Stories from 13 June 2006
Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus
The Pamirs in sight, Kyrgyzstan Welcome to the latest roundup of the Central Asian and Caucasian blogosphere, brought to you bi-weekly by neweurasia. This edition reaches you from sunny Berlin, where the World Cup is in full swing (making this roundup inevitably brief). Unfortunately, the Azeri blogosphere is still underrepresented...
Armenia: Habitat for Humanity
Onnik Krikorian reports on Habitat for Humanity's work in Armenia.
Armenia: Cafe Season
Onnik Krikorian shines light on the dark side of Yerevan's cafes.
Tajikistan: Free Elections
Since Tajikistan's presidential election probably will not be free, James of neweurasia has a rundown of each political party's platform and has a poll to vote for who readers think should win.
Armenia: Last Bell
Myrthe of Life As I See It writes about last bell–the last day of school–in Armenia.
Kazakhstan: Modern Art
Leila writes about modern art in Kazakhstan and a UK television show featuring some of it.
Kyrgyzstan: Public Broadcasting
Does public broadcasting have a place in Kyrgyzstan? neweurasia discusses.
Kyrgyzstan: The Week in Kyrgyzstan
Yulia of neweurasia rounds up the week in news in Kyrgyzstan.
North Korea: Missile test coming
“Congratulations, North Korea!” blogs Robert J. Koehler at The Marmot's Hole in response to news that North Korea will soon test-fire a missile capable of striking America. “Soon, you might have the capability to ensure the Americans turn South Korea into an island in the event of an emergency. And...
Japan: Simplified characters or traditional?
Danny Bloom at Japundit hosts a quick but thorough discussion on the division over simplified Chinese characters (mainland China) and traditional characters (Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chinatowns worldwide): “What’s your take on all this? Will China's system take over, and if it does, will it have an impact on Japan's writing...
Japan: Internet beauty queens
An internet beauty queen has been chosen, writes Tokyo Times‘ Lee, from 5,500 entries: “[I]n a bid to make sure that the victor didn’t turn out to be a balding and bearded middle-aged man living with his parents and known online as Judith, the organizers asked the 20 best contestants—chosen...
China: University entrance exams
A seldom-heard stance on China's tough university entrance exams (Gao Kao) from Raymond Zhou at Not only movies just days after the testing period ended: “It may sound paradoxical, but I'm not for abolishing the gaokao system. For all its quirks and partiality, it is one of the few mechanisms...
China: News anchors replaced
Outside In blogger and old China hand Jo turned on the nightly communist news early last week and was surprised to see two new faces reading the news: “I thought maybe a wrinkle had occurred in the universe. In the universe of the party propaganda machinery, I guess it had....
China: Activist news roundup
Arms trading, Tibet, environmental concerns, Chinese president Hu Jintao's recent meeting with American counterpart Bush and Google executive Sergey Brin admitting to censoring search results in China all in Celia's weekly roundup at China Activist Weekly.
Belarus: Market Traders Disagree on Political Involvement
Tobias Ljungvall reports on a conflict between members of Perspektiva, an organization uniting Belarusian market traders: “This organisation was created on a wave of successfully organised strikes among market traders, in which tens of thousands or perhaps even more than a hundred thousand of them had temporarily closed down their...
Hungary: Budapest Mayor Bans Subway Bakeries
Paul of Further Ramblings of a N.Irish Magyar writes that the mayor of Budapest has decided “to force bakery operators out of the metro stations,” a rather irrational and potentially unpopular step ahead of the October municipal elections.
Belarus: NGO Leaders on Trial
TOL's Belarus Blog reports on the case of four young NGO leaders who are facing from six months to three years in prison for running an unregistered organization.
Nigeria: Peoples Deceiving Party
Just Thots of a Naijaman has a rant against President Obasanjo's party, the PDP which he describes as “People Deceiving Party”…….”The president and VP are abusing each other, Sen Ahmadu Ali is abusing the senators, honorables and representatives are abusing each other, the South-south leaders are abusing Gov. Kure, Gov...
Sudan: Interview – Sheik Musa Hilal
Sudan Watch points to a rare interview with “Sheik Musa Hilal, leader of Um Jalul tribe in his hometown of Mistariha, Darfur (Lydia Polgreen)”
Nigeria: Supporting female entrepeneurs
Grandiose Parlor reports on a project to support Nigerian women entrepeneurs – the Access Bank of Nigeria together with the World Bank – International Finance Corporation (IFC)- will start extending lines of credit to this group of women.
Kenya: Sexual assult in school
MentalAcrobatics comments on a story of violence in a Kenya school where a group of students had badly injured a fellow student in a “brutal sexual assult”.…..The teenage boy, a student at Upper Hill Secondary School, was admitted to Nairobi Women’s Hospital after he was brutally sodomised by five fellow...
