Stories from Quick Reads from July, 2006
Georgia: United National Exams
Ana praises Georgia's new higher education entrance exams, which are designed to limit opportunities for corruption and ensure that students entering higher education institutions are adequately educated and prepared for...
Armenia: Hye Superstar
Zarchka reports on the outcome of “Hye Super Star,” Armenia's version of “Pop Idol.”
Georgia: Kodori
Vasili Rukhadze has a detailed and informative post on Georgia's recent capture of the Kodori Gorge from a rebel warlord, noting the significance of the event in Georgian and regional...
Azerbaijan: Oil
At neweurasia, Delia explores whether oil revenues will be good or bad for Azerbaijan.
Uzbekistan: Revoked Licenses
The Long and Winding Road has a report on Uzbek pop musicians losing their licenses to perform in public after a journalist accused their lyrics of not being authentic Uzbek...
South Africa: The scammer spammed
Electric Spaghetti, otherwise known as Saaleha, reels in her man after a spontaneous and florid response to a “419” spam/scam-mail in her Inbox.
Nigeria: Missing Lagos
“Lagos,” writes Jangbalajugbu, “is a city that habours the hardworking as well as the lazy. The sane and insane. It is a city with different kinds of people from the...
Nigeria: Scotland Yard
Detectives from Scotland Yard have just arrived in Nigeria to help with the investigation into the murder of politician Funsho Williams who died last week in Lagos, writes UKNaija. “If...
Zimbabwe: Morgan Tsvangirai speech
Eddie Cross on Zimpundit posts in its entirety the speech given by former union leader and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to a National Convention held by Churches in Zimbabwe Saturday...
South Africa: Trade union
Writes Farrel Lifson at politics.za, South Africa's largest trade union COSATU gets a lot of media exposure, but still has fewer than two million members.
Kenya: Mourning a father
“Next year will be 25 years since you were shot ruthlessly and left to die in some ditch,” writes Farmgirl to her much-missed father. “Oh just want to tell you...
The unshackling of Bangladesh
Tasneem Khalil reports that Bangladesh is the cover theme for August 2006 issue of Himal Southasian, South Asia's first and only regional magazine. The magazine's introspective comment: "Bangladesh is set to become a powerful member of the world community, once it deals with its difficult issues of mal governance and confrontational politics".
Old dating practice
Cigay of Bhutan Weblog writes about an age old tradition of Bhutan. Young men used to visit a girl's house discreetly at night, to let her know of his feelings and his intention to marry her and have children with her. With the passage of time, this rural practice has been misunderstood and grossly abused by those who are richer or more powerful.
Indonesia: Chinese Valentine's Day
Indonesian blogger Christine Susanna Tjhin, currently a student in China, talks about the traditional Chinese Valentine's Day. This year, the day falls on 31 July.
Mexico: Godwin's Law a la Mexicana
Reminding readers of Godwin's Law, which says that “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one,” Eduardo Arcos posts (ES) recent...
Argentina: SosPeriodista
Franco Giménez introduces (ES) SosPeriodista (ES) (“You're the Journalist”), a new citizen media space based out of Córdoba.
Albania: Reactions to the Sunday Times Article
annabengan of annasblog reposts the Sunday Times Magazine's article on Albania, and the “official reply/explanation from the chief editor of Sunday Times.” annabengan's Albanian friends thought the article was “fair”...
Serbia: Talks of War
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes on the talks of war and the pains of forming a viable democratic coalition in Serbia.
Russia: “Mystery Illness” in Chechnya
David McDuff of A Step At A Time has translated a Prague Watchdog/Radio Free Liberty broadcast on the “mystery illness” that affected more than 100 children in Shelkovsky district.
Russia: “List of 17″
Sean's Russia Blog writes about groups present on (and missing from) the FSB's Terrorist Organizations list.
Ukraine: Universal of the National Unity
LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about the Universal of National Unity that president Yushchenko expects the leading Ukrainian politicians to sign, and some of the problems that surround the negotiation...
