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Blogs

China and Singapore: Illegal Baby
04 Jul 2008 09:55:35 GMT
Author: Global Voices

Will blogs about his experience in getting his new born baby a Singaporean passport.

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Colombia: Ãngrid Betancourt and Other Hostages Rescued
04 Jul 2008 07:59:01 GMT
Author: Global Voices

At 14:00 local time (19:00 UTC) in a press conference, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos announced that former presidential candidate ngrid Betancourt, American contractors Thomas Howes, Marc Gonalves, and Keith Stansell, Colombian National Army soldiers Juan Carlos Bermeo, Raimundo Malagn Castellanos, Jos Ricardo Marulanda, William Prez, Erasmo Romero, Jos Miguel Arteaga, and Armando Flrez; and Colombian National Police members Julio Csar Buitrago, Armando Castellanos, Vianey Rodrguez Porras, and John Jairo Durn had been rescued from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in an audacious operation (without firing a shot) known as Jaque (check as in checkmate in Spanish). Hours later, the former hostages were taken to a military airport in Bogot, later joining President lvaro Uribe Vlez in a press conference which ended minutes before midnight. Of course, most Colombians, including myself, celebrated, as well as a lot of people in the region. It was some of the biggest news in Colombia in years. It was so big news that even widely popular gossip blogs reported it.

There is no doubt that 2008 has been one of the worst year for the Marxist guerrilla founded in 1964. Just 5 weeks ago it was confirmed that Pedro Antonio Marn, aka Manuel Marulanda Vlez or Tirofijo (Sureshot), its top commander, had died on March. The death of FARCs number 2, dgar Devia, aka Ral Reyes, unleashed a diplomatic crisis which caused the breaking of diplomatic relations with Ecuador and Nicaragua (the latter restored since). Other top bosses have been captured, killed or delivered themselves. On February 4 a huge demonstration against FARC was held.

...

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Americas: Region Celebrates Rescue of Betancourt and Other Hostages
04 Jul 2008 01:47:12 GMT
Author: Global Voices

The entire Latin American region celebrated with the people of Colombia upon hearing the news that ex-Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages were rescued. In the operation named Jaque, Betancourt, 3 U.S. citizens and 11 members of the Colombian forces were freed after the rescue attempt. Bloggers from many countries throughout Latin America shared the excitement and wrote their own personal reflections.

Ecuador - Cronica Cero [es] writes about the icon that Betancourt became:

LIBRE. ...

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Colombia: Reactions to the Hostage Rescue from the BogotÃ¡ Airport
04 Jul 2008 00:11:32 GMT
Author: Global Voices

Juliana Rincn of Medea Material [es] writes about finding out about the new of the rescue of the Colombian hostages through Twitter, and also the reaction of the people in the Bogot airport, The people at the El Dorado airport in Bogot applauded, cried, and said hooray with the news.

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Ukraine: Philanthropic Causes
03 Jul 2008 13:47:07 GMT
Author: Global Voices

Dan McMinn of Orange Ukraine posts a list of philanthropic causes in Ukraine and asks for help in updating it.

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