Stories from 26 August 2010
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Unbiased e-media coverage call for projects
There are just three days left until the deadline passes for the Eurasia Partnership Foundation's unbiased e-media coverage project for Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists and bloggers. Global Voices Online will be presenting its experience to date in this area at workshops held as part of the initiative.
South Korea: Controversy Overshadows Woman Climber’s World Record
South Korea's Oh Eun-sun is believed to be the first woman to have climbed the world's 14 highest mountains. One of her peaks was being disputed and bloggers have delved deeper into how this unseemly incident got formed from the start.
Cuba: Censorship, Technology and Memory
George Gautier writes [es] about censorship in Cuba. He says that technology has helped leak some things, but he hopes that someone is keeping track of everything that is happening in Cuba so that nothing will be lost.
East Timor: (Un)Dignified Sculptures of Women in Shangai World Expo 2010
In response to recent statements by a Timorese deputy, who reportedly implied that the statues of naked women at the Timor Leste Pavillion in Shanghai World Expo 2010 are not appropriate, João Paulo Esperança critically wonders [pt] if East Timorese women would be considered deprived of dignity in the past, when they...
Algeria: Bloggers Denounce the Exclusion of Egypt from the Algiers Book Fair
Following the tensions from a football match in Cairo between the Egyptian and Algerian football teams, Algiers Book Fair (SILA) decided to exclude Egyptian books from the event. The decision did not sit well with many Algerian bloggers.
Malawi: Bloggers discuss freedom of speech and 2014 election
Malawian bloggers are currently discussing the nomination of Malawian president's brother as the ruling party presidential candidate for 2014 elections and recent arrest of a Presbyterian senior pastor Rev Levi Njombole Nyondo. He is alleged to have uttered seditious words at a funeral service.
Russia: Bono Sings Together with Opposition Musician
Bono's (U2) visit to Russia [EN] turned out to be a highly politicized event. Some complain [RUS], Bono didn't tell Medvedev about the Khimki Forest Park, some admire his joint performance [RUS/EN] with Yuri Shevchuk, an opposition musician. Oleg Kozyrev asks [RUS], “What if Bono could spend part of his energy...
Pakistan Floods: First Hand Report From Kohistan
Beena Sarwar posts a personal note of Rashida Dohad of Omar Asghar Khan Foundation about her flood relief efforts in Kohistan, Pakistan.
Russia: Noize MC's New Song
RFE/RL's The Power Vertical writes about rapper Noize MC's new song: “After spending 10 days in jail for performing a song mocking police at a music festival in Volgograd, the irrepressible rapper has released a new [song and video, RUS] — mocking the police.” Robert Amsterdam's blog calls the new...
Pakistan Floods: First Hand Report From Charsadda
Aly B posts a first hand report from three relief workers (Tahir Farooqui, Ali Raza and Danish Qaiyoum) who were in Charsadda village in Pakistan for relief distribution to the flood victims.
Russia: “Where's Your Rabbi?”
Oleg Klimov posts two photos from Birobidzhan in Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region – and shares this short conversation (RUS) with a guard at the local synagogue: “‘Where's your rabbi?’ – ‘He left for Israel a long time ago…'”
Northern Cyprus: Rihanna's Concert
Greater Surbiton writes about the controversy surrounding Rihanna's upcoming concert in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Hungary: More on Béla Biszku's Case
Hungarian Spectrum writes about Béla Biszku's case (also covered by GV's Marietta Le here and here).
Jamaica: Garvey's Home
Repeating Islands links to a report that suggests the Jamaican government is interested in purchasing the childhood home of Marcus Garvey “in hopes of restoring it and converting it into a memorial or museum.”
U.S.V.I.: Watching Earl
News of St. John reports that the U.S. Virgin Islands are on a storm watch.
Trinidad & Tobago: Crime & Punishment
“I am listening to the current calls from all sections of society that a resumption of hangings is part of the answer to crime”: KnowTnT.com suggests that “it is time to review our laws and let the punishments fit the crime.”
Hungary: St. Stephen
Hungarian Spectrum writes about the history of the cult of St. Stephen, the first king of the Hungarians, who was canonized on Aug. 20, 1083.
Guyana: Domestic Violence
“Domestic violence has not been stamped out; instead it has grown to staggering proportions”: The Guyana Groove thinks the country needs “a real, feasible solution to this dire situation.”
India-Bangladesh Relations Is Necessity Driven
“The present India Bangladesh Relations are mostly necessity driven (could be told reality driven), not that much of Ideology driven, which was showed at the 70s of last century;” opines Kazi Mohoshin Al Abbas at Groundreport.
Hungary: Foreign Media on Orbán's Government
Hungarian Spectrum reviews foreign media coverage of Viktor Orbán's government – here, here, and here.
Venezuela: Former Miss Universe and the Flag With Seven Stars
“…the two issues that are pressing us are 1) how come Miss Venezuela was not in the last 15 finalist of the Miss Universe competition last Sunday and 2) what did the outgoing Miss Universe meant when she waved a Venezuelan flag with 7 stars instead of the official 8...