Stories from 31 January 2007
Egypt: January Bookfair
Blogger Baheya is back from the Book Fair, with three books in tow. “I’ve plucked only three of the most prominent features this year, two worthwhile new novels and a marvellous book lifted straight from the texture of daily life,” she wrote, giving us an interesting review of the books!
Poland: Sex Scandal and Cronyism
Traveling Life writes about Poland's ongoing sex scandal and about yet another case of cronyism: “I know that each political appointee has an army of advisers to make sure he doesn't screw up too much. But at some point we have to ask when the sheer incompetence of political appointees...
Poland: LOT Airline
“LOT's passenger numbers have risen by less than 2 percent last year at the time when millions of Poles are traveling to work in Irland and Britain.” Polish Matters writes about plans to revive the ailing airline.
Poland: Clothing for the Pope vs G-Strings
A small Polish town is divided: is it a sin to make sexy underwear for a company that used to make ceremonial clothing for Pope John Paul II? The beatroot has more on it.
Poland: PM With a Broken Arm
The beatroot writes: “[The Polish president's twin brother] breaks arm after falling on ice. Does that make him a lame duck Prime Minister?” A commenter responds: “He's a right wing duck, so breaking he left wing is part of his project, surly?” And another one: “Populism and regionalism, only requires...
Poland: Anti-Missile System
The beatroot argues that “the critics of the decision of placing a US anti-missile system in Poland are being as paranoid as the US government.”
Poland: The Soviets’ Nuclear Arsenal
The beatroot writes about the “now unclassified documents which show that Poland was nothing more than a buffer to the West for the Soviets and one that they could afford to make into a nuclear desert!”
Egypt: New head for Kifaya Movement
Egyptian opposition movement Kifaya will have a new activist at its helm after the resignation of George Ishaq, reports Arabist. The new frontman is Dr Abdel Wahab Al Messiri.
Egypt: The History of Nimrod
Blogger Tom Gara gives us a brief history of Nimrod and Zionism following a brief research after the funny looks he got on the metro while singing to himself.
Argentina, Spain, USA: Technorati to Launch WTF?
Argentinian native and Spanish citizen Martin Varsavsky writes on his Spanish blog [ES]: “[Technorati founder, David Sifry] showed me what he is really going to do and how he is going to launch it. And I suggested a modification that he liked a lot, but that it will take a...
Bahrain Jails Political Activists
A court in Bahrain today sent two political activists to jail for possessing leaflets calling for a boycott of recent legislative elections, reports blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, who describes the sentence as “Disgusting. Another blow for freedom of speech in Bahrain.”
Cuba, Mexico, USA: Reflections on Immigration
“In mid-January I went back to Mexico for meetings with clients and academics, as well as colleagues from IBM. As you might imagine, the immigration debates going on in the US are being closely followed in Mexico. The people I spoke to were generally very critical of the Mexican government...
Bolivian Bloggers Give Their Verdict
This time last year, Bolivia and the rest of the world was buzzing about the inauguration of President Evo Morales and the novelty of it all. With approval ratings at sky-high levels, many wondered and were hopeful about the upcoming year. Would he follow through with all of his campaign...
Bahrain: Musical Differences?
Bahraini Rants is trying to get his cousin appreciate some of the music which shaped his generation. “I asked him about Jimi Hendrix, and he told me he wasn’t interested. His disinterest invited me to launch into a full monologue explaining the influence Jimi Hendrix had on my life and...
Syria May Abolish Capital Punishment
Syrian blogger Mustafa Hamido reports that Syria may abolish capital punishment.
Kurdistance: The Kirkuk Referendum
While the Kirkuk Referendum isn't expected to take place until December 2007, it is creating waves within Kurdistan, Iraq and their neighbors. Why the flurry of activity now? The Iraq Study Report recommended that the referendum be delayed, citing the the area as a “powderkeg”. The Republic of Turkey wants...
Iranian Bloggers Talk About Their Prison Experience
Many people for political reasons have been sent to prison in Iran. A few of those former prisoners shared their stories in books, through painting or in their blogs. Some people, including bloggers and researchers, have tried to look at prisons in Iran as an outsider, who was not in...
Uzbekistan: Handling Succession
Sean Roberts examines how Uzbekistan will handle succession. President Islam Karimov is 70 and currently in the “bonus time” of his final term. With elections on the horizon, Uzbekistan may have a new leader soon.
Kazakhstan: German Relations
Ben Paarmann reports on the meeting between the leaders of Kazakhstan and Germany during which Germany offered support for Kazakhstan's bid to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Kazakhstan: James Giffen
Leila translates a post on James Giffen, an American businessman facing trial in the United States for bribing Kazakhstan's president, something he says that he did with the knowledge of the US government. The case has been used by opposition politicians in Kazakhstan against the president.
Georgians: Georgians on MySpace
Levan takes a look at Georgian musicians on MySpace.
