Stories from 16 November 2009
Azerbaijan: Prison Diary
AdnanEmin's Blog, Prison Diary, a new blog from Azerbaijan, has been set up to republish letters sent from prison in the oil-rich former Soviet republic by Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two detained video blogging youth activists sentenced last week and considered by Amnesty International to be prisoners of conscience....
South Africa: It was good food and wine
Travelwires’ post about Good Food and Wine show in South Africa: “According to Cashmore, record crowds thronged through the entrances to see, taste, participate and buy. Many of the visitors came back for a second and even a third time.”
Sudan: Should South Sudan separate?
John responds to a statement by South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit that Southerners should form an independent state. President Mayardit said, “If South Sudanese want to remain as second class citizens, let them vote for unity in the referendum in 2011. And if they want to be free, they...
Seychelles: Turning bling eye to pirates
Cuhnelbad comments on the claims that Seychelles is turning a blind eye to pirates: “This was troubling news indeed, to hear that the Government of my beloved country would be courting the very criminals who, since 2008, are posing a serious threat to our sovereignty, security and the two principal...
Sierra Leone: Do you want to chat with Sierra Leonean students?
Do you want to chat with students from Sierra Leone?: “Sierra Leonean kids want to communicate but don’t have computer access. If you would like to chat with a student in the City of Bo, Sierra Leone let me know at pjfishing@yahoo.com and I’ll hook you up through Local Government...
Iran: Art in Protest
The artistic creativity of the ‘green' protest movement since the June 12 presidential election has perhaps been unique in Iran's history.
China: Obama and Chinese Netizens
C. Custer from ChinaGeeks translated Chang Ping's blog post on Obama's visit and Chinese netizens’ aspiration for free speech and information.
Japan: “Obamu”, Verb Form of “Obama”?
Anpontan‘s post about the word “obamu” (オバむ) , a Japanese word play that's a verb form of “Obama”, was picked up by James Fallows at the Atlantic and is making its way across the blogosphere, although very few Japanese people actually seem to have heard of the word, as Daniel...
Japan: Obama's eagerly awaited visit
Ingmar, at Demotix, uploaded some pictures he took on Friday, when President Obama arrived to Tokyo to meet the Emperor and PM Hatoyama. The photos show the arrival of Obama at Suntory Hall.
Barbados: Police Officer Found Dead
“it is most regrettable when an officer or former officer of the law becomes a crime victim”: Keltruth Corp. is saddned to learn of the death of Barbados’ oldest surviving police officer.
Jamaica: Passport Rush
An increase in fees has Jamaicans rushing to renew their passports – Stunner is caught in the melee.
Japan: When an Employee Catches H1N1
The Kirai blog describes what happened at his company after an employee caught a case of H1N1: “Notice that from his perspective, he is NOT a victim, he is the culprit of having caused so much trouble to the company: because he couldn’t work for one week and we had...
Sri Lanka: Militarization And Politicization
In Sri Lanka, the former army chief is poised to wage an electoral battle against his former commander in chief, the incumbent president. D.B.S. Jeyaraj comments that: “the current situation is (also) the culmination of a long process of militarization of Sri Lankan society and a gradual politicization of the...
Nepal: Minister Mentality
A deputy minister of Nepal had beaten a top government employee for not providing a vehicle of her taste. Xnepali Blog has details.
Pakistan: Insurgency And IT
“It's true that Pakistan faces some serious challenges, but if, as a nation, it can keep providing a service for outsourcing IT skills internationally even while bullets are flying, that's a good sign for the future,” comments Alamzeb Khan.
India: Time To Reclaim The Swastika
Runa at Uber Desi comments on the outrage on the Hindu religious symbol swastika printed on gift papers: “Isn’t it time people broadened their horizons a little to recognize that the swastika (in the Hindu form) is not the same as the horrible symbol of the unforgivable atrocities of the...
India: Corruption Of Rural Teachers
Lekhni at The Imagined Universe talks about an ingenious method of corruption by some teachers from rural areas of India – they bribe to get themselves suspended from their jobs so that “they would keep receiving 50 per cent of the monthly salary (without working) and pursue other lucrative jobs.”
Russia: Quarantine in Yekaterinburg
Russian Blog reports that Yekaterinburg authorities have announced a flu-related quarantine from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20.
Ukraine: Updates on the Flu Epidemic
Last weeks’ posts on the flu epidemic: Tetyana Vysotska of What's up, Ukraine? falls ill (doctor tells her it's “impossible to have a test on whether it may be a swine flu”) and recovers; Foreign Notes writes that “there is no reason to expect the medical profession in [Ukraine] to...
CEE: The Berlin Wall
The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall: How To Marry a Bulgarian hosts a series of readers’ personal reflections: Biliana Velkova, Alexandra Grashkina-Hristova, Maria Vassileva; Hungarian Spectrum writes that “for Hungary and the Hungarians the whole thing started much earlier”; Belgraded writes about the upcoming and much-awaited...
Japan: In a World with Automatic Translation
In a post titled "I especially want to read 'trivial information", Japanese blogger Chikirin gives a fresh perspective on what's important or not and why in automated translation of the Web.
