Stories from 19 July 2008
Guinea Bissau: How many tonnes of cocaine did get in?
Commenting on a piece of news about the arrest of a three Venezuelans suspected of being smuggling cocaine into West Africa, Jorge Rosmaninho [pt] asks: “if three were caught, how...
Brazil: Comedian Dercy Gonçalves dies at the age 101
Brazilian comedian and actress Dercy Gonçalves, famous for irreverent interviews and notorious bad language, died today at the age of 101 years [June 23 1907 – July 19 2008). 365...
Bahrain: Obsessed with a Turkish soap opera
A Turkish soap opera, Noor, has become a hit in the Arab world, with reports of fights and even divorces occurring because of the obsession of many women with the handsome male star, Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, who plays Muhannad. Some Bahraini bloggers have been examining the popularity of the drama series amongst Arabs.
China: Looking back at a campus shooting
“...the first few days with the cast were really strange, everyone kept whispering to each other wondering if I was a big kung fu master back in China.” Why does it always have to be so awkward when Chinese and Americans get together?
Brazil: Cybercrime bill is now translated
Nardol translated the new Brazilian Cyber Crime Bill: “So the World can be made aware of what’s going on in Brazil. I also just sent an email with it to...
Is the U.S. militarizing aid to Africa?
Regrets only: An Africa Journal comments on the recent report by Refugees International about “the increased militarization of U.S. foreign aid” and how it “is complicating the achievement of American...
Saudi Arabia: Three Years of Blogging
7alablog [Ar] celebrates his third year as a blogger in Saudi Arabia.
CAR: On the power emergency & Dzanga-Sangha natural reserve
Brock Boddie at HPDT CAR, a blog by the humanitarian and development organizations in the Central African Republic, writes about Prime Minister Faustin Touadera's emergency appeal for international support after...
Zimbabwe: On the rapidly eroding value of money
Chipo at Sokwanele's This is Zimbabwe blog, expresses his anger about the current inflation situation in the country: “Last week chaos reigned again as the banks were choc-a-block with transfers....
Saudi Arabia: What if Olive Riley Had Blogged All Along?
The world's oldest blogger, Australian Olive Riley has died at the age of 108. In mourning her death, Mohammed Al Shehri, from Saudi Arabia, wonders what the legacy Riley would have left behind been like, had the Internet and blogging been available all along.
Global Voices’ New Public Health Editor, Juhie Bhatia
Last month, we announced six new Rising Voices citizen media projects in partnership with the Open Society Institute’s Health Media Initiative. This month, we're pleased to introduce our new Public...
Armenia/Turkey: Reconciliation?
Unzipped says that while the first 100 days of the new Armenian president, Serge Sargsyan, were a missed opportunity to implement major changes in the country, they were notable for...
Yemen: Socotra Wins UNESCO's Approval
“The Socotra Archipelago finally got UNESCO's recognition and seal of approval and is now on its World Heritage List; it becomes Yemen's fourth site on the List,” writes Omar Barsawad,...
Brazil: Tears and Cheers for Middle East Prisoner Swap
Brazilian of Arab descent or bloggers interested in all things Middle Eastern talk about the Israel-Lebanon Prisoner Exchange. Considering that Brazil is the country that arguably holds the largest Arab population outside the Middle East, there are very passionate points of views both for and against the deal, and as much tears as cheers.
China: Olympics side-effect on industry
What will be the cost of presenting an unprecedented Olympics? A dialogue between a blogger and workers somewhat revealed the predicament met by heavy industry in China during the Games.
Brazil: Blogging Against Web-Censorship
Censura Não! (No Censorship!, PT) issued on last July 5th a call for a collective blogging on July 19th (today) against web-censorship and the Azeredo Bill . Many Brazilian blogs,...
India: Should Pre-Marital HIV Testing Be Mandatory?
In an attempt to lower HIV rates, the Indian state of Maharashtra introduced a controversial proposal earlier this year, which would make it compulsory for couples to undergo an HIV test before getting married. Our new Public Health Editor, Juhie Bhatia, makes her debut.
Sudan: Reactions to the ICC charges against al-Bashir
Since the ICC's prosecutor asked for an arrest warrant for President al-Bashir of Sudan a few days ago, there haven't been many big reactions in the Sudanese blogosphere (although we covered reactions of several bloggers elsewhere in Africa in this roundup). However, the Sudanese debate has been alive and full of passion on Facebook.
Saudi Arabia: In Praise of the Iraqi National Anthem
Al Musafer [Ar], from Saudi Arabia, praises the new Iraqi national anthem.
Egypt: Warming up to Iran
From Egypt, Bakri Hasan [Ar] says an improvement in Egyptian/Iranian relations could reap rewards for Egypt.
Egypt: Stop Writing Arabic in Latin
A new Facebook group urging Arabs to stop writing in Latin letters has been launched. The group has so far attracted around 2,500 people from across the Arab world.
