Stories from 28 July 2011
Mexico: A Mother's Struggle to Find Her Missing Daughter
Judith Torrea in her blog Ciudad Juárez, En la Sombra del Narcotráfico (Ciudad Juárez, In the Shadow of Drug Trafficking), tells the story [es] of Lucy, a mother who has...
Peru: Tweeting About President Alan García's Last Speech
Global Voices author and Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano has collected reactions [es] to President Alan García's last presidential address. Twitter users used the hashtags #mensajepresidencial, #teperdonocomoAlan, #LargateALAN, among others, to...
Kyrgyzstan: Government Bans News Websites from the Election Campaign
Ahead of the presidential elections to be held in Kyrgyzstan on 30 October, 2011, the Central Elections Committee (CEC) came out with a controversial decision, barring web-based news media from taking part in the campaign. Eleven news sites were denied accreditation to inform voters on the pre-election developments.
Lebanon: Musician Arrested for Mocking President in Song
Lebanese musician Zeid Hamdan was detained briefly this week for allegedly defaming President Michel Suleiman in a song he released in 2010. Lebanese newspaper Assafir has since reported the Hamdan...
South Korea: 41 Dead in Torrential Flooding and Landslides
Torrential rain has battered South Korea for several consecutive days, causing landslides, flooding and power cuts. At least 41 people have been killed and 12 people are still missing. Throughout the disaster, South Koreans have shared updated stories, photos and useful tips for those affected via Twitter.
Lebanon: Maritime Dispute with Israel Escalates
Hezballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has exclaimed that God had given Lebanon an opportunity to rid itself of a crippling debt, and become a "rich country" by providing it lucrative offshore oil and gas reserves. However, the reserves potentially lie in a disputed maritime border zone with Israel.
Russia: Summer Brings Death
Vadim Nikitin at Foreign Policy Association observes that death tolls in Russia seem to rise during the summer, from terrorism, accidents, disasters and other reasons.
Russia: Political Campaigning Degenerates
Edmund Downie at Foreign Policy Passport satirizes ongoing political campaigning in Russia for Putin and Medvedev, which play on sex and power.
Hungary: International Critique Against New Constitution
Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum reports on how US representatives are becoming increasingly concerned about the new Hungarian constitution and how the Hungarian government reacts to US and European crtitique...
Hungary: Government Debt Cut Receives Varying Reviews
Edward Hugh of Hungary Economy Watch comments on reactions to the Hungarian government's decision to drastically cut public debt.
Ukraine: Collapse of Government Policies
Taras Kuzio posts a translation of Vitaliy Portnikov's article [ru], arguing that the policies of the Ukrainian President Yanukovich and the government are close to a political collapse.
Ukraine: Timoshenko Case Turning Sour
Levko of Foreign Notes argues that the trial against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko is quickly becoming a liability for President Yanukovich, with mounting international and domestic critique, and the...
Estonia: Tower of Babel
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa discusses how Estonia – contrary to preconceptions – is very much of a multilingual country, not least because of tourism but also in daily practicalities.
Latvia: Referendum Sacks Parliament
Juris Kaža of Failed State Latvia? writes about the 23 July referendum in Latvia, resulting in the dissolution of parliament and new general elections on 17 September.
Malaysia: Letter of Catholics to Pope
A letter signed by 365 Catholics and other Christians in Malaysia was sent to Pope Benedict XVI expressing concern about the timing of the visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun...
Philippines: Online reactions to president's speech
Blogwatch gathers online reactions to the Philippine president's second state of the nation address delivered last Monday.
Cambodia: Need for independent media
KI Media uploads a dissertation by Sothearith IM that highlights the importance of developing an independent media in Cambodia.
The Balkans: Trials of Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić
At OpenDemocracy.net, Eric Gordy writes on what there is to expect from the upcoming ICTY trials of Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić.
Cambodia: #camlabor hashtag
Cambodians tweeting about migration, labour and trafficking issues in Cambodia are urged to use the #camlabor hashtag
Philippines: Photos of fishing village
Art Radar Asia features the photo exhibit of Wahoo Guerrero about the lives of fisherfolk in a coastal village in the Philippines.
Myanmar: Traditional music instruments
htootayzar posts pictures of traditional music instruments from Myanmar.
