Stories from 5 September 2011
North Korea, Country in a Long Coma
Alex Tabarrok on Marginal Revolution blog wrote about how the dictatorship in North Korea has survived decades despite mass starvation and economic failure. The author, quoting parts from the book Nothing to Envy, commented that the North Korean iron curtain which has been much more impenetrable than that of Eastern...
Azerbaijan: Eurovision and visas
Aaron in Azerbaijan comments on a request from the management of the Eurovision Song Contest to the Azerbaijani authorities to simplify visa procedures ahead of next year's competition to be held in the capital, Baku. While such a move would be a boost for the country's tourism industry as well,...
Bangladesh, India: Dispute Over Land And Maritime Boundaries
As the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is due for a state visit to Bangladesh tomorrow, Syeed hopes that some long-standing multi-faceted disputes over land and maritime boundaries between Bangladesh and India will be resolved.
Bangladesh: A Real Reckoning On 1971
Naeem Mohaiemen at Unheard Voice comments on the Bangladesh liberation war of 1971: “what we are left waiting for is a deep investigation into 1971– about the nature of violence, crisis bargaining, unintended consequences, and history’s orphans.”
Honduras: The Road to Becoming a Top Coffee Producer
Honduras Culture and Politics blogs about coffee production in Honduras, reporting that “The Honduran government has just announced projections of production for the current season that would make the country the second largest producer of washed arabica beans (the variety that is desirable for fine coffee drinking), remaining only behind...
Ecuador: ‘Campus Party Quito’ from October 19-23
María Cristina Martínez announces [es] this year's ‘Campust Party Quito‘ [es], which will be held October 19-23.
Uruguay: UN Peacekeeping Troops Allegedly Raped Haitian Man
“A video claims to show UN peacekeeping troops from Uruguay raping a Haitian man (Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera)”: Bloggings by boz describes the case as “another scandal for the UN, which has faced a number of exploitation scandals by peacekeepers over the years”. Latin American News Dispatch reports that Uruguay...
Blog Carnival: Nicaragua – Migration
Global Voices in Spanish has the pleasure of announcing a new edition of its Blog Carnival. This time we invite bloggers and netizens in or from Nicaragua to participate by blogging about the topic of migration. Find out how, when and where you can participate or get involved.
Sri Lanka: The Hunt For Women Bloggers
Indi.ca reports that The Women and Media Collective is holding a meeting of Sinhala and Tamil language women bloggers in Colombo on the 9th of September, 2011. The meeting will also be the foundation for a women bloggers’ workshop to be held in near future.
Chile: ‘Influential’ Twitter Users Have Lunch With the President
On August 24, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera invited 15 influential Twitter users to have lunch in La Moneda - the presidential place - to hear their opinion and to discuss current national issues. The meeting caused controversy over issues such as the real popularity of these Twitter users and the chosen date.
Swaziland: King Mswati Must Go
Richard Rooney posts a press release from the Botswana National Front in support of progressive forces in Swaziland: “The Botswana National Front (BNF) joins the rest of the progressive forces who are currently in solidarity with the people of Swaziland during the Global Week of Action against Swaziland (5th-11th September)...
China: “Free Lunch” for Rural Students via Micro-Donations
To help improve education in rural China, a new project by Guangzhou-based charity activist Liang Shuxin called “Free Lunch” is raising online micro-donations to deliver lunch meals to impoverished school children in collaboration with a semi-official agency.
Pakistan: Empowering Youth for a Better Tomorrow
Institute of Peace and Secular Studies is a humble, community youth organization in Lahore, Pakistan which aims to empower Pakistani youth and encourage them to face up to today’s challenges so they can shape a better future for tomorrow.
Brazil: Launch of a Committee for the Palestinian State
Blogger and activist Emir Mourad posts a series of links [pt] about the launching event of the Palestinian State Committee in São Paulo, Brazil. The committee supports the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state and the request to the international community that will be presented on the opening day...
Trinidad & Tobago: Road Block Survival Tips
Outlish shares a few tips on “surviving roadblocks and police encounters”.
Dominica: On a Single Regional Economy
Caribbean Man says of the Caribbean Single Market & Economy, which is meant to encourage free movement within the region: “Like every other Caribbean institution, when the ethos has to turn into action it can easily get distorted.”
Trinidad & Tobago: The Government & Social Media
After a site was shut down because of concerns that its content may be in violation of the terms of the country's state of emergency, KnowTnT.com says: “It seems an opportune moment to explain to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago that on the Internet people have their own identities...
Barbados: Leaked Cable & CL Financial
Barbados Free Press continues to monitor Wikileaks cables, this time revealing alleged links between the DLP government and the CL Financial Group. The blog also publishes a statement by journalist Peter Wickham, who the leaked cables identified “as the source of information which formed the basis of several improper allegations...
Guyana: Literary Award Winners
Caribbean Book Blog and Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp have details on the winners of the recently held Guyana Literary Awards.
Russia: Digital Graveyard Launched
Pomnipro.ru, the website advertised as the ‘social network for the deceased,’ had been launched in Perm, lenta.ru reported [ru]. Despite the groups dedicated to the dead have existed before in Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte, it is the first specialised online memorial in RuNet.
Russia: Teenager-oriented Cigarette Branding Abandoned
Donskoy Tabak, Russian tobacco company, criticised by the bloggers for its controversial ad campaign and branding oriented at teenagers and young women, had abandoned the idea of the new line of cigarettes “Sweet Dreams,” Alexey Navalny reported [ru].
