Stories from 20 September 2006
Israel: Israel's Political Future
The number one most important priority for those who want to improve Israel's defense and Israel's public diplomacy/Israel's image abroad has to be internal reforms. It has to be fixing Israel's political system and the dysfunctional Israeli society. Anything else is just a bandaid, amechad said.
Thailand: The Coup and the Net
Ben at Mai Me Arai writes about the increase in internet usage in Thailand while the coup was taking place. “Let it never be said that Thai’s don’t know where to find information when they really want to”. Gnarlykitty points to a new classified ad in Craigslist's Thailand section.
India: Bandra Fair
Bandra Fair in full swing and colour at Ultrabrown and Trivial Matters.
Sri Lanka: Blog Con for Sri Lanka
Deane's Dimension reflects on the BlogCamp held in India recently and if the blogging community in Sri Lanka is big enough for such an event.
Eastern Europe: Video documents homophobia on the rise
The latest twist in the long-running saga of anti-gay violence and state oppression took place yesterday in Moscow, as an appeals court upheld the earlier lower court ruling to ban Moscow's Gay Pride March in May 2006. The gay rights activists who brought the case will now attempt to challenge...
Sri Lanka: Free and Open Software
Nirmal Jayasinghe on why Free and Open Software is important for Sri Lanka.
Thailand: Situation on the street
Thailand under military rule day one looks like a regular day here albeit there were fewer people on the street. Banks and schools are closed, and most of the offices too. Internet and cellular connection are all fine. CNN and BBC broadcast were blocked until this afternoon, but then has...
Sri Lanka: Apollo Hospital and Business
Pradheep's Blog laments the takeover of an Apollo Hospital in Sri Lanka, implying that the hospital would lose its USP and the negative impact it could have in terms of an investor friendly business environment. “Needless to say this will have a negative impact on the confidence that investors have...
Ted Turner on the U.N.: Spoke but didn't listen
On Tuesday afternoon in New York, Georgia Popplewell, Alice Backer, Kamla Bhatt and I did our best to ask questions on behalf of the world's blogosphere at the Reuters “Newsmaker” conversation with Ted Turner, who gave $1 billion to set up the U.N. Foundation ten years ago. The bloggers participating...
Bangladesh: What happened in Thailand
Drishtipat looks at the coup in Thailand and highlights an important question about what lessons could be drawn in terms of Bangladesh's future. “Thailand resembles Bangladesh in many ways. The last military coup in Thailand, in 1991, was extremely unpopular and was overthrown by violent opposition in the streets.”
Iran: Media, Religion and 11 September
In Webgardian we read Mohammad Ali Abtahi's, former vice president and blogger, article on religion, media and 11 September. Abtahi says after September 11, most media have functioned to strengthen the points of difference or violent identity-forming aspects.
Iran:Another magazine was banned
According to Pourostad, monthly magazine, Psychology of Society was closed down by authorities [Fa].
Thailand: Coup Update
Picture from HelloonEarth2006 It was a holiday today in Thailand after the military ousted Prime Minister Thaksin's government last night while he was away in in New York. There are no reports of violence and people are venturing out in the streets. Stickman has pictures from Bangkok this morning and...
South Korea: Textbook revision
Sewing from Marmot's Hole gives us more background about the South Korea textbook revision. This time it is not about intepretation of history, but about changing traditional gender roles, implicit endorsement of single-child families, and unhealthy focus on the myth of a homogeneous Korean “race”.
China and Korea: History wars
Mutant frog writes an elaborated summary on the history wars between China and Korea for the Asian history carnival.
China: 1980s’ attitude towards sex
Shanghaiist puts up a video stream from Tudou, which exploring how people born in the 1980s feel about sex.
China: Baidu and google
One man bandwidth compares the business of Baidu and Google search engine in China and predicted that Google would flounder based on the ancient Chinese pronciple of Guanxi.
Hong Kong: internet censorship
An alert posted by Mister Bijou on PCCW (biggest telecom in HK and ISP netvigator) decision to filter out a website called ntscmp. ESWN picks up the story and urges Hong Kong blogger to test the filtering.
Africa: Reactions to Pope's remarks
A speech by Pope Benedict XVI in Germany last week has received mixed reactions in the African blogosphere. The speech has generally provoked outrage in the Muslim world. The Pope quoted Byzantine Emperor Manuel II saying, “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find...
Hungary: PM's Lies and Riots in Budapest
Several weeks after the general election in April, Hungarian prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said this at a closed meeting with members of his parliamentary faction: I almost died when I had to pretend for one and a half years as if we were governing. Instead we lied in the morning,...
China: cancer report
One Man band width reports on the condition of breast cancer patients in China. Breast cancer is becoming the biggest killer for Chinese women, even resources have been allocated for campaign, nothing much has been changed: “they do not want to alarm women in the late stages of a disease...
