Stories from 26 November 2008
Angola: Children as young as 6 face accusations of witchcraft
Children as young as six years old have been accused of witchcraft and abandoned, mistreated, tortured and even killed in Angola, where such accusations are deemed valid. Clara Onofre investigates this practice advised by members of illegal churches and seemingly not related to local peoples' historical traditions.
Brazil: Over 80 deaths in the worst environmental tragedy
Over 80 people have been killed in landslides and floods caused by heavy rain in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, and the death toll is rising by the minute, as rescue workers sift through the wreckage of the flooding that started at the weekend.
Madagascar: Land deal with Daewoo finally rejected by authority
Mahefa Rakotomalala writes at L'express de Madagascar that the alleged land deal with South Korean company Daewoo has been officially rejected by the Malagasy government. The minister of land reform explained in a press release to local newspapers that anyone can request to lease an unlimited amount of land but...
Congratulations Pour in on Queen Rania's Youtube Award
Bloggers from across the Middle East and North Africa are tipping their hats to Jordan's Queen Rania, and her visionary initiative on YouTube, after she was awarded YouTube's first-ever Visionary Award for launching an interactive online channel to combat stereotypes and misconceptions associated with Arabs and Muslims.
Russia: Circassian case for self-determination
Paul Goble of WindowonEurasia brings attention to demands of a Circassian youth group to found a Circassian Republic in the North Caucasus, thus increasing the risks of further ethnic tension in the region.
Singapore: Economy and rights
Singapore Democrats tackles the economic crisis and its impact on workers’ rights.
Searching for blogs in Myanmar
There are several sites that provide a list of blogs in Myanmar. Myanmar Blog Directory contains an alphabetical listing of blogs. Sharbar offers a list of blogs according to category.
Myanmar: Social networking site
Myanmar Space is a new social networking site for Myanmar speaking people all over the world. There is a chat room, photo and video upload, forum, polls. There is also a blog section where members can post articles.
Indonesia: “Security camera” show in a hotel TV
Isman from Indonesia is shocked to discover a different kind of amenity offered by a hotel in Manado: A TV program airing a direct feed from the hotel's security camera.
Russia: Moscow plans of financial glory
LJ user romanemo comments on [RUS] Russia's plans to turn Moscow into an international financial centre.
Indonesia: Elections and used car markets
Youthful Insight from Indonesia compares next year's elections to used car markets: “Both of them offer nothing but high risk, low return for voters and buyers.”
Russia: Murder of Vladikavkaz Mayor
LJ user Zhurnal Cheloveka reports on [RUS] the murder of Vitaly Karaev, mayor of the North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz.
Russia: In the wake of financial crisis
Streetwise Professor discusses how the Russian economy is coping with its challenges in the wake of the global financial crisis.
India: First photographs of Mumbai blasts on flickr
The first photographs from Mumbai on flickr are coming up. Vinu from Vinu's Online Cloud has uploaded a lot of photographs from the streets of Mumbai. MumbaiHelp is back online and offering to make call for anyone who can't get through to their families and friends. Leave a message if...
India: Terror attacks continue in Mumbai
In what appears to be a surreal sense of reality, television channels are airing footage from the various places in Southern Mumbai that are being attacked. Ultrabrown writes – A large-scale S. Bombay terrorist attack is going on right now using automatic weapons, hand grenades and possibly a taxi bomb....
India: Blasts, Gunfire and Terror in Mumbai
In a series of blasts and shoot outs, the city of Mumbai appears to have come under attack. According to the news, there appear to be at least seven different locations in the city that have been attacked. In an unprecedented sort of terror, a combination of gun fire, blasts,...
Venezuela: Jose Ignacio Cabrujas and His Mark on Society
One of the great Venezuelan critics provided thoughts on daily life. However, since his passing, many are left wondering what he would have said about the events of today. Jose Ignacio Cabrujas, was a well-known playwright, director, and even transformed Venezuelan soap operas into social commentary that used many well-known literary works.
Iran: Art gallery was shutdown
Several Iranian news sites and blogs such as Haftan reported[fa]that Iranian authorities, a couple of days ago, accused an art gallery to expose “immoral” photos and closed it. The photos were the creation of Peyman Hooshmanzadeh. Here are some of these photos.
Armenia: Eurovision Contenders
Esctime.com reports on speculation that Armenia's entry for next year's Eurovision Song Contest will either be U.S. rock band System of a Down or local pop singer Aramé. Meanwhile, in a post made at the beginning of the month, Unzipped: Gay Armenia says choosing a singer such as Aramé would...
Watch ‘Best of the Blogs’ Awards LIVE
The winners of this year's Best of the Blogs awards (The BoBs) will be announced in Berlin tomorrow, November 27, 2008 (8pm CET). The event is open to the public. If you're not in Berlin, you can watch the whole thing online via this post. Global Voices website, Rising Voices has been nominated in the Best Blog category.
Trinidad & Tobago: Monkeying Around
From Trinidad and Tobago, Paolo's Blog is convinced that “Patrick Manning and his roving band of capuchins have thrust us headlong into an economic conundrum that will be far more complex than many imagine.”
