Stories about Law from March, 2008
Europe: Recognition of Kosovo
Balkan Baby and readers discuss Kosovo's independence.
Serbia, Kosovo: Milorad Cavic's Protest
Balkan Baby writes about Serbian swimming champion Milorad Cavic: “Many of us who firmly support Kosovo’s independence will have paradoxically supported Cavic’s protest though, seeing in it an expression of...
Poland: The President's Homophobia
The beatroot reports that “the Polish Consulate in New York has just apologised to Brendan Fay, the gay guy who complained about use of his image in the recent anti-homo...
Ukraine: Construction in Kyiv
Ukrainiana writes about undesirable construction that is changing Kyiv – here and here (with photos and video).
World Water Day Ripples Across Videos.
Every year since the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, on March 22nd has been the World Water Day. In addition, this year it is the United Nation´s International Year of Sanitation and people from all over have started taking action through their video cameras, raising awareness at the importance of this finite resource.
Japan: The New Era of Video
Last Friday, Japan's national broadcaster aired a special on the "New Era of Video" predicting changes in the industry of broadcast television that will shake the foundation of mass media. But why would a broadcaster as big as NHK air a TV special about the end of TV? Wouldn't that be against its own interests? Blogger Kobayashi Akihito asked if there wasn't more to the NHK special than meets the eye.
Uruguay: File Sharing Site Closed
Martin Balao reports that the popular file-sharing site Fotos de Uruguay has been shut down [es], and speculates that it may have been due to legal complaints from record companies.
Russia: Two Dagestani Journalists Killed
Ilyas Shurpaev, a Dagestani TV journalist who worked for a state-owned federal channel, was found dead Friday in Moscow. Later that day, Gadzhi Abashilov, director of Dagestan's state-owned broadcasting company, was shot to death in Makhachkala, the republic's capital. Below are a few bloggers' reactions to the murders, as well as the translation of Shurpaev's last blog post.
Lebanon: Presidential Election and Foreign Intervention
Lebanon is now in its fifth month without a president. Political bickering between different parties has reached dangerous levels to the extent that there is a genuine fear of civil strife among people - especially since street fights are breaking out every now and then between supporters of various groups, writes Moussa Bashir, who takes a closer look at the reaction of bloggers towards politicians travelling abroad to rally support for their teams.
Peru: Following Fujimori's Trial
Fujimori on Trial [en/es] is a bilingual blog that will follow the developments regarding the trial of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori.
El Salvador: Accidents on the Roadways
Holidays are often deadly places on the roads of El Salvador. It is no different during Easter Week writes Hunnapuh [es] and much of it can be attributed to drinking...
Colombia: Reward for FARC Guerrilla for Killing His Commander
Shortly after the death of FARC leader Raúl Reyes, it was revealed that another high ranking member of the guerrilla forces, Iván Ríos was also killed. It was assumed that the Colombian army also was responsible, but Ríos' bodyguard carried out the killing and sought to claim the reward promised by the government. Colombian bloggers present arguments for and against these rewards. Some are pleased that another criminal has been eliminated, while others think that this reward should only serve for tip-offs and that any criminal should be tried in court.
Morocco: Prisoners Pardoned
More than 560 prisoners were pardoned in Morocco, to mark the Prophet's Birthday, announced The View from Fez.
Lebanon: At the Lebanese-Syrian border
Returning to Lebanon after a trip to Syria, Bech shares his experience with the officials at the Lebanese side of the border.
Jamaica: Teenaged Crime
“Apparently the crime rate in the region is the highest in the world for teens ages 15-17″: Jamaican Francis Wade links to an article that gives the details.
Taiwan: Discussions about NCC draft law
The National Communications Commission (NCC) in Taiwan held its second hearing on Sept. 20th, 2007, to discuss the second draft of a new communication law. This new law will integrate...
Jordan: Five Jordanian Journalists Jailed
Five Jordanian journalists have been sentenced to three months in prison each, in two separate cases, for breaking the law in their country. Jordan's bloggers speak up against this latest crackdown on freedom of expression.
Czech Republic: Ex-PM Fails Bar Exam
The Czech Daily Word reports that former Czech PM has failed his bar exam and will not be able to get his attorney license.
UAE: Death and Destruction in 200-Car Crash
Driving standards in the Middle East have come under the scrutiny of bloggers after several people were killed and 350 injured in a 200-car pile up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. While one blogger compared the carnage to what we see in the news about Iraq, others said that it was inevitable.
India: Shariah and the West
Indian Muslims Blog comments on the idea of Shariah laws in the West.
Morocco: Bloggers React to Fouad Mourtada's Release From Prison
At 11:30 GMT, Sami Ben Gharbia broke the news that Fouad Mourtada had been freed. Mourtada, who was sentenced on February 22 to three years in prison, was released after serving only 25 days of that sentence. So far, no major news sources have reported on the story, but several bloggers have reacted.
