Stories from 29 November 2008
Armenia: World AIDS Day & the Armenicum Fiasco
Armenia: Higher Education & Sciences prepares its readers for the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day and highlights the situation with HIV infection in the country. The blog also notes that this year marks the 10th anniversary of Armenicum, a locally produced drug which the authorities initially announced could cure...
Tunisia: Facebook Case Thrown Out of Court
A Tunisian court threw out a case against the censorship facing Facebook, brought about by blogger and journalist Ziad El Heni against the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI).
Mexico: High Service Fees for Radiohead Tickets
In Mexico, there are complaints regarding the high Ticketmaster service fees tacked on to the price of Radiohead tickets for the concerts to be held in Mexico City in March 2009 writes El Nahual of México Para Los Mexicanos [es].
Costa Rica: Electronic Waste Pick-Up
The Q-dra project is launching a campaign to collect electronic waste, such as old computers and televisions in San José, Costa Rica writes Bloqueverde [es].
Pakistan: Blame Game On Mumbai Terror – The Blogosphere Speaks
Recent terror attacks in Mumbai have seriously disturbed and complicated the on-going peace dialogues between India and Pakistan. Where Indian officials are not hesitating to point fingers to Pakistan, the Pakistani officials have been denying Pakistan's involvement in the attacks. Pakistan authorities have further requested not to play the blame...
Iran: Do not Execute Farzad Kamangar
Several human rights activists and bloggers warned that Farzad Kamangar, a teacher and trade unionist may be executed in the near future in Iran. Farzad Kamangar, who is from Kurdistan province in Iran, is accused of being affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Mozambique: Different views of condom use in Africa
In a country which struggles to combat AIDS, twenty million condoms are distributed every year. Considering that at least 4 million Mozambican men are sexually active from a population of 17.4 million inhabitants, this makes a personal allowance of five condoms for the whole year. Surprisingly, kids are the most faithful users of them.
Jordan: Amman's November Fuel Crisis
When Jordan's government proposed adjusting fuel prices according to the rise and fall in the international markets on a weekly basis, gas station owners protested and for a period of about 10 days refused to buy fuel from the main refinery demanding that prices are to be adjusted on a monthly basis. That, in turn, resulted in a severe shortage in fuel from many gas stations in Amman. Bloggers picked up the issue, and here is what some of them had to say.
Armenia: Chess, Karabakh and Turkish Relations
West of Igdir comments on the latest developments in Armenia including a second victory for the country in the International Chess Olympiad, speculation over negotiations to resolve the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh and last week's visit to Istanbul by the Foreign Minister.
India: Kashmir and Mumbai
India’s largest city and economic hub are now target practice grounds; much similar to Kashmir. “We’ve all been watching TV till our eyeballs were emanating radioactive glow,” pings a friend and freelance Photographer from Mumbai, who adds: “Media coverage is par for the course. We’re a very crassly inquisitive race,...
Sleepless and stranded in Thailand
There are more than a hundred thousand stranded passengers in Thailand and nearby countries after anti-government protesters forced the shutdown of Bangkok’s two major airports. What are the views of some of the stranded passengers, Bangkok residents and the now world infamous protesters?
India: Advice from a Sri Lankan
The Under Dog at the Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Groundviews has this to say to the Indians on the Mumbai terror attacks: “Here’s a word of advice from a Sri Lankan to our big neighbor. Don’t go down the path we have taken. Don’t be tempted to sacrifice the...
India: Interview With The Mumbai Terrorists
Bangladeshi-American blogger Mash at Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying posts a transcript of the interview with a Mumbai terrorist (translated from Hindi) which was broadcast in an Indian TV channel.
Japan, S. Korea, China: the Second International Congress of Asian Hemp Industry
Blogger Takashi reports [jp] on the Second International Congress of Asian Hemp Industry (第２回アジア大麻産業国際会議) held in Donghae (Korea) at the Hangzhong University from the 20th to the 23rd of November, 7 years after the first congress took place. Participants from Japan, China and South Korea [jp] debated the hemp industry...
China: Chinese students inform on political science professor
David Bandurski from China media project quoted from South China Morning post on a news about two Chinese students reporting to the police on a professor at Shanghai’s East China University of Political Science and Law concerning his “anti-government” speech. The incident has been widely discussed in local forum, such...
China: Zeng Jingyan's Thanksgiving message
ESWN translated Chinese dissent Zeng Jingyan's Thanksgiving message. Zeng's husband Hu Jia is still in prison and Zeng herself is under monitored.
The Balkans: Tragic Legacy
Cafe Turco writes on the inaccuracies in Resolution 819 film and posts a translation of Hasan Nuhanović's article that challenges “the veracity of some scenes.” Srebrenica Genocide Blog writes on a recent exhumation of “50 complete and 883 partial human remains of Srebrenica genocide victims” and links to a documentary...
Philippines: When a City is Not a City
GV Author Karlo Mongaya looks at the reactions of bloggers to the recent Supreme Court decision voiding the cityhood of 16 new cities in the Philippines.
Central & Eastern Europe: A Roma Roundup
A few Roma-related posts: Inside Albania muses on the U.S. election and concludes that having a Roma PM in Albania will remain “pure fantasy” for quite a while; Romano Them links to a report on the situation with the Roma in Kosovo; Hungarian Spectrum reported on Nov. 20 that “[i]n...
Romania: A Quick Primer on Nov. 30 Election
Csíkszereda Musings writes about the upcoming Nov. 30 parliamentary election and “the shifting allegiances in Romanian politics”: “The other two major parties were allies four years ago, but now seem to hate each other's guts.”
Slovenia: New Government
Posts on Slovenia's new government – at Sleeping With Pengovsky, Kosmopolito, and Borut Peterlin's blog.
