Stories from 5 February 2012
Vietnam's “Bad Education Stories” of 2011
VietNamNet Bridge posts an article about the “bad stories in the education sector in 2011.” Some of the bad stories include cases of corporal punishment, school bullying, and low performance of schools.
What Makes Vietnamese Coffee Unique?
Nathan Beyerlein writes about the coffee culture in Vietnam and learns the difference between Vietnamese coffee from its Western counterparts.
Vietnam: Database of Political Prisoners
Vietnam Reform Party publishes Voices of Conscience, a document containing summaries of individuals in prison for political charges in Vietnam.
Indonesia: Reform of Juvenile Justice System
Leopold Sudaryono writes about the proposed reforms to Indonesia's juvenile justice system after numerous cases of children arrested and prosecuted of petty crimes were reported in the media
Thailand: Flood Impact on Rice Production
Aim Sinpeng writes about the impact of last year's massive flooding in Thailand on the country's rice production. Thailand is the world's largest rice exporter.
Iran: Blogger was sentenced to 14 years in prison
Several bloggers reported that Mehdi Khazali, a blogger and publisher was sentenced to 14 years in prison. The blogger was sentenced to 90 lashes too. He can appeal this sentence.
United States: Immigration in the National Pre-Electoral Debate
Latino bloggers in the United States discuss the recent proposals, or lack thereof, on immigration recently put forward by the Republican candidates to the Presidency and President Barack Obama.
China: Veto of UN Security Council Draft Resolution on Syria Draws Praise and Grief
Once again, China and Russia have vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution aimed at bringing peace to Syria. The latest proposal calls for an end to the killings of those involved in an uprising against the country's current president.
Brazil: Homeless families awaiting help from São Paulo city removed with force
Homeless families evicted from a disused building in São Paulo city center last week had been camping on the sidewalk, waiting for negotiations with authorities to produce a long-term housing solution, when city police expelled the group including women and children with pepper spray, sound bombs and batons this morning....
Russia: Day of Protests Divides Citizens
Despite temperatures of -20 degrees, thousands of Russians went out to the streets to participate in election manifestations. Some, organised online, were protesting against the elections and possible re-election of prime minister Vladimir Putin. Others, partly organised by pressure and bribes as well as fear of possible revolutions manifested that Putin should stay.
Bangladesh: Using Mobile App To Collect Data On Transportation
The Noun Project blog introduces an innovative project titled Urban Launchpad, which uses mobile apps for data gathering to better understand the complex transportation conditions in Bangladesh.