Stories from 1 August 2011
Ramadan Recipes: Feasting After Fasting
As the month of Ramadan begins, Maria Grabowski has started a list of blog links to some wonderful Iftar recipes. Please do share your favorites, too!
Pakistan: Generals And Democracy
Habib R. Sulemani opines that in Pakistan the military is calling the shots no matter who is in power in the country. He also opines that: “Members of the parliament are being terrorized by the secret agencies and they’re being used according to the wishes of the ignorant and vision-less...
Global Voices Podcast 2: Speaking Our Language
In this edition of the Global Voices podcast we talk all about language and the internet. The way we speak, write, gesture, code and communicate is such a rich topic for discussion. It was hard to pick what to go for!
Nepal: TedX Kathmandu
Nepal Blogs informs that the first ever TedX event was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 29, 2011.
Azerbaijan: Eurovision in a non-free country?
A campaign to raise awareness of the plight of political prisoners and restrictions on freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan has been launched by four non-governmental organizations ahead of next year's Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the country's capital, Baku. A video in English detailing the campaign has been...
France: The Forgotten Tunisian Refugees of #Botzaris36
After several months of wandering, 30 Tunisian migrants are currently sleeping rough in a park in Paris. #Botzaris36 is the hashtag launched on Twitter to help them out both financially and legally, in what is a complicated legal and political situation involving France and Tunisia. Anna Gueye reports.
Russia: Opposition Tactics for Presidential Elections
Kevin Rothrock of A Good Treaty sums up a recent discussion among Russian opposition bloggers on which tactics to use to avoid that Putin or Medvedev do not get re-elected in the March 2012 presidential elections.
Russia: Medvedev or Putin for President
Amid speculations on whether Medvedev or Putin will run for the Russian presidency in March 2012, Patrick Armstrong of Russia: Other Points of View argues that – judging from key official documents and speeches – Medvedev is the likely candidate of the two.
Bangladesh: 40th Anniversary of The Concert For Bangladesh
The 'Concert For Bangladesh', a benefit concert organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar on August 1, 1971, is not widely known. Bangladeshi bloggers celebrate the 40th anniversary of the epic event and tell the world why it matters for Bangladesh.
Lithuania-Austria: Continued Controversy Over Ex-KGB Man
Albatros of Litauen blog discusses [ger] the ongoing controversy between Lithuania and Austria, after authorities in Vienna let go of an internationally wanted ex-KGB officer, who allegedly was party to the January 1991 Vilnius killings of Lithuanians by soviet troops.
Belarus: Almost 30% of Belarusans Get Lower Salary Than Moldovans
LJ user Pavel Kuznetsov points to [ru] recent statistics showing that almost 30% of employees in Belarus earn less than in Moldova – the poorest country in Europe.
Paraguay: 7 Years Since Supermarket Tragedy
Seven years ago today, on August 1, 2004, a fire in a supermarket killed over 300 people and left more than 500 injured in what the blog Interparaguay [es] calls the greatest civil tragedy in Paraguay.
Ecuador: President Rafael Correa Tweets From @MashiRafael
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has joined the ranks of Latin American presidents on Twitter. Latin America News Dispatch reports: “The account is named @MashiRafael, which means “Comrade Rafael” in the indigenous language of quichua, the president explained. The account remains unverified, but it was announced by Ecuador’s Office of the...
Chile: Recent Clashes in Ongoing Mapuche Land Struggle
In Indigenous News Ryan Seelau reports on recent incidents in Ercilla, Chile as the Mapuche indigenous people of the area struggle to get their lands back from landowners.
Caribbean: Online Reactions to Guyana Plane Crash
When news broke early on Saturday that a Caribbean Airlines flight had crash landed at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana, the regional blogosphere sat up and took notice. In its 71-year history, the airline had boasted an unblemished safety record until the incident.
Global Voices in Aymara: Preserving Indigenous Language Online
One of the newest Global Voices Lingua sites is also its first in an indigenous language, Aymara. This native language is spoken by more than 2 million people across the Andes, especially in Bolivia and Peru, where it is among the official languages.
Kenya: Take Part in FeedKE Campaign
Spare a meal to help others through FeedKe campaign: “A week ago I started this initiative of having Kenyans Sacrifice A Meal to help Feed Kenya!!! My initial TARGET was 10,000 Kenyans with atleast a minimum of 250/=Ksh donated to The Kenya Red Cross Society under #FeedKE Account Name. What...
Kenya: “Create for Millions” Mobile Apps Contest Launched
Moses Kemibaro attends the lauching of “Create for Millions” in Nairobi, Kenya: “Yesterday I was at the iHub in Nairobi for Nokia’s launch of its local version of the “Create for Millions” mobile apps contest. The contest has both a local and global versions that aim to bring consumers and...
United Kingdom: #BlameTheMuslims Twitter Hashtag Spins Out of Context
Sanum Ghafoor is a 19-year old Muslim student in the UK. Aggravated at how Muslims were immediately accused for any act of violence, especially following last week's Oslo attacks, Sanum let out steam by tweeting with the hashtag #blamethemuslims. The hashtag was wholly taken out of context, leading to a plethora of frustrated users.
Uzbekistan: Business will pay for “exemplary mahallas”
Abulfazal writes that the Uzbek government project on creation of so-called “exemplary mahallas” (communities) is turning into a campaign of forcing the local businessmen to finance infrastructure upgrades and renovations.
Afghanistan: Suicide bomber murders Kandahar mayor
Una Moore reports that a suicide bomber killed Ghulam Haider Hamidi, mayor of Kandahar town in Afghanistan, as the Taliban have reportedly claimed responsibility for the assassination.
