6 January 2009

Stories from 6 January 2009

Egyptian Bloggers Ask: WHY?

It seems that most posts from the Egyptian blogosphere are attempts at finding answers to the many whys and hows in their heads following the attack on Gaza. Marwa Rakha takes a closer look at some of those questions in this post.

6 January 2009

Egypt identifies the new face of politics

From Egypt, Perwin Ali came across an article mentioning Israel's first press conference on Twitter and she commented saying: “Hold the freakin’ presses! A full-fledged press conference in 140-character conversations?...

6 January 2009

A Rap Tribute to Benazir Bhutto

Über Desi posts an YouTube video of a rap tribute to Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, by her 18 year old daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto.

6 January 2009

Egypt: Give Gaza to Egypt

Sandmonkey justifies his reasons in a reply to Drima‘s suggested solution for the current crisis by giving Gaza to Egypt and the West Bank to Jordon.

6 January 2009

Egypt: Shake and Bake

Does Israel use illegal phosphorus shells in Gaza? Do both parties should end military activities? And how about Arab countries canceling new years parties?.. Egy Diva asks.

6 January 2009

Egypt: US coverage of Gaza War

From Egypt, the Arabist writes about the New York Times and Washington Post's coverage of the Gaza War. He observes that what was reported was largely a one-sided coverage of...

6 January 2009

Egypt: From Egyptian Artists to Artists of the World

Egyptian artists are lending their voices to the Palestinian cause, explaining to the rest of the world the history of the Arab-Israeli struggle from their view point. The initiative, spearheaded by Khaled El Sawy, a famous Egyptian actor and blogger, is called "A message from Egyptian artists to all artists of the world", and is targeted towards non-Arabs.

6 January 2009

Americas: Celebrating the Visit of the Three Kings

The holiday season continues across the Americas, even as Christmas and the New Year holiday have all passed. In many countries in the region, the feast of “Los Reyes Magos” (The Three Kings) is an equally important festivity in many households. The day falls around the time of Epiphany and is celebrated on January 6th. Some of the region's bloggers recall the traditions in their own countries.

6 January 2009

Bangladesh: Reactions To A New Cabinet

Awami League and the Grand Alliance, the winner of the recent Bangladesh national polls, have formed a new 32 member cabinet today. E-Bangladesh is hosting a live discussion of Bangladeshi...

6 January 2009

Palestine: UN School Hit By Israeli Shells; More than 40 Killed

At approximately 6:00 p.m. (GMT+2), Al Jazeera English reported that a UN school was hit when two tank shells exploded outside of the school. The school, located in Jabaliya, had been set up days ago as a shelter for Gaza residents who had lost or evacuated their homes. Over 40 people have been killed. Jillian York presents immediate reactions from the blogosphere and Twitter.

6 January 2009

DR Congo: New mass killings, weak media attention

While fighting in North Kivu has been somewhat quiet of late, there have been reports of mass killings perpetrated by the Ugandan rebel group LRA in the Congolese Haut-Uélé region by the Sudanese border during the past two weeks. Meanwhile, media attention is elsewhere.

6 January 2009

Palestine: “In Gaza our future is almost destroyed”

In this roundup of blogposts from Gaza we hear from a teenager who just lost her friend and is scared for her own life, about a medical worker who was killed as he went to save someone, and from a man who asserts his lack of political affiliation: "I'm not Fatah, not Hamas. I like vodka."

6 January 2009

Azerbaijan: New Year

Sheki, Azerbaijan comments on the history of Baku and says that museums and concert halls are being renovated while contemporary artists are supported more and more. Seasonal exhibitions have also...

6 January 2009