Stories from 1 May 2007
Blogs and social participation: the coverage of the Neuquen conflict in Argentina
In the last few weeks, a series of protests by teacher unions from the Argentinean Patagonian provinces has been all over the news. In particular, this attention was even bigger after the murder of Carlos Fuentealba, a teacher that participated in a protest on one of the routes by the local police force. The seriousness of the events not only mobilized the traditional media, but also many blogs started to cover the events. An outstanding blog in this coverage is Pensamientos Despeinados [ES]. Ezequiel Apesteguia, one of the collective blog members answered a few questions about this citizen's coverage.
India: On MFIs and high rates of interest
The Indian Economy Blog on why Micro Finance Institutions are successful despite high rates of interest. “So, even with these kind of rates, why do people still go to MFI’s? One, because the alternative, the village money lender typically charges a much larger interest rate. Second, the MFI is a...
India: Fake encounters
Kafila on fake encounters and people as trophies. “People who had a faint glimmer of hope about Kausar Bi’s whereabouts finally know that she is no more. As the counsel for the Gujarat government himself admitted before the Supreme Court, she was killed, burnt and her ashes were thrown in...
India: Bhandari Street
Mumbai Magic on a community after seeing it as part of a street name. “I was hanging around, saying goodbye to my guest, when I spotted this road sign – Bhandari Street. I knew that the Bhandaris were among the earliest settlers in Mumbai. Raja Bhimdev, who ruled this area...
Bhutan: Dochula Pass
Visit Bhutan on the Dochula Pass. “Dochula Pass which is the most known pass in the Bhutan is just 30 odd Km drive from the Capital City Thimphu on the way towards central Bhutan. Dochula pass is around 3150 meter from sea level and it's mostly covered with white clouds,...
Sri Lanka: Funding for the LTTE
Transcurrents.com on the alleged funding by two Australia based Tamils. “Two Tamils of Sri Lankan origin currently residing in Australia were arrested and produced in courts on May 1st for allegedly funding the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Two Melbourne residents were produced in courts charged with providing material support...
Ukraine: Chernobyl Scholar Serhiy Mirnyi
On April 26, the 21st anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophy, MoldovAnn talked to Serhiy Mirnyi – “a writer, scientist, and commander of radiation reconnaissance platoon in Chornobyl in 1986.”
Ukraine: Orphanage and Adoption
MoldovAnn writes about a Ukrainian orphanage, adoption and, to put it mildly, some cultural differences.
Myanmar: Burmese Food in the US
Fifty Viss is making his readers hungry with a picture laden post on finding Burmese food in the US.
Ukraine: Being in a Movie, Part 2
MoldovAnn again writes about filming of the Ukrainian-Russian movie she's in: “…I learned that my “husband” now has a name, Jack Brown, and he’s a tanned man in glasses, with a gold Rolex. I also read that Donna (i.e., me) is big, clumsy, with a lot of hair in a...
Internet Use Shaping Cambodia
With more than 50% of the population of almost 15 million people younger than 25, the future of Cambodia's internet as well as the youth lifestyle looks vibrant. An IT boom is accompanying the fast growing economy in Cambodia. Young people are playing with the latest technologies and are getting interested in the latest fashion trends. Government and non-government agencies are also exploiting IT for development projects.
Former Soviet Union: Photos
Scraps of Moscow posts a selection of black-and-whites that he submitted to a literary jouranal – many of them are from the former Soviet Union.
Moldova: On Transdniestria
Scraps of Moscow writes about his first impressions of Transdniestria, recommends a French documentary on arms trafficking by the Transdniestrian de facto government, reports on a recent Transdniestria conflict resolution conference held at Georgetown University – and posts photos of Tiraspol.
Russia: May Day in Moscow – Photos
Darkness at Noon spends May 1 attending various Moscow rallies – and posts a ton of great pictures – here and here: “Having spent the day with the Communists, the nationalists, more nationalists, and even more nationalists, I figured McDonald's would make a sufficiently ironic end to my story. Needless...
Russia: Dill and Other Food
Darkness at Noon writes about Russian food: “Did I mention the dill? Apparently this is the only herb that grows fresh in Russia because it has found its way into damn near every dish on the table. I once loved dill. Now it too falls in the “once a year”...
Russia: Good-Bye to Yeltsin
Darkness at Noon said good-bye to Boris Yeltsin last week and wrote: “The most touching image of the day was Naina Yeltsina, his wife, gently caressing his hair and kissing his face before saying goodbye at the cemetery. It was a powerful reminder that he was, first of all, a...
Korea: On Parents’ Love, Power and Money
One Korean chaebol (head of a conglomerate) apparently watches too many Hong Kong and Korean gangster films. The CEO of Hanwha, one of the ten biggest companies in South Korea, was questioned recently by police about an alleged revenge attack for injuries inflicted upon his son, who studies in the...
ONI: Ethiopia blocks opposition sites and millions of blogs
According to The OpenNet Initiative, the Ethiopian authorities are blocking access to oppositions websites and blogs hosted by Blogger. “Most of the sites that we found blocked were related to freedom of expression, human rights and political opposition,” OpenNet research director Robert Faris said to Reuters. “I think it's a...
Bangladesh: Terror attacks from new Al-Qaeda group raise questions
A series of bombs went off at Dhaka, Sylhet and Chittagong railway stations Tuesday morning from 6:45 AM to 9:30 AM (BDNews24). Only one person was injured in the attack but it created panic in the country. Bangladeshi bloggers are covering this extensively. Jadid Al-Qaeda, an unknown group believed to...
Japan: Shinzo Abe souvenirs
James from Japan Probe introduced a set of Shinzo Abe souvenirs for tourists.
China: Cartoon Channel Cancellation
Josie Liu from China in Transition reports about the mixed public reaction on Cartoon Channel Cancellation in Zhengzhou, Henan.
