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Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal recounts a recent trip from Azerbaijan to post-conflict Georgia. Traveling with veteran Caucasus journalist Thomas Goltz, Totten details an attempt to visit Russian-occupied Gori and an unfortunate encounter with Azerbaijani customs officials on his return to Baku. The problem? The Lonely Planet Guide to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Global Voices is how I know about important events in countries that are never mentioned in the news.
In Consent of the Networked, internet policy specialist Rebecca MacKinnon argues that the purpose of technology is to serve humanity, not the other way around. It’s time to wake up and act before the reversal becomes permanent.
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As parliamentary elections approach this year in Georgia, to be followed by a presidential vote in 2013, allegations against Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire opposition politician, have appeared on the Internet. The alleged exposé of life in the Ivanishvili household by American teacher Patrick Downey, formerly employed by the businessman turned politician, have been met with skepticism from other expatriates in the former Soviet republic, and not least because of claims also made against Georgia in general, the U.S., and [his ancestral homeland of] Ireland. Downey had sought asylum or residency in the latter, according to a video blog, “[…] in light of recent uncontrolled and willfully ill-advised policies concerning the mass emigration of non-Irish persons to Ireland […].” Ivanishvili has responded by saying that Downey “is suffering from psychological problems.”
Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts the video and lyrics of a song by Armenian rock band Dorians. One of the three most likely contenders to enter this year's Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, the blog says that the group is also his favorite to represent Armenia in the international music competition.
Following the removal of traditional newspaper booths in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, and out of concern that the independent media will suffer as a result, Democracy and Freedom Watch reports that newspapers are now being sold via mobile newsstands including those attached to bicycles. A video report [GE] is also available here.
Gultekin Garadaghly posts a rendition of Qubanin Ag Almasi, an Azerbaijani folk song. The YouTube channel of the young musical video blogger from Baku also features a cover of Drip Drop, her country's 2010 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as last year's winning Running Scared. Azerbaijan host the international music competition in May.
As the May parliamentary elections approach, Unzipped questions the arrest of an opposition journalist for an alleged motoring offense and the suspected political ambitions of a former foreign minister believed to be close to political forces within the ruling regime.
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Based on the Wikipedia list of countries, details.
Next time we will be there again :)