11 January 2007

Stories from 11 January 2007

Guadeloupe: “Poll-o-phile” President

  11 January 2007

TiToto says of President of Guadeloupean Regional Council Victorin Lurel (Fr): “Suffering from “poll-o-philiac opinionmania,” Lurel often attempts a real personalization of public opinion, a creation of a fictitious political and social image which claims to represent the Guadeloupean people. … He says “Guadeloupeans have said x” everytime he seeks...

Haiti: Year in Photos

  11 January 2007

Collectif Haiti de Provence recently posted (Fr) a slideshow of important Haitian personalities and events of 2006.

Bolivia: “War Zone” in Cochabamba

  11 January 2007

A breaking news update from Jim Shultz in Cochabamba: “As I write this the Center of Cochabamba has just become a war zone. Crowds of hundreds of, mostly young men, armed with heavy sticks, are in open conflict on the block below our office and throughout the Center of Cochabamba....

Hungary: “Bovine Indifference”

  11 January 2007

Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar on life in Hungary: “But adaptable guy that I am, I’ve been able to adjust to the fact that the “Customer Assistant” in the post-office would rather gun me down with an AK47, than to take the risk that her face may crack by...

India: The Hindu Economics

  11 January 2007

Mdeii Life explains how a mainstream newspaper – The Hindu works the money factor out. “But Mr. Ram, we know is a proper Capitalist who researches, manufactures, and markets Communism. So he does the sensible thing, and discovers that the only way people will continue to buy his papers is...

Serbia: Boring CNN Ads

  11 January 2007

Serbia's promo ads appear on CNN, and Belgrade 2.0 posts a review: “Honestly, it looks pretty boring and unimaginative. Lots of static pictures, not enough life and it doesn’t really strike you as something to remember. Hopefully we’ll get some odd naive tourist that falls for this kind of advertisement.”

Haiti: 203rd Year of Independence

  11 January 2007

Reflecting on the festivities for the 203rd anniversary of Haitian independence and the clan-like disputes that colored them, Ailleurs Vu d'Ici writes (Fr): “Everyone knows that our society's disease is the unlimited thirst for power. And this pathology … has adopted recurrent forms along our history. It is definitely one...

Nepal: Wireless in Nepal

  11 January 2007

Wagle Street Journal celebrates wireless in Nepal. “Laptop owners lined up since yesterday in front of the Nepal Telecom stall as the Kathmandu Post had carried news about the card on front page.”

Nepal: Eyes on Nepal

  11 January 2007

International eyes on developments in Nepal. More at Nepal Monitor. “The newly-appointed UN General Secretary BAN KI-MOON proposes a 12-month UN Mission in Nepal to monitor the peace process and the Constituent Assembly elections. The UNSC is expected to ratify his report soon.”

Croatia: Democracy for the Rich

  11 January 2007

Neretva River on democracy according to the Croatian government's spokesman: “…the poor should not be permitted to hold public office […], home ownership, possession of two cars and 50,000 Euros in a savings account should be a precondition for entering political life…”