Stories from 31 May 2012
Kazakhstan: 12 Border Guards Found Dead After a Blaze
Following reports that 12 border guards have been found dead in a burnt-out frontier post in southeastern Kazakhstan [ru] and the lack of immediate reaction from the authorities, local blogger Almazinho1978...
Sri Lanka: The Difficulty Of Getting A Chinese Visa
Indi.ca writes about the difficulty of getting a Chinese Visa in Sri Lanka.
Nepal: Will Presidential Rule Work?
Most Nepalis have lost their patience with the present political leadership because of delays in resolving the current constitutional and political deadlocks. Dr. Divas at ABC proposes that Nepal should...
India: User's guide to Indian free speech
Nila at Akhond Of Swat lists some controversial subjects the Indians should not write about to avoid offending someone (and going to jail).
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Eurovision Propaganda Fail
Global Chaos takes a look at the government-led publicity and international media attention surrounding this years Eurovision Song Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Public Diplomacy blog also notes the...
Bangladesh: Justice For The Rape Victims Of The Liberation War
Anushay Hossain writes that Bangladesh should not hide its scars of the rape of hundreds of thousands of women during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, bring justice for them...
Cuba: Bloggers Discuss Mariela Castro's US Visit
On the heels of United States President Barack Obama's support for gay marriage, Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro and Director of the country's Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual (National Center for Sex Education), has been addressing gay rights activists during her tour of the United States. Her trip has been stirring up some controversy in the Cuban blogosphere.
Pakistan: The Hazara Killings – Why Is The World Silent?
The Hazara minority in Pakistan have been suffering from sectarian violence and targeted killings by the extremist terrorist outfits in the past decade. Netizens protest the failure to nab the culprits and the silence of the world on these killings.
Russia: #OccupySeliger?
Earlier this week, blogger and photographer Dmitri Ternovsky starred in the latest Nashi controversy, announcing on that he has agreed to lead the "Politics and Civic Society" section of pro-Kremlin group Nashi's 2012 summer festival at Lake Seliger. Dubbing the initiative "#OccupySeliger," Ternovsky says that he hopes to expand the opposition's message to a new audience.
Afghanistan: Will Kabul Follow in Washington's Federal Footsteps?
At a meeting earlier this year, prominent Afghan opposition leaders called for restructuring the country's political system along federal lines. Now Facebook users in the country discuss the pros and cons of a federal system for Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan: Facebook Clone is Launched
YouFace is a new social networking site launched in Uzbekistan. Its interface is strikingly similar to that of Facebook except that YouFace quotes Uzbek President Islam Karimov on its welcome...
North Korean Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur Dishing up Dollars?
Diana van Oort wrote a post on North Korean restaurants in Kaula Lumpur in one travel site. After explaining her general impressions of food, service and atmosphere, the author included...
Trinidad & Tobago: What Have We Accomplished?
Coffeewallah suggests that when it comes to how the country is governed, “perhaps we need less public holidays, less ‘celebrations’ and more concentrated effort.”
South Sudan: Blogging the Newest Country in the World
South Sudan declared its independence on 9 July 2011 to become the world's newest country. We have compiled a list of blogs with regular reports, analyses, updates, and opinions relating to South Sudan. These blogs cover a variety of subjects such as gender, politics, language, health and humanitarian work.
Syria: Curating @TweetWeekSyria
Have you heard about Rotation Curation? It is the process of rotating the spokesperson on a social media account. It was originated in December 2011, when a project called Curators of...
Brazil: More TV Humiliation of Young Man
Brazilian journalist Rodrigo de Almeida denounces [pt] the existence of a longer video of that shown in the GV post (from May 26, 2012) about the TV humiliation of a...
Portugal: Police Evicts Squatted Building in Lisbon
Going against an injunction approved by the Supreme Court of Lisbon, the police evicted today, May 31, the collective São Lázaro – “the only public squat in the capital” of...
China: Weibo Censorship Pattern
Andrew Phelps from Nieman Journalism Lab looks into Chinese micro-blogging platform, Sina Weibo's censorship pattern and offers explanation on why and when tweets are deleted.
Lesotho: Lesotho vs Corruption
Help make a documentary about how Lesotho, a small country, took on Big Corruption and won. An African success.
Africa: Young Farmers Idea Contest
Through the Young Farmers Idea Contest, the African diaspora and volunteers alike are invited to share their ideas on new ways to engage youths in sub-Saharan Africa under the age...
Bangladesh: Questions Over Indian ‘Tourism City’ Investment Proposal
The story of a 10 Billion Taka (US$120 million) investment in Bangladesh has made it into the country's headlines, following a visit by Subrata Roy Sahara, chairman of Sahara India Pariwar, one of India's largest business conglomerates. The group are planning to develop a 40 square kilometre housing project situated approximately 50 kilometres from Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.
