23 May 2007

Stories from 23 May 2007

Human Sacrifice & the Politics of Death

At Babilown, French-Beninian author Blaise Aplognan describes the religious and political function of human sacrifice (Fr) in ancient societies: “…its goal was to channel violence toward a (sacrificed) individual, toward...

23 May 2007

Peru: The War Between Gisela and Magaly

Peruvian television has a colorful cast of characters. Among them are Gisela Valcárcel, the former "queen of daytime television" and wife of a top executive at one of Peru's main television stations, and Magaly Medina, who has a popular celebrity gossip program on a competing channel. They also both publish gossip magazines about Peruvian celebrities. The two women have a long-standing feud and have clashed over the years and Peruvian bloggers analyze this battle.

23 May 2007

Egypt: Human Rights Council

Egypt's bloggers held their own online protest on the eve of the election of Egypt to the UN Human Rights Council. Bloggers Nora Younis and the Free Kareem and the...

23 May 2007

Japan: The Hair Police

Debito writes about the experience of a Brazilian high-school student in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture, apparently “forced by her school to dye her hair weekly because it was not as dark...

23 May 2007

Americas: Copa America Blog

For fans of the “beautiful game”, a new blog site dedicated to the biennual football tournament, the Copa America, will come as a welcome surprise. The Copa America 07 Blog...

23 May 2007

Venezuela: Growing Blogosphere

ALD [ES] links with interest a recent article written by Victor Solano, who states that the Venezuelan blogosphere will be one that grows the most. ALD believes that “blogs will...

23 May 2007

Iran: Iran-USA Negotiations, the Chinese Model and Expulsion of Afghans

Iran accepted a U.S. offer last Thursday for direct negotiations about conditions in Iraq. It can be viewed as a historic moment as it is the first time that Iran has agreed to bilateral talks since the United States broke diplomatic relations in 1980 after American diplomats were taken hostage in Tehran. Negotiation between these two countries becomes even more interested when we take into consideration that Iranian officials have called the USA "the Great Satan" while Washington still considers Iran to be a member of the so-called axis of evil.

23 May 2007

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar

Wu Wei visits Mostar (among other things, the unofficial capital of Herzegovina) and learns what Bosnia & Herzegovina has in common with Trinidad & Tobago: “At our meeting in Mostar,...

23 May 2007

Belarus: Students’ Rally

TOL's Belarus translates two posts – here and here – by Belarusian bloggers on a student rally against cancellation of discounts for students and war veterans.

23 May 2007

Bulgaria: Rainy Days

“Dusty Sofia becomes muddy Sofia,” writes Sofia's Hidden Beauty. But – “While nature is ravaging the capital and the region, politicians are suffering overheating after the end of the elections...

23 May 2007

Estonia: Demography and Ethnicity

Itching for Eestimaa writes about Estonia's demography and interethnic relationships: “Still, the reality for Estonia is, no matter what historical spin you put on it, there will be a large...

23 May 2007

Latvia: Karlis Ulmanis

Peteris Cedrins of Marginalia writes about Karlis Ulmanis and his legacy: the man who, “seventy-three years ago, slightly over six years before Stalin destroyed [Latvian] Republic, […] destroyed [Latvian] democracy.”

23 May 2007