Stories from 17 July 2008
Morocco: The Reality of Prostitution
Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. Jillian York tunes into the Moroccan blogosphere to see how some students and women make ends meet.
Kuwait: Blogs in the News
A local newspaper has started covering Kuwaiti blogs. In many countries, this might be perceived as a positive step but some Kuwaiti bloggers have their reservations. Abdullatif Alomar reports.
Brazil: Bloggers question the 13 new cyber-crimes
In the small hours of last Thursday, July 10, the Brazilian Senate passed the 'Digital Crimes Bill', which typifies the cyber-crimes punishable by law and stipulates the corresponding penalties. The proposal will now be proceeding to the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, bloggers campaign for more debate and an online petition has been signed by over 60,000 citizens in just one week.
Kuwait: Flight Simulator at Home
From Kuwait, Mark links to a video featuring a Kuwaiti man, who has an actual flight simulator in his home. Check it out here.
Palestine: Land of the Cursed
“[B]ecause Israel continues to control the Palestinian population registry (yes, even after Disengagement), it controls Palestinian movement; Palestinian life; and it tears that movement and life and the families that would want to enjoy them apart,” writes Palestinian Laila El Haddad in this post entitled “Land of the Cursed.”
Jordan: Save Water
Jordanian Naseem Tarawnah calls for a stricter water conservation policy. “Yes, we have little water, but there is massive, massive, massive mismanagement when it comes to this field, because we’re still acting like a country with no water problems instead of one that is striving to save every drop,” he...
Kuwait: Blast from the Past
Jazarah posts the front page of a Kuwaiti newspaper, from 35 years ago.
Jordan: Meeting Salman Rushdie
Jordanian Mental Mayhem had an encounter with Salman Rushdie. Click on the link to read what her impressions were.
Global Voices introduces Executive Director, Ivan Sigal
We're thrilled to announce that Ivan Sigal has joined Global Voices as Executive Director. Ivan comes to us from the US Institute of Peace, where he's been researching citizen media in conflict-prone parts of the globe. Prior to his time at USIP, Ivan spent several years with Internews, an international media development organization. With Internews, Ivan worked on projects in the former Soviet Union, was Regional Director for Central Asia and Afghanistan, Regional Director for Asia, and worked on development for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Brazil: Learn how to cook Brazilian food through a videocast
After a long wait, gastronomic videocast and blog Cuca Brazuca returns with videos shot in Rio in April 2008, the first featuring a truly Brazilian dessert recipe, delicious and simple at the same time: Guava Soufflé.
Bangladesh: Sachalaytan blocked?
Unheard Voices and Voice of Bangladeshi Bloggers both report that a Bangla Blog Forum called Sachalaytan appears to be blocked in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh: Blocked?
The 3rd World View reports that a particular blogging platform may be blocked in Bangladesh.
Morocco to send imams to Europe
Daily Maghreb reports that Morocco will send 176 preachers to Europe to “answer the religious needs of the Moroccan community abroad, to protect them from any speeches of an extremist or irregular nature and shelter them from fanaticism and extremism.”
Morocco: A different perspective on Samir Kuntar
Peaceful Vanguard has a different perspective on the return of Lebanese prisoner Samir Kuntar.
Blogger lampoons Senegalese singer's foray into politics
Blog Politique au Senegal thinks Senegalese singer Demba Dia's candidacy for public office is hardly serious. But neither is politics in Senegal!
Guinea-Bissau: A day without immigrants
“What if the immigrants associations decided to go on strike for a day, to show what Europe would be like without them?”, asks Jorge Rosmaninho [pt].
Malawi: new treatment protocol to prevent mother-child HIV transmission
Le Pangolin writes about a new HIV treatment being tested in Malawi [Fr] that might be even more effective than the current standard at preventing mother-child transmission.
Heiva i Tahiti 2008, Festival of Traditional Dance
Jean-Marc posts photos of this year's Heiva i Tahiti, Tahiti's biggest festival of traditional dance. La Danse Tahitienne blogs commentary on each group's performance [Fr].
Israel: Intense Emotions Over the Hezbollah Prisoner Exchange
Wednesday, July 16th, was a day of mourning all across Israel. Hopes for the slight possibility that the approved prisoner exchange deal with Hizbollah will bring the two abducted soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, back home alive were shattered as their coffins were transported across the border. Gilad Lotan brings us reactions from the Israeli blogopshere.
Bahrain: Time for Play
From Bahrain, Umm Naief takes her son on a play date – and makes new discoveries.
DRC: Kabila meets with Sarkozy
At his meeting with Congolese President Joseph Kabila yesterday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy extinguished any hopes of more debt relief. Blogger Alex Engwete has this to say [Fr]: “the lesson to take from the diplomatic debacle is that the development of the DRC will not happen by way of the...
