Stories from March, 2013
Lebanon's First Civil Marriage “Approved by Justice”
Lebanon's first civil marriage has been recognized by the Ministry of Justice. Earlier this year, Kholoud Succarieh and Nidal Darwich initiated Lebanon's first civil marriage on Lebanese soil, in a country where only religious marriages could be contracted until then, and where civil status is administered by religious authorities. The couple argues that their contract is legal according to Lebanese law, and submitted it to the Interior Ministry.
Iran: “We Want Our Children to be Free”
The mother of dead blogger, Sattar Beheshti,said in a message in YouTube that she gave her son for Iran and added “we want our children to be free”. Sattar Beheshti died...
Iran: 500 Year Old Market was Burnt
Bloggers informed that Masuleh‘s 500 year old market was burnt in fire. The historical city of Masuleh has an age of eight hundred to a thousand years.
Prime Minister Resigns, as Lebanon Remains a “Sinking Ship”
Lebanese Prime Minister resigns as the country faces ongoing chaos.
Inside the 2013 Central African Republic Crisis
As rebel leader Michel Djotodia solidifies his control as the new Central African Republic President and the rebel coalition of Séléka announce their control of capital city Bangui, it is important to understand why the failure of the January 2013 Libreville peace deal between the rebels and then-President Francois Bozize, was predictable.
Iranian Singer Ermia's Show Biz Veil
A young singer's decision to wear a veil on the Persian language hit television show Googoosh Music Academy attracted both cheers and jeers from Iranians who tuned in.
Trying to Get Through: Hungarians Send Video Messages to Prime Minister
Young Hungarians are shocked by the government's stubborn refusal to acknowledge their protests and their demands for a more democratic decision-making. To get their message across, four young people launched a new blog on March 22, asking fellow citizens to send short video messages to the Prime Minister with their thoughts on his governance.
Angola: Arrested and Disappeared for “Thinking Differently”
Yet another protest in Luanda ended up with 18 detained. The protest action called for "dignity and the right to life for those who think differently", remembering silenced journalists and activists in Angola, among them Alves Cassule and Isaías Kamulingue disappeared since May 2012.
Religious Extremism Blamed for Myanmar Riots
The Meikhtila riots in central Myanmar which also spread to other towns have killed more than 40 people and raised fears that religious and ethnic clashes would continue to worsen in the country. Many people have analyzed the roots of the violence, in particular, the rise of religious extremism which have caused division and hate in many parts of Myanmar.
St. Vincent, Haiti: Easter Traditions & Changes
I find Easter has taken on a ‘carnivalish’ vibe. From St. Vincent, Abeni muses about “the changing face of Easter”, while Theater of Life looks at the Haitian tradition of...
Blackout has Trinidad & Tobago Bloggers Seeing Red
Good Friday in Trinidad and Tobago was suddenly dubbed “Black Friday” as the country descended into darkness, thanks to a nationwide blackout. Most people were communicating via Facebook and Twitter, but soon the conspiracy theories started to fly...
Majority Religion In A Country Is A Curse
Sri Lankan blogger Patta Pal Boru opines that the majority religion in a country is a curse as the simple weight of the established religion (inertia) gets people thinking about...
Russian Photographer Unearths Ghost Slum
A photo-blogger based in the city of Voronezh, located in central Russia not far from the Ukranian border, has taken a series of striking photographs [ru] (including an animated panorama) of...
History of Myanmar's Movie Industry
Ei Ei Su writes about the history of Myanmar's movie industry beginning with the country's first silent film in 1920, up to the 1940s when the industry was producing about...
Crash that Killed Cuban Democracy Advocate Still Shrouded in Mystery
The car accident that killed leading democracy advocate Oswaldo Payá has been shrouded in mystery and misinformation since it happened in eastern Cuba last July. Angel Carromero, the Spanish politician who survived the crash, recently told The Washington Post that the car was run off the road by state security agents. But many observers doubt the veracity of his claims.
Thailand: Mobile App for Autistic
The Autism Foundation of Thailand has developed a mobile application known as ‘True Autistic’ aimed at enhancing the “physical and mental development of the autistic, and provide guidance to their...
Status of Vietnam's Civil Society Organizations
The Asia Foundation estimates that there are about 2,000 Civil Society Organizations or CSOs in Vietnam. It recently published a survey on Vietnam's CSOs: The nature of civil society in...
Tanzania: Building Collapses in Dar Es Salaam
Pernille shares photos of a building that collapsed in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Friday, 29 March 20013: “Nearby is a football field used by children. Over 60 persona, including...
Russian Anti-Corruption Blogger Appeals to Readers
Alexey Navalny, unofficial protest leader, took to his blog [ru] on March 27 to defend himself from what he says are unfair allegations of corruption. Navalny is currently a suspect in...
