Stories from 20 April 2009
Unemployment in Singapore
Tan Kin Lian believes unemployment rate in Singapore is “seriously under-reported.”
Global Health: Twitter Face-Off To Fight Malaria
This past week Twitter became the newest weapon in the fight against malaria when American actor Ashton Kutcher challenged news network CNN to a race to get a million Twitter followers. The winner of the competition vowed to donate mosquito bed nets in time for World Malaria Day on April 25.
Georgia: War speculation
Lingeliens Ludicrous Legends comments on speculation from the media and some blogs that a new military conflict between Georgia and Russia might break out.
Azerbaijan: Corruption in the education sector
Thoughts on the Road updates its readers on the case of Parviz Azimov who was recently expelled from his university. The blog says that if administrators and professors had hoped Azimov would now remain quiet about corruption in the education sector in Azerbaijan, they were very much mistaken.
Kazakhstan: Blackout in Almaty
Last Wednesday, April 15, due to damage of the high-voltage power line Toktogul-Frunze (the largest line in the Kyrgyz Republic), most enterprises and even strategic buildings in towns of the northern Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan were in blackout. The supply of gas and hot water has been suspended, ATMs were...
Reflections on Barcamp Kuala Lumpur 2009
Bernard Leong shares his reflections on the recent Barcamp Kuala Lumpur 2009. He writes: Other than technology, we have topics ranging from social & youth entrepreneurship, corporate brands with social media, bloggers, to even salsa dancing.”
Jackie Chan: Chinese need control
“I'm mot sure if it's good to have freedom or not, I'm really confused now. If there is too much freedom, like the way Hong Kong is today, it is very chaotic; Taiwan is also chaotic. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled.” – Jackie...
Malaysia: Facebook now more popular than Friendster
Friendster is the top social networking site for many years already in Southeast Asia. But Facebook is now more popular than Friendster in Malaysia.
Cambodia: “Finest pepper in the world”
Kampot province in Cambodia is known for producing the “finest pepper in the world”
Global crisis affects Cambodian migrant workers
Due to the global economic crisis, South Korea has reduced the number of migrant workers it will accept this year. This is bad news for Cambodia's migrant workers. Many Cambodians are working and planning to work in South Korea.
Thailand: Red Shirt videos
Happi like a Hippo gives a list of protest videos uploaded by Thailand's Red Shirt protesters on YouTube.
Latin America: Pride on Local Musicians in YouTube's Symphony Orchestra
Latin American bloggers have been writing about the YouTube Symphony Orchestra's debut at the Carnegie Hall, where the winners of a world-wide online contest where were flown into New York to participate in this collaborative orchestra. Following, some of the winners selected to play at Carnegie Hall, and how some of them weren't able to make their dream come true.
Kazkahstan: Web2.0 government
Zara reports on the research that has been held in Kazakhstan on how effective are the blogs of the government officials.
Kazakhstan: Opposition wants to unite
Arman reports on the Forum of Kazakhstan’s democratic forces that took place last Saturday in Almaty, where the opposition parties voiced their intention to unite and create a single party.
Kyrgyzstan: Serious Emergency at the Kyrgyz Electric Linesna
Elena posts some facts about yesterday’s electrical blackout in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan: News About the President’s Election Race
Elena continues reporting about the new faces in the election race for the president post in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakhstan: Kazakh party vs. Chinese companies
Arman tells about the demarche of the Kazakhstan opposition party against expansion of Chinese state corporations presence in the country’s economy.
Mongolia: Putin to visit Mongolia
Bilguun reports that Russian premier Vladimir Putin will visit Mongolia in May, on the eve of the presidential elections.
China: Gangster in the Government
Chinageeks translated an article written by Yang Licai (via Ai Weiwei) about his experience in various local town while collecting names of the earthquake school kid victims.
Turkmenistan: Turks Building in Ashgabat Again
Michael Hancock writes that Turkish construction companies are again receiving contracts to build more great buildings in Turkmenistan.
Kyrgyzstan: Mysterious Murder of Sanjarbek Kadyraliev
Joshua Foust reports on the murder of the Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament, who had never publicly supported the opposition.
