Stories from Quick Reads from May, 2010
Secularism in France from a Foreigner's Perspective
Art Goldhammer, from French Politics blog, links to Eric Fassin‘s article in Le Monde (fr) and the NSAE's blog quotes in extenso from the article that describes French secularism in the style...
Russia: Another Top Blogger Hacked

Site of one of the top Russian bloggers Maxim Sviridenkov [RUS] (#16 in Yandex rating [RUS]) had been hacked today, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. The site was defaced and the...
South Korea: The sinking of ROKS Cheonan
Ask a Korean! addresses the issue of the sinking of ROKS Cheonan by answering what you need to know and what you need to think about the issue.
South Korea: Critical discourse on North Korea
K. M. Lawson from The Korea History Blog criticized South Korean concerned scholars (the Alliance of Scholars Concerned About Korea) on the lack of critical discourse on North Korea when...
China: English Language Blogs
Kai Pan from china/divide takes his readers for a tour around different kind of English language blogs about China.
Palestine: No Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
Sherine Tadros, whose location is listed as Jerusalem/Gaza, tweets: “The israeli army head responsible for #gaza just told me there is ‘no humanitarian crisis’ in the strip. 80% poverty apparently...
Bahrain: Time Flies
From Bahrain, ammar456 observes on Twitter: “The days just seem to fly by. Things didn't move this fast when we were kids.”
Kuwait: Plans Underway to Ban Blackberry Messenger Service
(Probably) taking the cue from Bahrain, “Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior plans to disallow the BlackBerry Messenger service < " tweets Sultan Al Qassemi, from the UAE.
Peru: Film “Octubre” Wins at Cannes Film Festival
Following the success of the Peruvian film “La Teta Asustada,” another film called “Octubre” won a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival notes the blog Marcamasi [es].
Chile: Suggestions from Tourists
In the city of Arica, Chile, blogger Tomás Bradanovic says “we should listen to the tourist [es],” because he has been receiving emails from tourists visiting and who have plenty...
Bolivia: Autonomy Transition
Miguel Centellas of the blog Pronto* writes about some of the issues behind the transition to departmental autonomies and the conflict that some of the new governors are having with...
Costa Rica: Salary Increase for Congressional Deputies
Dean Córnito in his blog Switzerland in Central America [es] does not, like many other Costa Ricans, expresses his outrage for the 100% salary increase for incoming Congressional deputies. Instead,...
Estonia: “A Green Light to Join the Euro”
Edward Lucas, Itching for Eestimaa and AnTyx comment on Estonia's likely adoption of the euro on January 1, 2011.
Latvia: May 9 in Riga
Arnis Balcus posts photos from the May 9 celebrations in Riga and writes: “In Latvia 9 May is more than just a victory celebration, it is also an expression of...
Latvia: Neo-Nazi Cleared of Hate Speech Charges
Free Speech Emergency in Latvia reports that the Latvian Supreme Court has cleared a neo-Nazi of hate speech charges.
Slovenia, Croatia: More on the Border Dispute
Sleeping With Pengovsky posts The Definitive Guide to the Arbitrage Agreement Between Slovenia and Croatia – Part 1 and Part 2. Borut Peterlin posts this comment: “The border dispute with...
Ukraine: Medvedev in Kyiv; Yanukovych & the Wreath
Reactions to the Russian president's visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, last week (which included the Ukrainian president being hit by a wreath during a commemoration ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Monument)...
Cape Verde: Using an Online Tool to Fight Dengue
The Government of Cape Verde is using the internet as a powerful tool to fight dengue [pt]. By creating an epidemiological watch online through which it is possible to insert...
Azerbaijan: Live tweeting Eurovision from Oslo, Norway
Complimenting the already relatively impressive of social media by Safura Alizadeh, Azerbaijan's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest, jazz singer Ulviyya Rahimova will be live-tweeting updates as part of...
Russian DST Group Will Increase Investment in Foreign Internet Companies

Yuri Milner [EN], chief executive of the Moscow-based Digital Sky Technologies [EN] (DST) investment group, revealed [ENG] The Guardian his plans to continue investing in major foreign Internet companies. One...
Jamaica: Women of Tivoli Gardens
“If these women pass on this attitude of craven gratitude and dependence on a don to their children, how will the cycle ever be broken?”: Islandista looks at the role...