Stories from 12 June 2010
Bulgaria: Protest Against Neo-Nazi Violence
On June 6, a protest was held in Sofia in support of the rights of refugees and immigrants in Bulgaria. Shortly before the start of the protest, a group of skinheads attacked several people inside a tram on the way to the event. On June 10, a second gathering was organized, in which activists protested against neo-Nazism and the attacks on peaceful citizens.
Bangladesh: The Death Traps
Photo journalist Abir Abdullah at ShahidulNews posts a photo essay on the recent tragic fire in a building in old Dhaka. With lack of building codes and absence of fire fighting measures, these buildings are open death traps.
Pakistan: The First Feminist Tech Exchange
Jehan Ara at In The Line Of Wire reports on the first Feminist Tech Exchange in Pakistan which is taking place in Islamabad.
Egypt: Scheherazade must Die
Freedom of Expression is taking a beating in Egypt. In a series of lawsuits against writers, Scheherazade of 1001 Nights is now being accused of immorality and some lawyers want her dead - in their call for banning the book!
Cameroon: Becoming homeless on a short notice
Phillipe writes about demolition of slums in Cameroon: “Because here in Cameroon, like in some other african countries, there were no relocation plan, and those people at a moment’s notice, became homeless…and most of them are still homeless now.”
Africa: World Cup search results
South African blogger Nicholas Simon discusses Google's integration of World Cup into search results:”Google has integrated match schedules, FIFA standings, a live match update and an iGoogle gadget all into a neat little box that pops under the search box.”
Africa:Latin American drug lords in West Africa
Sheriff discusses drug trade in West Africa: “But the emergence of Latin American drug kingpins at the West African ports and borders has opened up another challenge for a region already battling with poverty, diseases and violence.”
France: Illegal Immigrants Strike in Paris
Blogger Ménilmuche points to a blog that documents a strike by illegal immigrants at the Bastille in Paris with lots of pictures [fr].
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Conflict Voices
In the 16 years since a ceasefire agreement put the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, successive attempts to broker a final peace have faltered. Could blogs and other online tools now offer alternative voices the opportunity to have their opinions on the conflict heard?
Brazil: Graffiti Artists Lighten Up Europe
Once persecuted by the authorities, street art has made it to the mainstream. The Brazilian twin brothers known as GÊMEOS are on exhibition in the first event of street art in a Portuguese museum, according to local bloggers [pt]. In collaboration with Italian graffiti artist Blu, they also left their...
Japan: Hayabusa returns to Earth tomorrow
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) expects the return of the spacecraft Hayabusa tomorrow, following a 7 year mission filled with enormous ups and downs. The randokukanso blog eagerly awaits its landing with links [ja] to some sniffle-inducing anime videos that cheer its tumultuous journey.
Japan: Two years since Akihabara knife rampage
Last week marked the second anniversary of the Akihabara knife rampage. Akibasuki [ja] went to pay his respects and photoblogged his visit. The scars of the rampage are still raw in the area: the ban on the vehicle-free zone (hokoten or walker's paradise), which Akihabara was famous for, still hasn't...
Japan: An interview with Nobel Prize winner Masatoshi Koshiba
The Tokyo Reporter republishes an interview [en] with professor Masatoshi Koshiba, who was awarded Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 “for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos” [en].
Iran: To Demonstrate or Not, on Anniversary of Election
On the anniversary of the contested Iranian election on June 12 the question circulating online is: whether to face authorities and demonstrate or not.
Bulgaria: Sofia Pride 2010
How to Marry a Bulgarian writes about the upcoming Sofia Pride 2010 (BUL, ENG), the third gay pride parade to be held in Bulgaria's capital.
Belarus: 200 Meters of Gay Pride in Minsk
“Insider’s view from Belarusian Gay Pride March” – at Belarus Digest: “Two nights in the police department seemed an eternity for us. So now when I’m free I can’t keep it to myself. I don’t appear to have any freedom of speech in my country, but I have the freedom...
Indonesia: When women control their own investments
Kick-starting a conversation on female entrepreneurship, courage and investments with our partner site Conversations for a Better World, Carolina shares an example from Indonesia.
