Stories from 12 February 2010
Russian Search Giant Plans To Buy ICQ
The Russian online search giant Yandex.ru became one of the top candidates to purchase a popular instant messaging service ICQ, Russian news agency Lenta.ru reported [RUS].
Russia May Use E-mail Addresses As ID Tools
The Russian minister of communication and mass media Igor Shegolev said [RUS] that Russia considered using e-mails accounts as additional identifications for Russian citizens along with traditional passports. According to...
Video: Mobile Libraries of the World
The mobile library has become a staple in many library systems, bringing books to those who cannot access the libraries themselves. However, in many places due to bad road conditions or lack of funding, the traditional system of rigging a bus or truck as a library is not possible. Thus, library trains, donkey libraries and motorcycle libraries have come to stay as viable options to bring books to the communities.
Costa Rica: Presidential Election Photo Essay
The Costa Rican photography collective “Nomada Colectivo” (Nomad Collective) took to the streets to capture the scene from election day on February 7, 2010 and created a photo-essay of these images.
Last chance to nominate blogs for BoBs Award
Deutsche Welle's Best of the Blogs Awards is accepting nominations until February 14th! Nominate blogs in any country. There are special topics for climate change and freedom of expression.
Haiti: On Orphans
“There are a small handful of beautiful programs working in Haiti to raise orphans to adulthood and teaching them to give back to their country. It takes a lot to...
Trinidad & Tobago: Poetry in the Mas’
Trinidad & Tobago Carnival inspires a poem by blogger Andre Bagoo.
Trinidad & Tobago: “Dat is Carnival”
MEP Caribbean Publishers explores the question of what constitutes Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, while My Chutney Garden adds: “That the ‘mas’ has become sanitised is beyond dispute.”
Belize: Borderline
Belizean reports that the country's Prime Minister “has urged caution on the part of Belize Defense Force army activities on the southern border with Guatemala” in the context of an...
China: Statistic on 2009 Internet events
ESWN translated a statistical report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on the most popular 2009 Internet events in China.
Brazil: A Snapshot of Campus Party 2010
São Paulo became a meeting place for geeks, cyberactivists and Internet addicts last month, during the Brazilian round of the Campus Party.
Nigeria: After two leaderless months, a new Acting President
After weeks of political wrangling, the Nigerian Senate confirmed Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President. Many in the blogosphere saw the event as cause for celebration, but others saw reason for concern, pointing out that although Jonathan's assumption of power might be a political necessity, it is not explicitly endorsed by the Nigerian Constitution.
Is Ghana Ready For e-Voting?
A two-day event which began yesterday; is being organized by the Danquah Institute (DI), a policy think tank, research and analysis centre, to create a national platform for stakeholders to lead the discussion on the possibility of facilitating the adoption of biometric voter registration, and subsequently the e-voting system in Ghana.
Egypt: Blogger loses job for uncovering fake virginity story
Egyptian blogger and journalist Amira Al Tahawi got fired for blowing the whistle over a fabricated story on the Chinese artificial hymen kit in a post she wrote on her blog, claim bloggers. Here are reactions from the Egyptian blogosphere on the incident.
Lebanon: The Better Daily Star Project
Annoyed by the current design of the news website "The Daily Star", Lebanese Blogger Beirut Spring redesigns the website to show that it can be done.
Japan: Momus, on This Ageing Country
In “Growing old in, and with, Japan” on the Click Opera blog, Nick Currie (aka Momus) lists several points of what could be “a silver lining to Japan's likely silver...
Armenia: Eurovision 2010
Unzipped comments on what it considers to be the two main contenders, Mihran & Emmy and Eva Rivas, as Armenia's entry into this year's Eurovision Song Contest. The blog says...
Lebanon: Bloggers push for Daily Star revamp
Lebanese bloggers are waging an online campaign to push the country's only English online newspaper to revamp its website. One blogger even takes the effort to redesign a mock - which his colleagues hope will prompt a change at The Daily Star, turning the "1920's Russian steam boat" into a 21st century cruise liner.
Japan: J-Music 2000-2009
A brilliant review [en] of a decade of Japanese music by W. David MARX at Néojaponisme.
Japan: Tweets from the Foreign Minister`s news conference
Freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi is live-tweeting from the Foreign Minister Okada`s news conference.
Japan: Top Ten Successful Expats
Alex at VictoryManual.com lists “Top Ten Successful Expats in Japan” – “Definitely English-speaking, American, white males have the easiest access to success as a foreigner in Japan.”
