Stories from 22 February 2006
Hungary: “Beating, Shooting Suggest Renewed Civic Engagement”
Pestiside.hu reports that, contrary to the poll data suggesting “a decline in voters’ interest in the major public issues of the day,” some Hungarians seem to take the election campaign a bit too seriously and act somewhat too violently.
Uganda: Election violence
My Heart's in Accra reports on tomorrow's Ugandan elections which have been marred by violence and arrests.
Hungary: Book Collection To Be Returned by Russia
Pestiside.hu reports that Russia has finally agreed to return an invaluable Hungarian book collection that was seized during WWII – but will charge Hungary $400,000 for “storing” the books for over 50 years.
Hungary: Prime Minister's Blog
Hungarian prime minister has his own blog now, and Henrik of Hungarian Accent reviews the reactions of Hungarian bloggers to this unlikely development. Pestiside.hu describes it as “a classic blog, offering updates on his personal life and observations and arguments on the political issues of the day” – and thinks...
Poland: “Looking for the Iranian Lech Welesa”
As the Bush administration intends to use Poland's Solidarity movement of the 1980s as a model for Iran's opposition, Beatroot examines Solidarity's history and explains why such a model may not work in Iran now.
Poland: Iranian Perspective on the Holocaust
Beatroot corrects Mohammad Taheri, Iran's ambassador to Portugal, who thinks it necessary to reconsider the Holocaust numbers and has been quoted saying this: “When I was ambassador to Poland I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau twice and I did my own calculations. To incinerate six million people you would need 15...
Arabic Blogs Dreams
The following is an abbreviated translation from some of the Arabic-language blogsphere. Some disappointment in blogging and Arab blogsphere is floating around. Here, Tarik Abu Ziad from Jordan writes; Running from forums to fall under the overpower of blog aggregators: كان أحد أهم الأسباب – بالنسبة لي على الأقل –...
Iran: Football & Women
Panahandegi writes about women & their problem to go watching a football game in Iran. Blogger says did you know that a woman in Iran need to be granted an “authorization” to enter the stadium and watch a live football game? Apparently it would be “unholy” for them to listen...