Stories from 14 May 2009
Sri Lanka: Understanding The Tamil Conflict
G. Kuganesan at Voices In Exile sheds a light into the background of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka: “The Tamil conflict has deep roots, distant ties that date well beyond the mere formation of a violent LTTE (Tamil Tigers) movement, a history buried in discrimination, segregation, and specific ethnic...
Sri Lanka: Now is not the time for Eelam
Indi.ca from Sri Lanka comments: “This is not the time or the way to establish borders. Right now we need to preserve our common humanity. Then we need to learn to live together in a united Sri Lanka. The LTTE’s Eelam seems to involve sacrificing all the Tamils there. That’s...
Maldives: Lessons From Election Results
Abdullah Waheed lists some points showing voter preferences and their vision of the future role of the Majlis (parliament) which have emerged through the preliminary results of the parliamentary elections in Maldives.
MENA: Does Swine Flu Spread from Touching Pigs?
More than 14 centuries after Islam prohibited the consumption of pork, pigs are once again making headlines across the Arab world - this time in the form of tweets. Here's a quick snapshot of some of the messages from Twitter users across the region.
Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago: Gayle Reactions
Reactions to controversial comments made about Test Cricket by West Indies captain Chris Gayle, from Guyanese blogger Imran Khan and Barbados-based Trinidadian B.C. Pires.
St. Lucia: Walcott Reactions
As St. Lucian Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott withdraws from the race for Oxford Professor of Poetry, Repeating Islands posts an update: “The nearly unanimous response…from newspaper reporters, commentators, and bloggers has been one of regret and of condemnation of the tactics that pushed him to that decision.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing the Signs
“It matters not how many skyscrapers, malls, American chain restaurants or chemical plants a country has…if [it] possesses at least five or more of these signs of underdevelopment and tyranny, then it is still a third world country at the very core”: Alien in the Caribbean sees many of those...
Cuba: Human Rights Council
Havana Times reports that “Cuba has been re-elected for a second three-year period as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council” in a move that Cuba Journal calls “a rebuff to the policies of the United States” by UN members.
Grenada, Taiwan: Loan Repayment
As Taiwan takes Grenada to court over the non-payment of a loan, Blah Bloh Blog comments: “Cynical Grenadians like myself are wondering if we can’t offer up former Prime Minister Keith ‘Is me damn money’ Mitchell as a form of restitution…”
India: What The Election Symbols Mean
Let's Put Da deconstructs the election symbols of the Indian political parties to find out what to expect from them.
India: Exit Poll Figures
HarshadOak.com posts a summary of exit poll predictions for India Election Results 2009 which suggests that India could be heading for a weak coalition government. The blogger adds: “however, looking at the dismal record of opinion and exit polls in India, we need to look at these numbers more as...
Arab World Reacts to Jordan's Twittering Queen Rania
After her debut on YouTube, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan is now courting microblogging service Twitter, allowing the world to catch up with the 140-character messages of the self-described mum and wife “with a real cool day job.” With 41,217 followers so far (she is only following 31), reactions from around the region on the Twittering Queen's adventure pour in.
Armenia: Online insult leads to tragedy
Blogian comments on the killing of a teenager in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri after he reportedly insulted a local girl on Odnoklassniki, the Russian equivalent of Facebook. The blog says that the story is indicative of a culture of violence, relationships between men and women, and a failed...
Indonesia: Central Bank Chief, the next VP?
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is set to announce the Central Bank chief Boediono as his running mate in a couple of days. Indonesians are divided over the candidacy of Boediono. Some cheered at the decision, but the president's decision is unpopular among some parties.
Bolivia: First Impressions of Bolivian State Run Airline
Jose José of A Pesar de Ser Abogado [es] writes about his first impressions using BOA, the new state-run airline in Bolivia.
Kazakhstan: Turmoil Royale
Rakhat Aliev, former son-in-law of the Kazakhstani president, former ambassador in Austria and former Kazakh oligarch, sentenced to 40 years in jail for abduction of the people, leadership of the mafia-type organization and attempt of the coup, keeps on creating a “democrat's” image by leaking discrediting materials against top officials....
Armenia: Eurovision Reaction
Ianyan rounds up the reaction to Armenia's entry in this year Eurovision Song Contest currently under way in Moscow. The blog says that the two singers, Inga and Anush, could be described as “traditional Armenian wear meets Star Wars meets Diva Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element.”
Japan: Mass hysteria over swine flu
James from Japan Prob quotes from Tsuyoshi Takashiro's blog [ja] on the opinion about the over-reaction to the swine flu.
Japan: Nice middle age
Harvey from Japan Newbie introduces a hilarious music video by Takosan called Nice Middle.
Cambodia: Activist Parliamentarian May Drop Lawsuit Against Prime Minister
Mu Sochua is an internationally recognized activist and member of the Cambodian National Assembly. She recently filed a lawsuit against the country's prime minister, Hun Sen, for defamatory comments he made in April 2009. Subsequently, Hun Sen filed a countersuit against Mu Sochua, also for defamation.
China: Guangdong street violence
ChinaSMACK translates a netizen discussion on girls street violence in Guangdong.
