Stories from Quick Reads from August, 2007
Bulgaria: “Foreigner Tax”
The Balkan Yankee writes on the ways in which the so-called “foreigner tax” is applied in Bulgaria.
Russia: More on Politkovskaya and Litvinenko
Sean's Russia Blog posts an update on the investigation of Anna Politkovskaya's murder and remind his readers of another ongoing case: Aleksandr Litvinenko's murder.
Ukraine: Volunteerism Promotion
MoldovAnn bought her first car in Ukraine and has spent some time driving it in and around Kyiv, and now she's off for a week of traveling with a group of international volunteers as part of the UNV Volunteerism Promotion Campaign.
Ukraine: “What Will the Elections Change?”
Taras Kuzio compares Ukrainian politicians to their French counterparts: “Yulia could become Ukraine’s Thatcher or Sarkozy – Yushchenko will always be a Chirac. Maybe a woman can do what a man could never.”
Ukraine: Tymoshenko vs Yanukovych
The election is a month away and Yulia Tymoshenko campaign rallies are reported to be drawing crowds of supporters. Alluding to president Yushchenko's 2004 poisoning, Foreign Notes writes that Tymoshenko “should watch what she eats from now on, and especially keep away from sushi…”
Ukraine: Rinat Akhmetov
Foreign Notes writes about Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man.
Trinidad & Tobago: Tropical Depression #6
The weather pattern heading towards the Caribbean has been officially categorized as Tropical Depression #6 of the hurricane season, according to an updated post by Francomenz.
Trinidad & Tobago: 45 Years of Independence
Nicholas Laughlin quotes BC Pires on the occasion of Trinidad and Tobago's 45th anniversary of Independence, while IZATRINI.com compares the country's first Independence Day celebration with how the holiday is celebrated today.
Trinidad & Tobago: Tropical Depression?
Francomenz follows the progress of a “disturbed” weather system heading towards Trinidad and Tobago.
India: Working women and Housewives
Ultra Violet on a recent court judgment that rules that a working woman is a “housewife first”.
India: Privacy and Terrorism
Does anti-terrorism policy justify loss of privacy online? Arzan Sam Wadia has more.
Pakistan: ExPM in exile returns
All Things Pakistan on the developments on the political front, as an Ex-PrimeMinister in exile returns to Pakistan in early September.
Nepal: Madhesi MPs
Democracy for Nepal on the internal dynamics of political parties as geographical identities become sharper.
Tunisia: A new Mohammed cartoon crisis ?
Tunisian blogger A.L.G.Y of Cos-maux-polis is wondering whether a new Mohammed cartoon crisis is brewing. She explains that drawings of a man with the body of a dog wearing a turban were published in a local Swedish newspaper on August, 18th. As protests are underway in Pakistan and Iran, she...
Morocco: Cheap Chinese Plastic
Everything Morocco questions why there's so many cheap plastic products “made in China” being sold in the traditional artisan souks of Fez.
Morocco: Books on Fez
The View From Fez shares a list of books pertaining to the grand city of Fez.
Syria: Arab Bread Basket
Syria is the Arab bread basket of the Middle East, writes Egyptian D.B. Shobrawy, who adds that the Arab country is sharing the spoils with neighbours hit by a wheat shortage.
Bahrain: Nasfa Celebrations
Bahrainis marked the birth of the Shia Imam Al Mahdi with a lot of fanfare and blogger Mahmood Al Yousif was out with his new camera to record the celebrations.
Bahrain: Camera Jogging
Bahraini Ammaro takes his camera along for a jog and this is the result.
Producing traditional music in Benin
Benin couleurs posts photos of a Solidarite Internationale project to build a sound studio (Fr) that will produce traditional music.
Egypt: Mubarak Deathwatch
“(F)or over a week now the Egyptian (non-state) media has gone into another one of its Mubarak deathwatch modes,” writes Issandr El Amrani, from Egypt.
