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Silencing online speech in Tunisia

Sami Ben Gharbia · 02:19, August 20th, 2008 · Middle East & North Africa

Blocking web 2.0 websites (Youtube, Dailymotion, Facebook) and barring access to local outspoken websites and blogs is the most obvious way of cracking down of the online free speech in Tunisia. It should be emphasized, however, that this is only one tool in the regime’s hand. Tunisia has adapted to the web 2.0 revolution by developing a broader strategy composed of a wide range of instruments 1 comment · »»

Pakistan: Musharraf has Left the Building

Teeth Maestro · 13:49, August 19th, 2008 · South Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

Eight years, three hundred and five days ago a peaceful coup masterminded by a Pakistani Army General overtook the reigns of power from the then ruling corrupt leader Nawaz Sharif. It was then the promise of a new tomorrow; it was then a romantic walk towards the faint vision ... 6 comments · »»

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August 20th, 2008

Angola: Electoral campaign fails to excite voters

Clara Onofre · 18:36 · Sub-Saharan Africa

lingua → pt

After 16 years without the right to vote, Angolans have been savouring the taste of the election campaign for almost a month now. Contrary to expectations, there is a lukewarm atmosphere around the capital Luanda. Clara Onofre shows why electors are not impressed. 0 comments · »»

India: Stopped trains in Kerala leave passengers stranded

Juliana Rincón Parra · 03:25 · South Asia

The following video uploaded by YouTube user peshaku shows irate commuters at the Angamali railway station in the southern Indian province of Kerala after they have been stranded due to a particular type of protest where workers cease operations. This phenomenon is called Harthal (Hartal) and it has become a constant problem in Kerala. 0 comments · »»

Egypt: Parliament on Fire

Amira Al Hussaini · 00:26 · Middle East & North Africa

Egyptian bloggers are in a daze, after the country's iconic Parliament Building, went up in flames earlier today. And while an official reason has yet to be announced for the cause of the fire in the 19th century palace, which houses the lower parliament or Shura (consultative) council, bloggers are seething - though not lost for words. 0 comments · »»

August 19th, 2008

Saudi Arabia: It's all in the name

Ayesha Saldanha · 23:41 · Middle East & North Africa

It is common practice for converts to Islam to adopt Muslim names. But is it necessary - and what kind of name is appropriate? One Saudi blogger ponders the question, while some others are thinking about the use of aliases in the blogosphere - and yet another encourages the government to 'name names'. 0 comments · »»

Georgia, Russia: Feeding Looters and Refugees

Veronica Khokhlova · 23:23 · Central Asia & Caucasus , Eastern & Central Europe

A number of Tbilisi residents gathered in front of the Russian embassy Saturday for a protest prank against looting. LJ user oleg-panfilov posted photos of the items left by the protesters for the Russian army; LJ user tony-geo called to Georgians to take care of the refugees' needs first, before getting involved in the "information war." 2 comments · »»

Egypt: Death of Three Arab Cultural Icons

Lasto Adri · 22:18 · Middle East & North Africa

lingua → mg

The Arab world lost three of its cultural icons in the spam of a month. They are Egyptians philosopher Dr Abdelwahab El Mesery and film maker Yousef Chahine and Palestinian poet Mahmood Darwish. Egyptian Blogger, ElGharep, or The Stranger, reflects on the loss in this post [Ar]. 0 comments · »»

North Africa: Bringing Home the Medals

Jillian York · 16:40 · Middle East & North Africa

In the run up to the 2008 Olympic Games, there was much speculation on how the Middle East and North Africa would fare. Although Turkey is the only Middle Eastern country to medal thus far (in athletics, weightlifting, and Greco-Roman wrestling), North Africa is enjoying great success. So far, Egypt's Hesham Mesbah and Algeria's Soraya Haddad and Amar Benikhlef have all medaled in Judo (bronze, bronze, and silver, respectively), Morocco's Hasna Benhassi took home a bronze in the women's 800m dash, and Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli scored gold in the men's 1500m freestyle. 0 comments · »»

Kazakhstan: Olympic Blogwatch

Adil Nurmakov · 06:47 · Central Asia & Caucasus

lingua → mg

The Beijing Olympics have moved political debates in the Kazakh blogosphere to the background. Alim Atenbek is upset with the uniform of the Kazakhstani team [ru]: Officials always want to make a buck on everything, and the Olympiad is not an exclusion. The government allocated 68 milion tenge for 226 kits ... 0 comments · »»

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South Asia

“A few millimeter rise in sea level could submerge most of Maldives,” and yet “Maldives has become a political battleground for it’s parties. Everyone is busy playing their part in this battle. No one is concerned about anything else.” complains Naxeem in the post ‘Save Maldives today‘.