Stories from 26 August 2011
Sri Lanka: First Solar Power Plant
Nisadas reports that Sri Lanka has recently commissioned its first solar power plant which can generate 500kw of electricity.
Cuba: Woman Evicted
Pedazos de La Isla highlights the case of Mercedes Reyes, who was evicted from her home, allegedly for the purpose of turning the property into a Civil Registry Office, saying: “Another victim of eviction and injustice turns to the Cuban resistance to channel their denouncements, their complaints. And the world...
Trinidad & Tobago: “The Real Reason” for SoETT
Jumbie's Watch reveals that he has been privy to “the real reason” behind Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency, saying: “Until an explanation is presented (promised at the opening of Parliament), I will just continue to support the actions being taken as very necessary at this time.”
Barbados: Wait & See for SoETT
From Barbados, B.C. Pires sees how Trinidad and Tobago's State of Emergency is playing out, and says: “One is reluctant to pre-judge anything; but to every charge of, ‘O, ye of little faith!’ there is, sadly, that it is actually We of Much Experience. But let us wait and see.”
Cuba: Pseudo-Transparency
Without Evasion considers Raul Castro's pledge “to develop a new brave, honest and transparent journalism during the Sixth Congress of the CCP”, saying: “If the coverage of what happened in Libya is an example of what our reformist General considers information transparency, we can clearly intuit how little faith we...
Jamaica: Disrespecting Garvey
President Barack Obama may have lost at least one vote in his re-election bid based on “the White House[‘s] disrespect [for] Marcus Garvey, a national hero of Jamaica”. Geoffrey Philp explains, here and here.
Mexico: Searching for Victims of Casino Attack via Twitter
Global Voices author Issa Villarreal put together a Storify post showing how family and friends of the victims of the Casino Royale attack in Monterrey are using Twitter to search for information about their loved ones.
Paraguay: Images of a Weekend in Iturbe
Cazador de Instantes posts a photo essay of a weekend in Iturbe, Paraguay.
Colombia: #ColombiaisBeautiful vs. Hollywood
Lina Salazar in the Americas Quarterly blog comments on the movie Colombiana “(yet another) movie in which Colombia is portrayed as a land of cocaine, crime and armed insurrection”. She mentions several initiatives that are looking to change this negative image of Colombia, like #ColombiaisBeautiful, “a grassroots social media campaign...
Russia: Cigarettes Branded for Young Women Spark Controversy
A recent advertising campaign and carton redesign by one of Russia’s largest tobacco manufacturers has riled Russan bloggers and sparked a debate on responsible marketing and advertising. Ashley Cleek looks into the issue.
Mexico: 61 Die in Attack on Casino in Monterrey
On Thursday, August 25, gunmen set the Casino Royale in Monterrey on fire. Gancho reports on the latest death toll and briefly explains what was behind this attack: “Sixty-one people were killed in a casino in Monterrey yesterday, after the owners refused to make extortion payments to the Zetas.” On...
Tajikistan: Rahmon becomes Leader of XXI Century awardee — but who is awarding?
Abulfazal informs that Tajikistan president Emamoli Rahmon was awarded with the “Leader of XXI Century” prize for his cultural and political distinctions by the European Council on International Relations, barely known for its activities.
Turkmenistan: Government campaigns against satellite dishes
President Berdimuhammedov has declared satellite dishes a stain on the cityscape of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan— but is it just a ploy to curtail the seeping influence of outside media, ponders Tomyris.
Turkmenistan: A veteran’s view of the country's music scene
Annasoltan interviews a veteran of the Turkmen music scene to explore the last 20 years of artistic development in Turkmenistan.
Uzbekistan: Another anti-presidential movement emerged
Mansurhon reports on yet another campaign that wants Uzbekistan president’s resignation, as a few activists from different regions of Uzbekistan announced a new organization to oppose the regime.
Mongolia: Higher visitors cause major traffic jams
Bilguun writes about the visits of president of South Korea and US vice-president Joe Biden to Mongolia – both in one day – causing major roadblocks and traffic jams across the nation's capital city.
Afghanistan: RAND's plans for Afghan peace talks
Nick Fielding reviews a new report from the RAND Corporation, which analyzes the prospects of orchestrating a negotiation process between the government and with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Turkey: An Armenian Adventure on Two Wheels
Despite historical differences and a closed border, an Armenian motorcyclist travels across Turkey, blogging his experiences and observations en route.
Denmark: At Last, the Prime Minister Calls the Elections
Today the Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen has finally called the parliamentary elections: the big day is in three weeks, on September 15. Maria Grabowski reports on two online initiatives inspired by the long wait for the PM's announcement.
China: Independent Candidate Disqualified from Preliminary Round
Sophie from China Digital Times reports on how independent candidate from Lijiang Neighborhood in Panyu District of Guangzhou, Liang Shuxin, had been disqualified by the Neighborhood Committee under the pretext of an affirmative quota that restricts the candidates to non-Chinese Communist Party members and female.
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi Trip in Bago
Htootayzar posts pictures and videos of the trip made by Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi in Bago, north of the country. It was the first time the she travelled outside the capital Rangoon.
