Stories from 5 July 2009
Taiwan: Dell, Caught in the Web
On the late night of June 25, Dell, the brand that sells customized PCs, suddenly became the hottest word on Taiwan's Twitterverse, Plurksphere, and BBS, because all products listed on Dell's homepage are on unbelievable discount.
Hungary: Right wing on the march
Hungarian Spectrum reports on a demonstration of the right wing Hungarian Guard movement.
Belarus: Population decreases as alcohol consumption increases
LJ user kasiner critically presents [BLR/RUS] statistics showing how Belarus’ population decreases as alcohol consumption increases.
Israel/Palestine: Al Jazeera Journalist Detained
Days after a boat carrying activists from the Free Gaza movement was stopped by the Israeli navy, many of the passengers are still being detained in jail in Tel Aviv....
Uzbekistan: Biometric Passports
Musafirbek reports that Uzbekistan President Karimov signed the decree on introduction of biometric data passports in the country as of January 1, 2010.
Kyrgyzstan: Free Market Research Center Officially Launched
Mirsulzhan informs that the Central Asian Free Market Institute opened the doors in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. It is aimed at becoming the leading think-tank for the whole region, providing...
Kyrgyzstan: UNESCO shields environment
Elena reports that Sulamain-Too, the Sacred Mountain, has become the Kyrgyzstan’s first site to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Kazakhstan: Manshuk Mametova Lake
Jackara presents a photopost about the magnificent glacier lake high in the mountains near Almaty, the largest city of Kazakhstan.
Does Global Financial Crisis Affect Kyrgyzstan?
Slon.ru writes [ru] that global financial crisis started in the February, 2007. That month Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) stopped the buying-out the subprime mortgages. A lot of...
Kazakhstan: Nazarbaev and the Internet Law
Michael Hancock opines on the perspectives of the controversial law on online censorship in Kazakhstan.
Armenia: Overheard on the Net
Ianyan, a new blog-based e-zine presents its first bi-weekly column, Overheard on the Net, a humorous and irreverent look at how Armenians are often referred to online by others.
Kyrgyzstan: Manas to be used by US troops
Elina reports that after intense diplomatic pressure by the United States, the Kyrgyz Republic has decided to allow US troops to use the Manas air base as a transit stop...
Israel: Human Rights Activist's Sentencing Postponed
The Villages Group blog reports that the sentencing of Ezra Nawi, an Israeli human rights activist in the South Hebron area convicted of trying to prevent home demolitions, has been...
Palestine: A Blogger Reevaluates
In Gaza, blogger Abu el Sharif is going back to basics [Ar].
Israel: Jewish American or American Jew?
Aliza Hausman, better known by her blogging handle “La Jewminicana” is the winner of a contest sponsored by the Jewlicious blog that asks readers to respond to the question: “Are...
Israel: First African American Woman Ordained Rabbi
Rabbi Alysa Stanton was recently ordained as the first female African American rabbi. “The media frenzy around Alysa Stanton’s ordination has opened the possibility of improved coverage of Jews from...
Israel: Soldier Raises Gay Pride Flag
Frgdr posts a photo of an Israeli soldier carrying a rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride.
Israel: The Joys of Urban Gardening in Jerusalem
IzzyBee reflects on the joy of her urban garden. “In my Jerusalem patio… bougainvillea blooms in shades of magenta, crimson, and pale orange. We planted an olive tree, a cypress,...
Israel: World's Longest Cucumber
Israeli Yitzhak Yazdanpana has just grown the world's largest cucumber, measuring in at three feet, 10 inches long, Good News from Israel reports. Readers are encouraged to post favorite cucumber...
Israel: Expecting “Hannah Montana's” Arrival
The Disney Channel will soon arrive in Israel in Hebrew. “Hannah Montana Changes Her Name to Chani Golani,” My Jewish Learning's Mixed Multitudes blog jests.
