Stories from 10 April 2010
United Kingdom: Iraqi LGBT group leader Ali Hili refused priority for ayslum application
Ali Hili, leader of an Iraqi lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) group has been waiting for an asnwer to his application for asylum in the United Kingdom for three years. While his case is being reviewed, Hali cannot travel abroad to raise awareness about the plight of the LGBT community back home.
16 Years Later, the Rwandan Genocide Remembered
On April 7th, Rwanda commemorated the 16th anniversary of the genocide that took the lives of as many as 800,000 people and traumatized a whole region to this day. The genocide is commemorated to keep the memory of the victims alive and honor them but also to help the country move forward in the spirit of unity and reconciliation.
Cast your vote for the “Best of the Blogs”
Online voting has begun for the Best of the Blogs Awards from Deutsche Welle, one of the most prestigious international blog competitions with nominated blogs in eleven different languages. You can vote for your favorites until April 14, 2010.
Russia: Bloggers Discuss Andrzej Wajda's “Katyń” Movie

For the first time in Russian history, Andrzej Wajda's “Katyń” (2007) has been aired on Russian public television channel “Kultura” -- thus leading to online discussions on Stalin regime, historical truth, humanism and Russian-Poland relations.
China: The brief lives of Chinese buildings
At a construction and energy conservation conference that opened March 29 in Beijing, a Ministry of Housing and Construction official revealed that construction in China only has a 25–30 year lifespan.
Poland: President Kaczyński is Killed in Plane Crash in Russia – Initial Reactions
Sylwia Presley reports on the initial reactions of the Polish social media users to the shocking news of the plane crash, which killed the Polish president and many other top officials in Western Russia this morning.
Citizen Media at International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy
The 4th edition of the International Journalism Festival will take place in Perugia, Italy on 21-25 April 2010 with several panel discussions focused on citizen journalism and new media from an international perspective.
Kyrgyzstan: Social Media Create and Fight Information Overload

The coverage of recent bloody events in Kyrgyzstan by online and traditional media caused information overload that made it very difficult to create a consistent picture. That is why bloggers who focused on monitoring the information, checking its credibility and creating consistent picture of events, played an important role in an adequate coverage of the protests.
Trinidad & Tobago: Election Fever
With one action, the prorogation of Parliament, Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister thrust the country into election mode. As the news broke, the blogosphere was rife with speculation...