Featured stories from February 2010
Stories from February, 2010
Japan: Blogging from a locked room
What if you found yourself trapped in a room of your house with the door lock broken and few tools with you? This is what happened to Fumiko Fumio. Equipped with a camera and his faithful laptop the blogger diarized his adventure as he lived it. Asking advices on twitter...
Morocco: The Death of a Newspaper
Jamal Elabiad writes of the possible demise of Morocco's only English-language newspaper, The Casablanca Analyst.
Iran: Webcomic about a young protester
Zahra's paradise ,a graphic novel, is the fictional story of the search for Mehdi, a young protestor who has disappeared in the Islamic Republic’s gulags.”
Sri Lanka: Best Of The Blogosphere In 2009
London, Lanka and Drums announces the best of Sri Lankan blogs in 2009.
Nepal: Photos Of Old Kathmandu
Going Global posts some pictures of the old town of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Nepal: World's Shortest Man
XNepali reports that Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the shortest man in the world. Khagendra (18) is 56 cm tall and weighs just five kilograms.
Palestine: Sleepless in Gaza
The premier episode of a 90 part series, Sleepless in Gaza…and Jerusalem will be launched on YouTube on March 1st. The series will be a video diary about four young Palestinian women, Muslim and Christian, two living in Gaza and two in Arab Jerusalem/West Bank. The series will show how...
Armenia: Chance meeting
Unzipped: Gay Armenia visits the Yuri Mechitov photo exhibit at the National Theatre in London as part of an festival of events honoring Armenian film director Sergei Parajanov and runs into the photographer. The blog posts photographs from the visit and encounter.
Global: The Tiger's Year And Tiger Farming
Wildlife activists and organizations around the world are determined to make sure that this is really “The year of the Tiger”. They have seized this opportunity to step up their activities and bring global attention to this majestic, yet severely endangered species in the ever diminishing animal kingdom.
Poland: Real-Time Reactions to Kowalczyk's Gold in Vancouver
Sylwia Presley reviews real-time reactions of the Polish fans who were cheering for Justyna Kowalczyk, the Polish cross country skier who won the first gold for Poland at the Vancouver Olympics on Feb. 27.
Poland: Eccentric Protest Against Theatre Director
Magda Pilat reviews Polish bloggers' reactions to an eccentric protest against a theatre director by a well-known Polish actress Joanna Szczepkowska.
Georgia: Eurovision National Competition
With Armenia having already chosen its entry for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, Norway, now comes the turn of Georgia. The Oikotimes reviews the six songs presented to the Georgian public by Sopho Nizharadze. Crazyescfan's blog describes the winning entry, Shine, as a strong and emotional song by...
Chile: The Legacy of the 1960 Earthquake in Valdivia
Fifty years ago, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in history rocked the city of Valdivia, Chile. The legacy that the earthquake has had on Chile's history was on the minds of many around the country, including many Twitter users in that city.
Armenia: Diplomatic Academy
Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences reports that a Diplomatic Academy supported by the EU, OSCE and UN has been opened in Yerevan with the purpose of creating future career diplomats. The blog notes that several among the first intake were women.
Azerbaijan: Water Tuesday
As was the case last year, Sheki, Azerbaijan introduces its readers to the start of events leading to the holiday of Novruz with Water Tuesday. The blog also says that February is considered the toughest month of Winter, but says that it also marks the beginning of Spring.
Azerbaijan: Khojali anniversary
Sheki, Azerbaijan marks the anniversary of a massacre taking place during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The blog laments the loss of life during war and hopes that the victims rest in peace.
Rare Disease Day: “Alone we are rare. Together we are strong.”
February 28 is "Rare Disease Day". Patient and family support groups make avid use of online media to raise awareness and share information about proper care and prevention of uncommon diseases that affect millions of people.
Chile: Powerful 8.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Country
At 3:34 a.m. local time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 struck off the coast of the Maule region in Chile. Extensive damage has been reported throughout the country, and the number of casualties continues to go up.
Qatar: Artist MF Husain trades Indian passport for Qatari one
Reactions on the Internet ranged from shock, dismay and delight as MF Husain, one of India's most celebrated and reviled artists, is offered Qatari citizenship - and accepts.
Morocco: Maghreb Bloggers Search for Common Ground
A three-day workshop for bloggers from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco was held from 15 to 17 February 2010 in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Participating bloggers reported and live-tweeted the event. They shared their blogging experiences, engaged in lively debates openly confronting their views on contentious issues and were encouraged to reflect on ways to find grounds for mutual understanding.
Azerbaijan: Oil Academy corruption allegations
ANTV, a citizen journalism site recently awarded for its contribution to freedom of the press in Azerbaijan, posts a YouTube video [AZ/EN] interview with Elmin Badalaov, a fourth year student at Baku's Oil Academy expelled allegedly because of his investigation into corruption at the prestigious institute.