Latest posts by Rayna St.
Bulgaria: “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia”
The Bulgarian news outlet Fakel published [bg] a review of a new book entitled, “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia.” The book is described as “a terrible, breaking, disgusting story that not only shakes up, startles and stirs our sleeping national conscience, but shifts, collapses and splits with tectonic force all...
Russia: Pussy Riot Members Remain in Jail
Amnesty International started a sms action campaign calling for the release of three jailed members of the punk band Pussy Riot. The women — Nadezhda, Maria and Ekaterina — were detained after performing an anti-Putin song in a church in Moscow back in February. An announcement on their blog [ru]...
Egypt: Mapping Military Staff in Civilian Administrations
Egyptian independent activists started the mapping initiative el3askarmap [ar] aimed at following what happens to military personnel after their retirement from the army. Very often those senior officers land at influential positions within various civilian administrations. The map is actually a database: zooming in provides details on every person and...
Bulgaria: “Victim of Beauty” – or Violence Disguised as Fashion
12 Magazine, a fashion publication, ran a series of ad images [bg] of women disguised as having been victims of harsh violence – with this warning: “[…] Images are not recommended to people below 16. Neither [are they] for people with weak hearts.” The Fashion Law is inviting readers to...
Egypt: Sexual Harassment as a Weapon Against Dissent?
June 8 was “Determination Friday” in Cairo, and people gathered at Tahrir Square in protest against verdicts from former president Mubarak trial. Fewer remained for the anti-sexual harassment protest starting at 6pm, a clear stand against increasing sexual harassment female protesters suffer. Rayna S. gathers reactions after the protest was attacked.
Syria: Ambassadors Expelled in Protest at Houla Massacre
The brutal massacre committed in the district of Houla has prompted a wave of horrified reactions around the world. A number of governments have taken the decision to expel Syrian ambassadors and diplomats in protest at the escalation of violence.
Syria: UN Report Shows Powerlessness of Observer Mission
As the situation in Syria worsens, and more terrifying reports arrive from the Homs district of Houla, Foreign Policy-hosted blog Turtle Bay summarizes a report [PDF] from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the UN observer mission. This “gloomy” account clearly shows that measures recommended by Kofi Annan have not been...
Egypt: No, the Revolution is Not Over
On May 23 and 24, the eyes of the whole world were once again on Egypt as the country held its first presidential election after the huge popular uprising that brought down Hosni Mubarak a year and a half ago.
Bulgaria: The Strongest Earthquake Since 1917
A 5.6 magnitude earthquake, the strongest since 1917, shook Bulgaria's capital Sofia and the perimeter zone of around 100 km last night, followed by a number of strong aftershocks. No victims have been reported so far. The website Earthquake Reports has published live updates and social networks such as Twitter...
Serbia: Monitoring the Elections Via Citizen Media
Rayna Stamboliyska reports on the May 6 elections in Serbia and the online monitoring initiatives that have been set up recently to ensure the transparency of the election process.
Bulgaria: Penalty For Getting Pregnant
The blog “Работнически глас” (“Worker's voice”) tells [bg] about a trial scheduled for May 26: a former female employee is suing a company for a discriminatory clause in the work contract, which stated that any female employee who gets pregnant after being hired will have to pay a fine (700 lv,...
Bulgaria: “Big Change Begins With Small Steps”
Various blogs [bg] and mainstream media [bg] were telling [bg] about a student initiative held in the capital city of Sofia on April 24. Many students and members of diverse youth organizations planted trees in the badly-maintained Studentski Grad (“Students City”), a welcome citizen initiative where the leitmotiv was “Big change...
Bulgaria: Living With Hepatitis C
Rayna Stamboliyska interviews the author of "Hepatitis-Minded: Thoughts of a Contaminated," a blog that does a fabulous job informing people about Hepatitis C.
Bulgaria: Light on a Mysterious Death
The collaborative media outlet svobodnoslovo.com writes [bg] about a new book by Lyubomir Levchev [bg], who mentions Lyudmila Jivkova's death 30 years ago. It has always been reported that Jivkova, the daughter of Bulgaria's last communist dictator, died in a car accident. Levchev explains, however, that she might have been...
Bulgaria: Sofia Students Plan to Protest if Officials Impose Curfew
The accidental killing of a student in the student district of Sofia sparkled a debate in Bulgaria. The government ended up with a quick and controversial solution: to impose a curfew on the district. This is mostly seen as a wrong solution to the wrong problem. Rayna Stamboliyska reports.
Bulgaria: Students Protest Teacher's Dismissal
Bulgarian blogger Boyan Pishtikov publishes [bg] images from a students’ demonstration in the north-western city of Vratza [en]. The protest was organized by high school students who disagree with the recent dismissal of one of their teachers. According to the principal [bg], the layoff was caused by alleged libel by...
Bulgaria: Construction of the Nuclear Power Plant “Belene” Cancelled
The Bulgarian government announced the cancellation of the construction of the nuclear power plant "Belene" on March 28. This controversial project and the consequences of its halt drew quite some attention. Rayna Stamboliyska reports.
Bulgaria: “You will win, Captain!”
After the announcement that the famous Bulgarian football player Stiliyan Petrov (Aston Villa F.C., England, and current captain of the Bulgarian national team) was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, netizens created a Facebook group [bg] to show their moral support: “You will win, Captain, the whole country is with you!” reads...
Bulgaria: Thousands Take Part in Anti-ACTA Protests
Hundreds of anti-ACTA protests took place all over Europe for Saturday, February 11. Bulgaria was no exception: thousands of protesters braved cold in Sofia and 14 other Bulgarian cities and towns. Even though much remains to be done, these rallies have shown a breach in the Bulgarians' apathy wall.