Stories from 28 June 2011
Bermuda: Fiscal Mismanagement
Vexed Bermoothes is appalled at the country's debt.
Brazil: Despite Protests, Government Insists on Belo Monte Dam
There are recent developments in the controversy regarding Belo Monte Hydroelectric Plant and its dams, the world's third largest project in terms of energy capacity, which is to be built in heart of the Amazon. On June 1, Belo Monte's license for construction was approved. On the web and on the street, citizens call "Stop Belo Monte".
Libya: Photographs from Rich, Vibrant and Historic Times
British-Libyan surgeon and humanitarian who writes under the pen name Amal Al-Leebi went nostalgic and published some old pictures from previous visits to Libya on his Twitter account, @libyansrevolt to show the Libya he remembers.
Lebanon: Bloggers Fight Negative ‘Looks Like Beirut’ Jibe
We've all heard it before. Perhaps at the glance of an untidy bedroom, or even on a television sitcom, the ‘looks like Beirut' jibe has widely become a common phrase to denote a chaotic mess. A Twitter and blogger stir was caused last week when a headline in Australia's The Age newspaper invoked the infamous phrase.
Egypt: Sawiris and the Niqabi Minnie Mouse
Egyptian Christian business tycoon, and recent politician, Naguib Sawiris, posted a cartoon on his Twitter today showing Mickey Mouse with a beard and Minnie Mouse in Niqab. He commented: “Micky and Minnie after…” The cartoon sparked a lot of criticism, forcing Sawiris to remove it.
North Korea's Fragility in the Face of the Rainy Season
Open Radio for North Korea, a Seoul-based radio station founded and runs by North Korean defectors, reported that North Korean citizens have been mobilized to bolster constructions as rainy season begins. Poorly constructed embankments and dams often flooded during heavy downpour.
Kazakhstan: A journalist strips naked for the truth
Tomyris reviews the blogosphere's reactions to the new project of Guljan Yergaliyeva, prominent opposition journalist and hard-hitting critic of the authorities, as she is stripping in a promo video on YouTube.
Kyrgyzstan: Political news website banned
Abulfazal reports that the Kyrgyz parliament passed a bill that bans the Ferghana Information Agency’s web site (better known as Ferghana.ru) in Kyrgyzstan for “subjective coverage of the June 2010 clashes” in Southern Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan: A BBC journalist arrested
Tomyris says that Urinboy Usmonov, longtime local journalist for BBC Central Asian Service, was arrested in Tajikistan for suspicion membership in the Islamic Movement Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Turkmenistan: The Tower of Media and Totalitarianism
Emerson writes that a 137 million euro television tower – both state-of-the-art and hypocritical – is set to be inaugurated in October in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. neweurasia’s Emerson reports.
Kazakhstan: HIV-positive prisoners demanding respect
Avicenna reports that a group of HIV-positive prisoners from High Security Prison in Kazakhstan are complaining about discriminatively poor food provision and medical care.
Uzbekistan: U-17 football team to go to World Cup
Mansurhon reports that Uzbekistan's Under-17 football team gets to the play-off level of the FIFA World Cup Mexico 2011, beating USA and Czech Republic.
Kyrgyzstan: Shoring Up the Southern Border
Christya Riedel writes that the number of deadly cross border shootings has escalated on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border, making Kyrgyzstan reinforce its southern borders in order to improve security.
South Korea: Typhoon Opening Doors to Nature's Revenge
A typhoon hit South Korea on June 25 and 26, bringing heavy downpours and gusts and signalling the start of the rainy season. At least nine people were killed and a bridge and a levee collapsed. Moreover, a leakage was reported on a landfill where livestock was buried during a recent foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.
China: Canadian expat's reaction to the real-name registration for train ticket
Lost Laowai posts a video showing how a Canadian expat lost his temper when the train ticket office demanded him to show his passport when buying a train ticket.
China: Leaked directives for Taiwanese Internet commentators
China Digital Times translated a leaked directive for Internet commentators to channel online public opinion in Taiwan.
Dominican Republic: The Ubiquity of Violence
Blogger Luijo comments [es] on how violence and crime have become a daily reality in Dominican Republic.
Puerto Rico: Fortuño Campaign vs. Al Jazeera Documentary
Technology and news blog Qiibo [es] launches an interesting debate [es] by comparing a video of governor Luis Fortuño's 2012 campaign and Al Jazeera's Fault Lines documentary “Puerto Rico: The Fiscal Experiment.”
