Stories from 15 April 2009
Israel: Celebrating the End of the Passover Holiday
Middle Eastern Jews conclude the Passover holiday with the breaking of bread– and other treats– in a holiday called Mimouna. Yonatan Dror Bar-On of Dutchblog Israel posts a mouthwatering photo of his feast.
Kuwait: Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism?
It is a recurring question: Is graffiti art or vandalism? This question was recently the centre of debate in the Kuwaiti blogosphere.
Some Interesting Factoids and Trivia About the Indian General Elections 2009
On April 16th, 2009 the first phase of the voting for the Indian general elections will begin and conclude on May 13th, 2009. This is the 15th general elections in India since it became independent in 1947. Read some interesting facts, trivia and myths about the elections.
India: Voting Rights For Indians Living Abroad
Law and Other Things blog discusses the legal aspects of providing voting rights to the Indians working and studying abroad and comments: “giving them the right to vote may help entice them to stay politically active and think of themselves as invested in their country's future in a different way.”
The Role of Mobile Technology in the 2009 Indian Lok Sabha Elections
Gaurav Mishra at Gauravonomics Blog writes about the role of mobile technology in the 2009 Indian Lok Sabha Elections. The use of mobile technology includes sms based campaigns, voter registration drives, election monitoring and many more.
Bangladesh: The Rich Culture Of New Year Celebrations
An ordinary citizen writes about the rich culture of celebrating the Bangla New Year, Pahela Baishakh in Bangladesh.
Israel: Responding to Upswing of World Antisemitism
“It’s no secret that antisemitism around the world is on an upswing,” writes Occidental Israeli, who suggests possibilities for its mitigation.
Israel: West Bank Mosque Contains Weapons Lab
Lirun of East Med Sea Peace reflects on the fact that a mosque based in the West Bank was recently found to harbor a weapons lab: “i think these sorts of things have contributed to the devaluation of muslim holy place sanctity in the eyes of the average israeli.. and...
Israel: Sandstorm Hits Israel
A sandstorm enveloped Israel last night, whipping branches off trees and sluicing clothing from lines. Yudit of Occupied reports: “After a hot dry Khamsin day, the wind is picking up like crazy, howling around my home and blowing ultra-fine dust into and onto everything and i can hear the sea...
Thailand: Extended holiday
The government of Thailand extended the country’s traditional New Year holiday festivities for public safety in case the Red Shirt protesters organize a new round of protests.
Thailand: Red Shirts paid to protest?
The Red Shirts have ended their protests. The leaders have been arrested and an arrest warrant was issued against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. There is a popular video on YouTube which critics believe is a proof that Thaksin paid his supporters to protest in Thailand.
Americas: Eye on the Summit
As the much-anticipated opening of the Fifth Summit of the Americas - which will see 34 Western Hemisphere leaders coming together to discuss issues related to human prosperity, environmental sustainability and energy security, not to mention the global financial crisis - fast approaches, regional bloggers continue to closely monitor developments.
Cuba, U.S.A.: Play Ball
“The ball is in Cuba’s court after Obama threw it yesterday, as he announced new flexibility in his policies toward Cuba”: From Havana, Generation Y says: “The game would become more dynamic if they let the Cuban people take hold of the erratic ball of change. Many would kick it...
Bahamas: Health Care Paradigm
Larry Smith, writing at Bahama Pundit, says that “the government will soon propose major medical reforms”, but notes: “The big challenge today is to find a sustainable solution…we will have to change our frame of reference from over-reliance on tertiary medicine, which focuses on expensive hospital care, to lower-cost preventive...
Barbados: HIV & Young People
Bajan Dream Diary takes a look at the HIV epidemic among Barbados’ youth.
Barbados: Reputation & Governance
Barbados has hired a Canadian company to transform the Barbados Stock Exchange into an international one, but in light of existing integrity and freedom of information laws, Barbados Free Press says: “One has to wonder…if Barbados’ international reputation is more a result of luck, hype and spin than a reflection...
Japan: New Publishing Models for Manga
Experimenting with new publishing models to overcome the decline of manga magazines, Shuho Sato has announced that he will be posting updates of “Say Hello to Black Jack (Sequel) – 新ブラックジャックによろしく” on his site one month after their publication in Weekly Big Comic Spirits.
Uganda: President's wife appointed to cabinet
This month's cabinet reshuffle has Ugandan bloggers making 2011 election predictions. Among the new appointments President Yoweri Museveni made was the posting of his wife Janet as state minister for Karamoja, a region in northeastern Uganda that has been plagued by conflict and extreme poverty for decades.
Peru: Mass Sterilizations During Fujimori Term
After the sentencing of Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori for crimes against humanity, Silvio Rendón of Gran Combo Club [es] summarizes the events behind the mass sterilizations of indigenous women without their consent during Fujimori's term.
Mali: Model village show power of investing in people
Le Pangolin writes about Teriya Bugu, a model village on the Niger river, in Mali, “proof that Africa has every opportunity to advance so long as it invests in people, especially farmers. Hope is a value Africa should invest in” [Fr]
Azerbaijan: Operatic Sheki
Sheki, Azerbaijan says that while the government has started to publicize the history and culture of her country abroad, there is still much to discover. For example, she reports, the first female opera composer in the Orient was not only Azeri, but also came from her home town.
