Stories from 9 January 2010
Russia: Photos of Yawning Girl Stir Interest on RuNet
Russian bloggers humorously discuss photos of a little girl [RUS] who for the second year in a row stands and yawns in front of the Russian president during the Christmas service at the Church of the Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
Uzbekistan: Calculations of the parliamentary elections
As expected by different experts parliamentary elections in Uzbekistan were recognized valid. Chairman of the Central Election Commission Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov released that information later the same day (December 27), and added that 15,108,950 voters or 87.8% of all registered voters participated in the elections and, according to the article 44...
Russia: Blogger Reveals Microchip Plant Construction Delay
Habrahabr user pechkin1007 published [RUS] photos showing a construction delay at the “Angstrem-M” microchip plant near Moscow. The plant administration received a €815 million government loan [RUS] in 2008 and committed to starting the construction in Autumn 2009.
India: Caste Discrimination
Sparsh comments on the still persisting caste discrimination in India: “I always ask elders that society has become more feudal, caste oriented and communal than 60 years ago. No clear cut answers. People still ask with smile surname to map out the caste and ancestry in their minds.”
Taiwan: Teaching anthropology in Hualien
Kerim Friedman writes about his experience teaching anthropology at Dong Hwa University in Hualien.
Azerbaijan: Interview with Scary Azeri
Women's Forum interviews blogger Scary Azeri, now also a contributor to the online gender-specific site based in Azerbaijan. The blogger, born and raised in the oil-rich former Soviet republic, speaks about her blog and reaction to it. Crossing many cultural divides, the blog has already become popular with foreigners as...
Japan: PM Hatoyama Starts Using Twitter
Have something you want Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to know? You could try tweeting about it to @hatoyamayukio! All links in this post link to Japanese content unless otherwise noted. The Prime Minister started using Twitter during the new year holidays as a means to “bring politics to the...
Japan: National Film Industry and Avatar
The denmipapa blog is publishing a series of posts explaining the business side of the Japanese film industry. The fifth installment explores why the industry is not set up to release an ultra expensive 3D movie like Avatar. [JA]
Southeast Asia: Prepaid mobile internet services
Preetam Rai lists the prepaid mobile internet services offered by mobile telcos in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam
Cambodia: Press freedom ranking
GV author Tharum Bun discusses press freedom and the rise of newspapers in Cambodia
Philippines: Bloggers and elections
baratillo.net from the Philippines identifies the different types of bloggers who write about elections
Philippines: Protecting the film industry
Critic After Dark discusses the proposal of an actor-politician to impose a quota of Hollywood films to be shown in Philippine theaters
Thailand plans to buy submarines
A blogger lambasts the proposal of the Thailand navy chief to buy submarines. The influential King of Thailand disagreed with this plan in the past.
Thailand: Children protesters want alcohol billboard ads removed
Hundreds of children are asking officials of Bangkok to remove the billboard ads of alcohol drinks. Blogger Thailand Crisis criticizes the parents and adults who are using the children as “leverage in order to support their hysterical campaign about “social order” and “morality”.
Philippines: Senatorial candidates
Pinoy Oberver suggests some names to consider when voting for senators in the coming Philippine elections on May
Russia: Death Penalty Moratorium Extended Indefinitely
Russia has indefinitely extended a moratorium on the death penalty that was due to expire on Jan. 1. Numerous comments were posted on RuNet, and they essentially reflect the returns of opinion polls on the death penalty issue.
Slovakia: First Slovak Terrorist Caught in Ireland, Sort Of
Tibor Blazko translates Slovak netizens' caustic remarks about the botched security test on a plane to Dublin.