October, 2010
Stories from October, 2010
3 October 2010
Peru: Two Women Contend to Become Mayor of Lima
On Sunday October 3 regional and municipal elections will be held in all of Peru, and for the first time the top candidates in Lima are two women. But this does not mean that the campaign has been free of rumors, accusations, and scandals. Of course, bloggers have also been sharing their views and evaluating the candidates.
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2 October 2010
Bulgaria: Internet Discussions About Nazism
The actions of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy against the Roma people in France and their deportation to Bulgaria and Romania, were met with two opposing views in the Bulgarian society. Nationalist factions organized an anti-Roma protest on Sept. 25, where they chanted Nazi slogans. This evoked a response from human rights activists, who created a website and Facebook groups against neo-Nazi groups.
Nigeria: Reflections on 50 Years of Independence
The Golden Jubilee for Africa's most populous country is being celebrated throughout the nation and the global diaspora with speeches, concerts, parties and all manner of other events. But some say: is there even anything to celebrate? For many, the last fifty years seem an accelerated decent into chaos. Still, for most Nigerians, October 1st is a time for festivities.
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Sahel Region: On Paying Ransom for Hostages
Hostage-taking by a militant Islamist group called Al-Qaeda in The Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is on the rise in the Sahel region which spans across several countries in the north of Africa. In order to free hostages, governments and companies have put political pressure on the African nations involved, or opted to pay ransoms directly. However, the strategy of paying ransom is often decried as ineffective and dangerous in the long run.
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Pakistan: Dr. Aafia Siddiqui Case – A Veiled Mystery
A recent verdict by a Federal Court in Manhattan, sentencing Pakistani neuro-scientist Dr. Aafia Siddiqui an imprisonment of 86 years, has sparked reactions all over the world. Dr. Siddiqui was detained with her three children in an Afghanistan prison without trial for many years and was finally charged with attempted murder of US officers while in detention.
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Ecuador: Accusations and Evaluation After Police Uprising
Evaluation and mixed views have emerged after the police uprising in Ecuador, transmitted instantly through social networks. Was there a coup in the country? The blogosphere analyzes the censorship, the imposed national broadcast, the mutual accusations and the answer to the question, "What happens now?" in a shocked and moved Ecuador.
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I think the reason it stuck with me is that I was fired from my first real job--teaching at a...