27 April 2009

Stories from 27 April 2009

Ukraine: Art Exhibits; Kyiv Pics

  27 April 2009

IZO writes about some of Kyiv's current art exhibitions, and posts a few random pictures from the streets of the Ukrainian capital: “The place is rich in facture, people don't seem to mind your taking them, and you don't feel you're going to be asked to desist, or worse, by...

Macedonia: Celebrating Sakura Becomes a Tradition

  27 April 2009

Sakura, the annual celebration of cherry blossoms through display of elements of Japanese culture, took place in Skopje, Macedonia, this weekend: somewhat later than last year, because the organizers did not want it to overlap with the Catholic and Orthodox Easter celebrations during the previous two weekends.

Brazil: Fly me to the moon with public money

  27 April 2009

Another scandal has taken the Brazilian blogosphere by storm – it has come to light that public money is being used to fund holidays abroad for parliament members and their family, friends and acquaintances. As bloggers report, it seems that an even bigger scheme to resell unused air ticket is to be exposed.

Qatar: Video of Unpaid Workers Sparks Debate

The harsh realities facing migrant workers in Qatar was at the centre of a discussion on Qatar Living after an Al Jazeera English report highlighted their plight recently. The video zooms in on the lives of construction workers, whose livelihood was impacted by the economic crisis, some of whom haven't be paid for up to four months.

Palestine: Reading Anna in the Middle East

Palestinian-American Sarah, at Reflections of a Cultural Mutt, attends the book signing of Anna Baltzer, the author of Anna in the Middle East and shares her reflections: “It was such a powerful presentation, and so refreshing to hear someone non-Arab speak so passionately about the injustice and oppression of another...

Mapping the Arab Blogopshere

Meedan announces that data expert Will Ward is “heading to Copenhagen’s New Islamic Public Sphere programme for a couple of weeks as a Meedan representative. The idea is to share ideas about our attempts to map the Arab blogosphere and get input on our growing Arab Media Index, which will...

Morocco: Al Quds Al Arabi's 20th Anniversary

From Morocco, Cinema and Movies marks the 20th birthday of Arabic language newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi. “In my country, it is sad to hear from time to time that some journalists are given bribes to keep their thoughts hidden.However,there are others just like our modest newspaper, Al qods Al...

Lebanon: Billboard Marriage Proposal

Lilane, from Lebanon, draws our attention to a billboard which contains a marriage proposal: ‘While driving on the highway towards Antelias from Jal el Dib, just near Antelias bridge on the left, this huge billboard (a bit blurry) caught my eyes (and the eyes of all Lebanese who drove by...

Cuba: Strike of the Period?

  27 April 2009

Cuba's ration market for feminine hygiene products is not always reliable, prompting Generation Y to envision “a ‘Strike of the Period,’ a massive protest marked by the ovulation cycle.”

Haiti, U.S.A.: TPS for Haitians

  27 April 2009

jmc strategies reports that ” the New York City Council adopted…a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation granting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitian nationals in the United States.”

Bangladesh: Ramakrishna Temple in Dhaka

  27 April 2009

MysticSaint at Inspirations and Creative Thoughts visited the Ramakrishna Temple of Dhaka and wrote about Sri Sri Ramakrishna (February 18, 1836 – August 16, 1886), a remarkable mystic saint of Bengal.

Jamaica: Gas Tax

  27 April 2009

“I've come to the conclusion that there is some irrational link between the price of gas in Jamaica and public tolerance levels”: Annie Paul thinks that the imposition of the gas tax is “long overdue”.

Guyana: Taking Root

  27 April 2009

‘If you can have a tree growing in you, what kind of tree you would want?” Guyana-Gyal poses an interesting question.

South Africa: UnFreedom Day in South Africa

  27 April 2009

Sokari writes about Fredom Day in South Africa: Today is Freedom Day in South Africa. However for many in SA the notion of freedom is as illusive as ever as under the new apartheid where the poor are disenfranchised and excluded through the Kwa Zula-Natal Slums Act.

South Africa: Why I miss South Africa

  27 April 2009

Rod explains why he misses South Africa: As I watch the electoral process unfold in SA from China I feel proud of my country. My heart jolted as I wrote the words, “my country”. The elections are being done peacefully, democratically.