Stories from 2 January 2008
Chile: Interview with Politician Interested in OLPC
Luis Ramirez interviews Sergio Bitar [es], head of the Democracy Party in Chile, who was very interested in the One Laptop Per Child project when he worked in the Ministry of Education during the Ricardo Lagos administration.
Mozambique: Anti-Corruption Forum is extinguished
Carlos Serra [pt], from Mozambique, anticipates a piece of news from tomorrow's edition of Zambeze: “The President of the Republic extinguished the Anti-Corruption Forum through a decision on December 27″.
Malaysia: Politician and Sex Tape
A sex tape forced a Malaysian minister to resign today. Malaysian politician Lim Kit Siang asks if the minister a victim of double betrayal.
Zimbabwe: Nova Mambone, Buzi and Machanga under water
Moçambique para Todos [pt] reports on the heavy seasonal rains that have flooded Zimbabwe. “Particularly, Machanga and Búzi have no communication with the rest of the country and the people are in refugee centres organized in schools and churches. It is estimated that 42,690 people are at risk in the...
Last Café com Blogs in 2007
Kontratempos [pt] lets us know that the last edition of podcast Café com Blogs is now available. In this issue, a balance of the year, with facts, controversies and people that shook the blogosphere in 2007.
Brazil: On the polemic campaign against AIDS
Alda Inacio [pt] on the withdrawal of an European campaign against AIDS showing two men having sex, on the grounds that the images were too explicit. “I believe that this disease does not belong to any class and this unfashionable mentality should have been abolished by those who made these...
Philippines: Bloggers look back to 2007
Bloggers in Philippines reflects on the past year and talk about the things they blogged about across a range of subjects from sports to politics, music, blogging and life in general.
Brazil: Milton Ribeiro on the blogosphere
Milton Ribeiro [pt] publishes an interview that Luís Carmelo [pt] made with him back in 2006 about the blogosphere. “On the Internet, any individual who wants to exercise their freedom of speech will find another individual exercising their freedom of information. This is freedom. This is democracy. This is a...
25 years of the Internet
In January 1st 1983, 25 years ago, the Internet was officially defined as a network using TCP/IP. André Lemos [pt] publishes links to the piece of news and comments on the many changes the Internet has undergone, from ftp to Web 2.0. “May the web carry on being impartial and...
Pakistan: Why mourn for Bhutto?
Despite all the grief surrounding Bhutto's death, a post on Pakistan Paindabad reminds us that all was not wonderful.”But why be so sad? Stuff happens. Leaders die. Followers fight. Nations live on. And Benazir was no Jinnah.”
Bangladesh: Lessons from Pakistan
Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers reflects on Bhutto's death and what lessons it holds for Bangladesh.
Bangladesh: On Dynasties and 2007
imperfect world 2008 on 2007 as a bad year of dynasties – rounding up political events from South Asia.
India: On Benazir Bhutto
Indian Muslims on Benazir Bhutto and her untimely death.
Nepal: Not a Federal Republic
Nepal Monitor makes an argument against going in for a Federal Republic option for Nepal.
Nigeria: Technology experts divided over OLPC
IT Realms on OLPC debate in Nigeria: “Technology (IT) professionals are divided over the recent plan by the federal government to dump the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.”
Kenya: Do not doubt the power of the Internet in Africa
Has technology, particularly citizen media, played any positive role in covering the the crisis in Kenya? This is what White African wrote about the role of technology in the crisis: If anyone doubts the power of the internet in Africa, they need to look no further than what is happening...
Uzbekistan: Earthquake Shakes Ferghana
Jamiyat reports on the earthquake that had come half an hour before the New Year. It was felt through the Eastern Uzbekistan with the epicenter in Namangan region of the Fergana valley.
Uzbekistan: Silly promises or fiction?
Mansurhon reacts to the President Karimov's message to the people of Uzbekistan at New Year night. He addresses the major points of the presidential speech, concluding that “he doesn't believe this man any more”.
Mali: Mali wins the 2007 Africa Nations Cup female basketball title
Sociolingo writes about the Malian female basketball team's victory: “The Malian female basketball team’s win of the 20th basketball championship of the African Nations Cup (CAN), played last September in Dakar, Senegal, is undoubtedly the major event of 2007, according to many people in the Malian capital.”
Mongolia: Excellent Paper Studies Development
Radigan Neuhalfen reviews a paper comparing development in Mongolia with that of Montana and Wyoming by the Dutch Neoliberal Paul Treanor. The analysis of economic life in both Mongolia and the American West is incisive, Radigan opines.
Kazakhstan: Two countries, two programs for repatriants
Marat posts an analysis of differences between the Russian and Kazakh experience of realization of repatriation programs for their compatriots living in other countries.