23 October 2009

Stories from 23 October 2009

Azerbaijan: Musings & Poetry

  23 October 2009

With the number of English-language blogs from Azerbaijan increasing, Emotions on Air, Mind Mute sets a precedent for musings and poetry. Often dark and melancholic, the blog shows that new media can also be a medium for other forms of self-expression.

Bhutan: Smooth Transition To Democracy

  23 October 2009

Tshering Tobgay, the Leader of the opposition party in the National Assembly of Bhutan, comments that: “the transition to our democracy has, indeed, been uniquely smooth. So smooth that most of us weren’t even paying attention.”

Nepal: The Maoist Insurgency

  23 October 2009

Neil’s Nepal, a Maoist expert, posts an analysis of the implications of the present Nepali conflict from the perspective of the US military.

Pakistan: Who Is Responsible?

  23 October 2009

Talkhaba opines that both civil and military establishments of Pakistan are responsible for the present deteriorated situation of the country.

India: Blogger Journalist Mediates Cop's Release

  23 October 2009

On the 20th of October dozens of Maoist insurgents attacked the Sankrail police station in West Midnapore district in India and abducted the officer in charge. Keeping him as hostage they demanded release of 14 tribal women as a swap and two BBC journalists including a blogger mediated his release.

Trinidad & Tobago: Trini To The Bone?

  23 October 2009

“Every day that I go through the news I become more convinced that I want to quit the ‘I am a Trini’ club and head off to somewhere else”: Coffeewallah has had it with everything from crime to taxes.

Trinidad & Tobago: 350 Action

  23 October 2009

“Trinidad and Tobago is a wealthy small island developing nation rich in oil and natural gas. But we are also seeing the damaging effects of aggressive industrialisation on our islands. This is an opportunity for women’s voices to be heard”: Attillah Springer is getting involved in 350's climate action tomorrow.

Haiti: No Justice?

  23 October 2009

As an ex-priest is extradited to Canada to face charges of sexual abuse of minors in Haiti, The Haitian Blogger says: “The international community has evidently concluded that there is no justice in Haiti. Sexual predators who have been operating with impunity in Haiti are being extradited to their countries...

Trinidad & Tobago: Twenty 20

  23 October 2009

This Beach Called Life and Trin are excited about Trinidad and Tobago's prospects in today's Champion's League Twenty 20 Cricket final.

Africa: Predators of Art, Entrepreneurship and Poet Ramblings

  23 October 2009

There are predators and there are art predators and Gwendolyn Alley is one such predator. It is not often that you hear that one is an art predator, an enthusiast or aficionado maybe but not predator and this is what made me become very curious about Alley’s blog where she confesses her love for art.

Activism and Motherhood in Asia

  23 October 2009

What does a woman sacrifice for the cause she fights for? How are her children affected by persecution taken against her? This post explores briefly the lives of women activists in Asia who are also mothers.

Morocco: Education Under Bloggers’ Scrutiny

  23 October 2009

Torn between insistent calls for modernization and a powerful conservative drive; caught in an excruciating debate over which languages to include in its programs; overburdened by an opaque and centralized administration, the Moroccan education system has long been the target of passionate critiques, not least among bloggers.

Russia: Soviet Legacy and Street Names

  23 October 2009

A few weeks ago, it seemed as if every single Russian blogger took the time to write something about the re-naming of Anti-Soviet Shish Kebab Restaurant in Moscow, a dissident journalist's protest article and a pro-Kremlin youth movement's counter-protest activities. One blogger alluded to the scandal in a post about street names that kept on preserving the questionable Soviet legacy.