6 March 2009

Stories from 6 March 2009

Israel: Gaza Aid in Exchange for Shalit

“A proposal has been made in the U.S. Congress to link the 900 million dollars of aid pledged to Gaza to the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who has been held in an undisclosed location without access to the International Red Cross, in contravention of International Law, for nearly...

Palestine: Objecting the ‘t-word’

Writing at KABOBfest, Carlos argues for the non-biased application of the term ‘terrorist’ following the bulldozer attack in Israel. “Would Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post use the ‘t-word’ to describe Israelis who use the same type of machinery to destroy dozens of homes in East Jerusalem?” he asks.

Israel: Saudi Woman Driver Arrested

Aussie Dave from Israel reports that a woman in Saudi Arabia has been arrested for .. driving a car. “I will resist making any women driver jokes since I don’t want to obfuscate my disgust over the horrendous treatment of women in Saudi Arabia and other Muslim or Arab countries,”...

Iran:”Basij Blogs just an illusion”

Mohammad Masih, in weblogshahr writes [fa] that the news about launching 10,000 Basij blogs by Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ weekly magazine, is just an illusion. He adds that many Hezbollah (Islamist) bloggers have been active for years without having links to official organizations.

Guinea-Bissau: Mixed feelings after double killing

  6 March 2009

The speaker of Guinea-Bissau's parliament has been sworn in as interim leader after the President Joao Bernardo Vieira and the army chief Batista Tagme Na Waie were assassinated. A presidential election must be organized within two months. The army has withdrawn from the streets, and bloggers have reported that life in the city has begun to return to normal, although many people remain very scared.

Liberia: Getting another chance at education

  6 March 2009

Emily writes about Liberian youth getting another chance at education, “A vocational training school nestled in the mountains in Yekepa and ravaged during Liberia’s civil war is being restored to its former self. This March, 100 students ages 13 to 25 will come to live here and learn to be...

Nigeria: Lessons For MPs On ICTs

  6 March 2009

Recent happenings at the National Assembly [in Nigeria] indicated that Legislators in the country need some lessons in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for a sustainable development, writes blogger Remmy Nweke.

Egyptian -and Muslim- Girls between a Rock and a Hard Place

Egyptian women are trapped between who they are and who they are expected to be; they are required to live up to the expectations of their parents, families, colleagues, and later on, their husbands and children. In their attempt to meet those expectations, some of them feel that they lose touch with who they really are and the great things they can really do.

Barbados: Foolish Games?

  6 March 2009

The Rihanna/Chris Brown reconciliation rumours are leaving “a really bad taste” in the mouths of Barbadian bloggers.

Trinidad & Tobago: Fact Checking

  6 March 2009

As some mainstream media broadcast a story about children being found in containers at the port of Port of Spain, which allegedly turned out to be a rumour, 5am at Mango Media Caribbean says: “Without journalists, democracies don't function and in our new social media world the role of an...

Haiti: A Necessary Practice?

  6 March 2009

My Life, an Open Book… says that the Haitian practice of Restavec is “not ALL bad”, but warns that despite the success stories, “we cannot ignore the fact that there are people who take advantage of the reality of poverty in this country by taking advantage of these needy children.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Welcoming President Obama

  6 March 2009

President Obama has confirmed his attendance at the upcoming Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, prompting This Beach Called Life to write him a letter of welcome and The Secret Blog of Patrick “Patos” Manning to write a creative post on “Mr. Obama’s late RSVP”.

Barbados: Tourists Attacked

  6 March 2009

As news breaks of Canadian tourists being attacked on a popular beach, Barbados Free Press says: “Bajans are sorry this happened…we want to see those preventative measures taken for the safety of all who visit and who live in our country.”