Stories from 3 December 2008
Russia: “Renat+Ainara=Love”
Russian bloggers discuss Moscow's changing ethnic composition.
Guatemala: Stricter Gun Laws and Narcotrafficking Groups
Luis Figueroa of Carpe Diem [es] writes about recent shootouts between narcotrafficking group sin Huehuetenango, Guatemala. He also looks at some of the arguments for more stricter gun control laws, but says that they would not prevent such crimes.
Croatia: Threats to Journalist Drago Hedl
From the Frontline writes about the “testing times for Croatian journalists”: “In October Ivo Pukanić, the editor of the Nacional Magazine, and a colleague were both killed in a car bomb explosion in central Zagreb. The assassination shocked the nation, yet the situation has not improved. Well-known journalist Drago Hedl...
Hungary: Catching Up
Hungarian Spectrum writes about “Hungary's place in Eastern Europe.”
Belarus: Tanya Kazyra Returns Home
Tanya Kazyra, a participant in a summer program for children from Belarus’ Chernobyl-affected areas, has finally returned home, and now there is some hope that the governmental ban on travel outside the country for all “Chernobyl Children” might be lifted, Chernobyl and Eastern Europe Blog reports.
Poland, U.K.: “Do you have a return PLan?”
the POLSKI blog writes that “the Polish government has launched a special site, where Poles living in the UK can get advice regarding moving their lives back to Poland.”
Lithuania: Election Results
Lituanica writes about the parliamentary election results and re-posts a letter to the editors of the German Times regarding the publication's election coverage.
Estonia: Pärnu
Itching for Eestimaa writes about a trip to Pärnu – “pop. 44,000, is the fifth largest city in Estonia, located on the country's southwest coast. It's also the ‘summer capital’ of Estonia, which made our choice of visiting during the first major blizzard of the year somewhat unique.”
Estonia: Online Voting for Tallinn's Theater vs Cultural Center
Cafebabel – Tallinn writes about Tallinn government's initiative of an online vote on “whether the new city theatre’s building or the new cultural centre Kultuurikatel should be built before the other.”
Sweden: Immigration
Certain Ideas of Europe writes: “Not all of those Polish plumbers leaving Britain and Ireland as the economies slow are necessarily going straight home. Sweden has seen immigration surge to record levels this year.”
Poland, Ukraine: Euro 2012
The 8th Circle notes that Euro 2012 will be moved elsewhere if the stadiums in Kyiv and Warsaw are not built in time.
Slovenia: Business News
Slovenian business news – at Sleeping With Pengovsky.
World Disability Day in South Asia
December 1st is observed around the world as AIDS Day and the occasion is largely publicized. Unlike the attention World AIDS Day receives, World Disability Day barely registers on the world media’s radar. Celebrated every year on December 3rd, World Disability Day honors the contribution made to our world by those with physical and mental handicap.
Cuba: government opposes bloggers meet-up
Cuban blogger (and 2008 Best of Blogs winner) Yoani Sanchez of Generación Y reports [ES] on her meeting with two interior ministry officials, after she was summoned to a police station. When they told her to cancel a planned bloggers’ meet-up, she asked for the order in writing. Babalu Blog...
Namibia: A case study of a successful country
Toivo Asheeke of African Development/Unity writes about his home country of Namibia, as an example of a successful African nation.
French Guiana: The Unheard Blackout
For more than a week now, French Guiana has been in turmoil. The population is protesting against the skyrocketing price of gas by blocking roads, closing schools, and businesses. The cost of gas is currently €1,77 per liter (US$ 2,25), in contrast to the price of oil, which has been going as low as US$ 50,00 per barrel in the past weeks. The French Guianese blogosphere echoes this massive mobilization.
India: Twitter vs. MSM
Dina Mehta discusses Twitter's role during the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and explains that it complemented the efforts of the mainstream media.
Pakistan: Let Commonsense and Intelligence Prevail
Shaheryar Azhar at Pak Tea House writes on the growing tension between India and Pakistan after the terror attacks in Mumbai: “In steadfastly refusing to allow a healthy debate from the start about our own vulnerability and their real motives we have continued to strengthen our enemies and weaken ourselves,...
Sri Lanka: State of the Blogosphere
Cerno reviews the state of the Sri Lankan blogosphere in 2008 and comments: “The Sri Lankan blogosphere seems to have lost its feel of a political battle ground. On the positive side, there is a growing number of Sinhala language blogs.”
Egypt: American Books
Egyptian blogger Asmaa Yasser - Dawn - writes here about her experience at the Mubarak Public Library. Tarek Amr translates the post from Arabic.
Jamaica: death penalty “savagery”
Idle Yout Speeks weighs in on the death penalty debate in Jamaica: "just beneath the surface we all hold a level of primal savagery that we keep under wraps under the premise of civilized behavior."
