Stories from 5 August 2011
Bhutan: Drinking On The Rise
Tshering Tobgay reports that Bhutan has a drinking problem and the Bhutanese government has increased taxes on alcohol to tackle this.
Sierra Leone : Agrofuels versus Food Security
Michelle Nougoum, in a post published on on afrik.com [fr] points out another case of land leasing in Africa for the purpose of agrofuels in Sierra Leone : “[The Swiss firm] Addax et Oryx intends to exploit 57 000 hectares of lands that is home to 13 000 people for...
Lebanon: Protest Against Syrian Regime Attacked by Loyalists
A small protest in the front of the Syrian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon ended in violence on Tuesday, 2 August 2011, when pro-regime loyalists stormed the gathering. Syria has always had a polarising effect on its smaller neighbour Lebanon, and Lebanese politics is often divided between pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian camps.
Côte d'Ivoire: The Surprise Ousting of Pascal Brou Aka from Television Channel RTI
The CEO or RTI ( Ivorian Radio and Television), Pascal Brou Aka, has been ousted from his post by the President of the Republic Alassane Dramane Ouattare. This decision was apparently taken for reasons including the lack of coverage of the President's return from his US visit and surprises a great number of Ivorian internet users. Is Pascal Brou Aka's independence the reason for the firing ? Kanigui investigates:
China: Internet memes on Wenzhou Train Crash
George Ding from China Geeks explains the meaning behind two Internet memes derived from the Wenzhou train crash incident: “it is a miracle!” and “Whether or not you believe it; either way, I believe it.”
Chile: Police and Students Clash in Unauthorized Education Protest
Hundreds of Chilean students, fighting to overhaul their education system, clashed with an intensified police force as they protested without permission on Thursday through the center of capital Santiago. The protest sky-rocketed to the top of the city's trending topics on Twitter as students vented their growing frustrations.
