Stories from 5 November 2011
Armenia: Impressions and reflections on Turkey
Back in Armenia from his motorcycle ride through Turkey, Areg Harutyunyan reflects on the journey and shares his impressions of the country. Despite its political and historical problems with Armenia, the motorcyclist and blogger says Turkey is fascinating, hospitable, complex, and diverse.
Costa Rica: Viral Campaign Says Country is Run by Clowns
In Costa Rica a viral video that portrays politicians as clowns has been released to protest a new tax bill. As some question the validity of such a campaign, others defend the right to use social media as a tool for political activism.
Japan: Design Week in Tokyo
The annual Design Week in Tokyo is here – online magazine greenz [ja] is covering the trade show Tokyo Designers Week while Spoon and Tamago showcases exhibits from DesignTide Tokyo.
Japan: Hook based solutions around the city
Chris Berthelsen's visual collection of “hook based solutions” for storage and barriers around suburban Tokyo has reached the 10th mark.
Colombia: Top FARC Leader Alfonso Cano Dies
On November 4, top FARC leader Guillermo León Sáenz Paez, alias Alfonso Cano, died at the age of 63 in a military operation in the southwestern Cauca department. Reactions on Twitter [es] and online [es] media [es] are numerous.
Japan's IT Exodus: A Personal Perspective (Part 2)
Japanese blogger and programmer Ryo Asai describes the cultural differences between his previous workplace, a Japanese system integration company, and his new job at Amazon Japan.
Greece: The Prime Minister at Cannes, A Referendum And The 6th Tranche
Immediate and various online reactions emerged, after Greek PM Papandreou's appearance at G20 Summit in Cannes. Sarkozy and Merkel said that a Greek referendum must address the question of whether Greece wants to remain in the Eurozone or not, otherwise "the 6th tranche will not be disbursed if Greece does not respect the October deal."
Madagascar: Illicit Sale of Drugs On the Rise
Baovola Rajaosafara, president of the National Committee to Fight against the Illicit Sale of Drugs ( CNLCMIM in French), declares that it is too costly and inefficient to arrest illegal sellers of drugs and that they will strive to increase awareness in the general population instead [fr]. Purchasing drugs at illicit...
