Stories from 5 July 2009
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Teenage bloggers meet
Teenage bloggers from #Armenia and #Azerbaijan have met in the U.S as part of the DOTCOM project. Follow their adventures and activities at DOTCOM: PH International or on Twitter at #DOTCOM
Iraq – Sovereignty?
"It is like deja-vu all over again. How many times will the media declare Iraqi Sovereignty and us bloggers are expected to stand up and respectfully applaud?" writes Salam Adil in reaction to the news of further US troop withdrawal in Iraq. He brings us more reactions from the Iraqi blogosphere about their "new-found sovereignty".
Uruguay: One Year Anniversary of Knitting Club
The Uruguayan Knitters Club [es] recently celebrated its first anniversary and Topita celebrates with pictures of some of the finished projects made by club members [es].
Paraguay: The Passing of “Píter”
Peter Balbuena or also simply known as “Píter” recently passed away in Paraguay. He was a tireless advocate and activist for LGBT rights in that country. Marta Escurra of Con el Perdón de la Palabra [es] recalls her conversations with him.
Paraguay: Health Park in Asunción
Muna Annahas discovers the Parque de la Salud (Health Park) in Asunción, Paraguay, which is a open space for residents to exercise and to be surrounded by nature.
Azerbaijan: Canine reflections
Scary Azeri in Suburbs features a special guest post from her Baku-born Rottweiler who compares life as a dog in the United Kingdom with that of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan: Alphabet(s)
In Mutatione Fortitudo laments the state of the Azerbaijani alphabet and the various changes it has seen since the 1920s.
Armenia: Rock ‘n Roll kitchen
Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor pays a visit to Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri where he interviews a member of the country's most well-known rock band. The post also includes an alternative video recipe for a little known local dish.
Israel: Keeping Cool in the Jerusalem Heat
Jerusalemite offers tips for how to stay cool in the summer heat. They include: “If your skin is any lighter than the fuul on your hummus (not a scientific gauge), and you're going to be outside for awhile, put on some sunscreen. If your skin turns to bacon, you may...
Palestine: Dealing With Settler Attacks
Israeli human rights activist Joseph Dana reports on a visit to the southern Hebron Hills, accompanying local Palestinian sheep herders to their lands near the illegal settlement of Maon – where they are frequently attacked by the Israeli settlers.
Bahrain: A Different Version Of Events
Some days ago it was reported that a group of Emirati visitors were attacked in Bahrain; they were later visited by the Prime Minister. However Hussain Ghuloom believes the story of what happened is different to that printed in the media.
Brazil: The Navigation System for Visually Impaired People
“Three young guys from Brazil had developed “a navigation system for visually impaired people” with mobile phones & gps”, Mobile WebTV Live Broadcast reports. See the videos.
Japan: Amano elected as IAEA chief, some doubts
Lawyer and blogger raymiyatake expresses his doubts [ja] over the election of Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). First, he says, Amano was supported by only 23 nations out of 35. Second, he points out the difficult situation that the Agency is dealing...
Japan: Eight endangered languages in the Japanese archipelago
In February UNESCO presented the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, giving an accurate and worrying description of the languages considered endangered (about 2,500). Among these eight belong to the Japanese archipelago. Not a big surprise if we think about the severe policies of linguistic and cultural assimilation carried...
Armenia: Fugitive newspaper editor detained, starts tweeting
Tzitzernak2 posts a video of fugitive newspaper editor and opposition activist Nikol Pashinian turning himself in after a more than a year on the run following last year's post-election unrest in Armenia. Meanwhile, @unzippedblog reports that @nikolpashinyan has started tweeting from detention in the building of the National Security Service...
Armenia: Georgian controversy
Nazarian comments on the recent visit by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to Armenia. The blog says that nationalist forces in the country have every right to be angered by the medal awarded to Saakashvili by his Armenian counterpart, but says that Russian parliamentarians should stay out of the affairs of...
Brazil: Coffee and Milk, or Water and Vinegar?
Adventures of a Gringa uploads a series of University of Sao Paulo's documentaries about the politics of race in Brazil: Coffee and milk, or water and vinegar? “The documentary tries to debunk the notion of “racial democracy” in Brazil, as well as explaining concepts of race, racism, and identity. The...
Iran: Stand by me
Ianyan reports on the recording of a song sung in English and Farsi to show solidarity with the Iranian people. The blog notes that joining Jon Bon Jovi for the song is Iranian-Armenian pop star Andy Madadian. Unzipped also covers the release of the song.
India: Rain In Mumbai
Charukesi at A Time To Reflect posts some pictures of rain soaked Mumbai. She comments: “I love the rains in Bombay, the clogged roads, the wet clothes, the potholes, the frogs and warts and all.”
Iran:The head of Judiciary targets hostile websites
According to news sites “the head of Iran's judiciary called on Sunday for the prosecution of people working for increasingly influential anti-establishment satellite TV channels and websites.”
How Russia Can Influence Speech in Iran
Bruc Etling from Berkman Center for Internet and Society of Harvard published a post entitled: How Russia can influence speech in Iran.