Stories about English from June, 2009
China: Netizens’ reactions over Michael Jackson's death
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese netizens’ reactions over Michael Jackson's death.
China: A migrant worker strikes back
Michele Scrimenti from Chinageeks translated an excerpt of a post by Wan Xiaodao, a rural migrant worker in his 20s who criticizes the society from grassroots point of view.
Grimaces of education in Kazakhstan
From June 01 to June 10 school graduates in Kazakhstan were undergoing Unified National Test (UNT) – the first and one of the most important tests in their lives. As Zara, one of our bloggers, writes, the average test result has been 74.9 points, which is 7 points higher than...
China: Online social movement
Fili An posts a review on Chinese censorship and netizen's online social movement.
Myanmar: 1st H1N1 Case Confirmed
Myanmar on Saturday confirmed its first case of swine flu, with state media reporting that a 13-year-old girl had tested positive for the virus on her return from Singapore.
East Timor: Press freedom situation
The Daily PCIJ reports on the press freedom situation in East Timor
Morocco: Celebrating the First Female Mayor of Marrakesh
The Moroccan elections of two weeks ago brought surprising results and were received with mixed reactions, as Hisham pointed out in this post. One such result was the election of a woman to the position of mayor in Marrakesh for the very first time. Fatima Zahra Mansouri, who studied law,...
Africa: Bloggers pay tribute to Michael Jackson
In Africa, bloggers are paying tribute to Michael Jackson after his recent death by posting pictures, music videos, poetry and reflections. "RIP MJ," writes Kenyan blogger WildeYearnings. "You now have the whole sky to moonwalk on..."
Palestine: Lebanese Activist Stuck At Egypt-Gaza Border
Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra, who reported from Gaza during Israel's attacks in January, is not being allowed to cross out of the Gaza Strip into Egypt.
Russia: “Ingushetia, boom”
A Fistful of Euros writes about the assassination attempt on Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and the situation in Ingushetia and other North Caucasus regions.
Palestine: Learn From Palestinians
In the West Bank, Samuel Nichols describes visiting a Palestinian family: “These people don't need to learn about modern economics, democracy, or the peace process. The opposite is true, we all need to learn from them. The graciousness, kindness, and love of their hospitality is something that could change the...
Palestine: Rafah Crossing Open For 72 Hours
Laila El-Haddad is hoping she will see her parents soon, as the Rafah Crossing from Gaza into Egypt is temporarily opened: “Of the some 5000 Palestinians registered to cross, only 250 were allowed out of Gaza on the first day (a total of 5 buses), and only 4 buses scheduled...
Israel/Palestine: Travels With A Surfboard
Jesse Aizenstat is an American surfer who has been visiting Israel and Palestine – and he has carried his surfboard everywhere: “Walk from the Jerusalem bus station to the Muslim Quarter. This took about a half-hour; perhaps more because of inquisitive strangers questioning my sanity for bringing a surfboard to...
Israel/Palestine: Analyzing the New York Times’ Coverage
Peace activist Richard Silverstein analyzes the New York Times’ coverage of Israel and Palestine by reporter Ethan Bronner. Silverstein criticizes what he perceives to be Bronner's pattern of deprecating and minimizing the work of the Israeli peace movement.
Honduras: The Arrest of President Mel Zelaya
Honduran President Mel Zelaya has been arrested and Aaron Ortiz of Pensieve writes about some of the swirling rumors, as well as the fact that one of the online newspapers is down, probably by the overwhelming traffic.
Algeria: On France's burqa ban
Algerian-American blogger The Moor Next Door remarks upon France's intended burqa ban, saying, “The trouble the French may want to worry about is not the burqa as it is worn in France today, but that such a ban, as the headscarf ban has done, will make the garment a greater...
Syria: The Worst Time to Die
Syrian blogger Maysaloon notes the unfortunate timing of Michael Jackson's death in relation to the Iran media storm.
Palestine: Memorializing Michael Jackson
Palestinian blogger Sabreen Witches memorializes Michael Jackson and his influence on the world in this post.
Morocco: The Last Jews of Essaouira
Reading Morocco mentions an article on the last Jews of the town of Essaouira but says of the discourse: “I am intrigued by the history of Jews in Morocco but there needs to be a little more constructive criticism of Jewish out migration from the country, especially to Israel; and...
Palestine: Support Requested For West Bank Villagers
The activists of The Villages Group are requesting support for the villagers of Susya in the southern Hebron Hills in the West Bank.
Kyrgyzstan: “Fight Piracy!” Action
Samat presents a photo-post on the action to protect the copyright and fight piracy, staged by the Kyrgyzstan's State Patient Service.