Stories from 18 November 2009
Azerbaijan: News of IRI departure met with concern
Following the cessation of radio broadcasts from foreign stations, as well as the sentencing last week of two video blogging youth activists, comes news of what some see as yet another threat to a fledgling process of democratization.
Western Sahara: Aminatou Haidar Deported
Aminatou Haidar is a leading activist for independence of the Western Sahara (from Morocco). On Friday, November 13 when, upon returning to Laayoune (a city in the Western Sahara region), she was arrested and subsequently deported. Jillian C. York rounds up the reactions of bloggers.
Russia: Young People Trust Internet
Fifty one percent of young Russians (ages 16 – 24) consider the Internet a reliable source of information. This makes the Internet the second most trustworthy source after TV among the youth. This and other findings are available in a newly published report [RUS] by the Public Opinion Foundation.
And the best country in the world is….
We thought: "The Economist doesn't know everything!" and launched our own global survey of what the "best country" in the world is. Global Voices will award a Putumayo African Reggae CD to whoever offers the best nomination.
Pakistan: Mumbai Attacks
Bilal Qureshi at Pakistan Foreign Policy blog comments on the 2008 Mumbai Terror attacks: “So far, we know that stateless actors were involved in carrying out these attacks. These people want nothing, but chaos and mayhem in Asia, and it is important to stop them without pointing finger at other.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Bromance
“I am fed up of the debate over next week’s referendum”: So instead, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Lullabies, Fairy Tales and other Self Delusions blogs about his “bromance with murses.”
Trinidad & Tobago: On Stage?
“One can live in hope that a Carnival Stage is looming somewhere in the future right?”: Trinidad Carnival Diary is “a bit skeptical to believe…that work is expected to start on the National Carnival and Entertainment Centre in March.”
Cuba: Courting Change
“There are a good number of ministers still under sixty, but the largest share of power is concentrated in the hands of septuagenarians and octogenarians”: Cuba's Generation Y suggests these veterans are unable “to hear the new generation knocking at the door, coming like a whirlwind to dismantle everything.”
Barbados: Crunch Time
“Barbadians have become alarmed at the prospect of having its investment paper perched at the brink of junk rating, a status most unfamiliar to Barbadians through the years”: Barbados Underground says it's economic “crunch time”!
Barbados, Jamaica: Corruption Perception
The 2009 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is out and although Living in Barbados always takes the results “with a pinch of salt”, he notes that “greasing palms is unfortunately seen as a part of doing business worldwide.”
Papua New Guinea: Ursula Rakova Leads Relocation Efforts
Activist Ursula Rakova has been leading efforts to relocate the residents from the Cataret Islands in Papua New Guinea, where it is estimated that by 2015 all of the islands will be completely submerged because of climate change.
Bangladesh: Brahmaputra River Is Threatened
RealTime Bangladesh blog reports that a dam in Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) in China will divert 200 billion cubic meters of waters to the Yellow River. This will spell disaster for the Tibetan plateau and the lower riparian countries, India’s North East and Bangladesh as Brahmaputra river and its branches like...
India: Much Ado about Copenhagen Meet On Climate Change
Roger Alexander opines that “in the course of his current trip to Asia, US President Barack Obama has ensured that the upcoming United Nations Climate Conference, due to take place in Copenhagen December 7-18, will be nothing more than a talk shop.”
Bangladesh: More Connectivity With Neighbors
The New Horizon comments on the recent initiatives of Bangladesh aiming for more regional connectivity with its neighbors: “It’s not only a good sign for Bangladesh, but also could usher in a new era of cooperation among South Asian nations in general.”
Africa: Google sponsors Kiswahili Wikipedia Challenge
Google is pushing for more content on Kiswahili Wikipedia through Kiswahili Wikipedia Challenge: We invite you to take part in this challenge to create Wikipedia articles in Kiswahili. We hope to make the online experience richer and more relevant for 100 million African users who speak Kiswahili.
Syria: Internet Woes Continue
Syrian blogger Rami wrote [ar] a post comparing internet speeds and costs in Syria with those in Romania. He was frustrated with having to struggle to obtain a 256Kbps connection in Syria in contrast with 100Mbps in Romania for roughly the same cost.
Saudi Arabia: We'll Defend Ourselves – For The Right Reason
In recent weeks a longstanding conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government has expanded to involve Saudi Arabia, which which has been carrying out bombing raids within Yemen. In this post one Saudi blogger gives his view of the situation.
China: Release Zhao Lianhai, the Father of the Kidney Stone Babies
C.A Yeung translated a petition signed by more than a hundred Chinese netizen demanding the Beijing police to release Zhao Lianhai, a famous rights activist and the founder of an organisation called the Home for the Kidney Stone Babies. Zhao was arrested and detained by the police since November 13.
Japan: Artist and morality
Neojaponisme has a blog post about the protocol for Japanese record labels to pull their artists’ CDs from stores when they are arrested on drug charges or for any other anti-social acts.
South Korea: Dual nationality
Roy Berman from Mutantfrog Travelogue blogs about the recently drafted law that allows dual citizenship for adults in South Korea.
China: Obama, censored or not?
Fool's Mountain pointed out how the Chinese propaganda machine has successfully played tricks on foreign media in reporting the censoring of Obama's Q & A session with Shanghai youth.
