Stories from 8 May 2010
Lebanon: Blogging the elections
Asaad Thibian writes, in Arabic, about the experience that he and almost 20 other bloggers had when covering the municipal elections. He mentions some of the violations that they uncovered as well as events they posted about before the other news outlets on the internet.
Lebanon: Those missing since the civil war
Audette spent her last 1,495 days living in a tent in Beirut. She and others who lost their relatives in the civil war were raising awareness about the unknown fate of their children. “But last May she was killed by a speeding car as she crossed the road near her...
Lebanon: More webcomics
Sareen Akharjalian, who describes herself as a programmer by day and a cartoonist by night, shares her takes on issues through cartoons at her blog “Ink on the Side“. This one is about gender difference in preparations for date night.
Kenya: How to buy goods online from Kenya
Jigsawman tips on how to buy goods online from Kenya: “One question that always storms my comments section is users asking for ways to buy goods from online.One major myth that internet users from Kenya share is that paypal does not work here but this is very wrong.”
Africa: The abortion debate on the continent
Fungai discusses the abortion debate in Africa: “And with only three African countries (Cape Verde, South Africa and Tunisia) giving unrestricted legal access to abortion to women, it would be safe to assume gross underreporting when it comes to figures pertaining to rates of abortion on the continent.”
Uganda: Acceprance Speech at “Breaking Borders Award”
Archbishop John Baptist Odama's Award Acceptance Speech at the “Breaking Borders Award” Ceremony at Santiago, Chile.
Uganda: Mapping water sources
Tom Loughran blogs about mapping water sources in Uganda: “Each of the points on the map contains the results of a proof-of-concept water quality test, and a hyperlink to images and additional information about the water source…The location and water quality data are entered into a Google form embedded in...
Liberia: The reality of mob justice
A discussion of the reality of mob justice in Liberia: “The issue of mob justice in Liberia is a reality as civilians lose faith in Liberia’s justice system. The government needs to take a stronger stand in curbing robbery and mob justice.”
India: Winners Of The Sankalp Awards
Think Change India reports on the winners of Sankalp, the annual social enterprise awards organized by Intellecap in Mumbai, India.
Africa: Freelance African reporters wanted
Africa Interactive is searching for freelance African reporters with expertise on African Oil & Mining.
Syria: Commemorating Martyrs’ Day
Traveling towards God (الرحيل إلى الله)[ar] blog writes about a Syrian village's annual tradition of putting flowers on martyrs’ graves on Martyrs’ Day that's commemorated in Syria and Lebanon on May 6 of every year.
Video: Kids News Network turns to web
Through the Kids News Network in different countries throughout the world, children now have the opportunity to watch TV news magazines which are specifically geared towards them, also giving them a space to voice their opinions and find out about current events.
Saudi Arabia: New Hashtag for Alfayed
Egyptian tycoon Mohammed Alfayed earned a new hashtag on Twitter for selling famous London department store Harrods. Check out Saudi Dareen's tweet here.
Bahrain: More Freedom Please
A new Facebook group, entitled Enough restricting Bahraini freedom, has been set up in Bahrain, calling for more freedom. So far, 257 members have joined the group.
Jordan: Public Security Directorate text message
Kinzi receives a text message starting “If you value your life…” , and after a moment of panic realises it is not as threatening as she first thought in this post.
Afghanistan: Increase in enemy-initiated attacks
Nick Fielding reviews a new report on the security situation in Afghanistan, which shows that the level of “enemy-initiated attacks” has risen every year since 2005, with the increase in the last year being exceptionally high.
Afghanistan: Strange morale
Nasim Fekrat tells a shocking story how a dozen farmers raped two young men as a punishment in revenge for engaging in sexual relations with two young women in the Jawzjan province of Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan: The Sting Saga
Sarah Kendzior writes about the recent scandal in press around Sting's concert in Tashkent in honor of Uzbek president's daughter – and about how this fact atracted a new wave of interest of the Western media to human rights record in Uzbekistan.
Photo Contest of CSIS Southeast Asia Program
The CSIS Southeast Asia Program is organizing a photo contest to feature images taken in Southeast Asia that demonstrate the importance of communication and cooperation – across countries, races and religions.
Tajikistan: The wilting tulips
Tajikistan’s president's annual address to the parliament featured both the challenges faced by the nation, and the potential threats of Kyrgyz uprising. Dushanbe monitors rumors and voices around him to ponder on the possibility of popular protest in Tajikistan.
Cambodia: Environment Performance Index
Cambodia fared poorly among Southeast Asian nations in the 2010 Environment Performance Index.
