1 November 2012

Stories from 1 November 2012

Jamaica: Creole and Jamaican Identity

  1 November 2012

Our educators don’t seem to understand that as long as we tell children that they ‘chat bad’ when they use their mother tongue, we are planting the seeds of low self-esteem.  And we will reap badness.  Or, perhaps, we do understand and that’s why we refuse to acknowledge Jamaican as...

D. R. of Congo: Human Rights Activist Assaulted, Guard Killed

  1 November 2012

Leading Human Rights Activist and gynecologist Denis Mukwege, was attacked outside his home, and his guard killed on October 25, 2012. Doctor Mukwege has campaigned tirelessly for the wellbeing of women and girls affected by the use of mass rape as a weapon of war. He recently gave a speech to the United Nations where he spoke of his outrage and shock at the violence that females have suffered in his homeland.

Founder of Banned Militant Group in Pakistan Offers Aid to U.S.

  1 November 2012

Amidst the furor and damage the super storm sandy caused in the US East Coast, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the founder of banned militant organization Lashkar e Taiba (LeT) and head of Jaamat ud Dawa (JuD) offers a considerable amount of humanitarian aid to the US to bear losses.

Grenada: Government In Crisis

  1 November 2012

With more MPs opposed to the regime, than supporting it; with the ruling party divided down the middle; with the economy in free fall; with salaries late again – Prime Minister Thomas has lost the moral authority to govern. Hamlet Mark feels that Grenada's Prime Minister Tillman Thomas should either...

Bolivian Radio Journalist Set on Fire in Yacuiba

  1 November 2012

Bolivian radio journalists Fernando Vidal and Karen Arce from Radio Popular in Yacuiba, a city on the Bolivian border with Argentina, were victims of an arson attack on October 29, 2012. Early theories indicate that the attack may have been related to Vidal's outspoken criticism of corruption and contraband.

BlogFest Asia 2012 Opens in Cambodia

  1 November 2012

Cambodia is hosting BlogFest Asia 2012 which is expected to gather around 200 individuals from several Asian countries. The event on November 1-5, 2012 will take place in the historic town of Siem Reap. This is the third BlogFest which was earlier held in Hong Kong in 2009 and then in Penang, Malaysia in 2010.

Trinidad & Tobago: Taking Steps To Combat White Collar Crime

  1 November 2012

This crisis is an important opportunity to decide if we want to do differently. Do we?  If not, crapaud smoke we pipe.  If we really want to do differently, we have to start thinking differently and stop the point-scoring games. Afra Raymond thinks that decisive action needs to be taken to combat...

Germany: Satire Magazine Calls for Complimentary Ph.D.s

  1 November 2012

After a series of scandals surrounding the academic achievements of German politicians who cheated on their dissertations, the online satire magazine“Der Postillon” is now calling for a complimentary Ph.D. [de] for all politicans: This way, the embarrassing and politically dishonorable rescinding of doctorates can be avoided. The Ministry of Education...

Thailand Offers Online Birth Registration System

  1 November 2012

In partnership with Unicef, the Thailand government has launched an online birth registration program that is currently implemented in 44 hospitals across the country. The government is also offering a one-stop birth registration service. About 5 percent of children born each year in Thailand are not registered at birth.

Six Month Jail for Insulting Bahrain King on Twitter

  1 November 2012

One of four Twitter users, detained in Bahrain and reportedly charged with insulting the country's king, was sentenced to six months in prison today. Bahraini lawyer Mohammed Abdulameer tweets [ar]: @wastilawyeR: One of those accused of insulting the King of Bahrain was sentenced by the Criminal Court to six months...

Madagascar: Tear Bomb Thrown into a University Classroom

  1 November 2012

Madonline reports [fr] that a tear bomb was thrown by military forces into a classroom of Ankatso University where students are protesting [fr] the delay in the disbursement of their scholarships.  The same protests are currently happening at the University of Toamasina (East Coast of Madagascar).

Honduras Truth Commission Releases Coup Report

  1 November 2012

In early October 2012, the Commission of Truth [es] -created in June 2010 to “clarify the facts of the June 28, 2009 Honduran coup d’état“- released its report “The Voice of Greatest Authority is that of the Victims.”

Wedding Party at Petrol Station with Greece in Crisis

  1 November 2012

In a blog post entitled “Crisis wedding in Greece”, Belgian freelance photographer Nick Hannes posts the story of a bride and groom in Patras, Peloponnese who decided to hold their wedding party at the groom's petrol station. “This is how we respond to the crisis”, a family member said to...

Saudi Arabia: First Reactions to the Riyadh Explosion

  1 November 2012

A huge explosion rocked eastern Riyadh this morning, sparking a discussion on mainstream media coverage and praising Twitter for being a source of instant news. Initial reports said that a tanker carrying flammable liquid crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital, leaving at least 10 people have been killed and over 50 were injured. Video footage shared on video-sharing site YouTube shows the charred remains of cars and extensive damage to surrounding buildings.

Indonesia: Apps for Sustainable Palm Oil Production

  1 November 2012

The World Resources Institute has developed two online mapping tools to track forest change and sustainable palm oil production in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Deforestation in many parts of Indonesia is blamed on expanding palm oil plantations.