8 August 2011

Stories from 8 August 2011

Bangladesh: Fatwa Violence Still Exists

Cori Fleser at BRAC Blog reports that in spite of a 2001 judgment by the Supreme Court outlawing the practice of fatwa, the practice of such extrajudicial punishments still exists...

8 August 2011

Should Thailand Raise the Minimum Wage?

One of the campaign promises of newly elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her Pheu Thai Party was to double Thailand’s minimum wage. The new pay scale will be implemented next year but the business sector is opposed to it. Here are some reactions from bloggers

8 August 2011

Sri Lanka: A Queue of 3,500 Job-Seekers

Anushka Wijesinha at Groundviews posts photos and video of a 1.5km long queue of more than 3500 Sri Lankan job seekers, which indicate that unemployment is posing a serious threat...

8 August 2011

Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan in Mourning After Tragic Bus Accident

Friday, August 5, was a tragic day for the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. A bus transporting passengers in the capital city Abidjan, plunged off a bridge into the Ebrié lagoon, killing 40 and injuring 9. The Ivorian government has decreed three days of national mourning as a mark of respect for the victims.

8 August 2011

Mexico's ‘Train of Death’

Thousands of Central American migrants risk their lives to hop on top of moving freight trains going from southern Mexico to northern destinations along the US border. A new documentary tells the story of the 'train of death' known as 'The beast'.

8 August 2011

Colombia: The Abortion Debate

Amidst the ongoing debate prompted by a Conservative bill aiming to outlaw abortion in all cases, Javier Moreno debunks [es] one of the arguments (a poorly referenced academic text) by...

8 August 2011

Chile: Families March for Education Reform

On Sunday, August 7, families marched to support students demanding equal, free and higher quality education in Chile. #marchafamiliar became a local Trending Topic on Sunday, and some users are...

8 August 2011

Guatemala: Campaign Violence

Mike blogs about campaign violence in Guatemala in his blog Central American Politics: “It's worrisome, but there is some evidence that things are getting better. And the violence associated with...

8 August 2011