28 January 2010

Stories from 28 January 2010

Russia: Political Dossier Web Site Shut Down

RuNet Echo

Compromat.ru, a notorious Web site that publishes controversial dossiers on various Russian politicians and businessmen, has been allegedly closed following a court order, Elena Tokareva (a.k.a. LJ user elena-tokareva2) reported...

28 January 2010

Sri Lanka: Latest Updates On Twitter

“The short window for freedom of expression is now closed. It is unclear when and to what extent it will open again. #srilanka #lka” reads one Tweet by the Sri...

28 January 2010

Morocco: A Charter for the Environment

The Moroccan government launched an ambitious project on environment involving a series of regional meetings, workshops and conferences that sparked a national debate that aims at establishing a Charter for the environment. Bloggers have been commenting on the development.

28 January 2010

MENA: Breaking the veils

AltMuslimah reviews the exhibition Breaking the veils: Women artists from the Islamic World, which contains art and literature from women in over 20 countries, including Palestine, Yemen and Morocco. The...

28 January 2010

Pakistan: In Search Of A Pakistani Identity

In a recent survey three quarters of Pakistani youth viewed themselves as Muslims first, Pakistani second. Raza Rumi talks about the identity crisis of the Pakistani younger generation, which deviates...

28 January 2010

Egypt: The Right to Speak Up

Egyptian bloggers and activists held a conference on January 22 in defense of their right to speak up after more than 20 Egyptian bloggers were arrested when their train arrived in the village of Naga Hammady where the Coptic massacre took place. Marwa Rakha sums up their reactions to their detention in this post.

28 January 2010

Bermuda: Busting the Budget

“In three years, the public debt has grown by $480,481,000! And that’s before the economic recession really dug it’s teeth into Bermuda”: Vexed Bermoothes says that “the costs of the...

28 January 2010

Haiti: Security vs. Relief?

More than two weeks after the 12 January earthquake in Haiti, and despite an international outpouring of aid, thousands of affected Haitians in and around Port-au-Prince have received little or no relief assistance. Some Haitians and others on the ground suggest that exaggerated concerns about security and violence may be hindering relief efforts.

28 January 2010

Japan: In Choosing a Job (or Company)

With limited work experience, how does one make the decision on which company to work for, straight out of university? The question carries weight when you take in the fact that there's a good chance that some of these students might work for that company until they retirement.

28 January 2010

Video: Call for Aid in the Peruvian South due to Flooding

The state of emergency the city of Cusco and surrounding areas has moved many locals to make videos and upload them to the web, trying to get mass media to pay attention to the drama lived by villagers throughout the area who are now homeless, isolated and without food, water or electricity.

28 January 2010

Russia: Prosecution Against Opposition Blogger Stopped

RuNet Echo

The first criminal case against a blogger in Russia with a happy ending unfolded over a long period of time. After two years of investigation and three socio-linguistic assessments, experts didn't find any evidence of "incitement hatred against police and Russian Security Service officers." But the blogger's victory, however, is rather an exception than a rule.

28 January 2010

Korea: Translating The Tweets Of Novelist Lee Oisoo

Lee Oisoo is a Korean novelist and artist who has been described as "an eccentric, a genius and a lunatic". When he set up a Twitter account last year he quickly amassed thousands of followers. Now his tweets are being translated into English in order to reach a wider audience. But how did a Bahraini blogger get involved?

28 January 2010

Belarus: Politics and Economy Update

Belarus Digest reports on the ongoing political repressions in Belarus; the governement's plan “to introduce censorship on the Internet about a year before the next presidential election”; the new price...

28 January 2010

Belarus: “Hating Haiti?”

Andrei Khrapavitski writes that Haiti “has become a popular topic” for Belarusian bloggers “to chatter about and for some to sarcastically grin at the pain of Haitians. It hurts to...

28 January 2010