Stories from 22 January 2008
Algeria: Wrong Description
From Algeria, Nouri the Moor objects to an LA Times article which describes slain former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as the “first elected leader of a Muslim state.” ‘What about this guy, this guy, this guy, and this guy? Maybe they meant “the first elected female leader of a...
Korea: Have you been pressed down by scissors?
Have you heard about ‘your body is pressed down by scissors?’ When I was kid, I heard adults sometimes tell each other they were pressed down by scissors the previous night and talked about horrible ghost stories. I didn’t understand what it was until I experienced it one time. I...
Kuwait: Scarlett Johansson in Kuwait
Actress Scarlett Johansson visited a military camp in Kuwait, making blogger Mark to ask: “How does one go about getting access to US camps in Kuwait?”
Ukraine: Unity Day
Ukrainiana writes about the neglected Unity Day in Ukraine.
Ukraine: Euro 2012 To-Do List
Orange Ukraine lists what needs to be done to accommodate the Euro 2012 visitors (from 400,000 to 1 million) in Ukraine: “As of this moment, Kyiv has 4,000 hotel rooms. What is required is all the logistics incl. infrastructure (roads, parking, planes, trains, etc.) and upgrading facilities such as hospitals...
Saudi Arabia: Women May be Allowed to Drive
Mideast Youth author Muneeb links to news reports which say that Saudi women may be allowed to drive by the end of this year.
Saudi Arabia: Women Allowed to Stay at Hotels
Or Does it Explode reports a small victory for Saudi women in this post. It quotes news sources as saying: “Women in Saudi Arabia can now stay in a hotel or a furnished apartment without a male guardian, according to a government decision that comes as the country faces increasing...
Russia: The North
Window on Eurasia writes that “small ethnic groups of Russia’s north suffer […] from abuse in the post-Soviet media which appear to treat them all as one enormous and inappropriate Chukchi joke.”
Poland: The Primaries in the U.S.
The beatroot writes on “who should Poles vote for, if they could, in US primaries”: “What goes on in Washington should be of keen interest in Warsaw.”
Israel: Israeli Bloggers Respond to Crisis in Palestine
Israel's bloggers take to their keyboards to express their frustration at the one-sided coverage of the crisis in Gaza, Palestine. Maya Norton rounds up their reactions in this post.
Latvia: The Suiti
Marginalia writes about history, culture and songs of the suiti, the people of Alsunga in Latvia.
Albania: BBC Journalist's Blog
BBC's Mark Mardell blogs about his trip to Albania.
Serbia: Election Politics
A Fistful of Euros posts a detailed roundup on the first round of the Serbian presidential election.
Russia, Serbia: Gazprom Buys NIS
Robert Amsterdam and A Fistful of Euros write about Gazprom's acquisition of “Serbia's national energy monopoly, NIS, at a knockdown price.”
Bahrain: Ashoora Reading
Bint Battuta attends Ashoora events in Bahrain, and shares some reading material about the rituals here.
Iraq: Flag Change
“The Kurds did it, the Iraqi parliament today approved a new interim design to be approved for one year with a majority of 110 out of 275, 100 MPs were absent from the session. The new flag drops out the stars only,” writes Iraqi Konfused Kid.
Jordan: 24 Hour Marathon
From Jordan, Ammar Ibrahim will be running in a 24 hour marathon. “Dead to Read (D2R) is an annual event for psychos, you get teams of 10 people to run 242KM from Dead Sea to Red Sea in under 24 hours. we start running at 3 PM Thursday Jan 31st,...
Israel: Being Taken for a Ride
Being taken for a ride? Yael from Israel shares her story with a taxi driver here.
Israel: The Liars of Gaza
Smooth Stone, from Israel, writes: “More Muslim mendacity. If children were indeed starving, why are there no photos of their swollen bellies?”
Jordan: Snowing in Dabouq
It is snowing in Dabouq, Jordan, reports blogger Ahmad Humeid, who shares with us this exclusive footage.
Qatar: Online Journal Closes
Qatari online journal Qatar Journal has called it a day, reports Mohamed Nanabhay from Doha.