Stories from 15 December 2010
Bahrain: Much Ado About An Ad That Says Nothing!
The short film, INFINITY, that had almost half a million viewers in two weeks and was supposed to be an advertisement for a telecommunication company in Bahrain says nothing about them! Beyond the wonderful illusion of play and adventure, lies turbulence where services and products are undermined, and a lack of credibility prevails, say netizens.
Ghana: Let oil flow, let it flow, let it flow
Oil production started today in Ghana: “Today oil in large commercial quantities starts to flow for the first time in Ghana. There's a big ceremony full of pomp and pageantry underway off the shores of Takoradi.”
Israel: The Land of Fire and Ice
Severe winter storms hit most of Israel this week with strong winds, rain and snowstorms causing country-wide havoc. In the North, the Hermon Mountain was blanketed with more snow than the country has seen in 20 years. This happened days after the Carmel region was devastated by forest fires which left 43 dead and caused damage estimated at between 100-120 million Shekels.
South Africa: An evening with FW De Klerk
An evening with FW De Klerk, the last State President of apartheid-era South Africa: “Last Friday, December 10, 2010, I had the privilege of listening to a talk by former South African President Frederick W De Klerk about the transformative power of change.”
Sudan: Low turnout for female voters
What is the reason behind a low female turnout to register for the January 9 referendum?: “At the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum in the heart of Juba, under a baking morning sun, two dozen or so men wait patiently in line to be registered to vote. A separate line for...
Nigeria: Nigerian Foremost Nationalist Feared Dead
Nigeria's leading nationalist, Anthony Enahoro is feared dead: “chidi opara reports have just received a citizen report on phone that Nigerian foremost Nationalist, Pa Anthonty Enahoro is dead, no details were provided.”
Sudan: Hip hop star Emmanuel Ja raps for peace
A former child soldier in Sudan Emmanuel Ja raps for peace in Sudan: “On the eve of South Sudan’s independence referendum, international hip hop star Emmanuel Jal is calling out to the world to say, “We want peace,” with the help of friends like Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, and George...
Kenya: Vote to save your favourite ICC suspect
Collins urges his followers to vote to save their favourite suspect by texting Ocampo @ Projct Hague. The International Criminal Court named six Kenyan leaders Wednesday suspected of organizing violence after the disputed 2007 election.
Qatra: Museum of Modern Art Opens
The Museum of Modern Art has opened its doors in Qatar, writes jane01 at Qatar Living.
Qatar: Beware of Car Thefts
Geo warns readers to beware of car thefts at Qatar Living.
Bahrain: Naturalisation Cap?
Naturalisation is a thorny issue in Bahrain. Mahmood Al Yousif speaks out about the issue here.
Kuwait: Should the Kuwaiti Amir Join Twitter?
On Twitter, @kuwaiti (Ar) asks the Kuwaiti Ruler to join Twitter “to get closer to his people and understand their opinions.”
Azerbaijan: Hospitality vs. privacy
Aaron in Azerbaijan [Eng] shares his thoughts on the local practices and traditions relating to hospitality in Azerbaijan, comparing them to those found in the West. The blog notes how perceptions of hospitality differ from culture to culture.
Azerbaijan: Hijab ban introduced in schools
Last week hundreds of protesters staged a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Education in Baku, Azerbaijan, expressing their outrage against new regulations banning the wearing of hijabs in schools. Bloggers react.
Brazil: WikiLeaks and the Pre-Salt Oil Exploration
A WikiLeaks cable revealed that the former Brazilian presidential opposition candidate, José Serra, held talks with the Director of Business Development and Government Relations of Chevron, Patrícia Pradal, to benefit the foreign oil industry at the expense of national Petrobras, concerning the pre-salt exploration contracts, says [pt] André Raboni, at...
China: Ghost cities
Chandni Rathod and Gus Lubin from Business Insider presents satellite pictures of ghost cities in China. Ghost cities refer to newly built empty cities with very few residents. They one of the sources of China's GDP and economic bubbles.
China: The World of Guarantee
You have to guarantee that the content of your website be clean, or else you will be penalized by “DNS suspension” or “web-maintenance”. Lee Chi-leung from interlocals.net translates an excerpt of a local investigative report on the “Guarantee system” adopted by the Chinese government.
Poland: 29th Anniversary of the 1981 Martial Law
On the 29th anniversary of introducing martial law in Poland, Tasting Poland Blog shares “bitter memories” by posting a selection of photos and video from 1981-83.
Czech Republic: Present and Future of the Far-Right
Dr. Sean's Diary analyzes the present and the future of the Czech far-right.
Belarus: More Insight on Upcoming Election
More insight on this coming Sunday's presidential election in Belarus – at OpenDemocracy.net (here and here), and at Democratist.
Russia: “WikiFakes”
FP's Passport writes about the possibly fake WikiLeaks’ “scoops” published by Russkiy Reporter magazine.