Archive for
May 28th, 2009
Stories
Russia: A Blogger's Review of “The Associate”
About a month ago, Jost A Mon blog posted a “roundup of translated crime fiction consumed in April” - which included several books by writers from Central and Eastern Europe.
Below is a displeased Russian blogger's blitz review (RUS) of John Grisham's 21st novel, The Associate:
LJ user dolboeb/Anton Nossik - May 24, 2009
I've read Grisham's latest thriller, The Associate.
[Aleksandra Marinina, a best-selling Russian crime fiction author] also had one such detective novel, titled “An Unwilling Murderer.”
The author makes up an [intricate] plot and sits down enthusiastically to write it out, twists plenty of plot lines and, closer to the middle of the narration, suddenly loses all interest in the manuscript, throws in an ellipsis in the most interesting spot, and in this form sends it off to the publisher. The publishers are probably somewhat [shocked] by such an avant-garde end, but business is business: where the reader expects a decisive battle of good against evil and the solution of all the mysteries, they hastily construct a final chapter about nothing, arrange the resulting half-a-novel in [huge] type, for [the book] to look thicker, and throw it out to the stores, where a multi-million army of the writer's fans diligently wipes the resulting half off the shelves for the price of a whole thriller.
And the funniest thing is that there is really no great difference between a thriller written to the end and one written to the middle. The goal - to grasp the reader's attention for a few hours on public transportation or at a beach - is achieved equally successfully [in both cases].
Russia: Farewell to Actor Oleg Yankovsky
Renowned Russian actor Oleg Yankovsky died in Moscow at the age of 65 on May 20 and was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery two days later. Thousands of fans came to the Lenkom Theater to bid farewell to him. LJ user drugoi re-posted AP photos from the memorial event, and LJ user leosat wrote this (RUS) about it:
Half an hour ago, they carried the coffin out and took the body away for a requiem service. I didn't make it inside the building to say good-bye. Even those who were there by 11 AM did not make it. There were lots of people, and two hours is too little. At 1:15 PM, it was no longer possible for the people to bid farewell to their beloved [actor]. The crowd didn't grow smaller until the body was carried out. Along with others, I passed the flowers with those who were inside the cordoned-off area. There was a lively ovation, as during all the plays he had been in. Today, the applause sounded twice. The first time, when [Nikolay Karachentsov, another famous actor, who was severely injured in a 2005 car accident] came to say good-bye. I guess this was appropriate. I shed a tear when the coffin was carried out: he remains deep within us all and it's impossible to associate his image with death. Loving memory to him!
Here is one of the comments to this post - and the blogger's reply:
seaseas:
Thank you […] for going there and for writing…
leosat:
I was there for you, too. In general, I don't go to such events often. Was at [Boris Yeltsyn's farewell ceremony] - and today…
Mexico: Television Comedy Show Makes Light of Actor's Mental Disability
The Human Rights Commission of the Federal District of Mexico [es] has asked the television network Televisa to apologize the actor known as Sammy, after the contestants of the comedy game show “Hazme reír [es]” [“Make me laugh”] played a prank on him, even though it is widely known that he suffers from moderate mental disability. According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, during the May 17 transmission of the game show, TV presenter Galilea Montijo and comedian Roxana Castellanos pretended that Sammy had an audition for a show [es], where they were asked to appear in lingerie and changed clothes in front of him. It also included “temptations” from the women contestants, and the prank extended to the point of convincing Sammy to dance in his underwear in front of the cameras of national Channel 2.
The pranks on “Hazme reír” are one of the ways the contestants have to gain points in order to keep playing in the Mexican game show. Following the show protocol, after the video of the prank by Montijo and Castellanos an evaluation of their comedy skills was made by a jury that included actor and comedian Rafael Inclán and actress and comedian Consuelo Duval. The judges immediately recognized the lack of respect to Sammy.
The following dialogue happened in the evaluation.
Judge Rafael Inclán: “The prank was well done but long. And with all due respect… [it was] an offense to Sammy’s condition. I’m sorry.”
Contestant Galilea Montijo: “Oh, which is?”
Inclán: “Don’t you know Sammy’s condition?”
Montijo: “Well, he is a person …” (she looks for Sammy in the public seats) “Sammy, where are you? Are you normal?”
Inclán: “No. We all know that.”
Montijo: “Oh, no, sorry. What you just said is the offense. To tell him in his face that he is not a normal person. (laughs)”
Inclán: “Sammy is a television accident. To me, it was cruel. Do the prank to someone else.”
(…)
Judge Consuelo Duval: “In my own personal point of view, Sammy is a good soul. And that’s why he is not normal. Sammy sees everything beautiful. Sammy sees everything in beauty.”
Montijo: “We all know that he has a… well… well, yes, he has a…”
Inclán: “That’s why.”
Montijo: “Sammy’s mental abilities are working at 100%. You’re at 100% sir, right?”
Actor Sammy: “Yes.” (nods)
Inclán: “Don’t ask him.”
Montijo: “…That he has natural humor.” (laughs)
Duval: (starts to cry)
Sammy is a Mexican actor that has appeared in several comedy shows on the Televisa channel –among them, the ones from veteran comedian Eugenio Derbez and the variety show El Calabozo–for the last 10 years. One of the recurring themes during his acts is that the presenters mock him constantly.
Although it has been implied since his first appearances that the actor suffers some kind of mental disability, recently the sister of Sammy, Martha, has declared to Mexican newspapers that he only suffers dyslexia [es]. “You cannot defend someone if you don’t know what he has,” she stated.
For Jessica Uribe, from the blog Vivir México [es], [“To live Mexico”] which also contains the video of the prank, the responsibility of the television-aired prank belongs to the line of content aired on the Mexican network:
La mayoría de nosotros sabemos que televisa es una mierda, no concede programas de calidad, sus actores cada vez más parece que son sacados de una mala broma y en fin, sobrarían mis palabras en contra de esta televisora que está en decadencia y que ella sola se dispara en el pie a diario. Esta vez la regaron al no revisar el contenido de un programa con la nula idea de lo que son los Derechos Humanos y el respeto a personas que sufren de alguna incapacidad (sic).
Vuarnet, from the blog Isopixel [es] comments that working on the television network does not mean that an actor can be humilliated:
Gracias a su participación en diversos espacios dentro de la televisora se hace vivir y mantiene a su madre, pero el hecho de que le den trabajo ¿les faculta para denigrarlo de ese modo? No hay derecho en serio…
User Regiodelnorte replies in a comment [es] to the Regioblogs [es] article of the same subject that the apologies of “Hazme reír” should be only the beginning:
La merece [Sammy], pero tambien que sean retroactivas las disculpas: Desde Jorge Van Rankin Arellano, Esteban Arce [ambos de El Calabozo], pasando por Eugenio Derbez.
In response to the same article, user RBN suggests that mocking others is common in Mexican television [es]:
Cuántas veces se ha burlado de los homosexuales con sus interpretaciones donde se exagera la condicion amanerada.
Twitter user @Uchalas thinks that the actor has no choice but to subject himself to the ridicule [es]:
Yo creo que Sammy si entiende lo que pasa a su alrededor, pero si la hace de pedo perdería el trabajar en Televisa. ¿Como ven?
@Elmeollodlasnto, from Twitter thinks that it was not adequate the way the apologies were given [es]:
Televisa ofreció disculpas por su broma para Sammy. ¡¿Alguien las aceptó? Sin embargo, el video ahí estará. Debió ser Galilea y no Regil [el presentador].
Aside from the real situation of Sammy, the prank and its reactions have brought to the surface a whole generation of characters from the Mexican television that have become popular because of the mockery around them, rather than their comedy skills. Among them, “el Changoleón [es]”, a homeless alcoholic man that became popular through the show Toma Libre, y “el Furcio [es]”, another mocked character from the show No Manches.
Morocco: The Blogoma's Journey Continues
Blogging has come a long way in Morocco. I remember when I published my first blog post, I was the only Moroccan blogger in my college. A few years later, and we have a totally different scene - a blogosphere which has grown rapidly. Here's a review of the Blogoma - the bloggers' very own name for Morocco's thriving blogging scene.
Readership
According to the Moroccan National Telecom Agency ANRT, there are more than 800,000 Moroccans connected directly to the Internet. This number has been growing steadily due to the lower costs of computers and internet connections. Indeed, the community of internet users is estimated up to 4,000,000 people because of the numerous cyber cafés in the country.
Bloggers
There were not that many bloggers just a few years ago. Today, their number is estimated at about 30,000 to 40,000 bloggers according to Moroccan blogger Larbi. All topics are covered from politics to arts, to daily life and fashion, music and sports.
The Moroccan blogosphere also has its own name - the Blogoma. According to Le magazine des blogs et du web au Maroc:
a contraction de blogosphère marocaine. Le terme a été avancé pour la première fois en 2004, pour faire allusion à la naissante communauté de bloggeurs au Maroc.
La blogosphére marocaine est l'une des communautés les plus évolutives dans la région du Maghreb et a pu à plusieurs reprises afficher des positions fermes vis à vis de l'actualité nationale et internationale. Les bloggeurs marocains se réunissent réguliérement sous forme de blog meeting et blog days.
It's a contraction between Blogosphere and Marocaine (Moroccan). This term has been introduced for the first time in 2004 to refer to the birth of bloggers community in Morocco.
The Moroccan blogosphere is one of the most evolving communities in the Maghreb region. It has shown firm and steady positions towards national and international current affairs. Moroccan bloggers meet regularly through blog meetings and blog days.
The aggregator Berberus, attempted a study about Maghrebi blogs with Google Page Ranks (PR) superior than PR = 4. The study, which was made last January and is available here, shows a good presence of Moroccan blogs. Among the top ranked blogs, it names are:
l’excellent blog du journaliste Algérien Allaoua Hadji au côté de Laila Lalami et des deux blogs tunisiens (censurés dans leurs pays) Nawaat.org et ReveilTunisien.org. Le blog de Lameen Souag ayant hélas perdu un point.
the excellent blog of Algerian journalist Allaoua Hadji next to Laila Lalami[a Moroccan author] and the two censored Tunisian blogs Nawaat.org and ReveilTunisien.org. The blog of [Algerian linguist] Lameen Souag has lost one rank.
Profile
As mentioned earlier, many topics are covered by the Blogoma. Its bloggers are of varied profiles too. You can read blogs written by bloggers of various ages. Citoyen Hmida, for example, is run by a retired bank employee; and Adamito by a young college student (high school student at the time he started it). This blogger has also started an innovative and collaborative education platform called 9rayti.com. The most known blog if not the most famous is undoubtedly Larbi, by a young consultant residing in France. He analyses actual news from Morocco and France and offers his opinion with much humor.
Many languages are used in the Moroccan blogs. If French was the most significant one used, there are now more blogs written in Arabic and in English. Indeed, some blogs are capitalizing on the lack of Moroccan Arabic-speaking blogs and have declared that their purpose is to promote the use of Arabic while blogging. For example, the blog named Bla faransiyya, Without French, goes even further and explains:
Morocco's English-speaking blogs are growing too. Eatbees is one of the blogs writing regularly on Morocco while Al Miraat, which I discovered for the first time through a tasty post about Couscous, Tagine and Democracy, are bothe written in English. A recent project launched by some bloggers started the Maghreb politics Review which:
is a multi-author weblog about the politics of North Africa in an international relations context … The idea here is to shed brighter and broader light onto North Africa in English-speaking quarters, where the region is too often forgotten in conversation about the Muslim and Arab worlds, Mediterranean and broader Middle East. While the Maghreb figures more frequently into Francophone conversation, where there is much of value to be found, MPR hopes to serve to raise the quality of the discourse on and analysis of the region in English.
Impacts
The Blogoma is rich. It's a community which is growing rapidly and which has a wide range of profiles. But does it have any impact on Moroccans ? It is hard to say in a country where illiteracy is still high. Citizen media in general is not well developed, not as much as mainstream media such as television and newspapers. It had its moments of glory though when a video shooter who called himself, The hunter from Targuist, videotaped policemen getting bribed by drivers and truck drivers. The videos are available on YouTube here and here. Thanks to this video, six policemen were fired from their jobs.
For the moment, the Blogoma is more like an intimate journal. Citoyen Hmida says:
“On y réagit plus qu’on y réfléchit”
And a majority of bloggers seem to agree that the Blogoma needs some time to mature. Tarik Essaâdi, author of “E-Citizen” told the magazine Tel Quel:
La blogoma se porte bien en nombre, mais souffre d’une crise d’identité. On ne sait pas bien ce qu’on veut.
He also stated to the same magazine that the Blogoma needs more commitment as it's the case in Algeria and Tunisia. This is a statement which may have to be revised because of the mobilization shown by the Blogoma during latest cases of Fouad Mourtada, Erraji and the Barça fan.
Meanwhile, the Blogoma's journey continues.
Guadeloupe: In May 2009, keep May 1802 and May 1967 in mind
2009 will definitely be a “new” year in Guadeloupe - at least judging from a pun that people used as their New Year's wish, since in Creole “new” is pronounced “nef” and “nine” is also pronounced “nef”. The first social movements in December 2008 foreshadowed the massive mobilization which took place from January until March 2009, which resulted in 45 days of an all-out strike on the island. Although an agreement was signed, the situation still has not been properly settled - and May, traditionally a month of protest in the French and Guadeloupean social history, is particularly hot this year.
On May 1st, the first massive demonstration took place since the end of the strike: Guadeloupeans got together in Petit-Canal after marching from 9 am to almost 1 pm, and spent all day together listening to music, watching dance performances and paying close attention to speeches from local union leaders. The occasion has helped make Shakazulu, who blogs in Creole at Gwakafwika, very prolific lately, as May is traditionally “identity” month in Guadeloupe and it's one of the blogger's favourite topics.
In his first post about the season, “Arété kouri ba patron” [Guadeloupean Creole] which means “Stop running for your bosses”, the blogger denounces a new sport challenge called Relais Inter-Entreprise [Fr] (a relay run by employees of public or private Guadeloupean companies). For the past 12 years, this race has been taking place on May 27th, to the point where it has become an integral part of some companies' annual schedule. But Shakazulu [French Creole] reveals much more about this crucial date, echoing this post from the Caribbean bloggers at Repeating Islands:
27 Mé an péyi an nou, on jou a mémwa, on jou otila pèp Gwadloup ka chonjé konba a Ignas, Dèlgrès, Masoto, Solitid pou libérasyon a gwadloupéyen anba gyouk a lèsklavaj é kolonyalis fwansé.
Indeed, May 1848 was the year of the second abolition of slavery in the French possessions of Guadeloupe and Martinique, which partly explains Shakazulu's conclusion about the post [Guadeloupean Creole]:
Alò ki jan nou pé konpwann, jou-lasa, chak lanné, travayè Gwadloup pé ay swé ba séla ki toulélanné ka fann kyou a yo?
Instead, Shakazulu suggests a march whose slogan is [Guadeloupean Creole]:
Fè mémwa maché, fè konsyans vansé pou nou sonjé gwadloupéyen ki goumé é ki tonbé anba bal fizi a kolon an lanné 1802 é 1967
This march mentioned by the blogger has actually been in existence for a few years, attracting people who are in quest of a symbolic act by which to remember their ancestors. Here is the program of this two-day-long march, which goes across the island [French/Guadeloupean Creole].
In this same post, the blogger deals with a new date: May 1967. At that time, social protests were frequent, as the sugar cane workers were dissatisfied with their working conditions and salaries. Shakazulu explains here what happened during one special demonstration [Guadeloupean Creole]:
Mé 1967- Mé 2009! 42 lanné! 42 lanné léjyonnè fwansé kyouyé gwadloupéyen an vil Lapwent. Moun ka palé dè 8 moun, dòt ka palé dè 87 moun, on dòt pati ka palé dè plis ki 100 moun mò Lapwent
Nobody really knows what really happened that day as no official toll was ever communicated and the entire affair was filed “Confidential” - but some Guadeloupean directors decided to highlight the voices of witnesses about those memories which still haunt their nights. Here is a series of videos (made available on YouTube) called “Sonjé Mé 67″ [Guadeloupean Creole], which means “Remember May ‘67″:
…and here, another YouTube find, which deals with the events of both May 1802 and May 1967.
Peru: Freezing Temperatures in Puno Result in Children Deaths
While the front pages and headlines of the most important newspapers in Lima, Peru covering news about the 16 cases [es] of the H1N1 swine flu in the country, there is not much news about the 133 children who have died [es] due to the seasonal flu caused by the low temperatures in the southern part of the country, especially in the Puno region. Bloggers have started to notice this difference in coverage and have started to write about the subject.
León Huarancca Quichca does not trust the media or the government and writes [es]:
Hasta ahora la AH1N1 ha sido la gran noticia para los medios de comunicación pese a que aún no ha causado muerte alguna, mientras que la neumonía ya ha matado a 133 niños y niñas, y recién es una noticia minimizada para los medios de comunicación. Según dicen que el Perú crece a todo dar, pero hay niños muriendo de neumonía, personas contagiadas con TBC, y seguramente el presidente García fiel al a su estilo conminará a la gente que hagan donaciones
Up until now, the AH1N1 (virus) has been the big news for the media even though there has not been a single death (in Peru), while 133 children have died from pneumonia, and even then it is minor news for the media. Supposedly Peru is growing at a fast rate, but there are children dying of pneumonia, people infected with tuberculosis, and surely President (Alan) García will continue with his style by asking people to make donations.
El Paki [es] publishes a short analysis of the coverage provided by the local television station and criticizes the government:
Acabo de ver una nota en el noticiero vespertino de canal N sobre la gripe AH1N1, y los contagiados en el colegio Altair de la Molina. Una nota de 5 minutos, con transmisión en vivo. Lo que me recordó al post del Dr. Huerta, que al final de un concienzudo análisis del contenido del noticiero de canal 4 llega a esta conclusión:
Total de tiempo dedicado a la gripe AH1N1: 41 minutos.
Total de tiempo dedicado a la muerte de decenas de niños peruanos por el frío: UN SOLO MINUTO (en el noticiero del jueves)Y lo que es peor, el ministerio de salud que publicita muy bien su estrategia de lucha contra la fiebre porcina, no tiene datos (mínimamente, no?) acerca del plan de lucha/prevención/tratamiento, de las consecuencias del friaje, que cada año, asola a la infancia de las zonas altoandinas.
I just saw a piece on the Channel N nightly news about the AH1N1 flu, and those infected at the Altair de la Molina school. It was a report that lasted 5 minutes, with a live broadcast. It reminded me of the blog post from Dr. Huerta [es], who after a thorough analysis of Channel 4's news content arrived at the following conclusion:
Total amount of time dedicated to the AH1N1 flu virus: 41 minutes
Total amount of time dedicated to the death of dozens of Peruvian children because of the cold weather: ONLY ONE MINUTE (on the Thursday news broadcast)
And what is worse, the Health Minister who publicizes the strategy against the swine flu, does not have any information (minimal, no?) about the plan to fight/prevent/treat the consequences from the yearly cold spell that grips the children from high-altitude Andean regions.
With the annual low temperatures that affect the rural populations in southern Peru, many believe that the Health Minister and the local governments should have an adequate preparedness plan in order to prevent cases like this. The blog Caviar de Cianuro [es] is worried about this lack of response:
Lo que más rabia da es que recién comienza la ola de frío y muere gente (y al parecer traerá más víctimas). Más desazón da cuando el Gobierno comienza a actuar en el momento en el que las cifras de muertos por las heladas son alarmantes y para colmo utilizan la catástrofe para su proselitismo político. Si hay algo peor que el Gobierno Central es la forma como Hernán Fuentes, presidente regional de Puno, no se pronuncia ni se hace responsabe de alguna actividad para apasiguar el daño que dicha catástrofe ocasiona a su comunidad regional ¡Actúen de inmediato, pero actúen bien y ya!
What makes one even angrier is that the cold wave has just begun and people are dying (and apparently there will be more victims). It is even more unsettling when the government only begins to act when the numbers killed by the freeze become alarming and they use the disaster for political campaigning. If there is anything worse than the Central Government is the way that Hernán Fuentes, regional president of Puno, has neither made a statement, nor has taken responsibility for any activity for pacifying the damage affecting his regional community. Act now, but act correctly and do so now!
The same blogger is angry that this is a subject that needs to be written about yet again [es]:
Los medios tradicionales también merecen ser criticados puesto que no están cubriendo este tema debidamente ni lo ponen en la agenda pública ni están informando a la población sobre la importancia de tomar ciertas medidas para evitar que los niños tengan las enfermedades respiratorias derivadas de las heladas. ¿Cómo Alan García, Yehude Simon o cualquier autoridad les podría decia a los padres de esos niños que somos parte de un país? Francamente, da rabia volver a escribir sobre esto. Porque al final lo que más mata en este país, no son las enfermedades, es la indiferencia.
Traditional media also deserves to be criticized because they are not covering this issue properly, nor do they place the subject in the public agenda, nor are they informing the public about the importance of taking certain measures to prevent respiratory illnesses in children because of the freezes. How could (President) Alan García, (Prime Minister) Yehuda Simon or any authority tell the parents of those children that we are part of a country? Frankly, I hate to write about this again. Because in the end, what kills the most in this country, are not diseases, it is indifference.
However, there not all is indifference, Renato Cisneros and Jesús Véliz write about the support campaign [es] conducted by the Municipality of Barranco, a district of Lima.
Mientras en la capital aún hay brillo solar, y no nos abrigamos mucho. En Puno, muchas víctimas, en su mayoría niños, han fallecido por el exceso de frío… El distrito de Barranco, está organizando una campaña “Abriguemos Puno”… ¿CREES QUE HABRÁ UNA ÓPTIMA RESPUESTA DE LOS PERUANOS CON ESTA CAMPAÑA DE SOLIDARIDAD?…¿SOMOS SOLIDARIOS ENTRE PERUANOS?… Ya lo demostramos con nuestros vecinos del Sur, después de terremoto… ahora??
Meanwhile in the capital (Lima) the sun still shines brightly, we don't dress warmly. In Puno, there are many victims, mainly children who have died because of the excess cold… The Barranco district is organizing a campaign, “Let's Keep Puno Warm” … DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS AN OPTIMUM ANSWER FROM PERUVIANS WITH THIS CAMPAIGN? … HOW DO WE SHOW SOLIDARITY AMONG PERUVIANS? .. We did the same with our neighbors in the south after the earthquake, and now?
The question has generated a lot of responses, among which include apparent skepticism about such actions, but is thought to be good to help. The bad experiences with donations ending up in the wrong hands have created a bad precedent that will need to be overcome.
Finally, Francisco Canaza of Apuntes Peruanos [es] provides another perspective to understand the problem:
El frío es el gatillo para infecciones que proliferan en los pobladores con desnutrición. Puno, Lampa, Azángaro y Carabaya muestran altos niveles de desnutrición infantil. … De los 435 centros de salud ubicados en la región Puno, pocos son los que cuentan con las condiciones apropiadas para atender casos de neumonía extendidos por toda la población. Es más, muchos de estos centros de salud son de Primer Nivel, es decir puestos de salud con limitaciones y con un promedio de dos profesionales.
Consideremos esto. El 64.3% del presupuesto nacional es gasto corriente. la mayoría de regiones recibe menos del 1% del presupuesto nacional. Puno recibe como región el 0.97% del presupuesto nacional, con lo que tiene que hacerse cargo de las funciones ya descentralizadas. La solución no es la vacuna contra la gripe sino que un adecuado sistema de apoyo social brinde sus frutos. Y que el Estado se encuentre preparado a atender las infecciones clásicas, pues las IRA’s son una constante en la época de frío.
The cold is the trigger for the infections that spred among malnourished people. Puno, Lampa, Azángaro and Carabaya all show high levels of child malnutrition. … Of the 435 health centers located in the Puno region, there are few that have the appropriate conditions to attend to cases of pneumonia widespread throughout the population. In addition, many of these health facilities are considered First Level, meaning health posts with limitations and only averaging two health professionals.
Consider this. 64.3% of the national budget is currently being spent. Most regions received less than 1% of the national budget. The Puno region receives 0.97% of the national budget, which it has to pay for the functions already decentralized. The solution is not the flu shot, but an adequate social support system that provides results. And for the State to prepared to meet the common infections because acute respiratory infections are constant during the cold season.
In addition to the above posts recommended, the article about the freezing temperatures [es] that appeared in the La República newspaper provides real accounts from Peruvians living in the region. There is also an interesting conversation taking place in the Peru Forums [es].
Links for Thu, 2009-05
The HiperBarrio project has been conducting blogging workshops in the Colombian community of Ituango and Blueandtanit of $ujetate [es] provides details on the weekend's activities.
The official blog of Campus Party Colombia 2009 [es] is now providing updates on the activities scheduled for the event to held in Bogotá on July 6-12.
Panos Radio South Asia airs a special report on the status of the community radios in Bangladesh. Following a progressive and pro-radio broadcasting law enacted by the government last year, 116 community radio stations are waiting for the final nod to be on air.
“There are actually more men with the first name of Mohammad than there are women in parliament,” writes BabaGannouj et La Zaytouni about the current number of women parliamentarians and about the very small number of women candidates (12) compared to the hundreds of men running for the upcoming elections on June 7.
A 7.1 scale earthquake has hit Honduras. Janpedrano [es] writes about communicating with friends and family around the country through internet, SMS, and telephone making sure that they were alright.
Weblog Bahamas republishes an article which addresses the serious impact of flooding on the island.
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