Stories from 20 January 2011
“Showdown” between US and Bolivia over UN coca ban
J.F. String in Hemispheric Brief reports: “An international showdown between the US and Bolivia has officially begun. The matter under dispute: whether or not an international ban on coca-leaf chewing should be pulled from the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.”
Tunisia: Serbian Tourists Refuse to Return Home
Eleven Serbian tourists spending their holidays in Tunisian resort towns of Sousse and Hammamet have categorically refused to leave this North African country before the end of their tour arrangement. Sasa Milosevic reviews some of the online reactions of these Serbian tourists' compatriots.
Puerto Rico: Second Round of Civil Disobedience
The student blog Desde Adentro [es] is covering the arrests of approximately 30 students who were participating today in the second round of organized acts of civil disobedience to protest against the imposition of an annual special tuition fee.
Pakistan: Earthquake In South West Pakistan
BRAC Blog informs about yesterday's 7.4 magnitude earthquake in South Western Pakistan: “there were no casualties or damage to houses or other assets.”
India: All The Fuss About New Zodiac Sign Dates
Maddy writes in details about the recent rumor that the Zodiac signs will change.
Russia: Putin's Palace Exposed on Ruleaks
The Russian Wikileaks website published photos [RUS] of what is allegedly known as Vladimir Putin's $1 billion-worth palace on the shore of Black Sea . The story of the secret construction has been exposed [ENG] by Vedomosti newspaper few weeks ago.
Dominican Republic: WikiLeaks Revelations
In Ahiqueprende [es], José Ernesto Devárez hijo comments on the content of the cables revealed by WikiLeaks related to the Dominican Republic.
Arab World: Copycat Self-Immolation Acts Should Not be Encouraged
Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi burnt himself to death in protest against unemployment, sparking an uprising which brought down the rule of Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali's 23-year-old regime in less than one month. Since then, up to 10 cases of self-immolation were reported in Mauritania, Algeria and Egypt, where people are protesting against unemployment, the rising cost of living and corruption, among other grievances.
Haiti: Time for a Change
“I thought that after Duvalier left, things in Haiti were going to improve. What I never imagined was that the leaders who came after Duvalier were going to take Duvalier's concepts and use them to their own benefits”: Changing Perspectives republishes an interesting take on Haitian politics by Richard Morse...
Haiti: What About Aristide?
Wadner Pierre wonders how come exiled dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier has been granted a diplomatic passport to return to Haiti while the country's former democratically elected President has not been extended the same privilege.
Trinidad & Tobago: Proposed Constitutional Amendments
“Our new Government is seeking to amend our Constitution. It is not doing so to provide you with stronger guarantees of your rights as people of different sexual orientations”: gspottt explains.
Jamaica, Haiti: The “Baby Doc” Blues
Jamiacan diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp pens a poem for Haiti's reportedly “homesick dictator”.
Guyana: The Need to Go Green
“I wonder if it is true, that there is a link between Styrofoam and cancer. And if there is, then why we still using it in green land of Guyana?”: Guyana-Gyal is beginning to think that “nobody don’t give a damn.”
Cuba: Gay Club in Havana
Paquito writes [es] about the first gay club in Havana. The restaurant El Sótano, in Old Havana, becomes a gay club during weekend nights when it hosts “La Fiesta de los Tuix.”
China: CNNIC releases new Internet statistics
Tech blogger William Long has parsed some key stats from a new CNNIC report: With 457 million Internet users, China now comprises 23% of the global online population and 55% of Asia's. Also now in China: 63 mil microbloggers, 49% more online shoppers than last year and a 41% drop...
China: Glenn Beck takes aim at China
In case you missed it, Glenn Beck on Hu Jintao's US visit: Burger King kids meals are a Chinese plot for world domination, and so was Leonardo da Vinci. Turns out, it doesn't add up quite so neatly. Next week: the Chinese run Opus Dei, too.
Laos: Hmong New Year 2011
Lao Voices uploads several video clips of Hmong New Year 2011 celebration through out Laos.
East Timor: Start of budget deliberations
La'o Hamutuk blogs about the start of the 2011 budget deliberations in East Timor.
Russia: Bloggers Discuss Possible Website of Collaborators of Authorities
Blogger welgar contemplates about how useful it could be to create a website that would list all collaborators of Russian authorities who try to compromise the action of the opposition.
Russia: Analyzing Websites of Regional Administrations
A group of volunteers analyzes [RUS] websites of regional administrative offices for openness and availability of information according to 16 criteria developed by the volunteers themselves.
Blogspot sites blocked in Cambodia
Blogspot sites were blocked in Cambodia after the government ordered several ISPs to shut down the popular anti-government blog KI Media. The websites have since then been "unblocked" but netizens are worried about this unprecedented online censorship in the country
