Stories from 18 February 2009
Serbia: The Parliament
Belgraded describes how the Serbian parliament has been working this past month: “It all started when the national TV said that it won’t broadcast the sessions because they had to broadcast live tennis and handball tournament instead. MPs said they won’t work unless everyone in Serbia can follow what they’re...
Russia: Valentine's Day Politics
Window on Eurasia writes: “Like the Russian Orthodox Church, politically active young Russians increasingly view Valentine’s Day as something alien to their country’s national traditions and refuse to have anything to do with it, yet another measure of the extent to which Russians are turning away from many things they...
Former Soviet Union: The Legacy of Afghanistan
Window on Eurasia writes that across the former Soviet Union, “a debate is raging between those who believe the Soviet intervention [in Afghanistan] led to the demise of the Soviet Union and those who are convinced that the decision to withdraw [20 years ago] had precisely that effect.”
Russia, EU: “Policy-Media Interaction” and Blogging
Vilhelm Konnander posts his reflections on Russia-focused blogging and “policy-media interaction”: “So, by the end of the day, there is little room for deviance as the public policy-media discourse evolves. When one, to the contrary, gets one's message across, there is no saying how it will be processed by its...
Russia: Russian National Library
Eagle and the Bear writes about what it's like to be doing research at the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg: “The security at the library is as tight as a supermax prison, the rules for visiting are just as strict, and the staff is about as friendly as a...
Poland: Warsaw's New Bridge
20 east writes about the beginning of the construction of a new bridge in Warsaw, whose expected completion date is “a few months before Euro 2012.”
Iraq: Hospital Care Improving
Alive in Baghdad reports that hospital care is improving slowly, in this video post.
Egypt: Another Letter from Kareem
Jailed Egyptian blogger Kareem Nabil Sulieman has sent another letter from his prison, reports Free Kareem.
Yemen: Marriage Age Increased
“This is great news: the Yemeni Parliament has just approved a new minimum age for marriage. It will be seventeen now. The law raises the minimum age for marriage – for both boys and girls – to 17, and provides for the right to alimony and recognition of the mother...
Cuba: Download Nova Baire
Bloggers Cuba [es] provides the link for those interested in downloading the version of Nova Baire, the open-source operating system in Cuba.
Dubai: Economic problems
Secret Dubai Diary, which is blocked in the UAE, discusses the economic crunch hitting Dubai in this post.
Qatar: Abandoned Cars on the Rise
Comments are pouring in on a post in Qatar Living by nicaq25 on 1,448 vehicles left abandoned on the streets and outskirts of Doha in January – a figure 791 per cent more than in previous months.
Iraq: Denist marks first anniversary as blogger
Baghdad Dentist marks his first year as a blogger.
Jordan: Economic crunch
Thought Clouds The Digital Bender writes about aspects of the economic crunch in Jordan.
Qatar: The Worst Intersection in Doha
Qatar Living‘s Jane01 posts a video showing what is described as the worst intersection in Doha, Qatar.
Hungary: Attitudes Toward Gypsies
Hungarian Spectrum writes that “it seems that anti-Gypsy prejudice is at least three hundred years old” in Hungary.
