Stories from 30 March 2013
Majority Religion In A Country Is A Curse
Sri Lankan blogger Patta Pal Boru opines that the majority religion in a country is a curse as the simple weight of the established religion (inertia) gets people thinking about the wrongs rather than the rights favoring the fringe or the other religions.
Russian Photographer Unearths Ghost Slum
A photo-blogger based in the city of Voronezh, located in central Russia not far from the Ukranian border, has taken a series of striking photographs [ru] (including an animated panorama) of a small, forgotten “slum” hiding in the center of an otherwise modern and populous urban area. The “slum”, which turns...
History of Myanmar's Movie Industry
Ei Ei Su writes about the history of Myanmar's movie industry beginning with the country's first silent film in 1920, up to the 1940s when the industry was producing about 400 films, until the army takeover in 1962.
Crash that Killed Cuban Democracy Advocate Still Shrouded in Mystery
The car accident that killed leading democracy advocate Oswaldo Payá has been shrouded in mystery and misinformation since it happened in eastern Cuba last July. Angel Carromero, the Spanish politician who survived the crash, recently told The Washington Post that the car was run off the road by state security agents. But many observers doubt the veracity of his claims.
Thailand: Mobile App for Autistic
The Autism Foundation of Thailand has developed a mobile application known as ‘True Autistic’ aimed at enhancing the “physical and mental development of the autistic, and provide guidance to their parents.” Since its launching, it has scored almost 200,000 downloads. According to a report written by Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri, there are...
Status of Vietnam's Civil Society Organizations
The Asia Foundation estimates that there are about 2,000 Civil Society Organizations or CSOs in Vietnam. It recently published a survey on Vietnam's CSOs: The nature of civil society in Vietnam is muddled by complex regulations and quasi-governmental organizations claiming to be, and sometimes behaving like, independent CSOs
Tanzania: Building Collapses in Dar Es Salaam
Pernille shares photos of a building that collapsed in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania on Friday, 29 March 20013: “Nearby is a football field used by children. Over 60 persona, including children, are reported missing according to ITV. No confirmations at this early stage.”
As Liberal Russia's Secret Superhero ‘KermlinRussia’ Unmasks, Some See Evil
Arseny Bobrovsky, the owner of a Russian PR firm called “Daily Communications,” would be a thoroughly typical example of Moscow’s “creative class” liberals, were it not for one thing: Bobrovsky has a secret identity. At least he did, anyway, until March 25, 2013, when he and his accomplice Katya Romanovskaya outed themselves to the world as the authors of KermlinRussia, one of the most popular accounts on Russian Twitter.
VIDEO: Ukrainian Power Plant Ablaze, Town's Future Uncertain
At least one person was killed and five injured on March 29 in a major fire at the Vuhlehirska Thermal Power Plant in the Ukrainian town of Svitlodarsk, whose survival is now at stake.
