Stories from 13 November 2008
Mexico: Radiohead Concert in 2009
Mexican blogs like Tinta y Pixeles [es] are buzzing at the announcement that the rock band Radiohead have scheduled a show in Mexico City for March 16, 2009.
Nepal: Is Buddha Boy Real?
The Himalayan Beacon reports that thousands of pilgrims in southeast Nepal are rushing in to see a 17-year-old boy whom some believe to be a reincarnation of the Buddha. The blog asks whether he is the same person as he emerges after living more than a year in the forest.
Bangladesh: Meditation Course
Tahmin1’s Blog introduces the meditation methods practiced in Bangladesh and discusses its benefits.
Maldives: The Government as a Business Company
Shaapay lists down the stakes of the Maldives government in the commercial enterprises of the country and comments that it looks more like a business company.
Nicaragua: Concerns About Fraud in Recent Elections
The streets of Managua were not the only place where supporters of the two political parties in Nicaragua were present during the recent municipal elections held on November 9. One could also find them on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Some were concerned about accusation of fraud and the message sent because of the results. This is a translation of a summary post by Alvaro Berroteran of the Nicaragua Y Su Blog.
Sri Lanka: Budget Allocation for E-Villages
LIRNEasia has some questions about the proposed budget allocation in Sri Lanka for e-villages.
Bhutan: Coronation Video
Kuzoo.net posts videos of the coronation of the new Bhutanese King His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and his speeches.
China: Does the secret “Fifty Cents Party” exist?
Wu Mao（五毛）is fifty cents or half yuan in Chinese currency. Wu Mao Dang (五毛党), or Fifty Cents Party, is a derogatory term applied to those pro-government bloggers who are suspected to receive fifty cents for every pro-party post. Does Wu Mao Dang really exist in China, as rumors say? A...
Japan: Children and mobile phones
At Kyô mo Aruku [ja], Shigeru Kurokawa casts doubts [ja] on the propriety of a report [ja], published by the government Discussion Group for Education Rebuilding, which urges mobile phone companies to make special telephones for children that limit functionality so that only calls can be made, and to set...
Trinidad & Tobago: Manning & the Media
The furor surrounding the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister's recent radio station visit has not abated.
Haiti: Visiting the Victims
Blesh Family in Haiti makes a visit to the General Hospital where some of the victims of the Petionville school collapse were taken: “We are glad we went & it was nice to be able to get the kids to smile but the situation is so devastating. Many of the...
Cuba: Lomas Fired
Diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution speculates as to why “the highest ranking woman in the Castro regime…has been unexpectedly fired…from her high-profile post as Minister for Foreign Investment.”
Bermuda: Independent Thinking
21 Square thinks that “independence does not make sense for Bermuda in its present state”, while Vexed Bermoothes adds: “The PLP leadership insist that independence is the only logical endgame when most of the population do not want it.”
Nagorno Karabakh: No Return of Territory
With the Azerbaijani Constitution prohibiting referendums unless held nationally, Kornelij Glas [RU] argues that the regions surrounding the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh should not be negotiated away by the Armenian side in peace talks. The blog looks at the issue from a military point of view.
Caucasus: Gender Gap Index
Social Science in the Caucasus takes exception to the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index and, comparing data on economic participation, explains why.
Armenia: Special Committees
Unzipped comments on reported plans by the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) to establish special committeses to develop opinions and policies on issues facing the country. The blog compares the idea to the shadow cabinet system in the U.K. and hopes that such a move will contribute to creating a...
Central & Eastern Europe: A Travel Roundup
Olive harvesting in Albania, John Paul II monuments in Poland, a Soviet military hardware cemetery in Moscow and more: Central and Eastern Europe-based bloggers share their recent travel stories and photos.
China: The end of export-led growth?
Alan Baumler from Frog in a Well comments on the China economic stimulus package and wonders if it implies an end of export-led growth. David Dollar from the World Bank blog also looks at the plan very positively.
China: Different Interpretation of Taiwan Politics
A well-known Chinese blogger WU Jiaxiang （吳稼祥）argues the “riot” that happened at Taipei Hotel November 6 is in fact part of the rampant “political kidnapping” in Taiwan [zh]. The blogger further analyses who are ultimately behind “the political violence” in Taiwan.
Russia: Financial Problems
Streetwise Professor posts a detailed update on Russia's financial problems: “Whichever way Medvedev or Putin […] turn, they face stark choices. Protect the Ruble – burn through the reserves or throw an already wobbly economy into a tailspin by jacking interest rates. Let the Ruble fall – serious potential for...
Japan: Italian students demo seen through Japanese eyes
Id:sawabonroma, a Japanese writer living in Rome, describes her everyday life in the Italian capital at Roma no Heijitsu (ローマの平日). In a post on October 30th, she writes about a students demo against the education reform proposed by Minister of Education Gelmini. Millions of high school and university students, professors,...
