Stories from 13 September 2007
Iran: Dogs arrested
The blogger Dastan reports on the arrest of dogs by Iranian police on September 9th, to rid the country of ‘western influences’ and ‘immodesty’. The dog owners are shocked at the arrests and are worried about the fate of their pets. Furthermore, dastan notes that the dogs are neither fed...
Ukraine: Another Rigged Election?
Mark MacKinnon is astonished at “how quickly Ukraine appears to be tumbling back into the same trap” – towards a rigged election.
Afghanistan: Remembering September 11, 2001
Joshua Foust spent September 11, 2007 thinking about what he calls "the original war on terror," in Afghanistan. He collects local opinion and searches for hope amid the chaos.
Kazakhstan: Energy Twists and Media Tricks
Be it the crisis of the country's biggest oil project or the biases of the national media: Both big stories from Kazakhstan this week demonstrate that power is concentrated in very few hands, while social indicators point at huge income inequalities.
Ukraine: Anniversary of Gongadze's Disappearance
IIU guestblogs at Orange Ukraine about the seventh anniversary of Georgy Gongadze's disappearance.
Ukraine: Election Turnout
Foreign Notes writes about the expected turnout for the Sept. 30 election.
Russia: “All Day Soviet Breakfast”
According to Copydude, “the number of operating hypermarkets in [Russia] does not exceed 150 for a population of 144 million.”
Japan: Prime Minister Abe Steps Down
After less than a year in office, with approval ratings dropping to record lows after a recent humiliating upper house election defeat, Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo finally took the step many had been demanding on Wednesday and declared his intention to resign. The timing of the move, which brought the prime minister yet more criticism from politicians and the media, doesn't seem to have gone down very well with bloggers either.
Trinidad & Tobago: Crime Statement
The Manicou Report is not impressed with a Trinidadian Independent Senator's statement on a crime-related issue.
Jamaica: Blogs on the Rise
Silicon Caribe says although “the blog as media is fledgling in the Caribbean…we’re excited to watch where it goes.”
Haiti: Flour Prices Go Up
“The phrase ‘give us this day our daily bread’ suddenly takes on a whole new meaning,” writes Theo at Pwoje Espwa as he talks about the sudden increase in the price of flour in Haiti.
Cuba, Jamaica: Diplomatic Relations
Cuba Journal links to a Jamaican news story that confirms the island's newly elected government will continue to foster diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Trinidad & Tobago: Film Festival 2007
Both Studio Film Club and IZATRINI.com blog about the upcoming Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival.
Barbados: Net Neutrality
Notes From The Margin is concerned about the issue of Net Neutrality and how it affects the Caribbean: “For those of us on the outside of the US we could find ourselves as permanent second class citizens of the web.”
Bahamas: Climate Change
Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit blogs about “the economics of pollution”.
China: A Censored Lung Cancer Story
Minjian released an exclusive investigative story (as it has been censored by the Propaganda Department) about 4 mysterious deaths from lung cancer (zh). The 4 victims were workers in a pharmacy factory in Chongqin. One of the victims, Zheng, suspected that the cancer was related to chemical leaking as all...
China: Zhujian Delta Worker Band
Tang Wei Shan introduces a worker band, Green Band, in Zhujian Delta. The band was started 4 years ago in Shenzhen when two of the members were playing guitars in an open space. Their wish is to have singing tour around Zhujian Delta industrial zone. Their most recent performance was...
Taiwan: Losheng 911
Yesterday, Taiwan police forced into Losheng Sanatorium and evicted student and preservation activists. A video, Losheng 911, recording the history of Losheng struggle and the protest and eviction scenes has been put up in dailymotion. Coolloud had a citizen reporter account on the eviction (zh).
Panama: Expansion of Panama Canal
Tatiana attended the ceremony that marked the beginning of the expansion of the Panama Canal [ES], which included a speech by former US president Jimmy Carter (in Spanish). She also posts photos of the canal.
Japan: Abe's Resignation
Japan Observer was surprised by Abe's resignation and wrote down his first thoughts: The LDP is in trouble, but Mr. Abe's unexpectedly hasty exit gives the party a chance to select someone who can communicate with the public, earn the trust of the Japanese people, and move an agenda forward...
Japan: Abe down, otaku up?
Roy Berman from Mutant frog comments on the resignation of Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and lists out a colorful history of the potential candidate Aso Taro.
