Stories from 16 April 2007
Zimbabwe: Stock market gains, a peaceful prayer meeting, and economic opportunism
As the poor get poorer, the rich are only going to get richer in Zimbabwe. In this post, Mugabe Makaipa describes how Zimbabwe's stock market has grown 12,000% over last year as it has become chief among the few safe places that people can hedge against inflation. With inflation skyrocketing,...
Guyana: Cricket…Yawn!
Guyana Providence Stadium features an article by Peter Roebuck that calls the 2007 ICC World Cup Cricket Tournament “an abysmal failure”.
Cuba: Michael Moore
“…With his latest project, filmmaker Michael Moore reveals himself as a ‘sicko,’ willing to use some seriously ill veterans of the ground zero cleanup in New York to help the Castro dictatorship score a few public relations points,” writes Uncommon Sense, linking to a New York Post report on the...
Aruba, Puerto Rico: Recognizing Gay Marriage
Aruba is the first Caribbean territory to officially acknowledge gay marriage, reports gay news blog. The move follows a three-year legal battle with Dutch authorities that began when a lesbian couple tried to register their marriage on the island. And Vivir Latino says that Puerto Rico may be considering the...
Kuwait: Order Pirated DVDs Online
You can order pirated DVDs online in Kuwait and have them delivered to your doorstep, according to Lebanese blogger Mark, who lives in Kuwait.
Palestine: Israel Torturing Child Prisoners
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to an article which claims that Israel is torturing Palestinian child prisoners.
Palestine: Christian Bookshop Bombed
Jordanian blogger Firas links to news reports about the bombing of a Christian bookshop in Gaza, Palestine.
Israel: Jewish Blog Awards
Israeli blogger Danya Ruttenberg announces that the Jewish and Israeli Blog Awards are taking nominations until Thursday. “You read Jewish blogs; tell them which ones you think are the best,” she adds.
Israel: Hugs are Holy
Hugs are holy, writes Rabbi Yohana. “We can have men hugging men and women and hugging women. We can have mixed hugging for those that want that. We can have kids hugging kids. Hugs are holy,” he explains, after posting a video of the Free Hugs movement, started by Juan...
Israel: Second Holocaust Survivors
Israeli blogger Stephanie talks about the trauma second generation Holocaust survivors suffer from.
Japan: Will Day
Joe Jones blogs about the April 15 Will Day and Japanese Will Law in Japan Law Blog. The day is designated by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
Iraq: Nationalists Targeted
Iraqi nationalists opposed to the controversial oil law have been targeted in the attack on the Iraqi parliament, writes blogger Raed Jarrar. He also says Iraqi nationalists are leaving the government and forming a shadow government. “Forming a shadow government is still good news because it indicates that Iraqi nationalists...
Touring Libyan Blogs: Bloggers on Spring Break!
I am not sure, but I have the general feeling that the Libyan blogosphere has been a little quiet lately, except for the usual couple of blogs who regularly update. Maybe it is because of academic exams ? Or perhaps it's spring and people are tired ? Anyway the topics...
South Korea: Potential of UCC
Michael Hurt has written a long post on the development of user created content (UCC) in South Korea. He felt that the creativity is behind the technology development.
Hong Kong and Taiwan: Cross Border Citizen Reporting
Citizen reporters from Hong Kong have spontaneously organized a trip to Taiwan to report on Losheng preservation campaign. Lee Chung-nei carried with her a very simple question: why do these group of 70 years old grannies would stand up to resist the government policy? [zh]
Iraq: Targeting Taxi Drivers
Writing in The Arabist, Ursula Lindsey is concerned “the actions of the 20,000 or so private security contractors in Iraq, who fall under no legal system whatsoever and a few of whom apparently like to get their kicks by taking target practice on elderly taxi drivers.”
Hong Kong: Human and Dog Competing for Space
Plato from inmediahk.net wrote a letter to the Chief Executive office to tell his experience in competing public space with dogs in the King's Park Hill [zh] (he was assaulted by dogs). As a result of the development plan that aims at eradicating “streets” with shopping mall, both grassroots and...
Bahrain: Brazilian Dance
Bahraini blogger emoodz regales us with a tantalising Brazilian dance at the Spring of Culture festival, which has generated heated debates between Islamists and liberals on whether such live entertainment should be allowed in Bahrain. “I sat through two butt numbing hours on that very uncomfortable chair, fascinated by the...
Bahrain: It's Raining Men
It's raining men in Bahrain, according to blogger Mahmood Al Yousif, who reports that a second Indian man has plunged to death from a pedestrian bridge built over a busy highway.
China: A Bottomless Glass
Chai jin wrote a poem in her blog “A bottomless Glass”[zh] for a charity organization: If we only talk about poverty and not about how to empower the poor and the vulnerables to voice out for their rights, to monitor the powerful social groups and enjoy same rights… we are...
10 Years of Blogs: Do they carry weight in Ecuador's mainstream media?
But how much influence on traditional media in Ecuador have blogs had in the past or do they have now? Do they carry weight? Here at the Cobertura Digital we’ve assembled a sampling of what bloggers are thinking…
