Stories from 23 August 2006
Central Asia: Borders 2
Ben Paarmann has posted part two of his series of posts on the determination of Central Asia's national borders during the Soviet period.
Kazakhstan: Urker
Leila and Ben of neweurasia post an interview with Urker, a Kazakh pop-folk band from Almaty.
Kazakhstan: Responding to Borat
Sean Roberts reports that awarenes of Kazakhstan in the United States is much higher than it was a few years ago as a result of Sascha Baron-Cohen's “Borat” character. He notes that an official Kazakh media campaign campaign promoting the country in the leadup to President Nursultan Nazarbaev's visit to...
Afghanistan: Cooperation Please!
Afghan Warrior talks about the importance of cooperation between Nato forces and Afghan National Army. The blogger says last week 12 border police were killed by a coalition air strike in Paktia province. He adds if they have radio communication with every provincial security official, it would be very useful...
The Week that Was – Bolivian Blogs
Emigration from Bolivia, especially to Western European countries, continues to be a topic of discussion in the Bolivian blogosphere. Two Bolivians, who currently reside in Europe, are dismayed over tighter restrictions on entry to these destination countries. Holland-based blogger, Alexey Rodriguez says that “Only eleven countries in the world will...
Iran: Cartoonist out of jail for 10 days
According to Full Metal Jacket, cartoonist, Mana Neyestani and his editor Mehrdad Ghasemfar got permission to come out prison for ten days [Fa].These two were arrested 80 days ago after riots had erupted by ethnic Azaris in Iran when they took offence in Mana Neyestani's cartoon, published in the children's...
Iran: A Radio for Websites
According to Haftan, Webna is a new radio to inform news about websites [Fa]. This radio has also its own blog and site. Webna calls itself Iranian Website News Agency.
Lebanon: One Week after the Cease Fire
Most Lebanese Blogs still reflect on the war and its aftermath. Some post photos of Lebanese trying to regain their lives and their efforts to fix that which was damaged. Others write political and social analysis of what happened and what should be done in addition to some personal accounts. Here is a sample. Happy reading.
Russia: Market Explosion and Plane Crash
Russia Blog writes about two August tragedies: an explosion at a Moscow market and a Russian plane crash in eastern Ukraine.
Romania: Hitchhiking
Romerican posts a lengthy account of hitchhiking in Romania.
Ukraine: Senior Officer Killed
LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about the organized crime and political connection of the recent murder of a senior officer involved in investigation of a “money laundering operation linked to a ‘Donetsk financial establishment’.”
Russia: Putin's Third Term; Young Guard
Sean's Russia Blog writes about the possibility of “Putin 3.0” and about a new youth organization called the Young Guard.
Russia: “The Wrong Umarov”
David McDuff of A Step At A Time translates an article “on the strained efforts of the Moscow-backed Chechen government to claim the capture of an Umarov, even if it wasn't the Umarov they really wanted.”
Russia: 113 Houses in Sokol
Copydude writes about the fate of Sokol, a Soviet-time “intellectuals’ thinkpark” near Moscow, and a common belief that “in St. Petersburg, the woman sweeping the yard will stop to discuss French impressionist film-making.”
Poland: Emigration to Europe and Crime
Boo and Warsaw Station write about crime and the Polish laborers in Europe.
Poland: Corruption and Politicians’ Incomes
The beatroot writes about Poland's richest politicians and the problem of corruption: “…it’s they, after all, who are the least bribable.”
India: A restaurant named after Hitler
A restaurant with the strange (and seemingly offensive) name of of Hitler's Cross is in the news these days. Amit Varma on how the law shouldn't play a role in the issue.
Sri Lanka: The BPO Sector
With business outsourcing becoming a major source of employment and economic development for South Asia, LirneAsia presents a baseline sector analysis of Sri Lanka's BPO sector.
Cuba, Puerto Rico: Who's better off?
La Ventanita asks: “Who's better off since 1959, Cubans or Puerto Ricans?“
Trinidad & Tobago: Tourism truth
Asks Trinidadian Elspeth Duncan: “Can our ‘tourism truth’ continue to lie in pretty cliches, unchanging statistics and glossy, tropical images Photoshopped to seduce foreigners?“
Sri Lanka: The Sudan Model for Peace
Achieving peace in Sri Lanka with the “Sudan Model” – “But, GOSL have all reasonable excuses to set such a condition, given that the tigers have denied ample opportunities to sit in the negotiation table even as a military organization (carrying weapons) through out last 3 years.”
