Stories from 16 May 2006
Pakistan: Blog aggregator and fighting censorship
More ways to fight cyber censorship in Pakistan. A new blog aggregator is started in Pakistan.
Bangladesh: Jesus and Buddha
Sadiq Alam after buying a book that talks of the parallels between Jesus and Buddha. “As if i could see them standing on top of the hill, and i could feel the deep warmth of their heart with which they were having their arms around each others’ shoulders, smiling.”
Belarus: Interpol Chief Disagrees With EU Members
TOL's Belarus Blog reports that certain EU representatives of Interpol plan to boycott the upcoming meeting in Belarus; Interpol's head rightly disagrees with their position: “‘Why use an apolitical organisation, a meeting of police professionals, to send a political message, when the vehicles they usually have for sending a political...
Belarus: Political Refugees; Disinformation on Asylum Seekers
Leo Finkel of Maidan International writes about a press conference given by Belarusian political refugees in Kyiv; according to him, the number of Belarusian political asylum seekers will grow in the coming months. TOL's Belarus Blog reports on the false information spread by certain Russian news agencies: according to them,...
Belarus: Fake Dissident
TOL's Belarus Blog writes about Mikhail Vashkevitch, an impostor in the Belarusian opposition's ranks, about to lose his asylum in Bulgaria: “I wish we were back to the times when dissidents wrote books without asking for a $10,000 advance…”
Hungary, Estonia: Eurovision Song Contest
Pestiside.hu writes that Hungary isn't taking part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Athens and highlights a few performers from other countries (one is Sandra – who, though Swedish, represents Estonia).
Slovenia: Staying Single Pays
Michael of The Glory of Carniola explains why it pays to stay single in Slovenia.
Serbia & Montenegro: Upcoming Referendum
As Montenegro prepares for a referendum that will decide whether the tiny republic withdraws from federal union with Serbia, a heated discussion is taking place in the comments section at Kosovareport on whether the possible changes are worth it or not.
Estonia: ‘War in the Woods’
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa reviews a book on Estonian resistance to Soviet rule in the war years (War in the Woods: Estonia's Struggle for Survival, by Mart Laar).
Czech Republic: Communists’ Election Campaign
Jesse of Bored in Brno writes about the election campaign of the Czech communists.
Poland: Politics and Freedom of Speech
Our Man in Gdansk writes about how freedom of speech in Poland is sometimes affected by politics: “In the puling adolescent west the new boss of a TV station or newspaper might be expected to trot out some feelgood cliches about how he does not intend to interfere in anyway...
Poland: Footbal ‘Pseudo-Fans’
Kinuk writes about football and the trouble that Polish football hooligans are causing.
Ukraine: Kyiv's New Mayor
Scott W. Clark of Foreign Notes writes about Kyiv's new mayor: “Sometimes the mayor makes a lot of sense and sometimes he sounds crack-brained.”
East Timor: Local Liquor
Tumbleweed in timor lorosae reviews local liquors in East Timor. The same post also has an update of the situation in East Timor.
Thailand: Bangkok Malls
Vietnam resident and blogger at Antidote to Burnout goes shopping in Bangkok and wonders if Bangkok could serve as a shopping development model for fast growing Vietnam.
Indonesia: Economics Blogger
Indonesian blogger A. Fatih Syuhud profiles another Indonesian blogger Martin Manurung. “We need many more bloggers like him who has concern on Indonesia's development in socio-cultural as well as in political-economy to blog in English and blog actively”
Bermuda: Signs of an election
Christian S. Dunleavy looks at the recent activities of Bermuda's ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and suggests that “the planets are clearly lining up (or being lined up) for an election sooner rather than later.”
Trinidad and Tobago: Criminals’ rights?
The members of The Initiative Against Crime continue to explore the connections between Trinidad and Tobago's crime problem and mistreatment of prisoners. Kahaya is not surprised there was a prisoners’ riot at the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday, and Jahari Gamba asks, “Does the prison system change criminals or boost...
Dominica: Turtle-watching
It's sea-turtle nesting season in the Caribbean; on Dominica's east coast, The Hand I Fan With's ThandieLand describes the hundreds of people who visit the beach near her village each night, hoping to glimpse the turtles as they emerge from the waves.
Iran: Dogs & Men
Sharh, a photoblog, has published a photo of two dogs and their owners. Blogger says having a dog can create opportunities to get new girl or boy friends in Iran.
Hong Kong: China-sent spies?
EastSouthWestNorth‘s Roland Soong translates news stories on “what must be the first big internet-fueled political storm in Hong Kong” which comes down to whether or not the Hong Kong Democratic Party has been infiltrated by “spies” and whether or not they come from the Chinese mainland.
