Stories from 15 February 2008
Japan: Hand Towel Dolls
Lee from Tokyo Times posts a new manga figure called hand towel hero. Apart from this hero, there are some other cute hand towel doll pictures in his post.
Russia: Putin's Last Press Conference?
Sean's Russia Blog and Siberian Light write on what is likely Putin’s last annual presidential press conference.
Soviet History: Ban on Marrying Foreigners
De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis writes about the 1947 ban on “marriages between citizens of the USSR and foreigners.”
Hong Kong: Ng Tung Chai Waterfall
Jack Szeto posts some great photos of Ng Tung Chai Waterfall(zh) in Hong Kong.
Why the Senegalese government likes anti-gay protests
Blog politique au Senegal writes a searing critique of the government's attitude toward public protest in Senegal. Bad: protests against the forced marriage of young girls. Good: protests calling for the extermination or expulsion of homosexuals.
Echoes of Orwell in Senegal
Blog politique au Senegal discusses George Orwell [Fr] and sees echoes of 1984 in Senegal's political system.
The ‘historical reality’ of homosexuality in Africa
Blog politique au Senegal reposts an article about the “historical reality” [Fr] of homosexuality in Africa.
Serbia: Kosovo Independence Poll
Dr. Filomena asks her readers to respond to a poll on what happens after Kosovo declares independence.
China: Politician and Artor
Wang Xiao feng comments on the Edison sex photo scandal and points out that politician and actor shared similar nature, both have a mask on their faces. So there is no reason to expect them to be genuine (zh).
Ukraine, Russia: NATO Politics 2
Ukrainiana has more on NATO and the Russian-Ukrainian relationship.
Ukraine, Russia: NATO Politics
Foreign Notes writes about Ukraine's NATO-related politics and the muted response to Putin's comment about re-targeting Russian missiles against Ukraine.
Ukraine: Kyiv-Lviv Marshrutka
Olechko writes about her trip from Kyiv to Lutsk by marshrutka – and posts yet another beautiful sketch (be sure to click on the thumbnail to enlarge it).
China: Tibetan kids
Michael puts up a short video showing hyper active Tibetan kids in his class.
In Madagascar, bloggers debate abortion and women's rights
With a Valentine's Day performance of the controversial Vagina Monologues and a human rights committee's decision to call for a review of Madagascar's abortion ban, gender issues are a hot topic in the Malagasy blogosphere.
China: Squeezed To Death On Train
Xici.net posts a note by the family of a rural migrant worker. The 46 years old Sichuan rural migrant was squeezed to death on a train when she was travelling back home during lunar new year. The family hopes reporters can write about the case as the railway department should...
Serbia: Belgrade for Monopoly
Monopoly is one of the world's most popular board games, and there is voting going on right now for 24 cities that will get included in the World Edition of this game. Serbian bloggers have organized a campaign to get their capital, Belgrade, to win a spot on Monopoly's list.
Trinidad & Tobago: Saving “Gingerbread House”
“There are so many things to be anxious or angry about in this country these days–crime, corruption, smelters, steel mills, dolphin-slaughter, traffic–that the fate of an old house may seem trivial,” writes Trinidadian blogger Nicholas Laughlin. “But,” he explains, “12 Queen's Park West, the Boissiere House, is not just an...
Trinidad & Tobago: Canboulay
Caribbean Beat Blog gives an account of Canboulay – “one of the foundational elements of Trinidad's modern carnival” – and is amazed to discover that “over 100 years later, with a culture that is ever-changing, it is indeed true that the more things change the more they remain the same.”
Dominica: Information Overload?
“Dominica is still at a primitive stage when it comes to information technology,” writes Dominica Weekly, providing some tips on how to “recognize the disadvantages the information age brought to our daily work ethics.”
Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago: Airline Alliance?
Blogging from Barbados, Notes From The Margin says that the latest proposed merger of regional airlines sounds like something he's heard before.
Uzbekistan: Abnormal Cold, End of “Nirvana” and Genderwise Realpolitik
The abnormally low temperature that lasted in the region for a record-breaking long time seems to have its effect not only on Uzbek-Tajik relations but on the Uzbek blogosphere too — for the past several weeks it was not active at all. However, the topics covered there are still vital...
