Stories from 12 August 2011
Brazil: Teachers Protest for Better Wages
Brazilian blogger Rosangela Basso posts [pt] several photos and a videos of the latest protest of teachers that took place on August 9 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Teachers demand a considerable salary increase while the local government refuses to negotiate.
Pakistan: The Plights Of The Flood Victims
Faisal Kapadia blogs from a medical camp for the flood affected people in Khowrah of Sindh province in Pakistan and comments: “although the floods of last year may be over and long gone, the human tragedy remains.”
Sri Lanka: Invasion Of The Grease Devils
In some Sri Lankan rural areas panic spread that Grease Yaka, a mythical character is on the loose and two youths were mob lynched on suspicion. These grease devils are mythical robbers that grease themselves up and break into homes to either steal or rape/kill women. Indi.ca opines that “it’s...
Ukraine: Intellectuals Condemn Tymoshenko Trial in an Open Letter
Alexander J. Motyl of Ukraine's Orange Blues comments on an open letter signed by “a diverse group of 28 writers, scholars, and commentators,” in which “they condemn the [Tymoshenko] trial and call on Ukrainians not to be indifferent to the injustice being perpetrated by the Yanukovych regime.”
Sri Lanka: Riding On A New City Bus
Murshid rides on a new Volvo city bus, a recent edition in the public transport of Colombo and blogs about it with an image and a video.
Ukraine: The 1975 ‘Ukrainian Cuisine’ Book
The Pickle Project reviews the English-language ‘Ukrainian Cuisine’ book, published in Kyiv in 1975.
Nepal: Kathmandu Literary Jatra
‘Nepal Blogs’ writes about the Kathmandu Literary Jatra, the upcoming literary fest in Nepal. Visit the festival's Facebook page or follow them at Twitter for updates.
Ukraine: Basic Language Tips
The Kalpak shares some Ukrainian language tips that should “help with basic sign reading that a new visitor to Ukraine will need to do in order to navigate around Kyiv.”
Pakistan: Review Of A Blockbuster
Zia Ahmad posts a critical review of Bol, the recently released blockbuster movie in Pakistan.
Ukraine: Western Bloggers React to Ukrainian Official's Steve Jobs Plagiarism
Serhiy Pishkovtsiy of Blogoreader.org.ua reviews [uk] the reactions of Western bloggers to reports that Ukraine’s Secretary of National Security and Defense Raisa Bohatyryova has plagiarized [uk] Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford graduation speech, and quotes bloggers from The Next Web, The Financial Times, BusinessInsider, Gizmodo and PCWorld.
Bhutan: Riots in England and Bhutanese Youth
Commentaries On Bhutan compares the recent riots in England with the increasing youth crimes in Bhutan.
Africa: Africa to Send Troops and Care Packages to the UK
Following the killing of a 29-year old man, Mark Duggan, in Tottenham on August 4, 2011, angry residents in London and other cities in the UK took to the street rioting and looting. Bloggers in Africa share their perspectives.
Chile: Waste Pickers Rummage for Legal Recognition
Environmentalist Bharati Chaturvedi flew for 40 hours from her home Delhi, India, to dig deeper into a dirty issue: trash. As politicians in Chile discuss recycling on a national level, Chaturvedi encourages that those who collect trash professionally, or “waste pickers,” be included in the solution.
Trinidad & Tobago: Remembering Professor Julian Kenny
On August 9, Trinidad and Tobago lost a patriot. Julian Kenny, retired Professor of Zoology at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, naturalist, former independent senator, author, columnist, photographer and holder of the prestigious Chaconia Medal for environmental conservation, died at the age of 81. The sad news immediately spread through social media, with former students posting fond tributes about his legacy.
Paraguay: Uncontacted Indigenous Group in ‘Imminent Danger’
Ryan Seelau from Indigenous News.org reports that “the only remaining uncontacted people in Paraguay” are “in imminent danger”: “the Totobiegosode are being systematically removed from the Chaco forest where they live so that the land can be used for cattle grazing. The destruction of their land, however, is occurring illegally.”
Bolivia: Indigenous Groups to March to La Paz in Protest of New Road
As Eduardo Avila recently reported for Global Voices, the Bolivian government announced “a controversial project to build a new road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS for its initials in Spanish).” Emily Achtenberg in the NACLA blog now reports that “on August 15, representatives...
Peru: Journalist Sued for Defamation
Peruvians are following the case [es] of blogger and journalist Luis Torres Montero, @Malapalabrero, sued for defamation [es] by former Defense Minister, Rafael Rey, who felt attacked [es] by a column [es] where Torres [es] says Rey is gay [es].
Lithuania-Belarus: Banks Help Prosecute Opposition Activist
Albatros of Litauen blog discusses [ger] how Lithuanian banks and authorities have delivered information on bank accounts of Belarusan opposition groups, which has led to the prosecution of Viasna activist Ales Belyatsky for tax evasion.
Colombia: Citizens Speak Out Against Government Corruption
In Colombia, several corruption cases have surfaced that date back to the government of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez. The Internet and social media sphere has reacted, calling for Colombians to join a Masked March against corruption.
Haiti: Right, Wrong & the London Riots
“Of course the world is a racist, exclusionary, unfair place but there are enough people who know right from wrong…excusing violent behavior based on social class is just as bad as blaming violent behavior based on social class”: When it comes to the London riots, Haitian diaspora blogger CURRENTS BETWEEN...
Jamaica: The “Performance of Gender”
“Everyone is involved in this baseless discrimination. Effeminacy is apparently extremely off-putting. The effeminate man, whether he is gay or straight, catches a whole lot of hell”: Under the Saltire Flag suggests that “what is being policed is not sexuality, but gender.”
