed there were cliquish, befriended the SPLM generals, pay bribes generously (so I was told), smuggle in young Eritrean girls and so forth…At one stage I saw over one thousand youngsters at one...
