Stories about Governance from September, 2007
Moldova: Resource on Transnistria
Scraps of Moscow links to a resource on Transnistria.
Russia: Kasparov; “The Italian”
The Accidental Russophile comments on the New Yorker 12-page piece on Garry Kasparov, and writes about The Italian, a Russian movie by director Andrei Kravchuk.
Myanmar: Voices from the Region
Myanmar's government is warning the protesters to stay off the streets following a large demonstration in Yangon yesterday. The protesters are being led by monks and they are demanding more freedom and roll-back of price hikes announced earlier this month. Bloggers from the neighboring countries are posting their thoughts and...
Iran:”We do not have Homosexuals in Iran”
Mahmud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president,said,in Columbia University,”we do not have homosexuals in Iran like you do in your country.”Watch the film.
China: Traffic cops get machine guns
Traffic police in a major Chinese city have begun carrying pistols and machine guns while on the job, and netizens can't seem to think of any good reason why.
Ukraine: “The Battle of Billboards”
With roughly 160 hours remaining before the Sept. 30 parliamentary election, Ukrainiana takes a walk around Kyiv and posts a photo report on “The Battle of Billboards.”
Iran:Offices of Conservative Website closed
RSF (Reporters Without Borders) and Necas,an Iranian blogger,criticised [Fa]the closure of the offices of the hardline website Baztab.com.Baztab was highly critical of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
Iran:Bahai's in Trouble
Iranian Truth says Bahai’s are a discriminated class in Iran and are often ignored by the Diaspora completely. In Iran, they have in many cases been uprooted from their homes, denied access to resources equal and on par with other Iranians, and even violently attacked strictly on the basis of...
Iran:Ahmadinejad at Columbia
Sepdieh Saremi in Parsarts writes “are you in New York? Go up to Columbia to see the madness as Ahmadinejad is giving a speech there today.”
Bahrain: Corruption No Longer Condoned
“Like everyone else in Bahrain, I was thrilled to read our Crown Prince’s unequivocal statement that corruption will no longer be condoned and that even if a minister was implicated in corruption, he or she will get their just dessert,” writes Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.
Ukraine: The Language Issue
Victor Yanukovych's Party of the Regions is pushing for a referendum on granting Russian official status as a national language, in addition to Ukrainian. Below is a selection of views on the "language issue" from the Ukrainian blogosphere.
Russia: Conference on Renewable Energy Sources
Web 2.0. is finally coming to the Balkans: SeminarskiRad.com, a portal based on the share principle and offering free resources to Serbian students, has become really popular very quickly. A few days ago, the portal's blog supplement opened on Blogger, dedicated to the topics relevant to Serbia's youth. The first post is a report from a recent Moscow conference on renewable energy, whose aim was to educate young scientists in order to make this planet greener.
Morocco: Morocco Welcomes New Prime Minister
Following the September 7 elections, Moroccan King Mohammed VI appointed a new prime minister, Abbas el-Fassi, to replace Driss Jettou, who had served in that position since 2002. El-Fassi, who may be best known for a failed business operation involving an Emirati cruise ship (which left many hopeless young men vying for jobs and lead a few to commit suicide), is a member of the winning Istiqlal (Independence) party. Read how the Moroccan blogopshere reacted in this post by Jillian York.
Japan: Nuclear Power and Discrimination
An English translation of an interview with Koide Hiroaki, a researcher and long-time anti-nuclear power activist, has been posted at gyaku. Mr. Koide talks about how he joined the movement against nuclear power in Japan 40 years ago, the contrast between the dream of nuclear power and the reality, and...
Ukraine: Serhiy Kalinovskyi's Escape
Foreign Notes writes about Serhiy Kalinovskiy, “a member of Kyiv's ‘gilded youth'” and a reckless driver, who killed his girlfriend and a police officer, and then escaped from a private hospital: “Much has been made of stripping criminal immunity from VR deputies recently, but everyone knows that in reality, if...
Ukraine: Troubles Ahead; Kivalov Interview
Foreign Notes writes about political troubles that may await Ukraine following the Sept. 30 parliamentary election. Also, LEvko translates an interview with former head of the Central Election Commission, Serhiy Kivalov, whose “literary skills seem to exceed the numeracy skills that he demonstrated in 2004.”
Russia: Media and Blogs on Zubkov
Scraps of Moscow posts a comprehensive review of blog and media coverage of Russia's new prime minister Victor Zubkov.
Russia: More on Ingushetia
David McDuff links to his own translation of a piece on the situation in Ingushetia.
Serbia: March Against Crime in Kosovo
“After the shooting of the police officer, about 5 000 residents of Prishtina […] marched peacefully through the city to show their disgust at crime in the city,” Prishtine: Independence and Kanun reports and posts photos.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Democratic Exclusion”
TOL's Balkanizer writes about “the fear of democratic exclusion” in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Thailand: Thaksin's Letter
Real Life in Thailand makes a point by point rebuttal of statements made by the former prime minister Thaksin on the anniversary of the coup that ousted him. The letter attacks the current administration in Thailand.
