25 August 2009
Stories from 25 August 2009
Netherlands: Too young to sail the world alone at 13?
Laura Dekker from the Netherlands is 13 years-old and wants to sail around the world alone to break a world record, but the Dutch Child Welfare Council have taken legal action to stop her.
Brazil: Students arrested for demonstrating in the Senate
Students were held for demonstrating against the Senate's President José Sarney and suffered many threats. We hear the blogosphere's thoughts on Brazilian democracy being slowly done away with.
Palestine: Qatayef, A Special Ramadan Dessert
During Ramadan one of the special dishes enjoyed throughout the Arab world is qatayef, small pancakes stuffed with various sweet fillings. One blogger in Gaza has watched them being made, and another Gazan blogger provides a recipe.
India: A wave of suicides among farmers

Increasingly, Indian farmers are resorting to extreme measures, including suicide, to escape complex problems of poverty, crop failure and growing debt. Indian bloggers analyze the situation.
Kenyan cartoonists find a home in the blogosphere
The older Kenyan generations vividly remember cartoon characters like Bogi Benda, Juha Kalulu and many others who premiered in newspapers. But times are changing and the internet is changing almost everything including the medium that cartoonists are using to share their thoughts.
Azerbaijan: Activist bloggers face additional charge as trial approaches
Youth activist video bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli have been held in pre-trial detention for 48 days. However, in an unexpected development, the authorities in Azerbaijan have now decided to add an additional charge of assault.
Kazakhstan: On the Efficacy of Government
How professional is the government? Is it rigorous enough in performing its functions? How often does it interfere in matters beyond its competence? These are among the most popular questions...
Taiwan: Stories of the survivors from Typhoon Morakot
Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan on 8 August. The heavy rain it brought to Taiwan has caused serious damage across the country, with thousands of people evacuated from their homes. Stories abound on the internet.
Maghreb: Ramadan Good Wishes and More
The Maghreb blogosphere has been blooming with an outpouring of congratulations, welcoming the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. And amongst the usual greetings and formal congratulations, controversial thoughts, often at odds with conventional views on Muslims, are being aired.
Singapore: Taxi driver-blogger is a PhD graduate
He is a Singaporean taxi driver, blogger, and PhD holder from Stanford University. Singapore netizens describe him as the “most educated taxi driver in the world.” His name is Dr. Mingjie Cai.




































Nice post Aparna. Good to see that Kolkata men and women are organizing against street sexual harassment. Kathmandu organized its...