18 November 2011

Stories from 18 November 2011

Philippines: Hillary Clinton visit met with protest

  18 November 2011

United States State Secretary Hillary Clinton's November 15-16 visit to the Philippine capital Manila was met with protests against the ‘continuing U.S. stranglehold over the Philippine economy, military, politics and foreign relations.’

Trinidad & Tobago: A Father's Rights

  18 November 2011

Jumbie's Watch “adds his voice” to that of a Trinidadian father who was not allowed to stay in the hospital overnight with his sick son, saying of the powers-that-be: “They find ways of justifying any and everything without referencing policy and behaviour against some higher guiding principle, or logic.”

Cuba: No Respect for Parents

  18 November 2011

“The love of the mother for her child is unconditional — according to Cubans — as are the child’s feeling toward its mother”, says Regina Cano, but notes that “in more than an insignificant percentage of instances nowadays, this image is broken and the pieces of the picture go flying.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Government & Gangs

  18 November 2011

aka_lol says of the government's Colour Me Orange crime and poverty reduction project: “[It] seems like throwing gasoline in the fire where crime is concerned…I suppose Government’s policy is to manage gangs rather than eliminate the need for them.”

Cuba: Censorship in Film Festival

  18 November 2011

Generation Y says that the International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema, which takes place in Cuba next month, “has been losing ground in the cultural life of Havana”, partly because of censorship.

Brazil: Real State Speculation Threatens Sacred Ground

  18 November 2011

Sagrada Terra Especulada (Sacred Speculated Ground), a Brazilian collective that advocates for indigenous land rights, is promoting a documentary [pt] and a petition [pt] in defense of the Pajé Sanctuary, close to Brasilia´s Pilot Plan. Real estate speculation [pt] threatens this area of savannah with the construction of a so-called...

North Korea Opens its Door for Tourists, But Cellphones are Not Allowed

  18 November 2011

North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states, opens its door a tiny crack for tourists to earn hard currency. But tourists are forbidden from bringing cellphone, sending an email and talking to ordinary North Koreans. A travel blogger from the Tripified.ca left sarcastic comments on North Korea's tourism...

Kenya: The Maasai Flame

  18 November 2011

Learn about the Maasai flame from the Wandering Trader: “One of the unique aspects of visiting the Maasai in Kenya is they perform many of their rituals while you are there. After seeing the way they typically dance and getting a taste of what life is like inside their homes...

Kuwait: Protesters Storm the National Assembly

  18 November 2011

Thousands of angry Kuwaitis stormed the National Assembly building on Wednesday 16 November, after police and security forces clashed with protestors. Kuwait's political sphere has been extremely tense in the past few years, and with the Arab Spring earlier this year, the situation took a new turn.

India: Lessons from Gandhi

  18 November 2011

Priyanka Matanhelia lists some lessons from Mohandas K. Gandhi, the legendary political and ideological leader of India, which are still relevant today.