Archive for
January 29th, 2009
Stories
Madagascar: “Unmitigated Disaster”
( Soldiers in burned block by Mehmoud Karim) )
After two days of upheaval that resulted in an estimated death toll at 80 nationally, and the looting of dozens of stores, a day of relative calm greeted a stunned nation.
Soldiers are now patrolling Antananarivo, and both parties have called for supporters to stand down. The mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, called for a “ghost town” operation in the capital today, January 29th, urging supporters to stay at home, but attend an organized public demonstration on Saturday, January 31st. President Ravalomanana met with his executive cabinet as well as religious leaders to find a solution to the current instability. Many foreign embassies have issued alerts to their citizens about carefully considering traveling to Madagascar.
Bloggers reflect on what many locally called “Black Monday” as confusion and anger prevail.
Mialisoa Randriamampianina writes that both sides should take responsibility for this “unmitigated disaster”(fr):
Marc Ravalomanana et Andry Rajoelina se défendent de toute responsabilité face à cette incroyable débandade : cela ne les dédouanera pas d’avoir allumé la mèche sur une poudrière. En même temps, l’audace de se croire «innocents» devant ce chaos général relève d’une impressionnante mauvaise foi
( Photo of fire and car destroyed by Jentilisa )
A journalist blogging under the acronym POV explains that the animosity between the two politicians is rooted in personal rivalry but is also stoked by the agenda of former leaders (fr):
Les observateurs estiment que le jeune maire ne serait pas aussi téméraire sans être « appuyé ». Histoire de dire que toute cette manœuvre est soutenue par des hommes de l’ombre [..] A en juger par les milliards que Andry Rajoelina dilapide dans cette guéguerre, l’on estime qu’il jouit d’un puissant sponsor. Personne n’ose le dire, mais beaucoup le pensent…tout bas : les caciques de l’ancien régime.
Whatever of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering, the people are left contemplating images of burn bodies, stores broken open and general desolation. Groups on Facebook are calling for a return to peace in Madagascar and a show of love for the country regardless of political affiliation and gathered hundreds of members in a few days. Passionate conversations are taking place (fr):
On the forum, ” Ras le bol de l'instabilité politique à Madagascar“, Mandy says (fr):
je souhaite dire stop à ces politiciens qui ne pensent qu'à leurs gueules: Laissons les urnes s'exprimer.
Another group named “TSIA, tsy isan'ireo izay manakorontana” calls for unity:
Conscient que malgrès la difficulté, nous saurons relever la tete
-Conscient que la victoire ne peut s'obtenir que par l'unité
-Conscient que le patriotisme ne rime pas avec extremisme,
-conscious that unity is the only way to victory
- conscious that patriotism does not rhyme with extremism.
Finally, a group of Peace Corps Volunteers, disappointed by the lack of information in the US mainstream media, created a group to gather updates related to the crisis and the whereabouts of their colleagues all over Madagascar. John Elliot posted the following update:
Yesterday the U.S. ambassador met with Ravolamanana to try and talk sense to him, but bore little fruit. His car was attacked/rocked by a mob after leaving the meeting. Now the economic impact is more threatening than the violence. Gas prices have skyrocketed, food will soon follow. Gas stations are like parking lots, lines around the block, and most are out of gas.
China: Plateau in Peril
A newly launched interactive site ‘China Green' focuses on China's environmental and climate issues. The first project is about Tibetan Plateau, shows how the effects of global warming on the plateau is posing a grave threat to a third of humanity. This is because most of Asia's might river systems find their headwaters from the plateau.
Below is a trailer of the project, click to watch.
The site includes many more videos, interviews and interactive slideshows that depict changes in the glaciers of Mt. Everest.
Guadeloupe: A new social movement
Thirty-two, thirty-four, thirty-six and now fifty-two - these are the historically growing numbers of trade unions, cultural and political associations which have formed in the last month or so, all united around a motto: Lyannaj kont pwofitasyon, Creole for “Let's gather up to fight against all sorts of abuses”.
Guadeloupe has been in a state of social unrest for about a week now after a call for action was launched by l'UGTG [Fr], a local trade union which defends the interests of Guadeloupean workers. The move aimed to express the dissatisfaction and frustration of Guadeloupean people after years of shady price fixing and skyrocketing prices for household products. Dah in UGTG blog writes specifically to young people in Guadeloupe, asking them to open their eyes [Creole]:
LE 16 DÉSANM FO NOU SANBLÉ ÉPI LÉ PLI GRAN KINI LABITID LITÉ POU PEN A YO, PEN AN NOU : AN NOU KRÉVÉ BOBO LA POU 2009 GWADA PLI NÈF.
LE 16 FO TOUT JÉNES LA EN LARILA ÉPI LÉ SENDIKA ÈVÈ LÉ ASOSIASYON KILTRIREL ANSANM ANSANM POU DÈMEN PLI BEL KI JODI.
On the 16th, all young Guadeloupeans should be down in the streets, demonstrating with the unions and the cultural associations hand in hand, so that tomorrow is better than today.
After a huge demonstration, which shed a brand new light on the country's state of mind, the collective displayed their structured platform of claims, organized around 10 major concerns [in French and Creole]:
1- NIVEAU ET CONDITIONS DE VIE
2 - EDUCATION
3 - FORMATION PROFESSIONNELLE
4 - EMPLOI
5 - DROITS SYNDICAUX ET LIBERTES SYNDICALES
6 - SERVICES PUBLICS
7 - PRODUCTION
8 - AMÉNAGEMENT DU TERRITOIRE ET INFRASTRUCTURES
9 - KILTI
10 - ARÉTÉ PWOFITASYON
2 - Education
3 - Profesionnal training
4 - Employment
5 - Trade Union rights and freedoms
6 - Public services and Civil servants
7 - Manufacturing and agriculture
8 - Development of the region and its facilities
9 - Culture
10 - Stop abusing us
This platform was addressed to the “Préfet”, the “députés“, the members of the Chamber of Commerce, farmers and everyone part of the civilian society. It aimed at informing people and eventually launching an unlimited all-out strike, starting on January 20th.
For a while, many Guadeloupeans thought that 130 claims organized around 10 major points were too numerous and therefore not credible. Comments on a post by Herve on the blog Fwiyapin [French & Creole] highlight the concerns:
[…]cette fois-ci toute cette mobilisation semble assez “fouillis”, on ne sait pas à qui les revendications sont adressées…pourquoi ne pas remonter carrément aux banques américaines ou aux compagnies pétrolières?
The other issue has been the relevance of such a massive movement at a time of global crisis, as expressed in another comment on the same post:
Tu crois vraiment qu’il obtiendrons toutes leurs revendications j’en doute fort vu que le contexte internationale… Je trouve que ces dangereux et irresponsables de faire miroiter au gens 200€ d’augmentations sur les bas salaires alors que la crise mondiale ne le permet pas.
Even with these doubts, the mobilization has proved to be massive and popular. Schools, gas stations and most companies have been closed for about a week now, with very serious consequences on the island's economy - but many Guadeloupeans have given the green light to Lyannaj' kont pwofitasyon in order to have an outlet to express their worries not only for the present, but above all for the future.
We can read a few unofficial figures from Shakazulu on Gwakafwika [Creole], who talks about the first demonstration on January 20th (as well as those on January 23rd and 24th) and from Zandwonis in Carib Creole One [Fr]:
Manifèstasyon Lapwent chayé omwen 10 000 moun! I pli masif ki dènyé fwa-la. Ève on gwan manman mobilizasyon kon sa, nou ka atann pou nou vwè.
Sanmdi Lapwent plis ki 25 000 moun adan gwan manman manifèstasyon-la. Dimanch toujou Lapwent plis ki 40 000 moun adan gwan déboulé a “mas a konsyans”.
On Saturday,there were more than 25 000 people massively demonstrating in Pointe-à-Pitre and on Sunday, still in Pointe-à-Pitre, there were more than 40 000 people in the huge carnival and cultural parade called “mas a konsyans” (parade to awake consciences).
[Samedi 24 janvier 2009] Au moins 20 000 personnes ont défilé dans les rues de Pointe à Pite à l’appel du “Collectif Lyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon” (CLKP). Les médias officiels ont annoncé plus de 8 000 manifestants. Dans l’histoire de mouvements ouvriers guadeloupéens, c’est bien la première fois qu’un mouvement social suscite une adhésion aussi massive.
Korea: Death of 5 Evictees in the middle of Seoul
On the 20th of January, residents who were told to be evicted to make way for a new development by February in Yongsan, which is the middle of Seoul, opposed the decision and five people were burnt to death as a result of police action. One policeman died at that moment. The police explained that they did not have any other choice but to respondbecause those demonstrators were holding gasoline bombs (a small bottle, usually soju or beer bottles are used, filled with gasoline) and thereby putting many in danger.
How the police responded, how the media cover the story, and how the government reacts to the result are criticized.
Photo of the night of the 20th of January.
Why did this happen in the middle of Seoul?
철거민 5명과 경찰 1명이 사망에 이른 사태의 출발지점에는 용산구 서부이촌동 일대에 들어서는 ‘국제업무지구' 개발이 있다. 그 지구를 중심으로 주변지역은 상업, 주거, 공원 등 배후단지로 개발된다. 이번 참사가 일어난 용산4구역은 바로 그 배후단지 중 하나로 40층 높이의 주상복합 초고층 빌딩들이 들어서기로 되어 있다.[…]통째로 갈아엎고 새로 도시를 만드는 그 엄청난 일을, 아무도 살지 않는 사막에 도시를 짓는 것처럼 막무가내로 진행하고 있다. […] 용산미군기지 이전계획이 발표되면서 용산은 서울 도심의 최대개발지역으로 떠올랐다. 용산의 서쪽을 관통하는 한강로 일대는 부동산중계업소가 한 집 건너 하나 꼴로 있을 만큼 부동산경기가 가열되었다.[…]
People were able to see what happened that night through the internet, not by the media. This has led to a big argument and distrust of the media.
[…]국민들은 인터넷을 통해 생지옥을 목격했다!
그런데 지금 우리는 두 눈으로 똑똑히, 군사독재정권보다 악랄하고 야만적인 현 정권이 어떻게 국민들을 죽였는지 지켜보았다. 불법시위에다 화염병을 들었다는 이유로 시민편의를 위해서라는 말도 안되는 변명들로, 철거민 6명이 인화성물질이 가득한 옥상 건물에서 불타 숨지게 한 살육의 현장을 말이다.
바로 주류 쓰레기 언론(방송.신문)이 주목하거나 담아내지 못하는 것을, 인터넷과 블로그를 통해서 그것도 실시간으로 말이다.
With our eyes, we witnessed how the current government killed people in a worse and more cruel way than in the period of the military dictatorship government. The government excused that those people have illegal demonstrations and hold gasoline bombs, and therefore for other people’s sake, they let those 6 evictees die to be burned on the top of the building.
What main trash media (broadcast and newspapers) didn’t show, we were able to see through the Internet and blogs.
Others raise questions of how long the Internet and netizens will be safe from the current government.
대한민국 네티즌은 예약된 범죄자
용산 참사 일어나고 딱 하루 동안만 정부와 여당이 들썩들썩하면서 경찰의 강경진압에 대해 잠시 심사숙고 하는 것 같더니.. 이것저것 재고 따져보고 하더니 철거민 쪽으로 모든 책임을 돌려가고 있는 듯 하다. 거기에다 국민의 관심이 명절로 바뀌니 정부 입장에서는 얼씨구나 할 일이다.
미네르바도 그렇고, 촛불시위 참가자도 그렇고, 용산 철거민도 그렇고..정부의 입장에서 조금만 벗어나는 행동을 하는 국민들은 모두 범죄자 취급을 받아가는 것 같다. 앞으로 줄줄이 통과를 시키려고 벼르고 있는 집시법이며 사이버 모욕죄 등등이 적용되면 정말 조금이라도 비판의 글을 쓰는 네티즌들은 벌금형에, 구속에.. 다 범죄자가 될지도 모르겠다.[…]
After tragic death at Yongsan, it was the only one day that the government and ruling party were upset about strong suppression by the police and consider it serious… Measuring several ways, it seems that they turn all responsibilities to evictees. In addition, due to New Year it is easy to distract people’s interests.
As well as Minerva and candlelight vigil participants, evictees at Yongsan are treated as criminals because they have different thoughts from the government. If regulations regarding gathering and cyber contempt are passed in the future as the government tries, netizens who will write criticism no matter how strong or weak their writings are will be penalties and arrested[…]
This tragedy brought a big shock to people and has been added to the concern of weaker voice of citizens.
용산 참사! 분노하지 않으면 다음 차례는 당신입니다!
The tactics that the government uses seem to generate more complaints and criticisms.
[…]모든 문제가 그렇다. 문제를 해결하려면 사태의 본질을 보고 해결책을 내 놓아 야 한다. 그렇지 않으면 같은 사태는 또다시 반복될 것이다. 이번 사태의 핵심은 무엇인가? 왜 그들은 화염병을 준비해야 했을까. 아니 그 이전에 왜 그들은 친지들의 걱정을 뒤로 하고 가족들의 만류를 뿌리치고 시위를 시작해야 했을까? 언론과 정부 당국 모두 ‘철거민’이라는 용어를 남발하지만 ‘철거’라는 사태의 핵심을 주목하는 곳은 많지 않다. 그러니까 사태의 핵심은 바로 ‘철거’다. 그것도 ‘강제 철거’ . 그들을 가족의 품에서 떼어놓아 시위장으로 향하게 만든 것은 바로 강제 철거다. 빛까지 내며 1억원 이상을 들여 개업한 가게를 단 돈 5천만원으로 보상하겠다는 철거, 교복을 챙겨나올새도 없이 어린 학생이 사복을 입고 등교하게 만든 철거, 온 가족을 천막에서 생활하게 한 철거, 바로 그 철거가 사태의 핵심이다. 이렇게 무리하게 추진된 철거는 사회 내에서 갈등을 양산한다. 철거를 하겠다는 자들과 철거를 당하제 않겠다는, 그러나 결국 철거를 당할 수 밖에 없는 자들간의 갈등 말이다. 이러한 갈등은 명백히 치안의 문제가 아니다. 갈등과 대립은 어느 사회에서나 일어날 수 밖에 없다. 그러한 모든 갈등을 경찰력을 동원해 해결할 수는 없다. 그것은 말 그대로의 ‘해결’이 아닌 ‘진압’이다. 갈등의 양 축에 위치한 자 중 상대적 약자를 억누름으로써 일시적으로 갈등을 잠재우는 ‘진압’이다.
우리는 이번 사태를 명백히 ‘정치’의 문제로 보아야 한다. […]
We should clearly look into this incident as a ‘political’ problem.
Hong Kong: From Censorship Debate to Critique of Christian Right
The debate over censorship of indecency in Hong Kong sparkled by the consultation on the Control of Obscene and Indecent Article Ordinance (COIAO) has developed into a critique of religious /Christian Right politics as the conservative Christians openly demand the extension of COIAO for censoring “speech” or “article” that “instigates and advocates” abortion, prostitution, criminal act and terrorism, etc.
A pamphlet circulated among conservative Christian groups in Hong Kong askes all Christians to support a stricter definition of “offensive” and “obscene” articles by signing up for an one person one letter petition:
• 含有兒童或年青人部份或全裸的影像
• 以性為目的，提倡或支持
• 剝削兒童或年青人；
• 使用暴力或強迫他人參加或忍受性行為、罔顧他人生命；
• 與死人發生性行為；
• 用尿液或排泄物貶低及侮辱人，又或讓人聯想到性行為；
• 人獸交；
• 教唆他人墮胎或小產。
• 提倡或鼓勵犯罪行為或恐怖主義；
• 一些貶低自然或違反人性地對待身體的行為。
• 本人認為嫖妓指南、色情場所、光碟及網頁介紹的資訊及廣告，應列為第二類不雅。
- article with sex as its main theme, support or promote sex
- exploit children or youth
- article that contains sexual violence or forces others to participate in sexual act, regardless of the threat to their lives.
- sexual act with dead body
- article that contains urine or feces that humiliate others or draws association with sexual act.
- sex with animal
- article that instigates abortion or miscarriage
- article that advocates or encourages criminal act or terrorism
- article that depicts acts against nature and humanity on ones' body
- information and advertisement on prostitution, brothels and pornographic websites and DVDs should be classified as indecent.
The pamphlet can be downloaded from holynet in pdf (zh).
It is not about Child Protection
Martinoei points out the mis-information spread by the Christian right and their extreme position that threatens human rights and free speech in Hong Kong. First of all, he points out that with regard to Child pornography, there is another set of ordinance, Prevention of Child Pornography Ordinance. (Cap. 579), that gives full protection to youth and children in Hong Kong. The groups misinform their believers with the pamphlet as if such ordinance does not exist in order to mobilize them to support other agenda, including anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality and legislation for sedition law:
如果教唆他人墮胎或小產，等於淫褻物品，亦等於香港就墮胎問題進行進一步立法，禁止就墮胎合法化進行討論，小弟反對墮胎，但不代表支持禁絕有關討論。香港社會，並未就這個問題作出仔細討論，請這眾原教旨主義分子，不要玩騎劫，這是黐線，這亦證明這幫人支持政府，根本是立心不良，存心要打擊某些議題的討論。
小弟想問何謂「一些貶低自然或違反人性地對待身體的行為」？以小弟所知，馬來西亞政府老屈安華雞姦，那條罪名正是不自然性行為罪（馬來西亞刑事法典377B條），我想問，明光社中人是否打算重新提出同性戀刑事化法案？
「提倡或鼓勵犯罪行為或恐怖主義」這項建議，根本已經觸及《基本法》23條範疇，何謂「犯罪行為」，在《基本法》23條提述罪行中，包括煽動叛亂，是不是有人打算借《淫褻及不雅物品管制條例》，真的要把煽動叛亂罪進行成文立法
Instigation of fear among paranoid parent
Apart from the pamphlet and one person one letter petition, the conservatives also uses manga to spread their idea by depicting a world without COIAO.
Charles Mok criticizes the highly misleading the simplified tactics of the conservatives, especially in generating anxiety and fear for the paranoid parent. The blogger also quotes Obama's speech in the Youth Ball to criticize the conservatives' imagination of our future generation:
奧巴馬就職夜，在為年輕人而設的青年舞會 (Youth Ball) 中說：「新的一代激勵之前的一代，美國改變就是這樣出現的。」
不過，在香港，《淫褻及不雅物品管制條例》的檢討諮詢，保護「心智未成熟的青少年」卻成了焦點，意見愈趨激化，失去了理性討論空間。保守宗教組織群起要求加強管制，卻被指是少數組織化身多個團體以壟斷辯論空間，目的再非檢討條例是否能用作反映社會價值觀，而是變為爭取自己價值觀被官方當為社會整體價值的運動。
Bedtime bible stories against Christian right
The irrational discussion has invited some spoofing acts, one of those is the “bedtime bible story series” produced by truthbible.net (the network had launched a complain bible action back in 2007). The first video is story about the incest relation between Lot and his two daughters in Genesis 19, 30-38: the destruction of Sodom city. The video had been removed by youtube many times because of complaints and now rated as adult video (without adult content but some Christians may feel offensive):
The group then produced another “bedtime bible story” criticizing some conservative Christians' violence to stop oppositional voices from speaking out:
History of Christian Right in Hong Kong
Apart from the COIAO consultation, the recent discussion over the amendment of domestic violence ordinance for inclusion of homosexual couple is also charged with the Christian right wing politics. The war between Christian rights and liberal in Hong Kong is very much related with the politics in the U.S. Anto from inmediahk.net traces the cultural war back to the political background of reunification of Hong Kong to China in 1997:
香港這幾年來急劇冒升的「宗教右派」現象，也是一種有意識、有計劃地展現為一種對性和性問題不成比例的干預和政治化的結果。保守主義者和親建制力量，試圖借取美國「宗教右派」的經驗，重新鞏固香港回歸後一度鬆散的政治和文化秩序。所以，一系列性問題突然在2003七一大遊行之後相繼爆發，實在並非偶然現象。但由於這種「宗教右派」政治的外借和異邦(alien)性質，港版「宗教右派」對有關問題的炒作和介入，每每給社會一個無事生非的印象。
香港宗教右派今次如此得意忘形地，開展他們自視為捍衛家庭制度的「聖戰」，並非香港真的出現了來勢洶洶的「同性婚姻」立法。相反地，爭端的起因更多地，是與過去數年他們刻意培育的數隻棋子，羽翼漸豐，在新一屆立法會要爭取出頭立功有關。
而為了這些頭頂信仰使命光環的新型政治人物進入權力建制，基督教教會圈子，在過去數年做了大量工夫，重新詮釋教義和社會實踐傳統：從過去對政治冷淡，轉為對政治、權力，及進入建制更為熱衷和積極；又把長期以來基督教主張宗教遠離政治，或以宗教批判政治的原則，扭轉為宗教要依靠政治，宗教理想透過政治實現的新取向。而在政治價值的選擇上，基督教的主流教會，也從過去事事以人權原則為先，靠近民主和直選訴求，轉為以性問題的政治化為骨幹，日漸淘空對人權原則的守持，什至論說宗教信條要凌駕人權之上。
In order to prepare for the new type of politicians to enter the political establishment, the Christian circle has done a huge amount of work to re-inteprete the Christian teaching and social practice tradition: from apolitical to be actively engagement with power and politics; from the detachment with politics or critical principle to depending on politics as a mean for their religious goal. In the choice of political value, mainstream church has shifted from human rights and democracy principle to politicization of sex related issue. Recently they have placed religious principle on top of human rights principle.
I have also written an article at inmediahk.net tracing the development of Christian right movement in Hong Kong back to the shifting of colonial British church tradition to U.S right wing politics. Even though Hong Kong is not a Christian society, our education and social service sectors are controlled by Christian related groups because of our colonial history. Hoidick supplemented my points by providing a simple statistic on the religion background of school in a district in Taipo in the comment section. He finds out that among the 23 secondary schools in Taipo, 11 of them are Christian schools.
At the same time, there is a school letter circulating on the internet showing that some Christian schools have demanded their students to ask their parents to sign up for supporting the conservative definition of indecent and obscene article in the COIAO. Lee Yuiwah criticizes the schools for giving pressure to the students and parents on the consultation.
Online anti-censorship campaigns
On the liberal front, an advocacy group for gay and lesbian community, Lestudy, has set up a website for launching a letter petition, with a list of options, on the COIAO consultation. While in the facebook, several groups have been set up to campaign against the further extension of the COIAO and against the conservative Christian's mobilization, including Campaign against conservative Christian hegemony; Campaign against Carmel Holy Word Secondary School's letter to the parent; Self-defence group against internet article 23; Save the Internet, Fighting for Internet Freedom!
Kazakhstan: Journalist Arrested for Alleged State Secret Disclosure
Ramazan Yessergepov, chief editor of the “Alma-Ata Info” newspaper, was arrested early January this year by the National Security Committee officers from the provincial branch office of the country's main special service. They had come all the way down from Taraz (southern town in Kazakhstan) to his apartment in Almaty and escorted him to their home town. The same day, Yessergepov went on a hunger strike.
Officially, he is accused of disclosure of a state secret. The story goes as follows: last fall, the journalist received a leak of the NSC internal correspondence, according to which it could be assumed that the special service officers in Taraz were involved in raiding of the local business. Yessergepov's newspaper - which is quite a low-profile one and humble in circulation - published a leak under the title “Who runs the country - President Nazarbayev or NSC?”
Shortly after that, he started receiving threats, which even forced him to apply for political asylum in the United States embassy in early December 2008. Obviously, the embassy didn't treat the application seriously, but asked the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan to ensure safety of Yessergepov and his family. Nevertheless, on January 6, he was detained and later arrested. The charges - “abuse of office” and “illegal colection and disclosure of state secrets” presume up to 8 years of imprisonment.
Among the recent developments - OSCE Special Representative for Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti has urged the Kazakh authorities to release Yessergepov, adding that this arrest and threat of jail run contrary to the country's OSCE commitments to create safe environment for the journalists, who deal with acute social and political problems. The OSCE official has also called on the government to revise the state secrets and journalistic sources legislation.
Many local NGOs and media rights watchdogs have come out denouncing the actions of the authorities, saying that it was the journalist's professional duty to publish the information about illegal actions of the force structures. Yesterday, the main opposition party “Azat” has also stated that “shutdown of the “Alma-Ata Info” newspaper and subsequent detention and arrest of Ramazan Yessergepov prove that … the regime is fighting not against corruption, but against those who publicly cover the existing problems and maintain their stand”.
Links for Thu, 2009-01
Wu Wei quotes a Kyiv Post editorial, which urges the EU to consider investing in Ukraine's gas pipeline system, and posts this comment: “But on what terms will this be offered? Will the EU (or the corporation it says it will set up for pipelines) enter into a bidding war with Gazprom for use (and modernisation) of the Ukrainian network, or will it be outright privatisation? If so, given the current legislation in Ukraine preventing the gas transmission system's privatisation or use through concessions (or other ways) we can predict some tough battles ahead, on the usual lines in the government.”
“The BBC says the risk of compromising confidence in its fairness, coupled with ‘question marks' about aid getting through, had led to its decision not to broadcast the Gaza appeal. Because of this decision Sky and ITV are not allowed to make the appeal either,” reports Ali Dahmash, from Jordan.
“Who would have ever thought that something like this could happen in the UAE? I sure hope it survives till the weekend so I could go and take photos,” says Jar of Juice, from the UAE, after newspaper reports wrote about snowfall in nearby Ras Al Khaymah.
“Honestly, what do you put on your resume after spending a couple of years working as a Guantanamo Bay interrogator? And where do you apply for work?” asks Egyptian Sandmonkey, now that US President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay in a year.
José Ángel Lopez Barrios is not too pleased with the emergence of so many English words in advertising that are being adopted by Paraguayan stores [es]. He gives the example of the word “Sale”, which in Spanish means “get out.”
Ashish at Desicritics wonders whether the investigation of the Indian IT giant Satyam's major accounting fraud will be fair.
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