Stories from 22 July 2008
Sudan: UN peacekeeper attacked, Iran opposes ICC action
John Boonstra at The UN Dispatch reports that a security officer working with the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been assaulted by Sudanese Government military personnel. He also reports that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has vocally defended his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al-Bashir.
Ukraine: Customs Problems
Eternal Remont indignantly comments on the problems of dealing with Ukrainian customs.
Russia: Romani Theatre
TOL's Romantic posts a piece on the history of Romani theatre in Russia.
Russia: Discussion of US Captive Nations Resolution
Russia Blog recounts a conference at the Russian diplomatic academy (MGIMO) about the 50th anniversary of the US Captive Nations Resolution.
Russia: Should Internet Be Subjected to Mass Media Laws?
Russian Cyberspace accounts for continued discussions in Russia on whether to define the Internet as mass media and thus subject it to the same legislative framework as traditional mass media.
Russia: The Concept of Real Sovereignty
Lyndon of Scraps of Moscow comments on a recent book by Russian foreign policy expert Andrei Kokoshin as well as on the concept of real sovereignty currently in vogue in the Russian foreign policy establishment.
Russia, UK: TNK-BP Battle
The Oil and the Glory reflects upon the currently strained relations between Russia and Britain, with the battle over TNK-BP and Russian nationalisation of energy resources as a background. Tim Newman of White Sun of the Desert reflects further on the issue of what will happen if BP is actually...
Brazil: Electoral censorship at work
Pedro Dória [pt] reports that a contestant in the local elections for Porto Alegre, Brazil, was forced to close down her Orkut account and suspend her videos on YouTube. “They are being censored: they can't express themselves using all the resources allowed by the Internet allows. They can not use...
Zimbabwe: Fear and indifference
A beautiful gift shares his impressions on the situation Zimbabwe after his recent visit to see his family: “I have heard a lot say western media […] exaggerate about the situation in Zimbabwe. On the contrary I now am convinced that western media understate the gravity of the situation in...
Lithuania: Citizenship Law
Lituanica comments on the problems surrounding the adoption of a new Lithuanian citizenship law.
Zimbabwe: Open letter from Tsvangirai on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
This is Zimbabwe posted an open letter from the President of the leader of the opposition Morgan Tsvangirai on yesterday's signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.
Idols East Africa
Wanjiku Unlimited, who has been closely following the Idols East Africa competition, describes the last three contestants left on the show.
Kenya: Rioting in schools
Ory Okolloh at Kenyan Pundit analyzes the reports of increasing levels of violence and riots in Kenyan high schools.
Abkhazia, Georgia: “Home”
As everyone seems to be talking about an impending war over Abkhazia, here is a translation of a post by LiveJournal blogger cyxymu, a Georgian who spent his childhood in Abkhazia but now lives in Tbilisi, having become an "internally displaced person" during the hostilities in the early 1990s.
Iran: Eight Women and One man face stoning death
Several Iranian blogs such as Einiproxy write[Fa] that at least eight women and one man are reported to have been sentenced to death by stoning in Iran.
Iranian bloggers react to Israel-Hezbollah deal
While the Iranian government rejoiced at the release of Lebanese prisoners from Israel, bloggers were quick to ask about the fate of Iranians captured in Lebanon, writes Hamid Tehrani, who sums up the reactions of Iranian bloggers on the Lebanon-Israel prisoner swap in this post.
China: Bus-bomb attack creates panic and indignation
The bus-bomb attack on 17 shocked not only the city but also China, that people suddenly feel how close terrorism is. The attack is characterized by that it is against innocent people rather than the authority, making it special among the recent unrests. Is it a harbinger, or just another ramdom event?
Sri Lanka: Property rights and International summits
Deane's Dimension on the Sri Lankan government deciding to demolish the homes of people living in ‘unauthorized dwellings’ to spruce up the city for the SAARC summit.
Sri Lanka: Ceasefire and SAARC
The SAARC summit in Sri Lanka appears to have some unlikely consequences. Going Global on LTTE announcing a ceasefire during the summit.
Barbados, Cuba, U.S.A.: The Times Rejects Mc Cain
Caribbean blogs are irate over The New York Times‘ rejection of John Mc Cain's rebuttal to Barack Obama's recent editorial on Iraq: Babalu Blog: “Who the hell gave them the power to think they speak on behalf of my best interests?” Barbados Free Press: “As much as we support Obama,...
Nepal: Women and Democracy
Anbika's DiGi Home questions how the democratic setup in Nepal can be called inclusive without women playing a crucial role.
