Stories from 19 May 2010
Lebanon: AUB students’ strike against tuition hike
Lebanese Farfahinne reported the students strike that took place at the American University of Beirut (AUB) against a hike in tuition fees.
MENA: International Day Against Homophobia Celebrated
May 17th marks the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is still a region for concern according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA), as homosexual acts are still legally punishable in all MENA countries with the exception of Israel. Despite this, there are associations in the region which openly and passionately celebrated IDAHO; Katharine Ganly takes a look at some of the major events in the region.
Facebook Is Blocked in Pakistan As It Indulges In A Controversial Campaign
After the outcry surrounding the Draw Mohammed Day Facebook page, which is campaigning for the creation of mass cartoon caricatures of Prophet Muhammed [PBUH] on the 20th of May, today the Lahore High Court ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block the entire Facebook.com domain in Pakistan till the 31st of May. Pakistani bloggers react.
Denmark: Flashmob for a Bus Driver's Birthday
A video of a surprise flashmob to celebrate a bus driver's birthday forms part of a professional social media campaign to promote public bus transit in Denmark.
South Africa: 32 teams and 40,000 prostitutes for 2010 FIFA World Cup?
If you are going to South Africa to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup, you should probably be prepared to meet 40,000 prostitutes from around the world who are expected to flock to South Africa...well, that is if you believe in rumours!
Bolivia: New Coliseum in El Alto
Letras Alteñas [es] posts photos of the new coliseum that is being built in the Senkata neighborhood of El Alto, Bolivia.
Sri Lanka: Notable Twitter Accounts
Sanjana Hattotuwa at ICT for Peacebuilding (ICT4Peace) shares a list of notable Twitter accounts from Sri Lanka.
Bahamas: Electoral Reform
Larry Smith blogs about electoral reform in the Bahamas.
Bahrain: Why was Al Jazeera's Office Shut Down?
Bahrain temporarily shut down the office of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel for "violating professional conventions." Bloggers and tweeps react to the development in this post - especially after rumours surfaced that the Qatari station's bureau was closed because of a report it aired on poverty in Bahrain. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera says it doesn't even operate an office in Bahrain so what exactly is going on?
Trinidad & Tobago: Election Predictions
Mark Lyndersay predicts the results of the upcoming elections in Trinidad and Tobago based on “nothing more than a casual remembrance of who these people are in public life, the general public perception of them and, frankly, what they look like in their photographs.”
Jamaica: “Dudus” Extradition
ttgapers.com and Caribbean Camera are following the “Dudus” extradition case with great interest.
St. Lucia, St. Vincent: New Imprint
St. Lucia's Caribbean Book Blog highlights “SFI Books, a new publishing imprint based in the Eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent, [which] has opened a new door of opportunity to writers from the region.”
Japan: Buddhist Pet Funerals
The Quirky Japan Blog introduces some actions a pet owner can take following the loss of a beloved pet, in a post titled “Buddhist Pet Funerals“.
Poland: Annual flood causes annual problems
Michał of the Polski blog reflects upon the annual spring flood in Poland again submerging tracts of the country, and Polandian posts pictures from Kraków, the country's second city, illustrating the situation.
Moldova: Overaged population problem
Zimbru of Morning in Moldova comments on a recent demographic report about Moldova's ageing population and makes a few suggestions of how to deal with the problem.
Estonia: Green party purges
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa reflects upon how the Estonian Green Party has just expelled leading members and which consequences this has for the party and the country's political landscape, not least in relation to next year's parliamentary elections.
Russia rises as nuclear exporter
Eberhard Rhein of EU Blogactiv writes about a recent agreement between Russia and Turkey on construction of a nucelar power plant, and how Russia is becoming a leading exporter of nuclear power technology.
“Black Planet Award” goes to…Formosa Plastics Group, Taiwan
“The Formosa Plastics Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of PVC, its CO2 emissions constitute one quarter of all emissions in Taiwan and with its special dispensations from the government and close cooperation with officials the tax rates for three of the major FPG companies pay less than 10% taxes...
South Korea: The 30th anniversary of the Kwangju Uprising
Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Kwangju uprising in South Korea, matt from Gusts of Popular Feeling has a roundup post on historical resources about the incident.
Iran: The Iran-Brazil-Turkey Nuclear Deal
In Brazil, Maria Frô describes the deal signed by Iran, Brazil and Turkey as the major victory of the Brazilian diplomacy in recent times [pt]; on the other hand, in India, The Acorn blog considers it as an Iranian attempt to acquire more time and diplomatic space.
Brazil: Using Cleaner Fuels in Ships
Ambiente Brasil reports [pt] on the bill nº 7006/10 by the parliamentarian Carlos Bezerra. It intends to prohibit the traffic of ships whose fuels contain more than a thousand parts per million of brimstone in Brazilian waters, reducing the impact of pollution caused by them in cities close to the...
