Stories from 16 March 2010
Colombia: Confusing Ballots on Election Day
During the Colombian elections held on March 14, one complaint became common: the ballots were confusing because of its format, which frustrated many voters.
Pakistan: Root Cause Of Water Crisis
Amicus at Pakistan Spectator discusses the root causes for the recent water crisis in Pakistan.
Bangladesh: Why is India killing Bangladeshis?
Shada Kalo comments on the recent gunfire between Indian and Bangladeshi border guards and asks “why is India killing Bangladeshis”?
India: The Rich Culture and unity of Mizoram
Musings of a Chakma informs that a total of 10,378 Mizo dancers performed “the largest and longest bamboo dance” in the world for eight minutes – a Guinness world record.
South Africa: Julius Malema and the future of freedom of speech
The ANC Youth League President Julius Malema has been found guilty of hate speech because of comments he made about a woman who accused President Jacob Zuma for rape. South African bloggers and legal experts have reacted quickly to the judgement. Opinions about the judgement and the future of freedom of speech in South Africa are deeply divided.
Bulgaria: Police pressure blogger
Maya Markova of Maya's corner tells how a Bulgarian blogger, writing about the environmental hazards of industrial pollution, has been intimidated by local police for his pro-environment web activism.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Here Comes The Rain
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has finally got a touch of rain – and Abeni is rejoicing!
Trinidad & Tobago: Issues with the Academy
KnowTnT.com links to “a report entitled The Tragedy & The Hidden History of NAPA” and comments: “I'm hoping that the accusations are fully investigated and that, if they are true,...
Trinidad & Tobago: Green Fund Gives Green Light
Trinidad and Tobago's environmental Green Fund is supporting two worthwhile projects – a reafforestation initiative and a plastic recycling drive. Greenlight Network has the details.
Cuba: Surviving the Deluge
“A deluge of events is falling on Cuba”: Generation Y explains.
Bermuda: Taking a Gamble
“I am generally ambivalent on gambling, I don't see it as a tourism silver bullet or a social death knell, and while I have little interest in it myself I...
Belarus diversifies oil deliveries
Belarus Digest reports that Belarus plans to start importing oil from Venezuela to substitute for the country's oil dependency on Russia, which recently has caused strained relations between Minsk and...
China and Hong Kong: Police and media
ESWN translated mainland blogger Yang Hengjun's eye witness report on the protest outside the China liaison office in March 13, 2010. Yang criticized the excessive police force and the self-censored...
Egypt: #Top50Eg Tweets Make a Difference
Egyptian tweeps are using the #Top50Eg hashtag on Twitter. Tarek Amr takes us on a tour of the Egyptian twittersphere to tell us all about it.
Japan: Farmers’ blogs
Kurashi introduces a number of Japanese farmers who blog about farming.
South Korea: Birth rate
Andrew Gruen from Ohmynews! wrote an article addressing the problem of low birth rate in South Korea and pointed out that gender equality is more important than policy in raising...
Egypt: IslamOnline Employees Strike
Hundreds of employees, editors, and journalists started an angry sit-in in the widely read Cairo-based IslamOnline news website after 250 employees were sacked. For the first time, strikers are using new media efficiently and effectively to draw all the attention needed to support their cause, from continuous Twitter updates to live streaming.
Russia: Blog Report from Penal Colony
Photojournalist Maks Avdeev (LJ user Avdeev) published photos from a penal colony in Arkhangelsk region. More pictures can be found on his Flickr account.
Russia: TV Star Calls For Young Talents Online Project
A famous TV host published a blog post where she called for creating an online initiative that would support young talents from remote regions of the country.
Russia: Regions Encouraged to Use E-Government Services
Russian Ministry of Telecommunication will encourage regions to provide services via e-government portals. Director of Department for Informational Policy Artem Ermolaev announced that his ministry would start an intensive program for local...
Thailand: “Bloody” Tuesday?
The Prime Minister of Thailand has refused to step down despite the big protest rally of the anti-government Red Shirts last weekend. Now the protesters are ready to stage a "bloody" form of protest action. Bloggers and twitters continue to document the ongoing political crisis in Bangkok.
