Global Voices Online

Featured stories about 2008-03

Zimbabwe: Harare is tense after Tsvangirai claims victory

Ndesanjo Macha · 15:08, March 30th, 2008 · Sub-Saharan Africa

Following the presidential and parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe yesterday, bloggers are reporting that the situation in Harare is tense, in Bulawayo MDC supporters are celebrating (MDC candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, has claimed victory) and all over the country there are rumours that Robert Mugabe has left the country for Mozambique. 6 comments · read »

Armenia: Opposition Protests Continue

Onnik Krikorian · 15:02, March 30th, 2008 · Central Asia & Caucasus

Despite amendments to the law on public marches, rallies and demonstrations following the recently lifted state of emergency, the opposition continues to hold meetings on the streets of the Armenian capital. In order to circumvent the restrictions, the gatherings are held under the guise of playing chess, reading books or even eating fast food in public. 9 comments · read »

Stories

March 31st, 2008

Bulgaria: Against Internet “Bugging”

Yavor Mihaylov · 22:27 · Eastern & Central Europe

lingua → mk · mg · es

This year, the Bulgarian government has issued a decree, which, among other things, allows the security services to gather from each internet user the data about who they have written to, who is on their contact lists, what instant communication agents they are equipped with, when they used them and the precise manner of using them. The majority of internet users in Bulgaria interpreted it as an encroachment on their civil liberties. Yavor Mihaylov reports on Bulgarian bloggers' attempts to resist the government's initiative. 8 comments · read »

Taiwan: Voices after Presidential Election

Pipper Lee · 17:17 · East Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

March 22 is Taiwan's presidential election held once every four years. The victory is belonging to KMT's Ma Ying-jeou, who got 60 percent of votes and 2 million votes than the other candidate, Frank Hsieh from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). KMT lost the political power since DPP became the ruling party eight years ago. Now they are back and complete the second-round trasition of political power. After the election, in addition to the election result reported by Taiwan and international press, bloggers in Taiwan have many comments on democracy development, hot and criticism for two parties, and relationship between Taiwan and China. 4 comments · read »

Trinidad & Tobago: The Laptop Incident

Janine Mendes-Franco · 15:58 · Americas

lingua → sq · mk · pt · bn · es

Trinidad and Tobago's Opposition Leader was recently suspended from Parliament for using his laptop without permission, but only a few bloggers seemed tuned in to the story... 10 comments · read »

Japan: Views on Yasukuni, the movie

Hanako Tokita · 05:37 · East Asia

lingua → jp · zht · zhs · es

A documentary film about the controversial Yasukuni shrine, shot by a Chinese filmmaker through funding by a Japanese government agency, has sparked debate and discussion after a group within the ruling LDP party convened a screening to assess its "neutrality". Bloggers offer differing views on the move and on the idea of their government subsidizing what some see as a "political" film. 7 comments · read »

Bahrain: Scorn for inflation package

Ayesha Saldanha · 00:07 · Middle East & North Africa

To alleviate the effects of inflation in Bahrain, the government has introduced a BD40 million (USD105 million) aid package – and Bahrain's bloggers are unanimous in questioning how effective it will be, writes Ayesha Saldanha. 1 comment · read »

March 30th, 2008

Jorge Gobbi: Travel Blogs and Experiences From the Road

Eduardo Avila · 15:29 · Americas

lingua → bn · es

The grand city of Buenos Aires, Argentina is a favorite destination for many tourists. It is also the home of Global Voices' author for Argentina, Jorge Gobbi, who has been able to combine his love for traveling with blogging about the subject, both personally and professionally. In continuation of the series of Global Voices Online author profiles, Jorge also describes some of his favorite, as well as most unusual experiences while on the road. 6 comments · read »

Links for 2008-03

March 31st, 2008

Eastern & Central Europe

Information Policy links to a story in the International Herald Tribune on the protest of Slovak newspapers against the new requirement “to print responses by people or institutions to any news article even if the published information were true.”

Eastern & Central Europe

The Economist's blog, Certain Ideas of Europe, reports from the Czech Republic on how “charging patients a small sum for visits to publicly funded doctors” has more or less eliminated “micro-bribing.”

Middle East & North Africa

“One of the last things you would expect to find in Morocco is a pig farm. Given that the consumption of pork is a religious taboo it may come as a surprise that this is a growth industry. And the reason? Tourism,” writes The View from Fez.

Middle East & North Africa

Syrian Abu Fares explains why he blogs in this post. “I blog therefore I am,” he concludes.

Middle East & North Africa

Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar shares an interview conducted with him by PBS news hour.

Middle East & North Africa

Naseem Tarawnah, from Jordan, shares with us some of his “delicious pickings” in this post.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Plataforma Angola Mais Solidária [pt] is a new blog intended to create a space for reflexion and debate of ideas. They welcome the readers: “If you arrived here it is because you care about our Land! If you arrived here it is because you believe we deserve a better Angola! If you arrived here it is because you believe that discussion and explicit ideas may help our leaders better decide!”

Middle East & North Africa

“It is said that each Palestinian expelled from their land - and not just since 1948, when it the state of Israel was created - keep a key which they always carry with them. This is not the key for their car, office or a shed lost somewhere between Jordan, Syria and Iraq. These are the keys to their homes, in the land identified as sacred by their religion and where they could never go back to”. Sakamoto [pt] has pictures from a demonstration held in São Paulo, Brazil to demand the end of Gaza Strip.