Stories from 21 March 2008
Moroccans Celebrate Eid el Mawlid en-Nabaoui, the Prophet's Birthday
Eid el Mawlid en-Nabaoui, or the Celebration of the Prophet Muhammed's Birth took place yesterday in Morocco and throughout much of the Sunni Muslim world. It's an official holiday in Morocco, celebrated with street processions and other festivities.
Russia: Tandemocracy
Scraps of Moscow reviews the terms used to describe Russia's current political system and its leaders: Tandemocracy, DIMAcracy and more.
Peru: Following Fujimori's Trial
Fujimori on Trial [en/es] is a bilingual blog that will follow the developments regarding the trial of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori.
Iraq: Five long years … most of them in tears
For me the whole story of the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war can be summed up one post. One post that says nothing about the past five years but implies everything as well. We can talk about the lack of security, the number of deaths, the failure of the occupation, but all this talk has become as meaningless as glib phrases like "Collateral Damage." What really matters is how the war is affecting people's lives, writes Salam Adil.
El Salvador: Accidents on the Roadways
Holidays are often deadly places on the roads of El Salvador. It is no different during Easter Week writes Hunnapuh [es] and much of it can be attributed to drinking and driving, and a poor control by the police.
Cuba: Limitations on an Internet Cafe
Potro Salvaje [es] provides details on an internet cafe in Havana, Cuba with plenty of limitations such as, “It is not possible to use any item to store or transport data (CDs, diskettes, flash memory), the line to use a PC can take more than two hours, there is no...
Mexico: The Passion of Christ Photography Exhibit
A photography exhibit in Mexico City called, “Pasión de Cristo en Iztapalapa” shows some of the ways that the Passion of Christ is recreated by actors and actresses writes Dfinitivo [es].
Palestine: Divine Calling to Stalk Britney Spears
Maytha at Kabobfest is surprised at the revelation made by a Britney Spears paparazzi – that he got his calling to follow the star while on pilgrimage to Mecca!
Bahrain: Kindest People Ever
Sous, a Swedish woman living in Bahrain, wonders about the impact of development on Bahrainis. “Bahrainis … are the most kind people I have ever met. They are polite, educated, funny and friendly. There is no pretend and they are really down to earth which I appreciate. I hope this...
Iran: A New Year Begins
Yesterday, marked the first day of spring and the Iranian New Year. Nowruz or Norouz is celebrated in Iran and several other countries such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Several bloggers celebrated the day and shared their wishes and ideas on this occasion. Some, like Raze No (meaning “new secret”) added...
Iran: Iranian New Year and history
Kourosh Ziabari calls Iranian new year, a celebration of love and peace and talks about its history.
Peru: Inflation Affecting Consumers
Inflation is beginning to affect the pockets of Peruvian more and more. Silvio Rendon of Gran Combo Club [es] writes about the rise in prices and whether president Alan Garcia “does not want to see this reality.”
Bolivia: Maradona on the Pitch
Diego Maradona was in Bolivia for a football match to raise funds for the flood victims, as well as to protest the veto of games played at a certain altitude. Boris Miranda of Ventarrón [es], a self-professed fan of the Argentine star, was on the field as a member of...
Colombia: Reward for FARC Guerrilla for Killing His Commander
Shortly after the death of FARC leader Raúl Reyes, it was revealed that another high ranking member of the guerrilla forces, Iván Ríos was also killed. It was assumed that the Colombian army also was responsible, but Ríos' bodyguard carried out the killing and sought to claim the reward promised by the government. Colombian bloggers present arguments for and against these rewards. Some are pleased that another criminal has been eliminated, while others think that this reward should only serve for tip-offs and that any criminal should be tried in court.
Japan: Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant fuels debate
The village of Rokkasho, situated Aomori prefecture in the north of Japan's main island Honshū, hosts a nuclear facility for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, the first of its kind in Japan. While the scale of this reprocessing plant dwarfs standard nuclear plants, most Japanese citizens have up to recently known little to nothing of its existence. This has started to change recently with demonstrations held in various parts of the country by citizen groups. Bloggers have also picked up this debate, offering varying perspectives on the costs and benefits of the latest development of Japan's nuclear industry.
Egypt: A Lebanese in Egypt – From Occupation to Liberation
One day, she felt humiliated, and the next, liberated. This is the story of Layal El Katib, a Lebanese Blogger who lived in Egypt for a while, brought to us by Tarek Amr.
Haiti: Discovering Jacmel
Blog de Port-au-Prince invites us to discover Jacmel, “the cultural capital of Haiti”.
Cuba, USA: Obama's Speech
Cuban blogger 26th Parallel has another take on US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's speech on race.
Barbados: Easter Traditions
Living in Barbados blogs about Easter traditions in the Caribbean.
Barbados: Atlantic Storm
Notes From The Margin reports that Barbados has had one fatality because of “huge waves generated by an Atlantic storm.”
Bermuda: Race Therapy
“Bonds grow through community, not through confrontation,” writes Vexed Bermoothes, as he administers some group therapy for Bermuda.
