Stories from 7 September 2008
Saudi Arabia: Don't judge Palin as a mother
Saudi-based blogger Nzingha, a mother of five, feels that Sarah Palin has been judged on the wrong criteria: “One shouldn't choose to not support Palin because she is a mom just as one shouldn't choose to support Palin simply because she is a woman. Her ability to do the job...
Angola: Briefs from the elections
Part 2 of “Briefs from the elections” from Angolan blogger, Koluki: “Earlier on Saturday, the main opposition party, UNITA, announced its intention to impugnate the election, claiming a “collapse” of the process in the capital, Luanda, and “numerous cases of organisational failures, forceful prevention of some electors from exercising their...
Angola: Elections in photos
Photos of elections in Angola on flickr. This was the first elections in sixteen years.
Angola: Briefs from the elections
Koluki writes about elections in Angola: “Earlier on Friday the head of the EU mission, the Italian Luisa Morgantini, called the election “a total disaster” . The same assessment was made by the leader of the opposition, Isaias Samakuva, who called for a repeat of the election in Luanda, where...
Colombia: Illegal mp3 on Police Website
Camilo Uribe writes about an illegal downloaded MP3 file found on the Colombian police's website [es], after which they used a password to cover it up, but didn't remove the file. This is after they destroyed more than 70 thousand pirated dvds, cds and mp3s in the city of Medellin....
Brazil: Inventive censorship, and the case for anonymity
Bloggers debate the inventive Internet censorship strategy of using state level prosecutors and cybercrime allegations to immediately take down an informative website without the proper legal process
Chinese tourist numbers to Taiwan
Claudia Jean analyses the number of Chinese tourists and the impact of direct flights on Taiwan.
Iran:Converted Christians in danger
According to Jafaa blog that covers news about Iranian converted Christians, two newly converted Christians were charged with the crime of being an infidel by the judicial court of Fars province in Iran. They may face the death penalty.[update: They were released at the end of September]
Singapore Paralympic Team
The 2008 Paralympics opens in Beijing. RY in his Blog Land thinks Singapore has strong chances of winning in the swimming event.
Brunei: Ramadhan campaign
Senor Pablo supports the Love Food, Hate Waste campaign in Brunei – He reminds readers about the “need to ascertain that what we eat is enough for the family and not to create unnecessary waste.”
Cambodia: Casino centers
A blogger thinks Cambodia should be called “gamblodia” because of too many casinos in the country's capital.
Indonesia: Budget for education
Cafe Salemba advises the Indonesian government to review the high funding for education, arguing that the “budget for education should be a result of a careful policy calculation, and a clear plan on how to spend it, rather than just meeting the constitutional mandate.”
Laos: Travel videos
Dennis Koomen and Simon Sticker post video clips of their adventures in Laos.
Laos: Tips for tourists
Quaking Blog was disappointed at the half-naked tourists she met in Laos. Apocalypse Lao gives tips to tourists.
Vietnam: Motorbike driving license
Mango shake, anyone?? blogs about the process of getting a license to drive a motorbike in Vietnam
Gays in Vietnam
Noodlepie links to an article which discussed the situation of gay men in Vietnam.
Vietnam's street vendors
Viet World Kitchen hopes the street vendors of Vietnam will not be transferred into “mall-like hawker centers.” She adds: “I appreciate hygiene just like the next person but I've never fallen ill from Vietnamese street food. Hawker centers in Singapore are convenient but there's some soul missing.”
