Stories from 2 April 2008
China: Hu Jia to be sentenced today
Blogger Hu Jia goes back on 'trial' in a few hours where it is expected he will be handed down a sentence of up to five years in prison based on two interviews given and six unspecified blog posts most of which written during the more than one year he spent under house arrest.
Arabeyes: April Fool's Day
Pranks were in the air across the Arab world this April Fool's Day. Ranging from an Israeli withdrawal from Palestine, to the sale of Mars to Dubai and the construction of a pipeline to supply the red planet with water from the Arabian Gulf, to the plight of a baby camel in Cairo, readers were left scratching their heads in disbelief.
Romania: NATO Summit
Andy of Csíkszereda Musings writes about the NATO Summit in Bucharest: “Bucharest is being flooded with loads of violent, aggressive and corrupt criminals. Any sane immigration policy would have kept these people out of the country and turned them back at the airport, but Romania instead is welcoming them and...
Ukraine: Olechko's Exhibition
Olechko is holding an exhibition of her work on April 2-4; her portfolio is here.
Bahrain: Harmony in Diversity
Over millennia, Bahrain has been an oasis of peace, embracing people of all religions, creeds and races. Bahraini blogger Christ's Blood (Ar) finds a picture of a neighbourhood in the capital Manama which reflects harmony in diversity.
Bulgaria: Rethinking History – A National Holiday in Days of Tragedy
On Feb. 28, a fire on the train from Kardam to Sofia killed nine people. The majority of Bulgarians thought that a national mourning must be declared, but the authorities postponed it until after the celebration of Bulgaria's biggest national holiday on March 3. Yavor Mihaylov reviews and translates Bulgarian bloggers' reactions.
Jordan: What Do Our Children Read?
"What do our children read?" is the question posed by Jordanian Batir Wardam (Ar), who finds himself pleading on behalf of a girl at a bookshop who wanted to buy a children's magazine against her nonchalant mother's wishes.
Armenia: A1 Plus Anniversary
Unzipped remembers the sixth anniversary of the demise of A1 Plus, an opposition TV station stripped of its license in 2002. The blog says that when A1 Plus returns to the airwaves it believes it will mean Armenia is a better country to live in.
Romania: NATO Summit and Bucharest Traffic
Stan Faryna translates a Romanian bloggers' report on traffic in Bucharest on the first day of the NATO Summit: "After listening to the discouraging morning traffic report on the radio, I was surprised to find traffic was lighter than usual (like a quiet Sunday)."
Brazil: They killed Chico Mendes’ ideals
Altino Machado [pt] has interviewed Ilzamar Mendes, murdered Brazilian environmental activist Chico Mendes‘ widow. “She makes a harsh assessment at the time that the Chico Mendes Virtual Committee, the Labor Party and the Acre “government of the forest” begin to “celebrate” the 20th anniversary of the Xapuri's rubber tapper's murder....
Argentina: Video of Anti-Protest in Buenos Aires
David Sasaki compiles a video complete with background information regarding the anti-protest held in Buenos Aires in support of President Cristina Kirchner and her policies, which has angered rural farmers and producers.
Cape Verde: On the lack of a theatre in Praia
João Branco [pt] on the lack of a theatre in the Cape Verde capital: “Perhaps it is here that lies the starting point for us to question the fact that in a city so full of life, of poetry, of contrasts, colors, smells, feelings of impossibilities, ironies, absurd, in short,...
Chile: Web Entrepreneur Conference in Chile
Luis Ramírez provides his thoughts on the recent Webprendedor 2008 conference in Chile [es], which brought together web entrepreneurs interested in presenting their new projects.
Paraguay: Senator Candidates Suspected of Corruption
Zoopolítica [es] thinks it is rather unfortunate that 15 of the top 20 candidates for senator for the ANR party in Paraguay have been suspected of being involved with cases of corruption.
Uruguay: Where to Find Free Wi-Fi in Montevideo
Martin Balao writes and publishes a Googlemaps mashup of where one can find free wi-fi in Montevideo, Uruguay [es].
Peru: Sidewalks Off Limits
Gabriela of Seis de Enero [es] writes about her love of walking through the streets of Lima, which lately has been made more difficult due to the number of construction projects that impede the sidewalks.
Ecuador: God in the New Constitution
During the process of rewriting Ecuador's Constitution, Cronica Cero [es] wonders if God should part of the text, but thinks that God would be more content with positive acts, rather than empty promises.
Mideast Youth: Interview with Kurdish Student
Bahraini blogger Esra'a, at Mideast Youth, interviews a Kurdish student in this podcast which discusses the Kurdish situation and the hypocrisy of mainstream media towards their cause.
Brazil: No talks about politics in blogs
Leonardo Fontes [pt], still on the law that bans blogs from the elections in Brazil: “While the American presidential campaign takes place in the Internet with a strong debate that is the envy of any bar talk, our law wants to stop the best part about politics: the free expression...
Costa Rica: Difficulties to Visit Spain
Juan Carlos Hidalgo links to an article and discusses how difficult it is for Costa Ricans to visit Spain, due to all of the immigration regulations.
Nigeria: Nollywood movie, Anini
Oluniyi reviews Nollywood movie, Anini: “I had the opportunity to watch a Nollywood (Nigerian movie industry) action thriller movie directed by Fred Amata on Africa Magic yesterday, titled: Anini. The movie was released in 2005 and features Nollywood stars like Bimbo Akintola, Fred Amata, Jeta Amata, Segun Arinze, Chidi Mokeme,...
