27 August 2009

Stories from 27 August 2009

Japan: Falling Asleep on Trains

A Tsukuba Express train driver fell asleep at the wheel and was reported by a customer who used his cell phone to film the driver's slumber. While many bloggers expressed...

27 August 2009

Maldives: Defense Arrangement With India

Mohamed Nasheed, a Member of Parliament, writes in his blog how and why he initiated a motion in the Maldives parliament pointing out the need to make sure that the...

27 August 2009

Iraq: Death Of Shi'ite Leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim

Sayyed Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (the largest political party in the Iraqi Council of Representatives), died of lung cancer on August 26 in Tehran, Iran. His death is expected to have repercussions for politics in Iraq. Bloggers around the region have responded to the news.

27 August 2009

Martinique: Dance the Bèlè

Repeating Islands features Leïla Bizet and her bèlè, “a traditional folk dance practiced on islands like Dominica, St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, and Martinique; hailing from the days of slavery, it has...

27 August 2009

Trinidad & Tobago: Productivity

“So we need to produce more corn curls, Crix and painted stones (aka GDP) per man per hour”: This Beach Called Life takes a tongue-in-cheek look at productivity in Trinidad...

27 August 2009

Japan: What to do with “Media Arts”

For a nation working to capitalize its “soft power”, what is the role of anime and manga culture in governmental policies? The official answer is that anime, manga and digital...

27 August 2009

Jamaica: Making It Last

“What good is it to glean several medals, to ride the wave of national camaraderie and unity for a few days, only to be bogged down once again by the...

27 August 2009