29 March 2009

Stories from 29 March 2009

Saudi Arabia: Censoring Skin

From Saudi Arabia, Susie describes the ‘trouble’ censors go through to ‘cover up’ women's skin: “Certainly seeing all that tempting erotic skin, and coloring in all those feminine body parts must have some kind of perverse effect on these men who have been entrusted with keeping the entire country out...

India: Arguments Against The Third Front

  29 March 2009

Solitary Reaper analyzes the election manifesto of the Third Front, a political alliance contesting in the upcoming Indian elections 2009, and comments: “here are a few people talking about taking India back to the stone age.”

Iran:Iranian football coach sacked

Several Iranian sites and bloggers reported that Ali Daei, Iranian national football coach was sacked after Iran suffered a humiliating 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia in its fifth World Cup qualifier at Tehran's Azadi Stadium. Here is a video film where Iranians insluted Ali Daei and chanted slogans agianst him.

Sri Lanka: New Dissent Voices

  29 March 2009

ICT For Peacebuilding (ICT4PEACE) blog features two new dissent websites, which are voicing critical perspectives on the current affairs of Sri Lanka.

Brazil: Beyond cyberspace – when blogs move offline

  29 March 2009

Books are becoming e-books and blogs and websites have appeared as books and other types of media. In this state of flux, it looks like the paper book has the power to beat virtual writing rather than the other way round. In Brazil, there is more than just a fashion of launching e-books to attract readers and writers but also an opposite stream in which blogs have reached the offline shelves as well as the movie screens.

Azerbaijan: Blogger Interview

  29 March 2009

Dotcom, an online project which has participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States, has published an interview with Azerbaijani blogger Arzu Geybullayeva on blogging and citizen media. In particular, she talks about her work on gender issues and media freedom as well as about her blog, Flying Carpets and...

Azerbaijan: Barcamp Caspian

  29 March 2009

Caucasus New Media reports from this week's Barcamp Caspian held in Baku, Azerbaijan. In particular, the blog notes presentations on localizing the Opera web browser for the Caucasus and fears about possible Internet censorship in the country.

Taiwan: Our land and the Statute of Rural Renewal

  29 March 2009

The scenery of Taiwan's countryside as simple and stunningly beautiful as depicted by the above popular lullaby will soon be vanished. Small rivers will be replaced by sewage pipes, hills will be flattened, and there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of factories and sumptuous villas rise in the middle of farmland. Of course, there will be potted plant inside the walls of these villas, but there won't be egrets or even sparrows anymore.