Stories from 4 June 2007
Kazakhstan: Extraditing Aliev
With Rakhat Aliev, the son-in-law of Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev, having been arrested in Austria and released on bail awaiting extradition to Kazakhstan to face kidnapping and other criminal charges, Bonnie Boyd examines some of the possible outcomes of his extradition hearing and what they might mean for relations between...
Afghanistan: Heroes of Afghanistan
SunLeaf discusses some non-Afghan champions of Afghanistan.
Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana: JFK “terror” plot
Bloggers in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana react with consternation to news that four of their countrymen have been implicated in an alleged "terror plot" against JFK International Airport in New York.
Afghanistan: Tourism in Nursitan
Afghanistanica examines the prospects for tourism in Afghanistan's Nuristan province and finds them quite good if one happens to be an elite airborne soldier.
Kazakhstan: So Long, Mr. Vassilenko…
neweurasia reports on a notable departure from Kazakhstan's embassy to the United States. Embassy spokesman Roman Vassilenko, whom the post's author calls Kazakhstan's “most useful person in Washington, DC,” will be moving on to a new post in Kazakhstan along with the ambassador.
Kyrgyzstan: Joining Russia
Non Pon reports on the debate over Kyrgyzstan joining a confederation with Russia, an idea proposed by former Prime Minister Feliks Kulov.
Israel: Mind Boggling Solution
“The big news today is the announcement that the Israeli Defense Ministry has decided to take a pass on one of the only fully deployed/fielded solutions available today against the ongoing kassam/ketyusha threat faced by Israel in the south and north. Instead they have decided in favor of an unproven...
Egypt: Silence Over Sexual Harassment
“We are still with the sexual harassment problem in Egypt. It seems that it is a real problem in Egypt no one wants to speak about,” writes Egyptian blogger Zeinobia.
Egypt: A Dog's Destiny
Maryanne Stroud Gabbani, who blogs from Egypt, writes about how authorities are dealing with stray animals.
Bahrain: Broadband Penetration
Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif shares his thoughts on broadband penetration in Bahrain.
More on Moldovans in Italy
Lyndon Allin translates another blog comment about Moldovans living and working in Italy - this time by a commenter named Snejana: "…when I write about Moldova I get very emotional, because I don’t understand why life is so difficult. On every corner in Italy there are Moldovans looking for work which they hope will make them some money and allow them to pay off their debts and send some money home to their children."
Lebanon: Explosion Rocks Beirut Suburb
“An explosion has been reported in the Sid el Baucherieh suburb of Beirut, next to the Mar Ta2la church. The exact time of the explosion was 8:15 pm, coinciding with a meeting of security officials at the Prime Minister's offices in the Saraya. The number of wounded has been increased...
Israel: 40 years of Occupation
Israeli blogger Desert Peace talks about Palestinians under siege in the West Bank – after 40 years of occupation.
Israel: Blogging the Conflict
Aussie Dave from Israel continues to update us on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Jordan: Number of Iraqi Refugees
Want to know the real number of Iraqi refugees in Jordan? Konfused Iraqi Kid says a report has been commission and the results will be out soon.
Slovenia: “Self-Absorbed Bike Lane-Parking Morons”
Outraged – and inspired – by Ljubljana’s “Self-Absorbed Bike Lane-Parking Morons,” Piran Cafe creates a Flickr group and encourages readers to get involved in some activism: “The idea is a simple one. Snap a pic of the offending self-absorbed bike lane-parking moron(s) with the license plate clearly identifiable –like this...
Bahrain: Letter to King
Bahraini blogger Abu Rasool links to a Human Rights Watch letter addressed to His Majesty King Hamad of Bahrain about abuses allegedly committed by security forces in his country.
Moldova: “Last Bell” Ceremony
Peter Myers of Doi Ani de Zile: Adventures in Moldova posts a moving and detailed account of the “last bell” ceremony, which marked the end of his second – and final – school year in Moldova: “I got through the speech well, although my voice stuck in my throat numerous...
Estonia: Varbla Cemetery
Itching for Eestimaa is on the road again, this time visiting his wife's great-grandparents’ graves in Varbla: “Anna learned of her impending deportation — for being the wife of a Estonian Liberation War veteran — and hid in the forests with her youngest daughter for enough time that they stopped...
Former Soviet Union: “Collapse” Photos
Watch a selection of photos “that seem to best capture ‘the collapse'” of the USSR – and suggest your own – at Darkness at Noon.
Russia: The New Times Money Laundering Text
Robert Amsterdam posts a translation of the article that started the scandal of “alleged money laundering operation between the Vienna-based Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) and Diskont Bank in Russia,” published in the Russian magazine The New Times on May 21.