Stories from 30 November 2008
Moldova, CEE: Rural Bus Stops; Hammer & Sickle @ Flickr
Photos of rural bus stops in Moldova – at Scraps of Moscow. A link to a Hammer and Sickle group on Flickr – at LimbicNutrition Weblog.
Kosovo: Haradinaj's Profile; Discussion at LSE
Popkitchen posts a critique of a Vanity Fair profile of Ramush Haradinaj, a former guerrilla leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and former prime minister of Kosovo, and writes about a recent discussion on Kosovo's independence held at the London School of Economics.
Waxal: First African Blog Award for Journalists
The first Waxal Blogging Africa Awards have been just launched. All African bloggers who work as journalists can register. The deadline is the 7th of December 2008. The individual winners - one for an English blog, one for a French blog - and one for a blogging organization, will be rewarded with a cash prize, and all best blogs will be promoted by the organizers through various channels.
Afghanistan: Explosion in Kabul
Baktash Siawash, Afghan journalist and blogger, wrote that “a suicide bomber killed four Afghans in a blast near Afghanistan's parliament in Kabul on Sunday”.
World AIDS Day: Blogging Positively
This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, which takes place every year on December 1. Though the impact of HIV and AIDS is felt by millions of people globally every day, this particular day can help bring much-needed attention to the disease. The theme for this year's...
Brazil under flood: Bloggers form solidarity networks
While mainstream media was first slow to report news of the grave floods that have devastated the south of Brazil and then sensationalized the tragedy, bloggers responded by creating a network of support. This post explores the difference in the approaches between conventional media professionals and amateur and freelancer produced news blogs.
Israel: In the army – and Muslim?
Mo-ha-med describes meeting Ossama – Arab, Muslim, and a soldier in the Israeli army.
Blogging Positively: Live Chat about HIV/AIDS on December 3
Rising Voices and Global Voices are holding a live online chat for bloggers and activists on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 (3pm Nairobi time) on how to use citizen media to help improve awareness and information about the AIDS epidemic. The chat will be facilitated by Kenyan bloggers Serina Kalande and...
Lao: Traditional Wedding
Amphone posts images from a traditional Lao wedding in the US.
Thailand: Free Ride to PAD
Thailand Jumped the Shark wonders why “the foreign embassies and the international community have given the PAD a free ride, considering the PAD has broken multiple Thai and international terrorism laws and international travel treaties.” PAD, the opposition party leading the current protests in Bangkok has blockaded the main airports...
Japan: Mainichi's Wikipedia Slip-up
Ignoring the fact that Wikipedia timestamps are in GMT and not JST (Japan Standard Time), on the 18th of November the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun published an article entitled, “Attack on the former vice-Director's home: crime announced on the Internet six hours earlier… hinting at the crime?”, in which a Wikipedia contributor (”Popons”) was erroneously identified as involved in the attempted murder of Kenji Yoshihara, wife of former vice health minister Kenji Yoshihara. Bulletin board commenters quickly spotted the mistake, and bloggers responded with criticism, but the Wikipedia editor in question was apologetic about the ordeal.
Korea: The Birth of Internet Netizen Legend
A new Hong Gil Dong [EN] emerged on the Internet of Korea! A netizen who is just known as “Minerva” started writing his economic analysis in Agora—a Netizens’ panel— in a major portal site, Daum from 2007. He predicted the collapse of Leman Brothers, sudden jump in the foreign exchange...
Nigeria: Hundreds of deaths in post-election riots
Hundreds of people were reportedly killed in the violence that erupted in Jos, Plateau State, Central Nigeria on Friday after a disputed local election. Nigerian bloggers respond.
China: Taxi Driver Strike, Union and Street Democracy
Taxi drivers from around the country have been in strike for a month. The first protest appeared in Chongqin in November 3, then it spread to Hainan, Gansu, Yunnan, Shandong, Qingdao, Jinan, Fujian, Shantou, Wubei, Shaanxi and etc. Tomorrow (1 of December), it is likely that Guangzhou will have another...
Ukraine: “No Other Home: The Crimean Tatars” – in Romania and Online
Maria Sonevytsky of My Simferopol Home announces the upcoming exhibition of the “No Other Home: The Crimean Tatars” project in Bucharest, Romania, in mid-December, and links to a related story on Crimean Tatars, complete with photos and audio, published in the online magazine Triple Canopy.
Russia: Moscow's “VIP Taxi”
Photo reports from inside Moscow's “VIP Taxi” – at Two-Zero's Diary, here and here.
Central & Eastern Europe: Obituaries
Edward Lucas re-posts The Economist‘s obits of Mieczyslaw Rakowski, a Polish Communist journalist and politician, who died on Nov. 8, and of Boris Fyodorov, a Russian economic reformer, who died on Nov. 20. Borut Peterlin notes the death of Vilko Filač, the “cameraman of Emir Kusturica’s best movies.”
Czech Republic: Notes on Prague
Notes on a visit to Prague – at Dr. Sean's Diary, here and here.
Poland: A Racist Country?
Discussions on whether Poland is a “racist country” – at the POLSKI blog, Raf Uzar, and Eternal Remont.
Albania: Health Care and Bribery
Belatedly, a link to Albanian Blogger‘s report on the arrest of a well-known oncology surgeon on bribery charges: “For the public, including myself, the event hopefully will serve to bring some much needed attention to this plague of our society in a sphere where all of us are vulnerable –...
Ukraine: Ruthenians
Some background and a translation of an Izvestiya piece on Ukraine's Ruthenians – at Robert Amsterdam's blog.
