Stories from 21 August 2009
East Timor: Celebrating Global Solidarity for Freedom
Ten years after the referendum, global voices are again spreading the word for East Timor, but this time celebrating the strong international solidarity that back then culminated in the country's recognized self-determination.
Russia: Flags With Crosses
Eternal Remont is hoping that “the Moscow Times was recently bought out by The Onion” – and here's why: “According to the Moscow Times, the Russian Justice Ministry recently published an updated and much longer list of extremist materials on the Internet. Among the new materials destroying Russia: Winnie the...
Hungary, Slovakia: Newest Tensions
Hungarian Spectrum (here and here) and The Reference Frame report and comment on the Slovak-Hungarian tensions.
Iran: “Green Movement and Football”
Jomhoriyat writes [fa] that hundreds of young people carried green flags and wore green t-shirts in football stadiums in Isfahan and Shiraz. The green colour is the symbol of Iranian protest movement.
Caribbean: “Gold Rush” in Berlin
If there was doubt in anyone's mind that Jamaica can lay claim to having the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt's 19:19 win in the 200m final must have removed any skepticism. Once again, regional bloggers celebrate with their Jamaican counterparts.
Zambia: Reactions to Chiluba's acquittal
A magistrate in Lusaka acquitted former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba of corruption charges this week in a ruling that has received mixed reactions in Zambia.
Nepal: Sadhus – The Mystic Men
Dhiraj Shrestha posts pictures and writes about the Sadhus (Babas) or the mystic men of Nepal.
India, Pakistan: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Raza Rumi at Jahane Rumi comments on the former Indian foreign minister’s remarks on Pakistan's founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah: “Jaswant Singh's right-wing worldview can be partially pardoned for he has made an attempt to set the record straight. The vilification of Jinnah to the extent of presenting him as...
India: The Wall Project
IdeaSmith at Desicritics writes about the wall project, which had invited the citizens of Mumbai to express themselves in color on the city’s walls. The blogger also posts some pictures of the painted walls from Mahim to Dadar (about 4 kms), which was made available by the Municipal Corporation to...
Africa: The forgotten African WWII soldiers
Sokari writes about a new documentary acknowledging the role of African soldiers in WWII: “One of the greatest omissions of 20th century European and African history are African soldiers who fought in World War I and II.”
South Africa: Is Caster Semenye a man or a woman?
Caster Semenye, a young South African runner who recently won a gold medal at the World championships in Berlin has been thrown into the spotlight, and not due to her victory but rather her gender. The question is: Is Caster Semenye a man or a woman? In this post we are summarising bloggers' reaction to the controversy.
Nigeria: The Okocha debate is unnecessary
Should the former member of Nigerian national team, Austin Okocha return to the team? “I can't believe we are actually having a nationwide debate on the merits or otherwise of having former skipper Austin Okocha return to the Super Eagles!”
Puerto Rico: Public News Channel Dismantled
The newsroom of Puerto Rico's only public channel was practically dismantled recently, allegedly due to budget cuts. The Puerto Rican blogosphere has been loaded with comments.
Haiti: A Dissident is Here
“Government authorities in Haiti face recent criticism over allegations that they continue to jail political dissidents”: Wadner Pierre says that calls are mounting for the release of Ronald Dauphin, who was an activist with the Fanmi Lavalas movement of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Anguilla: Parental Responsibility
“The object is not to punish the parent. The object is to convince the parent that he or she needs to do more to monitor and supervise…their child”: Corruption-free Anguilla makes a case for why parents should be held accountable for the actions of their children.
Bermuda: The Courage to Talk
Bermuda Jewel thinks that communities could take a bite out of crime by doing “something so simple as talking out.”
Guyana: Leadership Issue
As Dr Van West-Charles decides to “withdraw from the PNC leadership race and support former Party Chairman Winston Murray”, Guyanese bloggers react. Guyana 360 calls the move “a display of political maturity”, while Imran Khan says: “If the PNC…does not realise that Murray…must be its leader at this time, then...
Bangladesh: What Farmers Say About Microfinance
Duncan Green spent spent some time with a group of 20 Bangladeshi small farmers (13 men, 7 women) and shared their views about Micro-finance in his blog.
Afghanistan: Voting Day
Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats and voted Thursday in the country’s second-ever presidential elections. Afghan bloggers share their experiences and feelings on this historic day.
Russia: The Siege of Leningrad Museums
The Copydude has moved to St. Petersburg and launched a new blog: St. Petersblurb. The latest post there is about the Siege of Leningrad and today's monuments and museums commemorating the tragedy.
Peru: Proposal Shortens Time for Media to Correct Inexact Information
The Peruvian Congress has begun to debate a bill that shortens the time for “inexact information” to be corrected by the media. Many journalists and bloggers are wondering who will decide what that term means.
