Stories from 7 May 2009
Poland: “Cool Inventions”
“Six cool inventions you didn’t know were Polish” – at Polandian: bulletproof vest, mine detector, walkie-talkie and a few more.
Russia: Car Wash and Christ the Savior's
24-hour car wash in the Christ the Savior Cathedral's compound – at Pictures of Moscow.
Russia: Helping the Homeless in Moscow
Notes on Moscow writes about volunteering to help the homeless.
Armenia: Yerevan election update
Writing for the Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus editor rounds up some of the latest developments in this month's crucial municipal election in Yerevan. In particular, the entry singles out two incidents involving police and opposition supporters as well as an aborted assault on a local journalist.
Poland: Hitler and Abortion
Sylwia Presley reviews online reactions to neo-Nazi anti-abortion posters that appeared in several public places in Zielona Gora at the end of April.
Saudi Arabia: Women not allowed
Saudi blogger Aysha Alkusayer describes how her hopes were dashed after being turned away from an audition, which was supposedly open to both sexes, in Riyadh. “Today I hoped and this was wrong. It is probably best to believe that discrimination against, race, gender or faith would never change,” she...
Algeria: Berber, Arabic or French?
Algerian linguist Lameen Souag asks: “The key issue in Algerian linguistic politics – substantially overshadowing the question of the role of Berber – is what should be the language of bureaucracy and education: Standard Arabic (the official language, and the primary pre-colonial language of literacy for all Algeria) or French...
Algeria: Countdown to the crackdown
The Maghreb Politics Review reports: “After the recent hostage release by the southern/Saharan wing of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, there has been much political and military movement in Algeria, Mali and the surrounding countries. According to numerous press rumors, a major joint operation in the border areas is about...
Saudi Arabia: “Why I don't feel like blogging?”
Saudi blogger Mashi Sa7 [Ar] wonders whether his lack of interest in blogging stems from the fact that his country is one of the worst 10 countries to be a blogger in, according to a recent report published by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
India: Interference in Nepali Affairs
Srinivasan Ramani at A New Praxis in a changed world comments: “the Indian ambassador's moves to pressurize the Nepali polity to retain Katuwal was a blatant expression of interference in Nepali affairs. Any self respecting Nepali, let alone a Maoist or any other leftist politician would have bristled at this...
Pakistan: Internally Displaced Persons
CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan updates the latest state of the Pakistan’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are fleeing the fighting escalated by the military’s recent operations against the Taliban.
India: Why we should vote for independent candidates
While discussing about the independent candidates in the Indian elections 2009, Muthu Kumar at The average everyday – Reality Fictionized answers the question: “Why should we vote for independent candidates if we think they are worth it?”
DRC: Former child soldiers wait for government to pay
Congoblog [Fr] tells the story of two former child soldiers who are still waiting for the reintegration money promised by the government. They survive by collecting garbage and grating cow horns to make Nkulo, a traditional dish.
China: Isaac Mao #twinterviews Hu Yong
Thursday afternoon in China, well-known netizen Isaac Mao began interviewing Chinese Internet researcher Hu Yong on Twitter; here is what they twalked about.
USA: Opening Conversations on Sexual and Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides free or inexpensive sexual health services to young men and women in the United States and abroad, has launched a YouTube campaign. The organization is encouraging people to share their thoughts and experiences around getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases, educating their kids about sex, and discussing reproductive rights issues.
Brazil: The Character Assassination of a Presidential Candidate
It seems that Brazilian mainstream media have set aside good journalistic standards when it comes to news stories about President Lula's preferred presidential candidate, Dilma Roussef. This has not been missed by Brazilian bloggers, who have dissected a series of false media reports, including the unabashed publication of a fake police file that has been circulating on the internet for more than a year.
Haiti: Senate Elections Explained
“Haiti’s Lavalas movement effectively destroyed the credibility of the April 19 Senate election through a successful boycott campaign called Operation Closed Door”: Kevin Pina, writing at HaitiAnalysis.com, explains.
Martinique, Guadeloupe: Emancipation Celebrations
The French overseas territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe will soon be commemorating the anniversary of the abolition of slavery, according to Repeating Islands.
Bermuda: Government & the Media
The Premier of Bermuda has announced that he will reduce the government's contact with certain media organizations in an effort “to reduce the rancour and lower the toxicity that have become the norm” – Vexed Bermoothes responds: “This, to put it bluntly, is sign of power and control run amok”...
Dominica: Doing vs. Being
“We Dominicans on a whole must avoid lingering in the past and mulling over the circumstances that led to our perceived errors in judgment”: Dominica Weekly reminds us that we are more than what we do.
Jamaica: IMF
“Prime Minister Golding is putting his loving hand out to the International Monetary Fund for a loan to help Jamaica’s struggling economy,” writes Jamaica Salt, adding: “The last time Jamaica got help from the IMF was not a great thing.” Abeng News Magazine also weighs in, here and here.
