Stories from 19 July 2006
China: corpses trade
OneManBandWidth discusses the good and the bad side of the news concerning the banning of trade and commercial use of corpses in China.
China: Text book
Joel Martinsen has a post in Danwei on the controversy over Chinese textbook revisions. He puts together various articles and discussions on the recent change of historical perspective.
China: Rock band
Wonwon from Chinatimes puts up a review on the development of rock band music in mainland China in the past twenty years (zh).
Hong Kong: Consumption tax
The Hong Kong government plans to introduce consumption tax in Hong Kong. Ben Ng goes through the Japan experience in consumption tax and raises his voice against this tax item, calling it “candy poison”.
Singapore: Beancurd Brothers
Sparklette compares tau huay, a local beancurd dessert, from two rival stalls located next to each other. The stalls are run by feuding brothers.
The Week that Was – Bolivian Blogs
Este artículo también está disponible en español en el sitio Blogs de Bolivia Commemorations and anniversaries were on the minds of a handful of Bolivian blogger this week. Twenty-six years ago on July 17th, politician and writer Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz (ES) was kidnapped and murdered by the dictatorship government...
Guyana: Mystery columnist
Guyanese blog Demeraralighthouse racks its brains to figure out the identity of the Kaieteur News columnist “Peeping Tom“.
Barbados: The government on blogs
Titlayo sees a Barbados government minister's call for blogs to have a “framework of accountability”, as a sign that blogs are beginning to be taken seriously by “people in high places”.
Vietnam: Is Vietnam the next China?
The blogger at itsthefinalword links to a post that compares China's growth with that of Vietnam's.
Philippines: Preserving Heritage
Ivan About Town is concerned about the state of ancestral homes in Philippines. Antique dealers are tearing down these houses to sell woodwork and other contents of these homes.
Uzbekistan: Returning to Andijon
Registan.net discusses the voluntary return of Uzbek refugees who had fled the country after last year's violence in Andijon.
Kazakhstan: Infants & HIV
Irene asks who is responsible for the negligence that led to the infection of six infants with HIV in a hospital in southern Kazakhstan.
Armenia: Racist Fliers
Nessuna reports on the appearance of racist fliers appearing in Yerevan urging people to “clean their city.” Onnik Krikorian adds that this is ironic considering the number of South Caucasus natives who have died at the hands of white supremacists in Russia.
Armenia: Our Duty to Live
Onnik Krikorian posts photos and and an interview with the program manager of the Our Duty to Live project in Vanadzor, Armenia. The project offers educational and social services to needy children in an area still recovering from the devastating 1988 earthquake.
Kurdistance: Lebanon's Legacy?
While the world's media eye is focused on Lebanon, other potential conflicts are arising in the Middle East; but they are arising using Lebanon as the primary example for conflict justification. The Counterrorism Blog says it best: Turkey is currently making a lot of noise about launching a cross-border incursion...
Nepal: Budget Blues
Bahas on the upcoming budget for Nepal. “It is easy to assume that the concerned officials of the government are aware of the emerging situation but, if they are not, it may create undesirable tension in the country.”
Armenia: Smoking on the Street
Nessuna asks why men in Armenia consider it acceptable for women to chainsmoke in cafes, but lose all respect for women if they smoke on the street.
Pakistan: Introducing Lahore
Metroblogging Lahore attempts to explain to an outsider the marvels of the city.
Czech Republic: Language Lesson
Jesse of Bored in Brno discusses the difference in the Czech usage of the words ‘far’ and ‘distant.’
Ukraine: “Microscopic, Telescopic Views”
Adrian J. Erlinger of Leopolis writes on “microscopic, telescopic views” of the current political situation in Ukraine: “By the looks of mini-Maidan, the most progressive of the Ukrainian electorate have come down with a case of electoral fatigue.”
Russia: Youth Activism
Sean's Russia Blog writes about two trends in the Russian youth political activism.