12 April 2009
Stories from 12 April 2009
Thailand’s “colored” protesters
Red shirts. Yellow shirts. Blue Shirts. Pink Shirts. White Shirts. Orange Shirts. Purple Shirts. Black Shirts. Be careful what you wear in Thailand today. Your politics are determined by the color of your shirt. A blogger suggests that tourists should wear floral shirts in Thailand in order not to be identified with any of the political forces here.
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Mexico: Foreign Artists Commenting on Internal Matters
French musician and activist Manu Chao was recently in Mexico, where he referred to the riots in Atenco to be an example of "state terrorism." As a result, there was reports that he was being investigated by the government for violating Article 33 of the Mexican Constitution, which prohibits foreigners from becoming involved in the internal matters of the country.
Predictions and Polls for the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections in India
The month long general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha start from April 16, and there is wide speculation on which party, or coalition, will emerge the winner, when the results are announced on May 16th. Here is a quick roundup of the pre-election predictions and the discussion around them in the Indian blogosphere.
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Argentina: A Wall Separating Two Neighborhoods in Buenos Aires
A wall built between two neighborhoods in northern Buenos Aires leaves residents and bloggers wondering whether this is the best way to combat crime or whether it just a way to separate people of different classes. Even though in a local newspaper poll, most people support the wall because of the problem of security that many face, it was torn down by those in opposition leaving little to show for the public investment of funds.
Serbia: Gypsies' Houses Torn Down in Belgrade
This July, Belgrade will host the 25th World University Games, whose participants will stay in the newly-built University Village. There used to be some 350 Gypsy houses near that place, but, following an order of the City Department of Inspections, about 50 houses were torn down on April 3. A few dozen children, women, old and sick Gypsies spent the night without shelter, and were later attacked by the neo-Nazis. Sinisa Boljanovic translates bloggers' reactions to the incident and to the measures proposed by Belgrade's city authorities.
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I have just had some news about Iaiá, from Alcinéia. She did another jump at the end of last year,...