Stories from 22 February 2009
Kosovo: First Anniversary of Independence
Blogging Balkanistan writes about Kosovo's first anniversary of independence.
Latvia: Government Resignation
Edward Hugh writes about Latvian government's resignation at A Fistful of Euros.
Saudi Arabia: Moving to a modern society?
“Is Saudi Arabia moving closer to a modern society?,” asks Sabria S. Jawhar in her new blog post.
Egypt: A walk down memory lane in NY
Mostafa, an Egyptian student living in Virginia, US, writes a beautiful review for the movie “The Visitor” , relating to his own experience.
Maghreb: UN Western Sahara Envoy Holds Talks with Polisario
Yesterday, Christopher Ross, the UN Special Envoy to the disputed Western Sahara, arrived in Algeria to hold talks with the Polisario Front, according to AFP. Jillian York rounds up blogger reactions from the Maghreb region on this latest development.
Egypt: Bloggers React to Cairo bombings
A French tourist was killed and around 20 people were injured when a bomb exploded outside the Al Hussein Mosque in Cairo's popular tourist area Khan Al Khalili. And as the world was coming to grips with what was happening on the ground, Egypt's bloggers were quick at work, exchanging updates, information, analysis and concerns.
Ghana: Ghana's Most Powerful Women
David Ajao lists Ghana's most powerful women, “The Fourth Republic of Ghana is historical for many reasons. It has more women in higher public office than it has ever had, in its 51 years as an independent nation. This post highlights some of the women at the height of power.”
Zimbabwe: Marechera's Love Sonnets
EShuneutics discusses Marechera's Love Sonnets. Dambudzo was a Zimbabwean writer and poet, “Poem III in the Amelia Sonnets, is titled “Her hand my eyes closes”. The closing of the eyes is a familiar image of death, one of the final acts offered to the corpse. The irony here, however, is...
Kenya: Google SMS Search In Kenya
Kenyans using Safaricom services can now use Google SMS Search, “Google SMS Search provides access to information through a mobile phone without needing to access the Internet. You simply create an SMS message about what you are looking for and send it to the Google SMS short code (4664 or...
Saudi Arabia: A Romantic Society?
Murtadha Almtawaah, a Saudi blogger currently studying in the United States, writes about romanticism in Saudi society: “I think Saudi people are very romantic but they don’t express or talk about Romance in public. They really look for it in their private life.”
Google's April Fools’ Hoax Gets the Best of a Syrian Newspaper
Google is in the habit of launching spoof services on April Fools’ Day. Diya’ from Syria reports [ar] that a prominent Syrian newspaper, Al Watan, has taken the bait and reported on Google's TSIP service, WiFi through toilets, as an actual service.
South Asian Rock Music Festival
Salik Shah of Kathmandu Speaks! Are you listening? attended the second South Asian Bands festival at Purana Qila in New Delhi and shares his reactions.
India: Loathing ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
Lekhni at The Imagined Universe questions ‘why do Indians hate Slumdog Millionaire?‘
Japan: Pictures of Japanese festivals and ceremonies
Yoshio Wada (和田義男)'s website [jp] has fascinating photos of the most interesting Japanese festivals and ceremonies. It also includes some pictures from famous historical places aorund the world. (The website is only partially available in English)
Japan: Agriculture the latest trend among celebrities
The Japanese economy is facing one of the worse slowdowns in its modern history, with a GDP that has declined at a rate of 12,7%. Nonetheless, TV programs and lifestyle magazines are doing their best to inspire hope among their viewers and readers that not everything is lost. Recently, a new trend has been spreading among Japanese celebrities: farm work.
Peru: Portrayal of Andean Life in Llosa's Movies
The recent film "The Milk of Sorrow" by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa was recently awarded with the Golden Bear at an international film festival in Berlin. Even though the film has yet to open in Peru, debate has started whether or not Llosa's portrayal of Andean life is accurate or in some cases racist towards the indigenous communities that figure prominently in her movies.
Chile: NGO for Victims of Delinquency Brings Together Citizens
The NGO Víctimas de la Delincuencia [es] (Victims of Delinquency) was created in Chile's capital city of Santiago in 2006 to protect, guide and inform the victims of violence in this city. On their website, citizens have been marking episodes of violence (muggings, assault, robbery, rape and abuse) on a map, uploading videos and testimony of when and how they were victimized. The organization's goal is enable the changing of laws in Chile, which so far, according to Víctimas de la Delincuencia, tend to benefit delinquents instead of their victims.
Madagascar: A Resolution to the political crisis?
In Madagascar, bloggers react to a recent meeting where rivals President Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina agreed to a political truce, paving the way for further negotiations. Weeks of public protests and violent crackdowns have left dozens dead.
Russia: Henri Cartier-Bresson's Photos of Soviet Union
LJ user jolita (RUS) has posted Henri Cartier-Bresson's 1954-55 and 1973-74 photos of the Soviet Union in the ruguru LJ community.
