10 May 2009

Stories from 10 May 2009

Kenya: World Renowned Elephant Matriarch Dies in Amboseli

  10 May 2009

World renowned Amboseli National Park elephant matriarch, Echo, has died from what the Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE) believes to be a combination of old age and the long 3-year drought that has left this southern Kenya wildlife preserve dry and with little to offer in terms of food. Echo...

Global Health: “Swine Flu” In Images

  10 May 2009

Though concerns over the "swine flu" outbreak have eased, the virus continues to spread throughout the world. The World Health Organization announced today that there are now 4,379 confirmed cases of the virus in 29 countries. Here are some images of the swine flu's impact globally.

Global: Happy Mother's Day!

  10 May 2009

If one thing is true of all humankind, it is this: we all have mothers. And in many parts of the world, it is customary to celebrate our mothers with a special day: Mother's Day. Although the date varies, many countries are celebrating today, the second Sunday of May. From Denmark to Dominica, Peru to Pakistan, the United States to Uganda, bloggers of all ages are calling, visiting, or otherwise honoring their mothers today.

Sri Lanka: British Journalists Arrested

  10 May 2009

In Mutiny reports that three British TV journalists, who reported the grim situation from the Sir Lankan IDP camps for Channel 4 News, have been arrested and will be deported shortly.

Azerbaijan: Blogger response to University massacre

Information about the tragedy which occurred at the end of last month, shocking many worldwide, was slow to emerge, and even more than a week later, there are still many questions left unanswered. However, what is known is that on the morning of 30 April 2009, 13 people were killed in a terrifying shooting spree at the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy. Bloggers comment on the tragedy.

Madagascar: Behind the Scenes of Foko Ushahidi SMS Alert System

  10 May 2009

A growing community of bloggers in Madagascar have been helping a global audience understand the political struggle between a former mayor and a president that recently drove their country into national disarray. A new initiative led by Malagasy bloggers captures witness accounts of social unrest via SMS text messages and Google maps using the Kenyan web interface, Ushahidi.

Pakistan: Fighting The Taliban

  10 May 2009

The Pakistan army has started to fight back to take control of several districts of the North-West Frontier Province from the Taliban insurgents. More than half a million people have been displaced due to the fighting and this has become a humanitarian crisis. And the fighting is not going to end anytime soon. Pakistani bloggers weigh in on the situation.

Paraguay: Experiences of an Immigrant in Rosario, Argentina

  10 May 2009

Elizabeth Gonzalez writes about her experience as a Paraguayan immigrant in Rosario, Argentina at the blog Somos Paraguayos [es] (We Are Paraguayans). She adds that many refer to her not by name, but by the nickname “Paraguas” which is often used in a disparaging manner.

Iran: Three publishers were banned

Aknoun, Iran based blogger, writes [fa] that Akhtaran,Ageh and Jamedaran are three Iranian publishers that were banned from participating in Tehran Book Fair. The blogger adds this means that each of these three publishers will lose a significant part of their revenue this year.

Malaysia: “Death of democracy” in Perak

  10 May 2009

Blogger ktemoc from Malaysia writes that the forcible removal of the Speaker of the Perak State Parliament by unidentified outsiders is “deplorable, disgraceful and deceitful in a democracy.”