Stories from 17 April 2009
Serbia: Thoughts on Doubt and Faith
Orthodox Christian believers will celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 19. On this occasion, some Serbian bloggers posted their thoughts about different legends and dogma related to Jesus Christ. Sinisa Boljanovic has translated two of these posts.
Sri Lanka: Facebook Promotion In A Bus
Mayu at Revolution posts a video of a hilarious advertisement showing promotion of Facebook inside a local bus in Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh: Bijli Strikes
Tropical cyclonic storm Bijli (01B) is making a landfall in the Southern coasts of Bangladesh. The 3rd world view has the updates.
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.
Australia: Playing Political Bingo with Boat People
An upturn in the arrival of refugees to Australia by boat has brought tragedy and controversy. The issue of border protection that dominated the 2001 Federal election has re-emerged with extra venom. A refugee boat has exploded off the north west coast.Three people are dead, two are missing and more than thirty have been injured, some with very serious burns.
Morocco: Transport Strikes Leaves Morocco Crippled
Over the past week, a taxi strike across Morocco has left the country nearly immobile. Although Morocco has a decent train system and network of buses, many Moroccans - particularly in rural areas - rely on grande taxis to get from town to town, or to larger towns where they can then catch a bus. Peace Corps volunteers, who make up a large segment of English language blogs from Morocco, were particularly affected, as many of them live in towns that are not accessible by bus.
Guyana: CLICO Judicial Manager Shot
News broke yesterday that Insurance Commissioner Maria van Beek, who also happens to be the woman in charge of dissolving failed conglomerate CLICO Guyana, was shot yesterday in Georgetown. Bloggers have been trying to make sense of the attempted murder...
Haiti: Mounting Tensions
The Haitian Blogger identifies what he calls “the Forces aligned against Haiti's political, agricultural and economical sovereignty”, while My Life, an Open Book… is concerned about the mounting tension on the island in anticipation of this weekend's elections.
Barbados: The Danger of Hate Speech
Bajan Dream Diary makes a case for hate speech legislation in Barbados.
Bermuda: National Debt
When Vexed Bermoothes learns that Bermuda's national debt currently works out to about $58,000 per person, he suggests putting “a National Debt Clock in front of the Cabinet Office, just to remind those sweet talkin’ big spenders what they are doing to Bermuda’s future generations.”
Guadeloupe: Sarkozy & Guadeloupe
After the 45-day mobilization in Guadeloupe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy made many promises – Mycho, who blogs at Critiqart Guadeloupe [Fr], expresses her disappointment about the President's attitude.
Martinique: Homage to Aimé Césaire
Today, Martinique celebrates its greatest personality, the self-entitled “Nègre Fondamental”: the late author and politican, Aimé Césaire. Montray Kréyol [Fr] publishes three posts about his life, accomplishments and homages paid to him.
FMC Meets with Conservationists in Nairobi over Furadan
On Wednesday, 15 April 2009, two representatives FMC, the Philadelphia-based manufacturer of the controversial pesticide that is at the centre of lion poisoning in Kenya, Furadan, met with conservationists that WildlifeDirect had gathered for that purpose. The conservationists had high hopes following FMC's announcement that they had withdrawn the deadly...
Georgia: Who is Giorgi Targamadze?
The Tbilisi Blues comments on the current opposition protests in the Georgian capital and says that one political force opposed to the president might yet benefit from the stand-off between the government its more radical opponents.
Pakistan: Talibans Violating Constitution
Yasser Latif Hamdani at Pak Tea House reacts to the news that “Sikh families living in Orakzai Agency have left the agency after the Taliban demanded Rs 50 million as jizia (tax) from them” pointing that the Taliban’s Jizya scheme is unconstitutional.
India: Sights of Indian Elections
Chapati Mystery digs into Flickr to find some photos of election campaigns in India and posts some interesting ones.
Israel: Reflecting on Israeli-Palestinian Relations
The mood in the Israeli blogosphere is contemplative. Perhaps it is the conclusion of the Passover holiday that celebrates freedom from oppression or just that Israelis have had quiet time to spend with their families, but a number of posts about relationships between Israelis and Palestinians have recently dotted the blogosphere's landscape.
Bahrain: Sunni v. Shi'i Basketball
Bahraini blogger Ali Abdulemam writes about a basketball match with Sunni fans on one side and Shi'i the other.
South Africa: ANC hosts debate on twitter for upcoming elections
There is a final push by political parties contesting the upcoming elections in South Africa. In particular, the ruling party the ANC (African National Congress) held a debate via twitter Today.
India's First Digital Elections Evoke Strong Reactions Online
The world's biggest election is underway in India and, as India's 714 million voters cast their ballots in the month-long elections, they are witness to a range of digital initiatives from political parties, civil society organizations, media houses and even corporates. As a result, some observers are calling it India’s first digital elections. It's not surprising, then, that the Indian internet community is abuzz with discussions related to various aspects of the elections.
Bolivia: Community Wireless Network in El Alto
Mario Durán of Palabras Libres [es] unveils the free and community wireless internet connection in the Rio Seco neighborhood of El Alto, Bolivia.