Stories from 26 January 2010
Nigeria: Bloggers discuss the massacre in Jos
On January 17th, violence erupted in the central Nigerian city of Jos. In the following hours, reports of the conflict spread as witnesses reported mobs armed with knives and machetes roving among burning houses, mosques, and churches. The conflict is ostensibly sectarian: Jos is a major city along Nigeria's “Middle Belt” – the fault line which divides the country's Christian-majority south from its Muslim-majority north.
Azerbaijan: Birthday Cream Cheese-Swirled Brownies
AZ Cookbook, Food from Azerbaijan & Beyond, turns two and marks the occasion with a recipe for cream cheese-swirled brownies.
China: Sexism in Han Han’s Film Review?
C. Custer posts the question on whether Han Han, a famous Chinese writer, is using sexist language in his comment on the woman director of the recent movie Confucius.
China: Wedding banquet
Maryannodonnell blogs about Chinese wedding style – banquet and happy wine.
Syria: Netizens Discuss SourceForge Ban
A day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a free and open Internet, Syrian users noticed they could no longer access open-source software community SourceForge. Bloggers react to the block.
Haiti: Youth Step It Up for Earthquake Relief
As Haiti's government raised the confirmed earthquake death toll to 150,000 earlier this week, there is particular concern for the well-being of the country's most vulnerable - its young people. But youth within and outside of Haiti are contributing to efforts to raise aid and awareness.
Graffiti and Urban Art: Voices from Latin American Streets III
Graffiti and urban art on the streets of Latin America is celebrated on the Internet by artists and fans alike. This is the third in a 3-part series on this movement across the region.
Philippines: Mindanao review in 2009
The Mindanao Examiner reviews the significant events in Mindanao Island in the past year. Mindanao is the second biggest island in the Philippines
Philippines: Blogger charged with libel
A Filipino blogger was charged with a libel suit by the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development after writing about the ‘rotting’ relief goods in a government warehouse. This is the first time a public official has sued a blogger in the Philippines.
Vietnam: Long prison terms for ‘democracy activists’
Four ‘democracy activists’ in Vietnam were sentenced to long prison terms for subversion. The four dissidents are advocating social change through non-violent means.
Vietnam: Football frenzy
Football is very popular in Vietnam. Every time Vietnam wins in international competitions, it generates a lot of excitement, and traffic, in big cities.
Vietnam: Motorbike parking payment system
The Final Word describes the new payment system in one of the largest motorbike parking lots in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Myanmar: Freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi?
A Myanmar junta official hints that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi could be set free this year. But the opposition doubts if this is an official announcement.
Hungary: The Invisible Marsh
Marietta Le reports on the story of one of Hungary's most successful citizen campaigns, whose goal is to save an endangered marsh by preventing an allegedly illegal expansion of a shopping center.
Russia: Editor Of Major Newspaper Says Police Treats Internet As Traditional Media
Commenting on the recent arrest of a former Russian police officer who used a video blog to expose police corruption in the country, an editor of a major Russian newspaper “Vedomosti” said that Russian police “treats Internet as an extension of traditional media and fights bloggers as they do journalists.”
