Stories about English from March, 2012
Slovakia: Paying More Due to Corruption in the Area of State Tenders
Tibor Blazko highlights the ongoing public debate on corruption in the area of state tenders in Slovakia.
India: Arresting Tibetan Activists
Dilip D'Souza at Death Ends Fun comments on the arrests of Tibetan activists in India: “we gave the Tibetans shelter when they fled from the excesses of China. Now we arrest them when Chinese premiers come visiting.”
Spain: The Faces of the Young and Unemployed 51%
Three Barcelona-based journalists, Lucija Stojevic, Jennifer Baljko and Marc Herman, have launched the excellent digital magazine 51percent with the mission “to go beyond the news headlines and put a face to the youth unemployment crisis facing Spain. We’ll be investigating this issue for the next couple of months, on-the-ground around Barcelona.”
Zambia: Can Barotseland ‘Seccession’ Hold?
South Sudan may hold the record as the newest nation in the world but this may no longer hold if the developing situation in Zambia in which advocates of an independent Barotseland, better known as Western Province, force matters and secede from the rest of the country. Zambian netizens weigh in on latest developments.
South Asia: Every Day Is Earth Hour for Us
Today many countries of the world are observing Earth Hour, an event to make people aware of the climate change by turning off their non-essential lights for one hour. Millions of people in South Asia have no access to electricity and the demand of electricity is much bigger than supply.
Philippines: Petition Against Magnetite Mining
An online petition urges the Philippine government to deny the magnetite mining applications in the northern coastal areas of Luzon Island in the Philippines.
East Timor: Early Warning Early Response Mapping System
NGO Belun in East Timor has teamed up with Columbia University to establish the Early Warning Early Response mapping system which was designed to increase early responses to conflict and prevent the escalation of violence at the national and community levels.
Myanmar: Responsible Tourism
The Irrawaddy interviews Dr. Andrea Valentin who talks about responsible tourism and the prospect of pro-poor tourism in Myanmar.
Human Rights Mapping in Cambodia
Human rights advocates in Cambodia have been using online maps to document, monitor, and expose human rights violations across the country. Some of the maps track land conflicts, media killings, freedom of expression violations, and prison overcrowding
India: Is God Now An Industry?
Ugich Konitari at Gappa writes about the VIP pilgrims of the famous Hill Temple at Tirupati, who keep the ordinary pilgrims waiting for many hours for their chance to perform rituals. “Should money be the deciding factor in defining classes of worship?” the blogger asks.
India: Media And The State
Aagan reports that a recent circular from the West Bengal Ministry of Mass Education Extension and Library Services caused much buzz on mainstream and social media. The West Bengal government has decided that it will not stock any “politically funded” newspaper in government libraries.
India, Bangladesh: Caught In The Cyber War
A cyber war between Bangladesh and India broke out last month as Bangladeshi hackers defaced Indian border security Force's website in protest of the recent border killings by BSF. Indian hacker groups retaliated by defacing Bangladesh government ministry websites and a cyber war followed.
Bahrain: Tweeting Against Formula 1
As Bahrain gears up to host the Grand Prix, from April 20 to 22, netizens are rallying for the cancellation of the car race claiming that human rights violations are still continuing against protesters seeking more democratic rights in the Arab country. Mona Kareem sheds light on one Twitter campaign to draw attention to this.
Bulgaria: Construction of the Nuclear Power Plant “Belene” Cancelled
The Bulgarian government announced the cancellation of the construction of the nuclear power plant "Belene" on March 28. This controversial project and the consequences of its halt drew quite some attention. Rayna Stamboliyska reports.
Ghana: Social Media Use in 2012 General Eelections
As Ghanaians are getting ready for presidential and parliamentary elections that will be held on 7 December 2012, BloggingGhana community has lauched a social media initiative that seeks to train activists, political groups and students to use social media tools for election monitoring and reporting.
Nepal: Call for Submissions for Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival
The 2012 Nepal Indigenous Film Festival is calling out for submissions of any type of film related to Indigenous youth produced after 1 January, 2008. Submitted films should be made by indigenous youth or should focus on positive efforts indigenous youth are doing to honor their heritage. More details about...
Azerbaijan: Novruz comes to an end
Novruz, the Persian New Year which is also celebrated in Azerbaijan, has come to an end and, using the example of the oil-rich country, Eastbook says that during the holiday it can often be difficult to conduct business or arrange meetings. Nevertheless, it notes that Azerbaijan's Embassy in Georgia was...
South Korea: Politician Ridiculed for Twitter Account “Explosion” Accusation
In South Korea,a politician's ridiculous comment that his Twitter account was "exploded" by the opposition has come under fire. The politician's remark and the governing conservative party's rhetoric have drawn numerous jokes and sneers online.
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
Again this week, the regional blogosphere was dominated by talk of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Cuba. With reports of repression at an all-time high, Cuban bloggers were dismayed by the outcome of the trip.
Ethiopia: Child Abuse Caught on Mobile Phone Camera
Ethiopian Facebook users have launched an online campaign for justice after watching a mobile phone recorded YouTube video which shows a little girl being abused by her mother.
The Cuba the Pope Leaves Behind
Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Cuba has come to an end, a visit bookended by the Castro brothers: President Raul Castro greeting the pontiff at the airport and Fidel Castro meeting with him before his departure. But bloggers are suggesting that despite the Pope's message of change and hope for the future, it looks like business as usual on the island.