Stories from 23 February 2009
Israel: Dubai Denies Shahar Visa
Dubai has denied Israeli female tennis star Shahar Peer a visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships, while her male colleague Andy Ram, was able to receive one. “There might have been some logic as to why Ms. Peer was not allowed to play, at least in some circles,...
Saudi Arabia: Thoughts on the Cabinet Reshuffle
Saudi Jeans reacts to the recent reshuffle in the Saudi government. ” I think the cabinet shuffle was not surprising in itself, but rather in its scale and some of the details,” he notes.
Morocco: Climbing and Trekking
The View from Fez writes about mountain climbing and trekking in Morocco.
Qatar: Clean up Campaign a Success
Qatar Living covers a clean up campaign, with photographs, in this post.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: A Girl's War
Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts details of a theatrical play performed in 2001 set against the backdrop of the Nagorno Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The blog says the play was taboo-breaking because in it an Armenian and Azerbaijani fall in love and nationalist sentiments which define the rhetoric in...
Bangladesh: Remembering The Language Martyrs
Desherchobi posts a photo essay describing how Bangladeshis commemorate the martyrs who gave their lives for their mother tongue Bangla on 21st of February, 1952, now recognized as the International mother language day.
India: Clean Sweep by Slumdog Millionaire At The Oscars
Kamla Bhatt reports that last evening British and Indian cast and crew of the movie Slumdog Millionaire (a British film based on a novel set out in India) made a clean sweep at the Oscars by winning 8 awards out of 10 nominations including the best picture award.
Thailand: Australian gets royal pardon
Australian Harry Nicolaides has been granted a royal pardon after spending almost six months in a Thai prison on lese majeste charges. New Mandala posted a statement from Harry's brother. Bangkok Pundit examines the lese majeste law.
Brunei: Cartoons about the floods
Cuboiart posts two cartoons describing Brunei's experience with flash floods for the past two months.
Singapore: Most wired country in the world
According to Singapore's Infocomm Development Authority, broadband penetration hit 99.9 per cent in the country last December 2008.This makes Singapore the most wired country in the world.
Thailand: Alternative local currency
Al Jazeera reports how residents of a remote town in northeast Thailand are using an alternative local currency to encourage fellow villagers to become more self-sufficient.
Global Health: Mobile Phones to Boost Healthcare
Three foundations have joined forces in an effort to provide better healthcare through the use of cell phones and computer technology. In particular, these mobile technology initiatives are aimed at improving healthcare services in developing countries. Cell phones are currently being used for health services ranging from HIV/AIDS education to...
Cambodia: Female Python pet
A Cambodian family has a female Python for a houseguest. They believe the giant python brings good luck.
Kyrgyzstan: Back Count for the U.S. Airbase
On February, 19th, 2009 nearly all Krrgyz MPs approved a motion denouncing the agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the USA about the American airbase at Manas. Of 89 total MPs, 78 voted for, one against, and two abstained: The government, in the name of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, after signing...
Kyrgyzstan: Tablighi Jamaat
Sultan reflects on the possible restriction of the activity of the religious movement “Tablighi Jamaat” in Kyrgyzstan.
Uzbekistan: U.S. Airbase Seeking New Home
Elina reports that after the American airbase has been closed in Kyrgyzstan, a top U.S. general is visiting Uzbekistan to discuss alternative supply routes for the army in Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan: Politics and Society in Times of Crisis
Politics remain the major topic of the online discussions in Kazakhstan – much more frequently and intensely than in public life. One of the most recent events, widely discussed by the bloggers, was the establishment of the new state award – the title of the Kazakhstan's Hero of Labor (an...
Dominican Republic: A Tsunami of Garbage
Duarte101 [es] writes about a planned urban art event called “Urban Solid Residue” which will show the reality of the amount of garbage in the form of a “tsunami of trash” in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
China: Closer Look at the 50 Cent Party Member
If you want to take a closer look at the 50 cent party members, read RConversation. Last month, Beijing Association of Online Media held a meeting regarding illegal content, in which “40 representatives of Internet supervision volunteers” had attended.
Taiwan: The cost of investment
There has been a huge amount of Taiwanese investment in China over the past two decades. Michael Turton discusses the human cost of that investment.
Russia: Politkovskaya Murder Trial Acquittals
Oleg Kozlovsky, Irina Filatova, Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog, and Window on Eurasia write about the “not guilty” verdict for the three men charged with being involved in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.
