Stories from 27 October 2007
Japan: Racial profiling in the U.S. and Japan
Hasan at hasanhujairi[dot]com writes about his experience being a Middle Eastern foreign student in a post 9/11 world, subject to racial profiling first during his time in the U.S., and then again in Japan.
Korea: Can a Law Change Society and People's Perspectives?
Korean bloggers discuss a new bill that would prohibit discrimination against homosexuals in Korea. There are many opposing views, but some netizens welcome this new law and ask for a more understanding attitude toward homosexuals.
Iran:Dr.Sohrab Razaghi,human rights activist arrested
According to[Fa] Varesh,Dr. Sohrab Razaghi a human rights advocate was arrested three days ago!Nobody knows the reason(s) why this former university professor is in jail.
Iran:150 Dolphins died in one month
Mojgan Jamshidi,pro environment blogger and journalist, says[Fa] that about 150 dolphins died in the south of Iran during last month.The blogger adds the reasons of their death have not been announced but we can guess one main reason is the very polluted water.Watch the photos here.
Lebanon: On Facebook
“The beauty of Facebook is that you can add friends to your list who don’t have the least interest in staying in touch with you either! So, it is now your chance to take revenge and impose yourself,” writes Ahmad about the social networking website Facebook.
Armenia: Former President Makes Political Comeback
In what can be considered one of the most important political developments in the short 16-year history of Armenia as an independent former-Soviet republic, the country's first president, Levon Ter Petrosian, announced his intention to run again for office in the presidential election to be held early next year. Ter...
Armenia: Raining Cats & Dogs
Notes from Hairenik reports that it is finally raining in Yerevan. While this poses various problems and difficulties for pedestrians and motorists alike, the blogger welcomes the change in the weather after “several dry, windy and dusty weeks.”
China: Tiger! Tiger?
Zhou Zhenglong, a villager in Shaanxi shot pictures of a wild South China tiger, but its veracity was soon put under questions by netizens. As the government and experts joined in, the incident reached its climax, especially when both sides of this debate (fake or not)bet their heads. It evolved from a scientific issue to a “bloody farce of gambling of heads”, so called.
Russia: Bloggers On George W. Bush and “Russian DNA”
The U.S. president's recent comments about "Russian DNA" did not cause as much of an uproar as did race comments by James Watson, a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA - but, they did not go completely unnoticed. Below is a selection of comments made by Russian bloggers and forum dwellers.