Stories from Quick Reads from November, 2008
Croatia: Creator of Anti-PM Facebook Group Arrested
Svetlana Gladkova reports on Profy on the arrest (and the subsequent release) of a Croatian man who created a Facebook group (HRV) “I bet I will find 5,000 people who do not like [Croatia's PM Ivo Sanader].” The group now has over 9,000 members.
Armenia: World AIDS Day & the Armenicum Fiasco
Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences prepares its readers for the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day and highlights the situation with HIV infection in the country. The blog also notes that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Armenicum, a locally produced drug which the authorities initially announced could cure...
Mexico: High Service Fees for Radiohead Tickets
In Mexico, there are complaints regarding the high Ticketmaster service fees tacked on to the price of Radiohead tickets for the concerts to be held in Mexico City in March 2009 writes El Nahual of México Para Los Mexicanos [es].
Costa Rica: Electronic Waste Pick-Up
The Q-dra project is launching a campaign to collect electronic waste, such as old computers and televisions in San José, Costa Rica writes Bloqueverde [es].
Armenia: Chess, Karabakh and Turkish Relations
West of Igdir comments on the latest developments in Armenia including a second victory for the country in the International Chess Olympiad, speculation over negotiations to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh and last week's visit to Istanbul by the Foreign Minister.
India: Advice from a Sri Lankan
The Under Dog at the Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Groundviews has this to say to the Indians on the Mumbai terror attacks: “Here’s a word of advice from a Sri Lankan to our big neighbor. Don’t go down the path we have taken. Don’t be tempted to sacrifice the...
India: Interview With The Mumbai Terrorists
Bangladeshi-American blogger Mash at Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying posts a transcript of the interview with a Mumbai terrorist (translated from Hindi) which was broadcast in an Indian TV channel.
Japan, S. Korea, China: the Second International Congress of Asian Hemp Industry
Blogger Takashi reports [jp] on the Second International Congress of Asian Hemp Industry (第2回アジア大麻産業国際会議) held in Donghae (Korea) at the Hangzhong University from the 20th to the 23rd of November, 7 years after the first congress took place. Participants from Japan, China and South Korea [jp] debated the hemp industry...
China: Chinese students inform on political science professor
David Bandurski from China media project quoted from South China Morning post on a news about two Chinese students reporting to the police on a professor at Shanghai’s East China University of Political Science and Law concerning his “anti-government” speech. The incident has been widely discussed in local forum, such...
China: Zeng Jingyan's Thanksgiving message
ESWN translated Chinese dissent Zeng Jingyan's Thanksgiving message. Zeng's husband Hu Jia is still in prison and Zeng herself is under monitored.
The Balkans: Tragic Legacy
Cafe Turco writes on the inaccuracies in Resolution 819 film and posts a translation of Hasan Nuhanović's article that challenges “the veracity of some scenes.” Srebrenica Genocide Blog writes on a recent exhumation of “50 complete and 883 partial human remains of Srebrenica genocide victims” and links to a documentary...
Central & Eastern Europe: A Roma Roundup
A few Roma-related posts: Inside Albania muses on the U.S. election and concludes that having a Roma PM in Albania will remain “pure fantasy” for quite a while; Romano Them links to a report on the situation with the Roma in Kosovo; Hungarian Spectrum reported on Nov. 20 that “[i]n...
Romania: A Quick Primer on Nov. 30 Election
Csíkszereda Musings writes about the upcoming Nov. 30 parliamentary election and “the shifting allegiances in Romanian politics”: “The other two major parties were allies four years ago, but now seem to hate each other's guts.”
Slovenia: New Government
Posts on Slovenia's new government – at Sleeping With Pengovsky, Kosmopolito, and Borut Peterlin's blog.
Czech Republic: Milan Kundera Controversy
Belatedly, a link to the post on Milan Kundera controversy – at Balkans via Bohemia.
Ukraine: “orange revolution” vs “Orange Revolution”
A note on the difference between “orange revolution” and “Orange Revolution” in Ukraine – at Leopolis: “The former represents the current state of politics: disappointment, disillusionment, distrust, financial crisis, brawls in parliament, corruption, broken promises. There is no reason to celebrate the ‘orange revolution.’ But the latter recalls an amorphous...
Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan: Calling Attention to Tragedy
Window on Eurasia writes: “Kyiv’s efforts to call attention to Stalin’s terror famine on the 75th anniversary of that tragedy and especially its moves to gain international recognition of it as a genocide against the Ukrainian people has generated much criticism by Russian officials from President Dmitry Medvedev on down...
Russia: The Crisis and Constitutional Changes
Robert Amsterdam writes about “the uses and expediency” of Beslan in 2004 and the current financial crisis for Russia's leaders: “[…] an opportunity to pass measures to further consolidate authority.”
Bolivia: Used Batteries End Up in Regular Landfill
The city of Cochabamba launched a campaign to collect waste, such as used batteries which were supposed to be disposed of properly, but Gustavo Cardoso of Observancia [es] notes with pictures that they ended up in the regular landfill defeating the purpose.
Latvia: The Crisis and Freedom of Speech
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia wrote on Nov. 22: “A university lecturer was arrested for two days for making comments at a public discussion of the economy, while a musician was questioned for joking about taking money out of a bank during a concert.” More coverage of the situation –...
Colombia: Pitching In for Suso
Xady of Expresate [es] provides the latest update on the campaign in the Medellín, Colombia neighborhood of La Loma, where local bloggers from the Convergentes project are pitching in to build a house for one of their community members, Suso.