Stories from 28 August 2008
Cape Verde: Blogger takes picture of filthy hospital lavatory
De Olho na Praia [pt] publishes a picture the blogger took showing the unclean conditions of the washing room at the Praia Central Hospital, in the capital of Cape Verde.
Iraq: “Egyptians Recruited to Iraq”
“According to Egyptian website Al-Mesryoon, last two months there was a campaign in America to recruit Egyptians as interpreters in the American forces and to be sent to Iraq. The Americans offer Green Card to Egyptians who sign a contract to work for at least six months, and the recruiters...
Iraq: Selling Fuel in Baghdad
“The gas and the fuel for cars has always been a problem for Iraqis inside Iraq, the irony that Iraq has one of the worlds largest reservoirs of oil is not lost on Iraqis,” says Alive in Baghdad, which posts a video on the situation here.
Bahrain: Bogus Degrees
Bogus degrees? Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif exposes those who helped themselves to some.
Jordan: Variety Show
7iber, from Jordan, details a cultural variety show with a difference in this post.
Tunisia: Eleven Minutes
“Another Paulo Coelho book that I've read recently and that I've been meaning to write about is ‘Eleven Minutes’. The book is pretty different from the other books I've read by Paulo Coelho, even though it is equally as great and enjoyable as a book, and inspiring in its own...
Dubai: Nugget full of Bone
Writing in Dubai Consumer Mirror, moryarti found a bone in a KFC nugget.
Brazil: Digital TV with Digital Rights Managements
Sérgio Amadeu [pt] has just learned that the Brazilian National Standards Organization is considering to have Digital TV setup boxes with DRM (Digital Rights Managements). “It is unfortunate that such an issue is decided by a small group of technicians. This decision is not purely technical, it has extremely serious...
Georgia, Russia, Serbia: The Use (or Abuse) of Some Historical Facts?
Serbian bloggers follow closely the situation in the Caucasus region. Many of them compared and analyzed the Kosovo issue and the newest opportunities in South Ossetia. Some of them were careful to express their own thoughts and mainly cited thoughts of politicians. Here is a post by a Serbian blogger who quoted in his blog some pieces of the last statements by Russia's government officials, who linked military operations in Georgia to certain historical events.
Brazil: I want to live in Second Life
Wanderley Filho [pt] compares, ironically, Brazilian politicians achievements to life on Second Life: a parallel world. “The election air time on TV is a balm to comfort those citizens who imagined that their past elected governments had not done any work for the past 4 years. In a few minutes...
Guinea-Bissau: Travel Pictures
Attending requests, Brigida Rocha Brito [pt] publishes some pictures of Forest of Cantanhez, Tombali region in southern Guinea-Bissau, towards Guiné Conacri borders, and promises more soon. “Next there will be new series of pictures from Bissau and a third one from Cachéu, region in the north near the border with...
Bahrain: The high cost of Ramadan
Bahraini blogger Yagoob describes the effect of inflation on the holy month of Ramadan.
Angola: Media shut up – again?
Eugénio Costa Almeida [pt] is again puzzled by the disappearence of another news portal in Angola, Correio Digital, which displays a “temporarily suspended” error: “What is going on? And this is the second time this happens in a few months. It's an eventual effect of this independent news portal's too...
Saudi Arabia: Growing fewer dates
Saudi Jeans tells us about date-growing in Saudi Arabia: “Growing dates has become a dying profession.”
Bahrain: Fifth of population living in poverty
Bahraini blogger Mahmood reports that 20 per cent of Bahrainis are living below the poverty line.
Western Sahara: Goodbye Peter Van Walsum
Western Sahara Info reports that the mandate of Peter Van Walsum, personal envoy of the UN secretary-general for Western Sahara, has not been renewed.
Moroccans at the Paralympics
The View from Fez informs us that Morocco will send 18 athletes to the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. The delegation is comprised of 14 runners, 4 weightlifters, and 12 officials.
Kenya: Reproductive Rights Bill Sparks Abortion Debate
A bill proposed by Kenyan women's rights groups, which would make it easier to have an abortion, has re-sparked the debate about legalizing abortion. The procedure is currently illegal in Kenya, unless the pregnant woman's life is in danger. Many religious leaders and politicians in the country have spoken out...
Pakistan: Women and Sports
Degrowchyowl has an insightful post on sports and women in the context of Islam.
Pakistan: Applying for NICOP
All Things Pakistan on the experience of applying for a NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) card online.
Turkey: YouTube Un-blocked?
Several Turkish bloggers are reporting the lifting of the YouTube ban in Turkey, including Internation Musings, however it may take up to 72 hours for Turkish web users to see it.