Stories about North America from April, 2009
Antigua & Barbuda, U.S.A.: Kincaid Honoured
Repeating Islands learns that Antigua-born author Jamaica Kincaid “is among the 231 new members chosen to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009.”
Mexico and Hong Kong: Fears over the fatal swine flu virus
I know I cannot affect your decision, but I understand your feeling at this moment as we are all Hong Kong people now on exchange in Mexico…..I really believe….we should leave now!!
Haiti, U.S.A.: TPS for Haitians
jmc strategies reports that ” the New York City Council adopted…a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals in the United States.”
Global Health: Swine Flu Threat Spreads Worldwide
Confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu, which was detected in Mexico earlier this month, have now been found in at least seven other countries around the world. The World Health Organization says that this outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern."
Armenia: Obama recognizes Genocide… kinda
The Stiletto comments on yesterday's statement by US President Barack Obama on the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The blog rounds up different reactions to the statement and also examines what this means for the president nearly 100 days into office.
World Book Day: Women's lives in the mirror of their men
Do women's lives paint themselves on- or against - the canvas "their" men provide them through the years ? A literary stroll gives us a bigger picture and takes us from Quebec, to France and finally, to some fascinating Algerian writers.
Armenia: Debate over campaign promise overshadows 94th anniversary of WWI killings
Yesterday marked the 94th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of as many as 1.5 million ethnic Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Bloggers react to a statement made by U.S. President Barack Obama marking the occasion, but which avoided directly referring to the WWI events as genocide.
Sri Lanka: The Pros And Cons Of International Attention
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are holding on to to just a sliver of land in the north of Sri Lanka, but the United Nations is estimating that 50,000 people are still trapped in the warzone. As fighting surges in the final throes, concerns for civilians is growing and calls for international attention and understanding abound on the Internet and in the streets of cities around the world, such as London, Berlin and Paris.
Korea: Things that might surprise you in North America
A netizen shows an interesting post about 22 things that surprise you while you travel America. It is fun to see how things are natural in a place could be observed as interesting by others. 1. 하이웨이 차선 위 사진의 차선의 힌선과 흰선이 연결되는 중간을 자세히 보시면(빨강...
Jamaica: Wasn't Me
Girl With a Purpose learns that as investigations are launched into the security breach at the Jamaican airport which resulted in a (now resolved) hostage situation, “the persons in charge of security at the airport (MBJ Airports Limited) are telling us – it wasn't them…”
Cuba, U.S.A.: What Next?
“After a week in which President Obama announced new Cuba policy measures and discussed Cuba policy at the Trinidad summit,” The Cuban Triangle asks: “Where do things stand?”
MENA: Reflections on Durban II
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech, and the way European Union representatives reacted to it at the United Nations Conference on Racism in Geneva (Durban II), has stirred debates among bloggers across the Middle East. Eman AbdElRahman sums up reactions in this post.
Cuba: Open Letter About the Relationship with the United States
Bloggers Cuba [es] writes an open letter regarding the differences between Cuba and the United States and hopes that change can happen now with the hope that both countries’ leaders “establish a sincere dialogue soon” and that “we need to look ahead, together.”
Americas: 5th Summit Reactions
The much-hyped Fifth Summit of the Americas is now over, culminating with the Hemispheric leaders' adoption of the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain - albeit with one signatory - the Prime Minister of host country Trinidad and Tobago, who purportedly signed on behalf of all participating leaders. This signaled to many a clear lack of unanimity on the final declaration, hardly surprising given the differing agendas of the 34 participating nations. Bloggers were quick to post their impressions of the three-day engagement.
Jamaica: Hostages Released
Breaking news in Jamaica this morning is that a hostage situation has developed with the crew of a Canadian jet at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Canadian mainstream media is since reporting that the situation was resolved without any loss of life when "an anti-terrorism unit of the Jamaican military stormed the plane and disarmed the gunman", but bloggers Caribbean-wide and throughout the diaspora are still in disbelief.
Syria: Independence Day Celebration in DC Draws Crowds
Imad Moustapha, Syria's envoy to the US, shares with us photographs from a celebration to mark his country's Independence Day in Washington DC. “The huge attendance was a testimony to how Syria is regarded by the American people despite years of trying to distort its image by former President Bush,...
Jamaica: Perspective on Pirates
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul happened to be reading a manuscript about pirates at a time when “the pirates of Somalia were rousing international consternation by capturing a US ship and holding its crew hostage” – and she shares an alternative perspective on this age-old profession.
Global Health: Twitter Face-Off To Fight Malaria
This past week Twitter became the newest weapon in the fight against malaria when American actor Ashton Kutcher challenged news network CNN to a race to get a million Twitter followers. The winner of the competition vowed to donate mosquito bed nets in time for World Malaria Day on April 25.
Global Recession: The world is talking. Are we listening?
There is no lack of online articles about the various aspects of the global economic crisis. Many of them are written by economic experts and policymakers. What about the perspectives of ordinary bloggers? This global roundup of blogs gathers stories of people around the world who are struggling to survive the economic downturn.
Iran: Journalist sentenced to 8 years prison
Calibor2000, an Iranian blogger, writes [fa] that Iranian government sentenced Roxana Saberi, American-Iranian journalist to 8 years prison in order to use her for a prisoner swap deal.
Caribbean: 5th Summit Begins
As the heads of member states of the Fifth Summit of the Americas gather today in Trinidad and Tobago, bloggers Caribbean-wide are eager to discuss the pros and cons of the event.
