Stories from 4 September 2008
Bahrain: Traffic Tickets for Erring Cyclists
Cyclists driving in the opposite lanes of incoming traffic are being fined in Bahrain, reports Al Adraj, who posts an email from a Bahraini who thinks that the idea of fining cyclists is ridiculous.
Jordan: Bi-Monthly Video Clips
Jordanian Hareega is posting bi-monthly videos from YouTube on his blog. Here's the latest, featuring a plane landing on water. “It's not pretty,” he warns.
Lebanese: Kufi Scripts Makes Fashion Debut
Lebanese blog Letters features summer fashions which highlight Arabic Kufi calligraphy patterns in this photo post.
Jordan: Any thoughts on Body of Lies?
“Ridley Scott’s latest film, Body of Lies, starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio, is set to release this fall. In this thriller, a CIA operative in Amman who is trailing a high-ranking terrorist gets some unexpected help from the head of Jordan’s intelligence agency. Any thoughts?” asks an American in...
Egypt: Harassment against women is all the same
Rantings of an Arab Chick writes: “I read these sadly familiar accounts of sexual harassment from women living in Cairo. I would hazard a guess that any woman living in most Middle Eastern countries is just as familiar with this sort of treatment, not just from fellow citizens of their...
Kuwait: Hacking the Highway Sign
Kuwaiti Frankom [ar] links to a video on hacking a highway electronic sign and says he liked the idea it contained – whether it was fake or real.
Palestine: The Excellence of Iranian Universities
Palestinian Random Consistent Ideas links to an article on the excellence of Iranian universities. “The question that begs itself is: how can they do it? The article's explanation is rather shallow: all these top students want to leave Iran so bad, education excellence is their ticket out,” he notes.
Algeria: What do you call Skinks?
Algerian linguist Lameen Souag poses the following question for his readers: “Are any readers familiar with skinks? What would you call them?”
Abkhazia: Vacation Photos
Vacation photos from Abkhazia, by LJ user zyalt – here, here, here and here.
India: No Orissa
Naveen Roy on how issues like the violence in Orissa are not discussed on the Indian blogosphere.
India: Floods in Bihar
Keep Nepal Free on the lack of adequate relief programmes in the flood struck areas of Bihar in India.
Bangladesh: Palin and Her Speech
Mash on Sarah Palin's acceptance speech and the errors within.
Mexico: Much More Needed Than a March
Thousands of Mexicans in attendance for the march in Mexico City protested against the government's inability to halt kidnappings and violence against citizens. Now, bloggers from the capital and in other cities across the country provide their reflections and reactions to the march. However, many do not see that much will change without other actions by civil society.
South Africa: Highway Africa 2008
Solomon Moyo interviews Highway Africa 2008 conference delegates: “We asked our delegates about their thoughts on the theme and its relevance; and also about their expectations for the conference.”
Kenya: Harambee Stars must win
Harambee Stars blog quotes the coach of the Kenyan national team, Francis Kimanzi, saying that Kenya must beat the Namibian national team, Brave Warriors. The two team are playing on saturday.
Venezuela: Return of the Student Movement After Long Absence
Luis Carlos Díaz of Periodismo de Paz [es] writes about the lack of activity from the student movement in Venezuela, but that they have returned to make statements regarding the political situation in the country.
Argentina: Beers and Blogs in Salta
Taking advantage of his time in Salta, Argentina, Jorge Gobbi is helping to organize a Beers and Blog for local bloggers [es] on Thursday, September 4.
El Salvador: Oral Histories Project
El Salvador: Memories of War and Hope is an oral history project created by Sofia Jarrin-Thomas. She posts both Spanish and translated audio clips of interviews with Salvadorans affected by the civil war.
Costa Rica: Lack of Transparecy with China
Dean Córnito of La Suiza Centroamericana [es] criticizes Costa Rican president for the relations with China and the lack of transparency with some of the financial agreements, which includes the construction of a new national stadium.
Bolivia: Faith Restored in Institutions
Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] has his faith restored in Bolivian institutions when the president of the National Electoral Court ruled that a referendum for the new Constitution cannot be called by decree.
Chrome Welcomed with Accolades and Controversy in the Middle East
On Tuesday, Google joined the browser game by launching its very own browser, Chrome, to positive accolades and a bit of controversy. The free browser, which is currently only available for Windows, caused not only a media storm, but a blog storm as well, from nearly every corner of the globe. The Middle East and North African blogosphere, always quick to react to big stories, immediately began buzzing about Chrome yesterday, and haven't stopped since.
