Stories from 8 April 2008
Cuba: Thank Heavens for the Flash Drives
Potro Salvaje [es], the Cuban blog devoted to writing about the difficulties to access the internet on the island writes, “Cubans have a new saint. It is a small and is called USB-flash, memory stick….Praise be this new protector and distributor of information that has come into our lives!“
Bolivia: How Some Postal Workers Add to Pay
The Bolivian post office is striking and asking for an increase in wages, but the blogger A.L.K.O.L.I.C.A [es] writes about other ways that some postal workers have added to their pay, such as opening packages and taking items and money.
Iran: Ahmadinejad calls for innovation
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president, in his recent post in his blog,says[Fa] country needs innovation and we should not confuse laziness and conservatism with rationality.He asks people not to be afraid of innovation.
Palestine: Daily Kos to Visit Israel
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah comments on the Daily Kos‘ anticipated visit to Israel in this post.
Cuba: Blocked Blogger Yoani Sánchez Receives Prestigious Award
Yoani Sánchez, one of Cuba's most popular bloggers and a recent victim of blocking by the country's authorities, was recently awarded the Ortega and Gasset prize in Journalism from the Spanish newspaper El País. Several of her fellow Cuban bloggers celebrated the award and hope that it draws more attention to the difficulties for internet access on the island.
Turkey: What if Iraq is Split?
Turkish blogger Metin asks “What's in a name?” following Greece's vetoing Macedonia's bid to enter Nato. He also asks: “What if, when the U.S. troops leave Iraq (but not its government), the country is split into three, including Kurdistan. And Turkey finds itself opposing the name Kurdistan, as it realizes...
Israel: Funny Movie Translations from English to Hebrew
Can you guess what American movie title was translated into Hebrew as “The Gun Dies Laughing?” A translator's job is not just about language, but cultural and slang savvy. Blogger and stand-up comedian Benji Lovitt features some laugh out loud examples.
Israel: Egyptian Goose Spotted in Tel Aviv
Something you may not know about Israel is that it is an orthnologist's dream. At the crux of transcontinental migration patterns, Israel is well known as a bird lovers’ paradise. An odd bird was spotted today in Tel Aviv, believed to be from Egypt or Sudan. OneJerusalem brings us photographic...
Israel: Wild Boars in Haifa, Oh My
Mia the Ima reports that there are wild boars in Haifa. The City of Haifa has passed a new law legalizing wild boar hunting to cut down its burgeoning population. Antics are guaranteed to ensue.
Yemen: Mideast Youth Blocked
“Walid al-Saqaf, the creator of YemenPortal.net, whose ban in Yemen we are actively campaigning against, informed us that we have just been banned in Yemen. This is because Walid launched a circumventing software that would allow people in Yemen to access the site despite the ban,” announced Esra'a at Mideast...
Iran:Poor city and nuclear city
Mehriran has published several photos of Hamidieh, a city without running water in Khuzestan province.This city is near to Bushehr where Iran has constructed its nuclear reactor.
Iran: A woman activist was arrested
According to Change for Equality,on the morning of April 8th,Iranian security police forcibly entered the home of Khadijeh Moghaddam, women’s rights activist and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign and arrested her.
Nigeria: Condom ban
An article about condom ban in Anambra, Nigeria: “It is now illegal to encourage the use of condoms in southeast Nigeria's Anambra State. The state government has also banned the advocacy and distribution of other forms of contraceptives including IUDs (intrauterine device) and any other “un-natural” birth control.”
Zimbabwe: An eyewitness account
An eyewitness account of elections in Zimbabwe: “I travelled up to Zimbabwe on Tuesday the 25th March to help the MDC Tsvangirai faction with election preparations. I volunteered to help three candidates , Joseph Mutsvanga from Zvimba East, Knox Danda from Zimbabwe West and Edward Musumbu from Norton.(For those who...
Zimbabwe: Verifying votes in secrecy
Brenda Burrel blogging about the latest turn of events in Zimbabwe: “According to the MDC’s latest press statement the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has disbanded the National Command Centre and shifted the ‘verification process’ to an undisclosed location.”
Kenya: Cabinet talks suspended
Phil writes about the recent development in Kenya cabinet talks: “Tension is steadily building around the country following the collapse of talks between PNU and ODM towards the formation of a grand coalition cabinet. The PNU have outrightly rejected ODM's demands for certain cabinet portfolios while the ODM had announced...
Nigeria: A nation of police
Black Looks discusses two controversial Bills in Nigeria: “Although the Nigerian Same Sex Marriage Bill of 2006 appears to be at least temporarily shelved, no one knows if and when it will reappear. For the moment the focus is on another proposed “morality” legislation, the Dress Code Bill sponsored by...
Kenya: SMS political campaign
Political use of mobile technology in Kenya: “Kenyans for Peace and Justice (KPTJ) have launched a SMS campaign to urge politicians to fight against a bloated Cabinet. Given the current impasse, there is still an opportunity to urge OUR elected representatives to stop being selfish and to put the nation’s...
Bahamas: Economic Implications
“There seems to be considerable fear among the local intelligentsia…that signing on to the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) is the thin end of the wedge that will ultimately force us to sign on to the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).” Rick Lowe at WeblogBahamas.com takes a closer look.
Barbados, Cuba: Blogger Wins Award
Bajan Global Report notes that “Yoani Sanchez has been awarded one of Spain’s top journalism awards…for her ’shrewdness’ in overcoming hurdles to freedom of expression in Cuba, her vivacious style and her drive to join the global space of citizen journalism.”
Africa: Africa-India Summit
Marian writes about Africa-India Summit: “April 8-9 mark the first-ever India-Africa Forum Summit. Might the Summit include any component addressing human trafficking and undocumented (i.e., illegal) immigration coming from the Asian subcontinent into East and Southern Africa??”
