Stories from 27 July 2008
Angola: Eight people murdered in Sambila
Eugênio Costa Almeida [pt] comments on a crime that shocked Sambizanga, in Angola. “People from the popular neighborhood of Santa Rosa in Sambila city said there were 8 (eight!) people killed – read it is as executed! Their names are Dadão, Lito, Terenso, Santinho (which was an assistant for the...
Cambodia: Election day
Today is election day in Cambodia. Workers got a 72-hour break in order to vote in the provinces. Motorcycle diaries and John Vink posted election-related photos.
Cambodia: List of unsolved attacks against journalists
Details are Sketchy provides a list of unsolved attacks against journalists in Cambodia.
Indonesia: Oil company endorses improper use of motorcycles?
My Busy Brain criticizes an oil company for distributing pamphlets which indirectly encouraged improper use of motorcycles in Indonesia
Malaysia: Nuclear plant
Malaysian blogger Zewt is not supportive of the plan to build a nuclear plant in Malaysia
Japan: Toyota's Just-In-Time System and the Akihabara Killings (Part 1)
When Tomohiro Kato killed 7 people and injured many more in Tokyo's Akihabara district last month, the details of his life became the talk of the Japanese blogging world. Among these conversations, the murders sparked a huge number of conversations on the country's temp worker industry, as Kato himself worked as a temp worker at a factory under Toyota. No single blog entry however attracted as much attention as did a post by blogger boiledema, published two days after the incident and bookmarked on Hatena by a staggering 1366 users. In this first part of a two-part series, we translate the first half of boiledema's original blog post.
Korea: To Me, a Blog is ___________
We all know about the ‘wave’ at sporting events. You stand up and down following strangers the behind or front, or left or right sides around you. Now the ‘blog wave’ is popular in Korea. A blogger or portal site suggests an idea and starts riding the ‘blog wave.’ This...
Latvia: European Court Goes Against Riga
Who has the right to pass judgment on what a man does in the service of his country during wartime and what should the legal grounds for such a verdict be? These are some of the key issues surrounding a legal process on WWII war crimes against a soviet veteran, Vasily Kononov, that has been dragged through the Latvian legal system since 1998. However, earlier this week, the European Court of Human Rights found that Latvia lacked legal grounds for prosecuting Kononov. Following the verdict, the Russian blogosphere has generally reacted with joy and relief, although there have also been some opposing voices.
D.R. Congo: Audit reveals US$1.3 billion diverted by government agencies
In Congo, the Office of the Prime Minister has accused ten government agencies, including those responsible for collecting taxes and customs revenue, and the national water, electricity, and insurance authorities of embezzling US$ 1.3 billion, reports Forum Realisance [Fr] via Le Potential.
Saudi Arabia: What is the point of MBC Persia?
MBC is a Saudi-run satellite television company, known across the Arab world for its entertainment channels as well as Al Arabiya news channel. It has just launched a new channel called MBC Persia, on which films are subtitled in Farsi. Saudi blogger Mohammed Abdullah Al Shahri wonders whether this initiative is really what is needed.
Lebanon: Reviving Lebanon’s Jewish Community
“Lebanese Expatriates are helping to fund and renovate the ancient Magen Abraham synagogue in the heart of the Lebanese capital, one of the largest in the Arab world. Renovation is expected by the end of this year or by 2009,” reports The Lebanese Inner Circle.
Lebanon: Defying Political Unstability
“The will to live is stronger than death, happiness is stronger than sadness, and peace is stronger than war,” writes The Lebanese Inner Circle, who is reporting on the musical festivals taking place in Lebanon this summer.
Lebanon: “Lebanon Cluster Bomb”, the Film
“The film is a primer on the cluster munition problem in Lebanon, but much more so an intimate portrait of those struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating 2006 war. The under-represented of South Lebanon are given voice here, as they work shoulder to shoulder to return the land...
Bahrain: Omar Al Bashir and the Cross-Eyed Justice
Reacting to the news of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir, Bahraini blogger Hayat [Ar] describes the decision as ‘cross-eyed justice.' Will the ruling save Darfur and its people or is it another ploy to allow the United States direct control over the region and its rich resources?
