Stories from 29 August 2010
Costa Rica: University Students Protest Budget Agreements
Some University of Costa Rica students took hold of the social sciences building in protest of the budgetary agreement that was reached between the government and university officials where a 7% budget increase was agreed upon after negotiating the original 4% the government proposed.
Russia: Adventures of Israeli Blogger in Russian Hospital
Sometimes it takes a foreigner blogging about her experiences in a hospital to pinpoint the "shocking truth" about your country.
Pakistan Flood: Relief Efforts By PKKH Team
The team of bloggers of Pakistan Ka Khuda Hafiz (PKKH), Pakistan's leading alternative policy institute, has launched a massive relief effort for the flood victims called ‘Mere Log’ (meaning My People). On Thursday they have reached Thatta and Makli city with food, clean drinking water and medical supplies.
Angola: “Alambamento” and Marriage Practices
In Angola, there is quite strong cultural tradition of the asking of the hand of bride in marriage, called alambamento. Considered by some more important that the civil or christian marriage, the alambamento consists of a series of rituals, like the delivery of a letter, material goods and money.
Latin America: Blog Day Celebrated through Web Conferences
Celebrate Blog Day today with a day long online summit. The III Virtual Blogger Encounter will have speakers from Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Spain engaging through webcams with an international online audience about blogs, branding and other social networks.
Colombia: Cat Launching Video by Radio DJ Causes Outrage
A video uploaded by DJ Yohan Melguizo on popular social network Facebook two months ago is causing outrage among animal lovers in Medellin, Colombia.
Pakistan: Another Match Fixing Scandal
Hamid Abbasi at Chowrangi is shocked by the news of another match fixing scandal of some players of the Pakistan cricket team and opines that “this is nothing less than a betrayal to the nation.”
India: A Message To Pastor Jones
Raja Basu from New Delhi is shocked by the heinous plan of Pastor Terry Jones to burn The Quran to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 incident. The blogger has this message to the Pastor: “by instigating people to burn The Holy Quran, you have actually brought yourself down...
India: Uncontrolled Alcoholic Liquor Consumption
Ram Bansal at India In Peril informs that growing number of male Indian adults (currently 50%) are taking alcoholic liquors regularly. The blogger discusses the downside of the uncontrolled alcoholic behaviors and its impact on the limited income families.
Guinea-Bissau: An Armored Mercedes Benz
António Aly Silva on Ditadura de Consenso [pt] tells of the battles between the widow of assassinated head of state Nino Vieira and the President over an armored Mercedes Benz, given by Muammar al-Gaddafi. He then mentions other security measures taken by politicians – saying “but here, in this country,...
South Asia: Bloggers On The ‘Ground Zero Mosque’
The recent debate on the planned Islamic Center/Mosque near the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, USA has been reverberated in many blogospheres around the world. In this post we will look at snippets of some interesting conversations on this issue by a number of South Asian bloggers.
Libya: Charity in Islam
From Libya, Khadija Teri discusses charity in Islam.
UAE/Saudi Arabia: Palestinian-Israeli author's cultural site blocked
Arabic Literature (In English) reports that the “new literary and cultural site from Palestinian-Israeli author Ala Hlehel and journalist and culture critic Anton Shalhat, Qadita, is apparently blocked in the UAE and Saudia Arabia.”
Turkmenistan: WikiLeaks-like service in demand
Turkmenistan is a society so veiled in shadows that one wonders whether its own leaders believe in the government’s propaganda. For this reason, the country desperately needs a service like WikiLeaks to help expose the truth, argues neweurasia’s Annasoltan.
Kazakhstan: Does Astana Need Central Asia?
Megakhuimyak analyzes statistics and comes to a conclusion that Kazakhstan does not have strategic trade or investment interests in Central Asia, while the region itself turns out to be a source of risk and problems for Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: Prison Riots
KZBlog writes about the disturbing news from Kazakhstan’s prisons, where – more and more frequently – inmates mutilate themselves or stage riots, claiming that they are routinely beaten and tortured.
Kyrgyzstan: Southern politician opposes central government
Nathan Hamm reports that Melis Myrzakmatov, the mayor of Osh, the largest city in the south of Kyrgyzstan, and a thorn in the side of the new government since it came to power, has fended off an attempt to remove him.
Afghanistan: Parliamentary Election Update
Joshua Foust provides an update on the upcoming parliamentary election in Afghanistan, specifying numerous worrying instances of violations and abuses of state resource by candidates, campaign staff, and government employees.
Afghanistan: The Helmand Food Zone Fiasco
Joel Hafvenstein writes about the British “Food Zone” program, which was considered to be a better effort comparing to other counternarcotics activties in Afghanistan. But “when examined closely, there’s no reason to think the Food Zone program was effective’, he says.
Turkmenistan: The former ruler's golden statue removed
M reports that the golden statue of Turkmenbashy, the country’s first dead President, atop the Arch of Neutrality was quietly pulled down in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, this week.
Kyrgyzstan: Economic roots of inter-ethnic clashes
Elina Galperin reflects on the possible economic reasons of the recent inter-ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyzs in the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan.
