Stories from 11 April 2008
Armenia: Presidential Photo Opportunity
The Armenian Patchwork reports that it is now possible for residents of Yerevan to have their photographs taken alongside life size images of various presidents such as George W. Bush and the newly inaugurated president, Serge Sargsyan.
Palestine: Where are the Refugee Camps?
Palestinian Haitham Sabbah‘s happiness was short-lived when he discovered that the UNHCR's new Google Map which draws attention to refugee camps around the world has omitted 27 Palestinian camps, housing around 1 million refugees.
Egypt: Boycotting the Official Newspapers
Egyptian Blogger Zeinobia writes about a new campaign adopted by a new Facebook group, calling for Boycotting the Official Newspapers for a week, starting from the 11th of April 2008, as a protest against their lies over the current situation in Mahalla.
Zimbabwe: The opposition leader, Robert Mugabe!
Hope blogs about the “opposition leader, Robert Mugabe”: “The opposition leader, Robert Mugabe, has a long history of using taxpayers’ money to prop up his regime. His election rallies and his birthday parties show seas of ‘happy’ faces, but the crowds are all swelled out by school children, vendors and...
Zimbabwe: Blank Billboards
Comrade Fatso writing about billboards in Zimbabwe: “The billboards are blank. Like the people’s faces. Everything seems to have stopped. Billboards that used to be megaphones for products now become the products of politics. They are littered around the city. Huge metallic creations that proclaim nothing. Empty. Apart from several...
Egypt: April 6th Updates, Kefaya Leader Arrested
George Ishaq, Kefaya leader, was arrested after police raided and searched his home. Read about it and other coverage, photos, videos, and updates of Mahalla news at Egypt the Reality by Isis [En/Ar].
Iran: Online journalist and blogger was arrested
According to RSF,Esmail Jafari,Iranian journalist from southern city Bushehr, was arrested on 8th of April. Jafari was editor of Rahe Mardom[Fa] blog. He has been accused of “spying” and “divulging information abroad.”
India: Tibet, the Olympic Torch and the Dalai Lama
In this week's roundup of virtual India we look at Tibet in India. Next week the Olympic torch arrives in India. First, Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia pulled out, and now Supercop Kiran Bedi has pulled out. However, well-known Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will be carrying the Olympic torch writes enga....
India: Infrastructure and Time
Infrastructure work in India seems to take a slow pace, as seen in the photographs at Mumbai Matters.
Maldives: Street violence
Power to the People on the escalating violence on the streets in Maldives.
Pakistan: Lawyers and Demonstrations
Lahore Metblogs on lawyers holding demonstrations and holding the President Musharraf and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) responsible for the ‘anarchy’ in the country.
Nepal: Elections!
The Radiant Star on the relatively peaceful polling on election day in Nepal.
Jamaica: Red Stripe Pulls Support
Jamaican beer Red Stripe has ceased sponsorship of one of island's biggest musical events, Reggae Sumfest, “which it describes as facilitators of ‘violent and anti-social’ lyrics”. Stunner's Afflictions says: “I applaud Red Stripe for this bold move in an attempt to stem the…violent behavior being projected by some of these...
Guyana: Ruel Johnson's Relevance
Signifyin’ Guyana says that Ruel Johnson's work, which won the Guyana Prize for best first book of fiction in 2002, is “even more buzz-worthy” now than it was then: “He dares to write. And shows us clearly that literary characters can transcend landscapes and share their pain and triumphs with...
Uzbekistan: Yusuf Juma, a Martyr Poet
Today, in Uzbekistan, where free voices are being severely silenced, practically no one dares not even to promote, but just to express anti-governmental ideas. But this is not the case of dissident poet Yusuf Juma, as his poems are full of passion and concern about his country and martyr nation,...
Thailand: Lavish dinner for rural poor
The Siam Sentinel is not surprised by how different groups have reacted to the “ill-conceived lavish dinner” which was given to benefit the rural poor of Thailand
Vietnam: Twitter and power source
Blogger noodlepie thinks that popular online tool twitter can help residents in locating the nearest power/wifi source since power cuts seem an everyday occurrence in Saigon and Hanoi.
Thailand: Green Bangkok
The Bangkok bugle observes that “for a city that's hot and supposedly polluted Bangkok is pretty green.”
Myanmar: 54 dead after suffocating in a lorry
Watch a You Tube video which reports the death of 54 Myanmar migrants who suffocated in a lorry while being smuggled in southern Thailand.
Laos: Wattay Temple
Lao Voices uploads several pictures of Wattay, located in Vientiane, Laos. The temple underwent a renovation last year.
Indonesia: Sleeping while the president is speaking
Indonesia blogger Exegesis admits he fell asleep twice while listening to the speech of the Indonesian president
