Stories from 21 October 2007
Iran:Medical Student Commits Suicide after being Arrested
Kamangir reports that Zahra Bani Amer ,a twenty-seven-year-old medical student, committed suicide in a prison in Hamedan Province, after she was arrested by the Sharia Police.Zahra was arrested two days before because of “questions about marital status”. At the time she was accompanied by a boy.
Caucasus: Corruption Perceptions Index
Social Science in the Caucasus, the blog of the Caucasus Resource Research Center in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, looks at Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index for 2007. The blog notes significant improvements in Georgia in the struggle against corruption, but no real progress in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Armenia: Demise of Gay Organization
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the Association of Gay and Lesbian Armenians (AGLA) in France has ceased to exist. In an exclusive interview with the Chairperson of the Diaspora-based organization, ArtMika concludes that AGLA's demise is bad news for anyone who cares about LGBT rights in Armenia.
Afghanistan:Freedom of press in danger
Baktash Syavash,blogger and journalist has interviewd[Fa]Tavab Nyazi, an Afghan journalist who was jailed for seven months.Yavab Nyazi was accused of collaborating with Taliban.The blogger writes that Nyazi was jailed illegally and no document was presented by officials to prove his links with Taliban.
Georgia: Saakashvili's New Initiative
On its newly launched and very welcome blog on Georgia, Transitions Online takes a look at amendments to the electoral code and political system proposed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. These include lowering the electoral threshold, lessening presidential power, and extending the term of parliament from four to five years.
Armenia: Going Underground
Zarchka at Life Around Me reports that new construction of an underpass in the center of the Armenian capital has hit a snag. Quite a big one, actually. To be precise, the Yerevan Metro. Oneworld Multimedia posts a video of some of the chaos that the construction has created for...
Japan: Investigation commission to discuss welfare cutbacks
Starting in 2008, according to blogger tokyodo-2005, an investigation commission will begin discussing plans to cutback the welfare system in Japan. tokyodo-2005 writes that the existence of the commission has only been covered by one media organization (Hokkaido shinbun), and that otherwise there has been a virtual media blackout on...
Armenian Genocide Resolution in the U.S. Congress — Righting a Historical Wrong?
It's not often that Armenia makes international headlines across the globe, but when it does it's usually because of one issue that remains fiercely debated until this day — the massacre and deportation of as many as 1.5 million Armenians from Ottoman Turkey in 1915-17. 22 countries recognize the events...
China: Cop catches suspect using Google Earth
When border cops couldn't find one suspected human smuggler, blogs GSeeker's Ken Wong, they went knocking on the door of one local police officer who uses Google Earth to keep tabs on all local villagers.
Central Asia: Turkmen-Uzbek relations
Central Asian Borders opines on the first bilateral meting of the two Central Asian countries’ presidents after Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov replaced the passed Turkmenbashi.
Kazakhstan: New Bank. Why?
Arseny translates a post by Adam Kesher about new bank emergence in Kazakhstan. Being fully owned by a person, allegedly associated with the higher officials and powerful clans, the bank's possible objectives are a subject of speculations among the local observers.
Mongolia: KHOVD anniversary
Axel shares his ornithological experience in Mongolia, offering some pictures as well. Observations are continued here and here.
Japan: NOVA on the brink of collapse
Despite numerous statements to the contrary from an increasingly evasive management, the collapse of Japan's largest English language school operator NOVA appears imminent as bloggers have been reporting lesson cancellations, school closings, and busy phone lines. Read about the thoughts and first-hand experiences of Japanese bloggers in today's post.
