Archive for
April 28th, 2006
Stories
Riots and panic in East Timor
Violence broke out in East Timor's capital Dili earlier today.
Dili-gence says
The usual press outlets have already reported 2 dead and 21 injured. We received a phone call from a Timorese in the current hot area Comorro. People are scared and people have seen smoke rising from the general area.
Mainstream news sources are blaming sacked soldiers for the trouble. About 500 soldiers were sacked last month after they deserted the army protesting unfairness in promotions. The soldiers were demonstrating in the capital city Dili all this week.
However, Sam at Dili-Dallying blog does not think so
What appears to have happened is that disturbances have occurred next to the government building in the heart of the city, about a kilometre from here. Young men have destroyed property and set buildings and cars on fire. It is unclear whether these men are part of the ‘591’ sacked military, members of martial arts groups (gangs) or random individuals. Given the situation has been mostly calm all week with the ‘591’ conducting themselves peacefully, I would guess that it is the gangs taking advantage of the situation but I cannot be sure. (The unemployment rate for young people in Dili is 40% and some young male members channel their frustrations vis-à-vis martial arts groups.)
West Indian literature online
One of the crucial elements in the rapid development of the literature of the Anglophone Caribbean in the 1940s and 50s was a weekly radio programme called Caribbean Voices, broadcast from London on the BBC's Caribbean Service and produced by Henry Swanzy. Caribbean Voices featured stories and poems by West Indian writers, recorded in London and broadcast back to the West Indies, allowing these writers to reach an audience unrestricted by island boundaries and helping to foster the sense that the young literature of the Anglophone Caribbean territories was a single national literature: West Indian literature.
If a similar project were started today, no doubt it would use the World Wide Web–actually, I'm a little surprised no one's started a blog called Caribbean Voices yet. (Hint?) But, though there is no West Indian literary blog with the scope and reach of, say, the Literary Saloon or The Valve or Blog of a Bookslut, there is a small, vibrant, and growing literary sector in the Caribbean blogosphere.
Start (as one should) with the writers. Canada-based “Caribbean writer of science fiction” Nalo Hopkinson (Brown Girl in the Ring; Midnight Robber; The Salt Roads) has been blogging since late 2001, giving her readers updates on her current work in progress and reflecting on the experience of being a black gay woman working in a genre usually associated with white teenage men. Grenada-born sci-fi writer Tobias Buckell (Crystal Rain) also blogs–and his current work in progress, “Sly Mongoose”, takes its name from an old folk song.
(more…)
Pulse of the Saudi Blogosphere
Football and ice hockey, hijab and fatwas, bloggers meetups, and much much more from the Saudi blogosphere this week. Let's go…
Starting with Swalfy, who did not seem so surprised that Riyadh Gitex, which supposed to be the biggest IT exhibition in Saudi Arabia does not has a website. He went to attend the exhibition, but he could not find a parking space, so he decided to leave. “I decided to leave and come on another year, maybe Gitex 3000, when we don't have to leave our houses to watch the latest technologies,” he said (Arabic).
Saudi Future takes the time to tell us about the different kinds of punishments for students in high school. “Yes people, you will one day get caught, so you must face… the punishment,” she said.
Wearing hijab inappropriately is something that Leeno is not so happy about. She wrote: “I have nothing but admiration for women that are veiled, especially in a non-muslim country where stigmata continue to exist. However the 1/2 hijab syndrome is mind boggling to me.” (more…)
Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome
Iraqi bloggers pose something of puzzle for the mainstream media. The quality of the writing is good and bloggers sometimes have better news than their own reporters. But how do you use it? Some have the right idea and report what the bloggers are saying. This Associated Press article was circulated widely. Some just dont get it and make their own news reports in the format of a blog. Dear media company, looking like a blog does not make your news any better.
Iraq has a new Prime Minister and bloggers give their first impressions. There is a report on the state of the Iraqi media, words of wisdom from the older generation, how one blogger integrated into English society, and much, much more!
If you read only one blog this week read this
To read this post is to feel her sadness. Neurotic Wife presents herself and her Iraq as a story. She walks home one evening and is drawn to a girl sitting alone on the pavement. Her name is Wa'ad. She asks Wa'ad where her family is:
They abandoned me… (more…)
Links for Fri, 2006-04
While Katy explains how the board of Venezuela's Electoral Council (the elections governing body) is selected, Francisco gives some background on the new five board members. Away from politics, Adriana of CaracasCafe recommends getting rowdy tonight at El Tunel's open bar.
Dark Diamond Network has a comprehensive and articulate summary of the Mexican presidential debate and how each participant fared.
Evo Morales has announced a free trade agreement with Venezuela and Cuba. A free trade agreement except that it shall be called a TCP, or “Trade Agreement of the Peoples.” Alvaro Ruiz-Navajas explains the difference, or lack thereof, in a two part series. Chilean blogger Carlos Gustavo Machicado Salas has a rare English-language questioning the exclusiveness of the deal. “Where are the economists in Bolivia,” he asks.
Two polls taken after this week's presidential debate show Felipe Calderón as the winner despite bloggers' insistence that it was Patricia Mercado who left in best shape. Another poll, however, reveals that 90% of those surveyed did not consider changing their vote after viewing the debate. For more numbers from across Latin America, check out Boz's patented Friday poll numbers.
Robert Wright explains the etymology of the Buenos Aires neighborhood, Caballito. If in the area, you'll soon have a chance to see the original namesake.
Melissa De Leon and Elena Hernandez are co-hosting the “The Farmer's Market International Parade” where participants from across the world post photos of their neighborhood markets, which will then be collected and linked to. So far, entries have been received from Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad, UK and Panama. Entries will be accepted until June 1st, 2006.
At Foreign Notes, LEvko writes that Ukrainian president expects the coalition to be formed sometime in June, and Scott W. Clark cautions that this may be a bit too long for the country's economy: “If, as LEvko reports, this mess won't be sorted out until June, will the markets hold still for that? That is a long time for politics and an eternity for markets. Will there be any confidence in the government after all that? It is quite possible that any confidence could evaporate and start a selloff.”
neweurasia rounds up and discusses the week's news from Mongolia.
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