24 May 2010

Stories from 24 May 2010

Caucasus: Eurovision girl power

Ianyan comments on this week's Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Oslo, Norway. Noting the often cheesy nature of the international music competition, the blog takes a look at the two female acts from Armenia and Azerbaijan, currently among the main entrants considered to have a chance to win.

Caucasus: Eurovision Social Media

With the first semi-final in this year's Eurovision Song Contest due to take place tomorrow, activity on blogs, social media networks and micro-blogging sites in support of entrants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the three countries making up the South Caucasus, is naturally increasing. However, their use also sometimes reflects the geopolitical and technical realities of the region.

Russia: Moscow Government Abandons Social Media

Moscow mayor's office prepared a draft bill on access to the information with no mention of blogs or any kind of social media, gzt.ru reported [RUS]. Gzt.ru suggests the reason of the absence of Web 2.0 is the inability of the city's telecommunications committee to provide an effective information policy.

Bhutan: Why Is It Important For A Politician To Blog?

  24 May 2010

Indian blogger Jabberwock quotes Tshering Tobgay, blogger and the leader of the opposition Party in the Bhutanese parliament answering the question ‘why is it important for a politician to blog': “because that forces you to pause and introspect and think about things, which is something politicians don’t always feel the...

Trinidad & Tobago: People's Party Position

  24 May 2010

Afra Raymond thinks that in the context of today's national elections, “with the distinct probability of a victory by the united PP…it is timely to consider the way in which that group might handle the bailout [of the CL Financial group].”

Nepal: Why Not To Fear The Maoists?

  24 May 2010

“Nepal is scheduled to have coalition governments for a long, long time to come, just like India. That might be a good reason to not fear the Maoists,” comments Democracy For Nepal.

Trinidad & Tobago: Ways of Voting

  24 May 2010

“YOU COULD vote based on race…You can vote about party and not people…You can vote people…You could vote issues…”, all of which, says Tattoo, “leads us to another method of voting. You can vote to make a point.” Coffeewallah, meanwhile, doesn't care how you vote; she simply wants you to...

India: River Bath Festivals

  24 May 2010

Ram Banshal at India in Peril writes about the Indian tradition of river bath festivals and the high risk of exposing to viral infections via polluted river water.

Jamaica: State of Emergency

  24 May 2010

Things are starting to unravel in Jamaica, as the drug money link between dons and politicians, starts to get the media attention it deserves. The United States want Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke – the notorious don man of Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston for trafficking drugs and guns. But will the ruling...

Eto'o's Success Lifting Cameroon ‘s Hope

  24 May 2010

After the success of his Italian club Inter Milan in the UEFA European Champions League, Cameroonian football star Samuel Eto'o is the toast of the town and his country. Cameroonian bloggers are proud of the accomplishment of their star player and hope that the momentum of his success can carry on for Cameroon at the World Cup.

Iran: “We are unemployed”

Several Iranian protesters at an outdoor speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday shouted their concerns about unemployment in Khoramshahr. Here is a video film where we can hear ” we are unemployed, we are unemployed” shouts.

Japan: 1300 years in the making, celebration in Nara

  24 May 2010

While both culturally and physically a long ways from the modern capital of Tokyo, tracing back well over a thousand years into Japanese history one comes across Nara, a quiet, highly rural area which was established as the capital in 710. In doing so, a more centralized national administration was...

Lebanon: Nationality problem

Farfahinne Kob expressed [Ar] her anger from a contradicting piece of news – where a Lebanese man married to an Israeli woman was able to transfer his nationality to his children, while Lebanese women can not do the same – no matter what the nationality of their husband.