The opposition parties in Bangladesh have started a 36-hour strike (hartal) that began at dawn Sunday in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photoblogger Monirul Alam captures some actions during the strike in a photo essay.

Gil the Jenius deconstructs the argument by political conservatives that “Poverty is a choice”.

El Salvador from the Inside explains the controversy over a change in the propane gas subsidy which was meant to help the poor. The subsidy is now “tied to your electric bill [and] given only to those who use less than a specific number of Kilowatts […] In theory, it sounds like the perfect plan. In practice, it turned into a disaster for many people.”

Danish nationalist right wing party, The Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti/DF), recently announced the re-introduction of controls at the country's borders with Germany and Sweden. The centre-right minority government in Copenhagen capitulated and the proposal went through.

Before Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai launched his Red Songs campaign this year, the latest component of his larger ‘red revival' scheme which began in 2008, prisons in the city had begun promoting “red culture” as a way to rehabilitate inmates.