Stories from 21 December 2008
Russia: Protest Update
Sean's Russia Blog writes about today's protests in Russia: “The barrage of mass protest fired in Russia’s far east ten days ago echoed with a whimper as opponents of the import car tax hike staged actions across Russia. Today’s protests lacked the manpower of the previous ones, and in Vladivostok,...
The San bushmen of Southern Africa
Saharan Vibe writes about the San, a term that refers to a diverse group of hunter-gatherers living in Southern Africa who share historical and linguistic connections, including several photos.
Cape Verde: Success Stories From Peace Corps Volunteers
Christopher writes about a Peace Corps Volunteer who is working with community members in Cape Verde to start a sustainable internet cafe business.
Malawi: A decade of internet
Bennett Kankuzi reviews the history of internet in Malawi and the current accessibility challenges in the country.
“Why I blog about Africa” (Part 2)
A couple of weeks ago we brought you a meme that was doing the rounds in the Francophone blogosphere answering the question of why to blog about Africa, after which it spread into the Anglophone blogosphere. Now we bring you a selection of that new batch of reactions.
Turkmenistan: Parliamentary Election Took Place
Patrick Frost analyzes the Turkmenistan's 4th Mejlis (parliamentary) elections, which was deemed a great success and ‘historic event’, as for the first time more than 1 candidate was running for each seat, although all of them were from the only one registered, pro-governmental party.
Kazakhstan: Nuclear Cooperation with India
Joshua Foust reports that Kazakhstan will supply uranium for India’s nuclear power plants. The deal, which involves export of so-called “yellow cake” uranium to India, will be discussed during Kazakh President Nazarbayev’s upcoming visit to India.
Afghanistan: Taliban Has Two Groupings, a Leaked Document Says
Azar Balkhi posts a document, allegedly leaked out from the Afghanistani secret services; it reads that Mullah Mohammad Omar leads one gruop of the Taliban that is secretly allied with president Karzai.
Russia: The Crisis and The Potential For Unrest
In mid-October, Global Voices published a roundup of Anglophone bloggers' views on the financial crisis in Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia and Ukraine. Below is another installment on the effects and the likely consequences of the crisis in Russia.
Honduras: Christmas Spirit in San Pedro Sula
The Christmas atmosphere is alive and well in San Pedro Sula, Honduras writes Santos Galvez of El Sam Pedrano [es].
Madagascar, Kenya question wisdom of foreign land deals
Following national and international outrage, the land deal that would have let South Korean firm Daewoo Logistics lease a large swath of Madagascar's arable land, was finally rejected. However, the number of reported land deals between wealthy countries and developing nations continues to grow, and bloggers wonder if these deals will really benefit the interests of ordinary people.
