Stories from 26 May 2010
Russia: Explosion in Stavropol

Miriam Elder reports at GlobalPost on the explosion in Stavropol, which took place next to a centrally-located concert hall shortly before a Chechen folk dance troupe was to perform there....
Peru: Bribes, Cops and Video
The following video published by inkawalk shows a pair of policemen apparently receiving a bribe in an undisclosed location in Peru.
Russia-USA: Like father like son
Windows to Russia turns attention to the only American soldier in the second world war serving in both the US and Soviet armies, who allegedly was also the father of...
Ukraine: Russia's return or political pragmatism?
Andrei Kolesnikov at openDemocracy analyzes relations between Russia and Ukraine after Russian president Medvedev's visit to Kiev last week.
UAE: Dubai Road Stunt Enrages Bloggers
Bloggers in the UAE are outraged after a video was posted on YouTube showing young men driving in a reckless manner in broad daylight on one of Dubai's busiest streets.
South Africa: The World Cup is Coming to Grahamstown
This year in Grahamstown, South Africa, the World Cup coincides with the annual National Arts Festival, which is expected to increase tourism and opportunities for residents. Citizen journalists from the Grocott's Mail have examined many of these issues and how they will impact their local community.
Sri Lanka: Vanni One Year After War
Ruki at Groundviews visited Vanni, the war torn city in the North of Sri Lanka, and analyzes the situation there after one year since the end of the war against...
Bangladesh: What To Miss About The Country
Amanda Ferrandino, an US Fullbright scholar, is finishing her study in Bangladesh and lists 14 things she will miss about Bangladesh when she goes back home.
India, Bangladesh: Unicode Adoption For Bengali Language
Golam Mortuza Hossain at On a trail less travelled analyzes the progress of Unicode adoption for Bengali language in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh.
India: The Legend of Goopy And Bagha
Greatbong at Random Thoughts Of A Demented Mind pays tribute to Tapen Chattopadhyay, “the Bengali actor famous for playing the role of Goopy Gyne in Satyajit Ray’s Goopy-Bagha trilogy for...
UAE: An Encounter with a Camel
If you tell anyone you live in the Arabian Gulf, two things come to their mind - oil and camels. Noora Nasrallah, who tweets as PurpleNano, describes her encounter with a camel in the UAE a series of tweets today.
Bahamas: Waiting on the Budget
“The Prime Minister has hinted at some austerity measures or belt tightening, but, on top of that we're told additional taxes are on the way”: Weblog Bahamas is waiting to...
Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing Sue
“Sue, the 67 million-year-old-Tyrannosaurus Rex, is currently visiting our shores”: MEP Caribbean Publishers thinks “this is a great opportunity for the public not only to learn more about this dinosaur,...
Colombia: Presidential Election and Campaigning in Citizen Media
The Colombian Presidential election is scheduled for May 30, in which Juan Manuel Santos and Antanas Mockus are considered the frontrunners. The contest is actively being discussed in citizen media by supporters, opponents, and those indifferent of the candidates.
Jamaica: Bloggers Look at the Lighter Side
West Indians have a saying, "If you don't laugh, you'll cry." Certainly, the current wave of violence in Jamaica - is nothing to laugh about. But after days of sobering news, bloggers clearly needed to seek out the amusing aspects of an otherwise untenable situation.
Ukraine: Interview With Kyiv Post's Editor-in-Chief
Part 1 of an interview with Brian Bonner, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Post – by David Brauer, at MinnPost.com's Braublog.
Egypt: Rima Fakih – What does religion have to do with it?
Rima Fakih, an Arab Muslim immigrant, won the Miss USA Pageant. There are those who considered her award an Arab victory, those who considered her a Muslim disgrace, and others who dug up her past.
Ethiopia: EU monitors release preliminary findings
David posts the executive summary of the preliminary statement of the European Union Election Observation Mission, which observed the 23 May 2010 elections to the House of Peoples’ Representatives and...
Uganda: Freedom of press under attack
Freedom of press in under attack in Uganda as Richard Kavuma of Katine Chronicles reports.
Secularism in France from a Foreigner's Perspective
Art Goldhammer, from French Politics blog, links to Eric Fassin‘s article in Le Monde (fr) and the NSAE's blog quotes in extenso from the article that describes French secularism in the style...
Russia: Another Top Blogger Hacked

Site of one of the top Russian bloggers Maxim Sviridenkov [RUS] (#16 in Yandex rating [RUS]) had been hacked today, Vladimir Pribylovski reported [RUS]. The site was defaced and the...