Stories from 16 September 2008
Syria: No Chrome for Syrians
Syrian Yaser Sadeq says Google new browser Chrome is not available in Syria because “our friends in Google corp. have decided or agreed to withhold their services from syrian users...
Azerbaijan: Gay Artist Detained in UK
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that gay Azerbaijani artist Babi Badalov has been detained by British police. Badalov is currently seeking asylum in the United Kingdom and the blog posts details...
Ukraine, Romania: Snake Island Dispute
The 8th Circle writes that the Romanian-Ukrainian dispute over Snake Island isn't about “a piece of rock in the Black Sea (about 600×400meters)” – but about natural gas and oil...
Suez Canal donates 1,000,000 Egyptian Pounds to Doweika Victims
Like Asser Mattar, many Egyptians were happy to find out that Suez Canal canceled its annual celebration on September 14 to donate a total of one million Egyptian Pounds to support the victims of the Doweika tragedy. Scores of people were killed and injured when huge rocks fell on 35 homes in the slum in one of Cairo's poorest neighbourhoods.
Bangladesh: Money vs. Country
“11 national cricketers prefer more money than the honor of playing national cricket for Bangladesh.” Unheard Voices echoes the outrage of many Bangladeshis after these national players decided to quit...
Pakistan: rape and silence of the society
Adil Najam of All Things Pakistan discusses the growing number of rapes in Karachi and opines that the silence of the victims and the society is to blame.
Puerto Rico: Real ID is really intrusive
Puerto Rican bloggers are calling attention to the government's latest deed, the application of the Real ID Act to the island's drivers. The Real ID, which has come under fire by many states in the mainland US, is one of the measures implemented by President Bush's administration to "fight terrorism".
South African Cartoonist Takes on ANC President
ANC President, Jacob Zuma, was recently back in the headlines as his trial on charges for corruption, amongst other things, was thrown out of court to the dismay of many South Africans but also to the cheer of his millions of supporters, particularly from parties allied to the ANC. Parallel to this, Jonathan Shapiro a.k.a. Zapiro, South Africa's foremost political cartoonist had Zuma in his sights as he published a controversial cartoon in the Sunday Times.
Kuwait and Ramadan
It has been a busy Ramadan in Kuwait, with the collapse of the Stock Exchange, social activities and artistic creativity. Abdullatif Al Omar digs into Kuwaiti blogs to bring us the latest.
Estonia, Latvia: iPhone
AnTyx writes about iPhone in Estonia; Telecoms in Latvia writes about iPhone in Latvia – here, here, here, and here.
Macedonia, Romania: Computer Literacy; Creative Commons
Information Policy writes about Macedonian government's “Computer for Every Child” initiative and the launch of the localized Creative Commons licenses in Romania.
The Balkans: Subotica Mosque; Balkan Muslims
Kakanien Revisited writes about the new mosque of Subotica, the first one in Serbia's Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, “built with funds from Novi Pazar […] and Turkey.” The 8th Circle...
Dominica: Longevity
Dominica Weekly takes a look at aging gracefully in “The Nature Isle”.
Cuba: Assessing the Damage
“The blow to food supply is particularly severe: crops lost in the field, stocks damaged in warehouses, and Cuba’s capacity to import affected by losses in sectors that generate foreign...
Trinidad & Tobago: Hot, Hot, Hot!
A Caribbean Garden posts an authentic recipe for Trinidad pepper sauce.
Czech Republic: Interview With Lonely Planet's Author
The Journeys of Captain Oddsocks interviews Brett Atkinson, an author who is updating the Czech Republic sections of Lonely Planet's Eastern Europe and Europe on a Shoestring guidebooks.
Zimbabwe: Full Text of Agreement
Sokwanele posts the Agreement between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu-Pf) and the two Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) Formations: “It is a lengthy document and difficult to read...
Cuba, South Africa: Castro Wins Award
Uncommon Sense cannot believe that, according to a mainstream media report, Fidel Castro has won the South African Ubuntu award for his contributions to “humankind beyond boundaries.”
Latvia: Stradini Hospital
Arnis Balcus posts photos from one of the biggest and oldest hospitals in Latvia.
Latvia: Death Penalty
Marginalia writes about the talk of reinstating the death penalty in Latvia.
Kosovo, South Ossetia: Recognition Score
A Fistful of Euros writes about international recognition of Kosovo vs that of South Ossetia, and explains why it is likely that Kosovo will soon be recognized by Montenegro.
