Stories from Quick Reads from January, 2009
Georgia: Opposition Unites, Kind Of…
Dateline Tbilisi comments on news that twelve opposition parties have agreed to unite to call for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili's resignation. The blog says the party believes Saakashvili will be forced to resign by the end of 2009 but points out some of the many factors which will determine if...
Azerbaijan: Carbon Neutral Resort
otto details the development of a carbon neutral resort and residential development on the Zira Island located off the coast of Azerbaijan. The blog posts mockups of the project and says it will be the first carbon neutral development in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Bangladesh: Tourist Attractions
Back To Bangladesh compiles a list of things to see and do in Bangladesh for the foreign visitors.
Ukraine: Yushchenko vs Tymoshenko
Ukrainiana translates Victor Yushchenko's address to the nation – and Yulia Tymoshenko's response.
Russia: Putin in Davos
Leopolis writes about Putin's appearance at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos: “Despite being lost in translation, the Putin-Dell exchange illustrates the fact that Russia and the West are speaking at two completely different wavelengths, if not from two completely different planets.”
Armenia: Diaspora Politics
tzitzernak2 comments on the role of the Diaspora in local politics in Armenia and raises concerns with the date of a conference to be held by one of the largest lobbying groups in the U.S., the Armenian Assembly of America. The blog says the timing of the event on the...
Azerbaijan: Mammed Amin Rasul-zadeh
In Mutatione Fortitudo marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mammed Amin Rasul-zadeh by introducing its readers to one of the founding fathers of the short-lived Azerbaijani Democratic Republic in the early 20th Century.
Georgia: Armenian Activists Detained
Blogian comments on the arrest of two ethnic Armenians in the Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti allegedly for espionage and the formation of an armed gang. The blog says calls for autonomy or independence from Georgia are once again being heard.
Iran: Watch “Rick Steves’ Iran”
Watch Rick Steves’ Iran film here.
Iran: Nasir al-Mulk Mosque
In Hanif Doorbin you can see a photo of Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, a traditional mosque in Shiraz, Iran.
China: netizens regret donations to Sichuan
Beichuan County, the hardest hit area in 5.12 Sichuan earthquake, has spent RMB 1.1 million (USD160, 854) on one Land Cruiser, an imported luxury car, which has triggered explosive critique among the Chinese netizens. Blogger 心寒 (Chilling Heart) writes he could not help bursting into rage while many others, including...
Japan: My darling wife, I love you!
Blogger at Prism Cafe [ja] comments on news about an event organized by Japan Aisaika Organization (日本愛妻家協会 lit. Japan Organization of Beloved Wives) yesterday, the 29th of January, when in the middle of Hibiya Park, in central Tokyo, hundreds of husbands took the microphone to shout their love to their...
Russia, Poland: Robert Amsterdam's Interview
Translation of Robert Amsterdam's interview in the Polish Gazeta Wyborzca – at Robert Amsterdam Blog.
Russia: Diarchy
Robert Coalson of RFE/RL's The Power Vertical muses on the state of the Russian “diarchy.”
Latvia: Protest and Changes
Baltic writes about political changes taking place in Latvia due to the crisis. Free Speech Emergency in Latvia posts a video from a silent protest in Riga.
Latvia: “Beginning to Smell Like the 90s”
All About Latvia writes that “it’s hard not to notice that it is beginning to smell like the 90s”: “In the last week, strangers asked me three times for some changes to buy a tram ticket. Usually, asking for a smoke, or some change is used as a way to...
Czech Republic: Jobless Foreign Laborers
The Czech Daily Word writes about the situation with several thousand foreign workers in the Czech Republic, who have lost their jobs and are now stuck in the country: “And according to a friend of mine from the Foreign Ministry, a calculation is being made, as to what is cheaper:...
Russia: Moscow Riot Cops vs Garbage Container
LJ user trashman_2009, a Greenpeace activist, posts pictures of himself dressed as a green garbage container, being dragged away by Moscow riot police after a failed attempt to get an appointment with the Moscow mayor and talk to him about recycling (RUS).
Sri Lanka: A Ceasefire, But For How Long?
Kettikili at pass the roti on the left hand side writes on the latest state of the war in Northern Sri Lanka: “The announcement of a ceasefire, however brief, is welcome news. But how long will it last?”
India: Jaipur Literary Festival
Jabberwock attended the Jaipur literary festival 2009 and wrote about it in a series of posts.
Bangladesh: The Future Of Jute In Peril?
With both the demand and prices of jute falling in the International market, many of the jute mills in Bangladesh are facing closure. At Muktangan, Monjuraul wonders whether the jute industry in Bangladesh will eventually perish.
