· November, 2009

Stories about Politics from November, 2009

Iran: A blogger released, another arrested

  30 November 2009

Iranian authorities released Mohammad Ali Abtahi,former vice president and blogger on a $700,000 bail one week ago after his lawyer said he had been sentenced to six years in prison. Human rights activists reported [fa] that a few days ago Sasan Aghayi, a blogger and journalist got arrested in Tehran.

Trinidad & Tobago: Numb from CHOGM

  30 November 2009

This Beach Called Life features a press ad that was taken out by “a group who knows Trinidad and Tobago better than any foreign or local politician”, adding in a follow-up post: “The only thing that CHOGM did for citizens of this country was to send the fed up level...

Singapore: Is It a City or Country?

  30 November 2009

Is Singapore a city or a country? This question seems silly since Singapore is globally recognized as an independent state. But for Singapore Law Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore should be treated as a city. This remark triggered a debate in the blogosphere.

Ecuador: Carlos Vega Book

  29 November 2009

In Ecuador, Eduardo Varas reviews the most recent book written by Carlos Vera [es] and its place in the current conflict between the government and the press.

Africa: Why are African intellectuals so depressing?

  28 November 2009

Why are African intellectuals so depressing?, wonders Kenyan blogger Kaasa: “Hello! Today on my way back to the hotel, I saw the current Oct-Dec 2009 BBC Focus on Africa magazine at a newsstand and read Mukoma wa Ngugi’s article “We Are Sailing”. My goodness. Talk about a super depressingly-depressing article.

Egypt: A fine line between patriotism and chauvinism

  28 November 2009

The November 14 football match between Egypt and Algeria has turned into an ugly war and it got worse after Egypt's defeat on November 18 in Sudan. From the fury of Egyptian President's son to that of renowned actors and actresses, media figures, writers, and Facebook users, anger has blinded common sense. Marwa Rakha looks at a new initiative to put out the fire.

Namibia: Namibia elections 2009 mashup

  28 November 2009

Namibia citizens can submit reports of election related incidents to Namibia Elections 2009 site, “By sending a message to 0855900886. By sending an email to namibianrights@gmail.com. By filling a form at the website.”

China: Law or Justice?

  28 November 2009

According to Chongqing Evening News, by November 15th 2905 suspects had been arrested during a massive crackdown on gangs in the municipality of Chongqing, a major city with 30 million population and provincial status. The campaign was unprecedented both in its scope and its depth as it brought down a large number of government officials including...

Haiti: Lavalas Banned From Elections

  27 November 2009

Repeating Islands reports that “Haiti’s electoral council has banned the influential party of exiled former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from next year’s legislative elections.”