Stories about Weblog from November, 2009
Peru: Cow Parade arrives to Lima
Parks and public spaces in Lima have been invaded by life-size cow sculptures, as the Cow Parade arrives to show 80 different works aiming to collect funds for several organizations.
Saudi Arabia: Citizens’ Fury At Flood Deaths
Saudi Arabia's second largest city, Jeddah, was struck by heavy floods last week, and the death toll has risen to more than 100 people. Poor infrastructure and mismanagement of city works construction have been blamed, and thousands have joined a Facebook group criticising the authorities.
Singapore: Is It a City or Country?
Is Singapore a city or a country? This question seems silly since Singapore is globally recognized as an independent state. But for Singapore Law Minister K. Shanmugam, Singapore should be treated as a city. This remark triggered a debate in the blogosphere.
Video: Worldwide youth express themselves in 60 seconds
The OneMinutesJr project gives young people between 12 and 20 years of age from many corners of the globe the opportunity to express themselves across borders, languages and distances through 60 second videos.
Thailand: Former Prime Minister Passes Away
Samak Sundaravej — former Bangkok Governor, cooking show host, and Thailand's 25th Prime Minister passed away last November 24. Read the reactions from Bangkok bloggers and twitterers.
Chile: Council Rejects Giant Pope Statue in Santiago
The proposed construction of a giant statue of the late Pope John Paul II that was to be placed in a square of the capital city Santiago, was rejected by Chile's National Monuments Council.
Russia: How Passengers of “Nevsky Express” Tell Their Stories Through Social Media
The crash of the "Nevsky Express" train happened far from any major populated area. It took several hours for reporters to arrive on the spot. Only then the first photographs and videos started to appear everywhere. But what happened to citizen reporting that led the way in the coverage of the plane crash in Russia a year ago?
Hungary: Violence “Behind Doors”
This month, Hungarian NGOs joined the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. Marietta Le describes the situation with domestic violence in Hungary and translates one blogger's post on the subject.
Cambodia: End of first Khmer Rouge Tribunal deemed a relative success
Many in the international community are calling the first Khmer Rouge Tribunal trial of Kaing Kek Iev, or Duch, a relative success as the trial closed. However, there are indications that Cambodian officials may not participate in future cases making it difficult to conduct a fair trial for the four Khmer Rouge members awaiting trial
Egypt: A fine line between patriotism and chauvinism
The November 14 football match between Egypt and Algeria has turned into an ugly war and it got worse after Egypt's defeat on November 18 in Sudan. From the fury of Egyptian President's son to that of renowned actors and actresses, media figures, writers, and Facebook users, anger has blinded common sense. Marwa Rakha looks at a new initiative to put out the fire.
One East African Musician beats all odds for a global fan base
Not many know her as Mwanaisha Abdalla but Nyota Ndogo (Kiswahili for Small Star), is a household name in East Africa. She has been collecting fans of her eclectic East African sound for over 4 years now. Her blog on the other hand has been running for 3 years. There is no doubt that the blog has contributed the growth of her online fan base.
Ghana: Who Will benefit From Oil?
When UK firm Tullow Oil announced its discovery of 600 million barrels of oil in Ghana in 2007, the blogosphere responded with variegated tones of hope and cynicism.
China: Law or Justice?
According to Chongqing Evening News, by November 15th 2905 suspects had been arrested during a massive crackdown on gangs in the municipality of Chongqing, a major city with 30 million population and provincial status. The campaign...
Russia: At Least 25 People Killed in the ‘Neva Express’ Train Crash
An express train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg derailed at 9:34 PM on Friday, Nov. 27, near the town of Bologoye, killing at least 25 people. Below are some of the initial reactions from the Russian blogosphere.
USA: Native American Heritage Day
A new National Native American National Heritage day is being honored in the United States on November 27, the day after most people there celebrated Thanksgiving. Native Americans rejoice - online and elsewhere.
Pakistan: Take Back The Tech Campaign
In Pakistan, P@SH@ (Pakistan Software Houses Association) is pushing the Take Back The Tech initiative forward to take control of technology to end violence against women. They have already launched the campaign on various online platforms.
Mexico: Viewing Mexican Streets with Google
On November 9th, Mexicans welcomed Google Street View and its digital maps with street level photographs for Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and other 5 cities, making Mexico the first Latin American country to join Google's service.
Japan: Buy Nothing Day
Started in 1992 in Canada by artist Ted Dave, the Buy Nothing Day movement [en] has spread to more than 60 countries around the world, Japan included. In line with...
Russia: Tatarstan Blogger Sentenced to Almost 2 Years in Penal Colony
On Sept. 12, 2008, Tatar blogger and journalist Irek Murtazin blogged about rumors of Tatarstan president Mintimir Shaimiev's death. On Nov. 26, 2009, Murtazin was convicted of defamation and incitement to hatred and sentenced to 1 year and 9 months of penal colony.
Cuba: Ongoing HIV/AIDS Education Efforts
Even though Cuba has one of the lowest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the region, there are still ongoing education efforts to reduce the number of new infections, as well as to break down the stigma of the disease.
Brazil: The Violence Against Women Debate
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Brazilian bloggers reignite the debate and campaign to end violence.
