Stories from 1 August 2009
Palestine: School Graduation In Gaza
The tawjihi is the general secondary examination in Gaza, the West Bank and Jordan, and it determines a student's choice of university and major. This year the exams were held simultaneously in the West Bank and Gaza and hailed as a sign of national unity.
Iran: “I am not afraid Anymore”
FreeLantern has transalted into English a description of what happened in Tehran’s cemetery to the people when they commemorated the protest's victims :”Riot police is standing in front of us. We are a lot, we are chanting slogans and going forward and the Police are retreating. We have the good...
Arab World: Best Arab Blog Contest Launches
Moroccan Badr al Hamry [Ar] passes the word to fellow Arab bloggers about today's launch of Arabesque [Ar], a competition that intends to choose the best Arabic speaking blogs throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The contest, which is sponsored by a number of organisations including Global Voices Online
Morocco: Magazines Seized
Oualid L., blogging on Réflexions et autres idées (hosted by Courrier International), reports [Fr] on the decision by the Moroccan Interior Ministry to block two prominent magazines (TelQuel and Nichane) from circulation. As Moroccans commemorate 10 years of a new reign, the move is believed to fuel the ongoing protest...
Filipino Bloggers Honor Ex-President Corazon Aquino
Tonyo Cruz roundups Filipino blogs and tweets paying tribute to former Philippine President Corazon Aquino who died of cardiorespiratory arrest today at the age of 76.
Iran: Leading reformist Abtahi on trial
Iranian bloggers respond to a "confession" made by leading reformist Mohammed Ali Abtahi at the trial of the Iran elections protesters that began today in Tehran.
Angola: National flag carrier removed from EU blacklist
After two years, the first TAAG flight from Luanda to Lisbon is scheduled for today, 1 August 2009 with a Boeing 777-200ER. The blogosphere discusses the EU lifting national flag carrier's ban.
Armenia: Demographic crisis
Thoughts on the Road comments on news that Armenia faces a demographic crisis to such an extent that it might have to remove exemption from military service for students. The blog wonders what this means for attempts to resolve the conflict the country has with Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh.
Egypt: 226 H1N1 cases detected
Egypt's H1N1 or Swine Flu cases have climed to 226 cases, writes Zeinobia, at Egyptian Chronicles.
Azerbaijan: London protest
Media Helping Media updates its readers on detained video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli. The blog says that supporters of the two activists yesterday protested outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London. A video of the demonstration has also been posted on YouTube.
Tunisia: Tunisian President's Re-Election Site
Tunisian blogger Sami ben Gharbia [Ar] traces the Tunisian President's reelection campaign site – which was set up in 2004 by a diplomat based in Washington DC. According to Fikra, this particular diplomat has around 80 domains related to Tunisia registered under his name.
Bahrain: A Scene from Juffair
Urang Awak, from Bahrain, posts a street shot from Juffair.
Algeria: Obama and the Middle East
How well is US president Barack Obama faring in the Middle East? American Algerian The Moor Next Door discusses the issue in this post.
Algeria's role in banning Arab human rights group from the UN
An Arab human rights group has been barred from the UN for a year, following the bidding of Algeria. Alle, from the Maghreb Politics Review, comments on the incident here.
Iran: Abtahi, a leading blogger's trial begins
Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a leading blogger and reformist politican, was arrested several weeks ago after the protest against the 12th of June presidential election erupted. Abtahi, is one of leading reformist politicians whose trial begins today in Tehran.
Caucasus: An interview with Micael Bogar
With three frozen conflicts and many ethnic fault lines, peace and stability in the South Caucasus often seems unreachable. After living and working in the the region for many years, Micael Bogar is now Projects Manager at the American University's Center for Social Media and speaks to Global Voices Online on the potential for new media tools to circumvent divisions and bring estranged neighbors together.
Morocco: Untightening the Grip
Tunisia Watch [Fr], a blog monitoring freedom restrictions in the Maghreb with special focus on Tunisia, links to an open letter published by The Committee to Protect Journalists aimed at the king of Morocco urging him to reform media law and stop restrictions.
