Stories from 27 September 2006
Malaysia: Narrow Minded Political Group
Shianux writes about the lack of basic economics knowledge among the UMNO political party members in Malaysian province of Johor. Johor is the province that borders Singapore. Johor UMNO is asking the federal government to cancel all projects like the proposed bullet train between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore that might...
South Korea: solidarity protest against military base
Days in Daechuri reports on the weekend solidarity protest in seoul against the expansion of military base in Pyeongtaek. There were also protests in New York and Los Angeles.
China: harmonious society
Positive solutions writes on the social economic background for the Chinese government's propaganda of building a harmonious society.
South Korea: Crisis in the Humanities in Korea
An opinion piece written by Yoo Seung-gi in Ohmynews, talking about the crisis in humanities subjects in Korea education.
China: internet mobs hunt Accord Girl
Jeremy Goldkorn in DANWEI blogs about a Accord Girl's video that enraged local netizens and resulted in another internet mobs hunt. The girl thinks that anyone who earns less than 3,000 yuan a month is a loser (i.e. most people in China).
China: Promiscuity crime
Li Yin-he blogs about various promiscuity crime cases in China (Part 1 and Part 2). She raises a simple question: if it is sex out of consent among adults, should they be punished? (zh)
China: education VS media
Zhao mu blogs about a debate between education department and media workers. On September 25, the spokes person of education department openly criticized that the Chinese media is ignorant. The response of course is “which is more ignorant? education department or media?” (zh)
Turkmenistan: Sucking Up
At neweurasia's Turkmenistan blog, Peter details just how much foreign companies — John Deere in this case — will suck up to Turkmenistan's president in order to secure business deals.
Kazakhstan: Competitiveness
KZBlog notes that Kazakhstan has slipped in the World Economic Forum's competitiveness rankings, saying that the country still has much to do at the consumer level to improve.
Kyrgyzstan: Lie Detetector
Yulia of neweurasia Kyrgyzstan translates a Russian-language post on a plan to use lie-detectors to try to root out corruption in government.
Kyrgyzstan: Things People Like
Trent Milan, marking a year in Tajikistan, lists off things he has noticed the Kyrgyz like, including a number of interesting folk remedies.
Tajikistan: Free & Fair Elections
Alexander Sadikov says that Tajikistan's upcoming presidential election will be free and fair because the sitting president faces no real opponents.
Jamaica: When Yardies rock
Marlon James explains why Jamaicans can't rock.
Jamaica: “Calabash poem”
Geoffrey Philp writes about a poem of his that's been “roundly rejected” by several publishers, and offers us a chance to read it.
Bahamas: State television
Larry Smith questions whether the Bahamian state television channel is still relevant or required.
Senegal, France: Police State
France-based Senegal Diaw wonders (Fr) why France still feels like a police state despite the riots from last summer when youth protested the treatment of young people of color by police. He tells of an instance when he was searched by the cops in a subway station.
Russia: Two Bike Trips
W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile writes about Herman Veldhuizen, a Norwegian bicyclist: “Herman has made and chronicled two bicycle trips in Russia. His first trip was a 20-day trip in 2004 from Helsinki to Kazan. Having said that he would definitely do such a trip in Russia again, he...
Russia: Chechnya Kidnappings
David McDuff of A Step At A Time translates a piece on the ongoing kidnappings in Chechnya.
Serbia: Oscar Nomination
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia writes about this year's Serbian nomination for the Oscars and reveals his own role in the production of the film.
Ukraine: Traveling the Villages
MoldovAnn writes about and posts pictures and videos of her work-related travel in Ukraine.
Poland: “The Polish Watergate”
The beatroot has posted three entries so far about the beginning of a major corruption scandal, already labeled the “Polish Watergate”: one, two, and three. “It looks very bad for a government that has fashioned itself as the ‘anti-corruption’ government.”