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Zimbabwe: Government newspaper website hacked? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Did someone hack the website of Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper?: “The Herald newspaper's website has been down since it was hacked over the weekend. Currently the website will re-direct you to the Sunday Mail website another arm of the government's propaganda machine. The state run Herald's website had all it's links replaced with the words ‘Gukurahundi’ in reference to the government's clampdown on the people of Matebeleland in the 1980s when a lot of civilians were killed by the Korean trained soldiers.”


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Afghanistan: Women in Afghanistan  · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sanjar offers a video documentary, in which both intimate and broadly political view of the past thirty years of Afghanistan's history through the lives of three women is presented.

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Africa:  Africa’s food insecurity · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A commentary on food security in Africa: “The most worrying scenario in Africa today, as the hike in food prices ravage the world's poor, is not in the price of the food, especially the imported kind per say, but is the underlying fact that Africa's population which is largely agrarian is still a net food importer, even after decades of attempts to kick start some sort of green revolution.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Africa: Cannes International Film Festival · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Leo Africanus wonders why there are not African films at the Cannes International Film Festival: “I may be missing something, but no African film or film with an African theme (including North Africa) made the official cut.”


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Africa: Nokia and the developing world · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

White African notes that Nokia's business interest in Africa: “There is a reason that Africans, by and large, love Nokia and there’s a reason that the brand has made such an impact in that part of the world. While most companies around the world are ignoring Africa, Nokia actively develops solutions for the continent.”


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Africa: The Simba Lions of Congo · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

African migrants and refugees enter South Australian amateur league: “The Simba Lions of Congo has, for the first time, entered the South Australian Amateur Soccer League (SSAASL), as a registered club. The club is made up of young migrants and refugees from Africa who now call Australia home.”


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Africa: They don’t take photos in Africa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Do they take photos in Africa?: “Pieter Hugo, the South African photographer, is the only African featured in JUXTAPOZ’s “Photo Issue” that came out this month. I guess we’ll have to wait till their “Africa” issue.”


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Albania: Colorful Buildings · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Pictures of Tirana's colorful buildings on “a grey, overcast day” – at Stepping Stones.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Bangladesh: Child labour in Dhaka · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bangladesh From Our View on child labour in Dhaka.

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Caribbean: Samuels Banned  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Both St. Vincent blogger Abeni and West Indies Cricket Blog link to reactions about the banning of West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels after he was found guilty of breaking rules designed to stop players betting on matches.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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China: Earthquake Photos · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

ESWN collects photos from all sources on the Sichuan earthquake.

author: Oiwan Lam


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China: Earthquake Prediction · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Many people wondered why there was no earthquake prediction for the Sichuan earthquake. Liu Xiao yuan criticized the local government for ignoring various earthquake sign reported by local residents [zh]. Li Shi hui wrote in his blog that an accurate prediction by experts to China Earthquake Administration had been ignored [zh].


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Colombia: Update on Suso en La Loma · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“Suso” is a well-known person in the community of La Loma in Medellín, Colombia thanks to the documentation by the Hiperbarrio project.  Catalina Restrepo of Cosas del Alma [es] provides an update on the work that has been done to help improve the living conditions of Suso.  Gabriel Vanegas of Esas Voces que Nos Llegan [es] also writes about a documentary being filmed about Suso's life.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Cuba: Comparison of Bread Rations · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

In Cuba, Yoani Sánchez of Generación Y [es] provides a photo comparison of her bread rations in July 2007 and May 2008.


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Ecuador: Correa Warmly Received in Spain · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Cronica Cero [es] writes about the warm reception received by the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa during his visit to the king and prince in Spain.


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El Salvador: Concert on Anniversary of the Death of Roque Dalton · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Laura Hershberger attends a concert in the capital city of El Salvador in honor of the 33rd anniversary of the death of poet Roque Dalton and she post her favorite poem.


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Georgia: Abkhazia Crisis Drones On… · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Steady State is confused by the ongoing crisis between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway region of Abkhazia. The blog says while Abkhazia claims to have shot down numerous drones monitoring troop movements in the region, Georgia denies that more than one was downed. Even then, Tbilisi lays the blame on Russia leading to a situation where one or more of the conflicting parties will sooner or later be exposed as spreading false information and misleading the international community.

author: Onnik Krikorian


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Guyana: Hot Like Pepper  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Guyana-Gyal‘s mother is making her famous pepper sauce – and asks her to go out and buy the “Secret Ingredient”.


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Guyana: The Art of Blogging  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I feel at home in my language–this brash, sexy combination of Standard-American-slang-Guyanese-creolese in which I speak and write.  I own it.  I am comfortable in it.  I have no problem showing it off”:  Blogging has helped Signifyin’ Guyana realise how much she loves to write.


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India: Eating more · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

George Bush recently indicated that food prices had gone up because China and India were consuming more food. Sepia Mutiny has more.


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India: Jaipur blasts, Terrorism and the Government · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

On 13th May, serial blasts rocked Jaipur. Reports suggest that more than sixty people were killed, and another 150 were injured. MyZone writes about Jaipur, which as a city has been relatively peaceful, and the sheer panic the blasts created.
Disbelief turned into shock as over the fifteen minutes the number rose from two to five, and the magnitude of what had happened started sinking in. For the first time in its almost three century old history had Jaipur been terrorized. Cell phones started buzzing with anxious parents and relatives enquiring about our whereabouts and asking us to return home immediately. We were among the fortunate few whose calls managed to go through. As the clock ticked, the networks became jammed. The lounge emptied within minutes, and a place buzzing with youngsters had a deserted look in no time.
While terrorism is not new to India, and various cities have seen terrorist attacks, Jaipur has never been attacked on this scale before. The blasts have exposed the vulnerability of cities and its citizens, and the failure of intelligence. There are hints that the attacks were coordinated by “other countries”. A blogger from Pakistan expresses solidarity and hopes that the Indian Government doesn't rush through things and point fingers at Pakistan.
Ha's Blog expresses concern for team members in Jaipur.
There were some signs that our colleagues were afraid that we from the Dutch side would consider Jaipur to be less safe because all of this. But I see it as my responsibility to show our Jaipur team that we are committed to support them, as they are one of us!
Hindustaniat takes a closer look at why Jaipur was a target for the attacks.
Jaipur is one of the foremost symbol of India's cultural heritage. Lakhs of tourists come to the Pink City every year and Rajasthan is the face of Indian tourism worldwide, along with Agra. The anti-national forces must have been desperate as there was no major communal or casteist issue in the country for long.
Indian Muslims writes about the failure of the government to resolve previous terrorist attacks.
One of the reasons the government is so ill-prepared to either prevent or solve such terrorist attacks is that there is no follow-up on the previous such attacks. Case in point: Mecca Masjid Blasts. Andhra Pradesh government constituted an inquiry commission under Justice Bhaskara Rao in June 2007 to submit its report on the incident within three months. It has been more than 11 months since then and we didn’t hear anything.
Off Stumped voices similar concerns about government inaction and apathy. Cynical Indian emphasizes that people need to be more vigilant.
DJ Fadereu twitters updates from Jaipur. A group on Facebook is discussing the events as they unfold.
The flipside of the solidarity that is expressed across the blogosphere is that some people appear to be jumping to vitriol. Some of the message boards in the main stream media have been filled with allegations against Muslims.


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India: Twitter updates on Jaipur · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

DJ Fadereu updates the situation from Jaipur, which was hit by serial blasts yesterday on twitter.


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Israel: Knesset Freezes Talkback Law for Web-Comment Censorship · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

The Knesset has decided to freeze legislation regulating readers’ ability to respond to articles via the so-called “Talkback Law”, in an effort to allow web sites to practice self-regulation. The Talkback Law, submitted by MK Israel Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu), passed its preliminary reading. It would make web sites responsible for the talkbacks (user generated comments) of its readers as though they were articles of the site itself.
Avner Finchuk of the Israeli Civil Rights Association, addresses the Knesset legislators in an article on ynet:
החוק לא נועד, וגם אינו יכול, לחנך את הציבור לנימוסים והליכות. אם רוצים המחוקקים בכנסת להשפיע על תרבות הדיון הציבורי, יתכבדו ויתחילו לעשות זאת בביתם ואל יפגעו בציפור נפשה של הדמוקרטיה.
“This law was not meant to educate the general public towards politeness and manners. If the Knesset legislators want to have an influence on the public conversation culture, they are welcome to begin to do this in their homes, not harming the soul of our democracy.”
Shahar Ilan reacts:
נציגת משרד המשפטים, עורך דין תמר קלהורה, הביעה התנגדות להצעת החוק של חסון. לדבריה, אין להשתמש באמצעי החקיקה הקיימים לגבי מדיום חדש כמו האינטרנט אלא יש לבנות לו כלי חקיקה חדשים כמקובל בעולם. הצעת משרד המשפטים היא שברגע שתתקבל תלונה על תוכן גולשים. טוקבק או כל תוכן אחר האתר המארח יפנה לכותב, אם הכותב יודיע שהוא מתכוון להגן על התוכן בבית משפט, התוכן לא יוסר, אם הכותב לא יעשה זאת התוכן יוסר.
Lawyer Tamar Kalhura, representative from the Ministry of Justice, conveyed her objection to Hasson's law proposal. She claims that the existing legislative methods must not be used on such a new medium as the internet. It is necessary to build new legislative tools, as is done around the world, she continues. The Ministry of Justice proposes the following solution – when a website receives a complaint on a talkback (comment) or any other (user generated) content, the hosting site will contact the writer. If the writer claims that he/she will protect the content in court, it will not be removed, otherwise if the content writer does not respond, it will be removed.
From this proposal, it is not clear how content provided by anonymous sources will be handled. Yonatan Klinger of 2jk writes:
The website owners got what they wanted, Hasson got his headlines (and removed his legislative whip), but the public, users who surf the web, came out losers. It was decided that within this framework of “self-regulation”, each website will decide its own comment-censoring policy, under the patronage of the Israeli Internet Association (which is, by the way, today's biggest winner) in order to protect the public from being exposed to the horrors of web-comments!… oh, the horrors!
Today's losers are the public. If up until now, comments on Israeli sites represented a form of public space – a city square which supported open conversation. From now on these conversations will depend upon the policy which each website decides to use.
Alisa describes Israeli “talkbalk” culture as important, but not always at its best:
Israel is a small country with a very vibrant political atmosphere. As everyone knows, every Jew, especially an Israeli one, has at least one opinion on any given issue, public or otherwise. Add to this the fact that we live in a somewhat interesting neighborhood, and that the issues we have to deal with are often just as interesting, and it is a small wonder that the advent of the Internet brought with it an explosion of various sites that deal with current affairs. But the really big explosion and the real action is in the commentary sections of these sites – the Talkbacks. The Talkbackists, as they have become known, are often the real stars, very often not in a good way.

author: Gilad Lotan


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Israel, Russia: Don Kozlents · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sean's Russia Blog writes about Don Kozlents: “Red Army WWII Vet + Zionism = Marxist Likudnik.”


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Jamaica: Alluding to the Fact  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp explores the question of how to use allusions in creative writing.


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Jamaica: Outdated Citizenship Laws  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Francis Wade blogs about the controversy surrounding politicians having dual citizenship: “We simply cannot have our cake and eat it too. While the high-minded goal of having leaders with undivided loyalty is fine, our attempts to ensure that desire through the laws of citizenship are outdated, and reflect very old thinking.”


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Kazakhstan: Kazakh or ethnic Kazakh? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Özgecan shares her thoughts about Kazakh history from the point of view of a person, who is part of the Kazakh diaspora in the Western Europe.


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Kazakhstan: Opposition Offers Controversial Anti-Crisis Measures · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reviews the Kazakhstan's major opposition party’s suggestions on anti-crisis measures.


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Korea: Resignation of the King of Samsung Kingdom · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

The king of Samsung, Lee Kun-Hee, finally announced his resignation last month. Since this announcement, some netizens collect others’ thoughts on the issue and how much it will influence the Korean economy, or question whether the gesture will really make changes inside the Samsung Kingdom.
삼성 이건희 회장이 삼성과 관련한 모든 직에서 물러날 것이라고 밝혔습니다. 아들 이재용 삼성전자 전무도 고객총괄책임자(CCO) 자리에서 물러나 일단 해외현장 경험을 더 쌓는 방향으로 백의종군합니다. 이건희 회장과 이학수 부회장 등 그룹 수뇌부는 22일 오전 태평로 삼성본관에서 가진 기자회견에서 이 같은 내용을 포함한 10가지 항목의 경영쇄신안을 발표했습니다. 삼성은 그룹 컨트롤타워 ‘역할'을 맡아온 전략기획실(실장 이학수 부회장)은 해체하고 이 회장의 4조5천억원 규모의 차명계좌(재산)은 실명전환한 뒤 개인 이익이 아니라 사회 등의 유익한 일에쓰는 방안을 찾기로 했습니다.
이 회장의 퇴임후 삼성을 대외적으로 대표할 인물로 삼성생명 이수빈 회장을 지명하고, 앞으로 계열사간 업무 협의와 조정을 맡게될 사장단회의(사장단협의회)를 실무 지원하고 대외적으로 삼성그룹의 창구와 대변인 역할을 할 수 있도록 행정서비스를 전담하는 업무지원실을 임원 2-3명 정도로 꾸려 사장단협의회 산하에 설치키로 했습니다.
22일 전격 발표된 삼성의 쇄신안, 네티즌 여러분은 어떻게 생각하십니까.
After the resignation of Lee Kun-Hee, Lee Soo-Bin, who is currently chairman of Samsung Insurance, is appointed to be the representative of Samsung. They will support the Representatives’ Committee so that representatives of affiliates can work together in balance and under the Representatives’ Committee, they will make the Operations Department in which 2-3 people will take care of administration and take responsibility as the representative ofs Samsung.
New management proposals that Samsung made on the 22nd: what do netizens thank about them?
Photos from Moneytoday
Here are opinions below.
이레되면 삼성도 대우나 현대처럼 해체되면서 노조생기고 서서히 경제력을 잃을까 걱정입니다. 전에 기사를 보니 일본쪽 언론에서는 삼성 더 조져야 된다던데..우리나라 기업, 솔직히 우리나라 내세울꺼 없는데 첼시팀유님폼에도 삼성브랜드가 붙어 있으면 세계일주를 하더라도 대한민국이름보다는 삼성마크보는 게 더 쉽운데..왜 삼성을 못잡아 먹어서 안달인지 모르겠네요..사회기부도 많이 하는 걸로 알고 있는데…이렇게 삼성을 때려서 얻는 실익이 무언지 알고 싶네요..ㅉㅉ
내남친이 삼성 다니는데 회사분위기 어떻냐고 하니까 완전 충격에 빠졌다고 하더라구요.. 그렇다고 뭐 기절초풍 슬픔 아이고아이고 이런분위기라는게 아니라.. 아마도 내부에서 큰 변화가 일어날거라고하더라구요.. 그리고 어차피 이건희회장 임기가 올해까지라서 그만두는게 당연한데 그만둘때 좀 안좋게 그만둬서 그게 문제라고 하더군요…
이제 그만좀 하시죠? 기업 하나세우기가 그리싶습니까? 전세계 어디를가도 로비 안하는데 없고 로비없이는 사업못합니다. 머 좀 알고 댓글도 쓰세요 기업하는분들 전세계 에 나가서 제품 팔기도 힘들지만 오다 하나 따기위해서 전쟁 아닌 전쟁합니다 지금도 다들 열심히 국익를 위해서 하는데 용기와 경력는 못할 망정 자꾸이러지마세요..우리나라만 손해입니다. 털어서 먼지 않나는 사람 없고 깨끗이 기업하면 좋지만 그러나 현실은 아닙니다.
특혜와 불법은 없습니다 ㅡㅡㅡㅡ삼성이 로비와 특혜로 엄청난 실적을 보여주는것이 아닙니다 ,특혜는 고사하고 삼성이 정치권력에 뺏긴 회사가 여러개 입니다ㅡㅡㅡㅡ지금 kbs2인 동양방송,동양라디오,동양FM, 은행 대주주 지분주식,삼성자동차등 여러개 빼았겼죠 ㅡㅡㅡ기업을 강탈하는 정치권력이 날강도들 입니다 ………..하이에나보다 더한 정치권이 진짜 나쁩니다 권력층의 입맛에 안맞어면 기업을 공중분해 시키는 나라입니다 ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
요는, 삼성이 크게 성장하고 국민경제에 끼치는 영향이 크다해도, 법을 어겼다는 거다. 이건희 일가는 분명 삼성 및 그 일가들이 소유(?)하고 있는 다른 회사의 주주들에게 심각한 손해를 끼쳤다. 탈세는 말할것도 없고. 공직자들에게 뇌물먹이고. 한마디로 이 나라의 법치주의를 흔들고 이 나라에 도덕적 해이를 가속화시킨 ‘나쁜’ 범죄자라는거다.모 방송국 프로그램에서는 고액세금체납자들한테 세금받아내는 코너가 있었는데, 앞으로 그런 프로그램은 국민들에게 별로 어필하는 바가 없을듯. 큰도둑 못잡고 왜 나만 그래 이럴테니.
………..근데요…………외국나가면………..삼성이 한국보다 유명한데………..정부에서는 조금씩 압박을 했어야지 이렇게 한번에 잘라내는건…조금…무리를 한듯;;; 솔직히 정부도 떳떳하지는 못하잖아요;;
솔직히 우리나라 국민들이 기업을 보는 시선도 바뀌어야 합니다. 무조건 나쁘다고 하지 맙시다. 좋은면과 나쁜면을 모두 보고 객관적으로 판단합시다. 그리고 지금과같은 세계화시대에서는 국가적으로 기업에게 너무 많은 제제를 가한다면, 기업으로써는 그 제제를 뚫기위해 비자금이라는 송곳을 사용할수밖에 없게 됍니다. 아니면 아예 본사를 옮길수도 있겠죠. 지금은 세계화시대입니다. 기업도 힘있는 초국적기업들만이 살아남습니다. 물론 비자금이 불법이라는것은 엄연한 사실이지만, 일단 기업이 살아나야 했을 것입니다.
어차피 물러날 때가 되어서 물러난거지. 삼성사내에서는 놀랄 만한 일도 아니라고 한다. 이제 아들 재용씨가 경영 일선에 나설 때가 됐으니까 이 기회에 물러나 준거지. 그리고 삼성의 1/10밖에 분식회계+비자금 조성 안한 미국의 대기업 엘론사의 회장은 비리가 밝혀진 후에 구속 후 여태까지 종신형 살고있는 것에 비해서 우리나라는 자본주의 경제질서를 흔드는 경제사범에 대해서 얼마나 관대하게 처신해 준것인지.. 회장직 물러나는 정도에서 끝날 일이 아니라 감방을 가야 한다. 세금 앞으로는 정직하게 좀 내라, 삼성
한국을 대표하는 기업으로 만든 분입니다. 이회장님의 퇴진을 가장 좋아하는 기업은 일본 기업들입니다. 그만큼 이회장님의 역활과 카리스마가 출중했다는 말입니다. 이런분이 일선에서 떠나시면 한국기업은 지금은 몰라도 앞날이 걱정이 됩니다
범죄자입니다~이건희는!일본기업 운운하면서 갖다 붙이지 마세요!님이 말한 카리스마는 뭡니까?삼성을 지나치게 관료주의화 시킨거요?주주에게 돌아갈 몫을 자기와 이재용을 위해 뒷주머니 찬거요?
이건희가 곧 삼성은 아니다. 삼성은 법인이 맞다. 그러나 우리에게도 빌게이츠같은 사람 하나쯤은 있다고 우왕떨던 사람들이 이제와서 마녀사냥하는 건 뭐냐?이 냄비근성들 언제까지…. 세계 몇 대 기업이 되는 데 청렴결백까지 하라고?이런 아마추어들 빌게이츠가 깨끗하게 ms를 경영했다고? 이런 아마추어들 살인만 빼고라도 더러운짓해서라도 어떻게 든 살아남아야 하는 게 글로벌기업이다.이런 아마추어들…
썩어문들어졌다고 생각하는데 부시는 석유때문에 전쟁도 불사했어요 경영이 로비도 실력이라는 세상입니다. 작은 회사를 운영해봐도 알수가 있습니다. 중국은 로비없이는 발도 못 댑니다. 세계를 지배하는 삼성의 로비자금이 국내국민들 보기에는 엄청큰 것 같아도 큰것이 아닙니다. 우리도 일단 중국과 일보을 따라잡고 봐야지요..이건희없는 삼성이 잘돌아갈 것 같지요? 천만에…기업을 해본사람은 압니다. 그 구심점이 얼마나 무서운지요 연이 하늘을 그냥 날고 있다고 생각합니까? 그 구심점이 있어야 납니다. 황금알 낳는 닭이 감기에 걸렸다고 죽이는 꼴입니다.
작금의 결과는 양면성이 있다고 봅니다. 누구나 알고있는 사실이겠지만, 5공정치때부터 시작된 기업에 대한 정치적 고리가 어느 기업이나 다 있었고, 당분간은 이러한 습성은 지속될거라 봅니다. 3김시대가 갔듯이 이젠 중견 정치인들의 낡은 사고도 점차 물갈이되고 있는 단계에서삼성이 직격탄을 맞은것은 진정 초일류를 향한 한국 기업의 투명성 확보의 시금석이 될수도 있겠다하는 기대도 해보게 되면서도,막상 정치/검찰/공무원들에 대해서는 아무런 조사없이 지나치는 것이 국민으로서 납득이 가지 않네요. 이건희회장이 의도적 불법을 저지런것은 법적인 절차를 통해서 해결되어야 하는데 이번건은 검찰과 삼성간의 타협정치의 결과!
이번 일은 삼성의 미래를 봤을때 좋은 ‘시작’ 이라고 봅니다만… 이번 기회를 시작으로 삼성 경영권 투명하게 만들어 미래의 글로벌 기업을 위한 초석을 닦고 다른 대기업들도 줄줄이 검사를 해야하겠죠. 하나 더 잊지 말아야 할 건 김용철 변호사 분명 삼성의 비리 적발에 도움이 된 사람이지만 무작정 영웅처리를 한다기 보다는 어느정도의 처벌이 필요할 것 같네요. 솔직히 지난 세월 삼성이 저지른 비리보단 적다고 할지라도 삼성 나와서 삼성의 입막음 돈 다 받아먹다가 지원 끊기니 언론에 공개한거 아닙니까. 진실을 말했다곤 하나 자기가 완전 정의의 사도인양 행동하는 저 사람의 잘못도 조사하면 지금처럼 행동하지 못할거 같은데..

author: Hyejin Kim


text:
Kuwait: Sad for Shaikh Saad  · Global Voices
Abdullatif AlOmar

Former Kuwaiti ruler Shaikh Saad Al Abdulla Al Sabah died today after a long illness at the age of 78. Kuwait's online community was moved by the news, as hundreds of messages of sympathy and condolences poured onto blogs, in Arabic and English. The country has declared three days of official mourning – but the parliamentary elections, scheduled for Saturday, will go ahead as planned.
Saba [Ar] posts the following eulogy:
يعتصرنا الالم بفقدان رجل عظيم من رجالات الكويت
الذي ضحى بحياته وكرسها دائما وابدا من اجل الدفاع عن تراب هذه الارض
وكان رحمة الله عليه علامة بارزة في تاريخ الكويت المعاصر
كقائد عظيم يشار عليه بالبنان
وذلك من خلال البطولات التى تصدى لها
في فترة تقلدة مراكز السيادة والحكم في دولتنا الحبييه
We are hurt by the loss of a great man from Kuwait, who sacrificed his life and spent it always to defend this land. He was, may Allah rest his soul in peace, a major personality in Kuwait's contemporary history. He was a great leader, with heroic deeds which everyone knows about during his official work and rule in our beloved country.
Mr Chocolate [Ar] too is overcome with emotions and writes:
كنت سنداً لأخيك أمير القلوب الشيخ جابر الأحمد الجابر الصباح رحمه الله
و والداً لأهل الكويت
لن ننسى فضلك و جهدك في تحرير الكويت
و لن ننسى انك كنت أحد أبناء أبو الدستور الشيخ عبدالله السالم الصباح
ربما حكمتنا أيام و لكن لن ننسى معاناتك مع المرض
رحمكم الله جميعاً يا أوفياء الكويت
You have always been a pillar of strength for your brother, the Emir of Hearts, Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, may Allah rest his soul in peace. You have been a father for the people of Kuwait. We will never forget your efforts in liberating Kuwait and we will never forget that you have been one of the sons of the father of the Kuwaiti constitution Shaikh Abdulla Al Salem Al Sabah. You may have been a ruler for a few days but we will never forget your suffering with illness. May Allah have mercy on all the faithful people of Kuwait.
Al Tariq [Ar] wishes the people of Kuwait patience in dealing with this calamity. He writes:
ادعو له بالرحمة والمغفرة ، وأن يلهم الله أهله وذويه والشعب الكويتي الصبر والسلوان
I pray for mercy and forgiveness for him and may his bereaved family and the people of Kuwait have the patience to deal with this calamity.
5-q8 posts the following picture, which says:  Farewell, Father of Fahad, Shaikh Saad's eldest son.
The Blkalfasih [Ar] announced that the elections will be held on Saturday, May 17, adding that three days of mourning – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – have been declared in the state.

author: Abdullatif AlOmar


text:
Lebanon: Civil Strife · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

The military confrontations between the different factions in Lebanon have subsided a bit. The Lebanese Army has declared that it will interfere forcefully to restore order. It also seems that there is some sort of undeclared agreement between different sides to avoid escalation. There is a real fear that the conflict will slip into a full fledged civil war. The past five days were marred with killings, atrocities, destruction and violence. Here are some bloggers’ reactions on the crisis:
The forceful closure of Future TV and other Future-owned media raised much criticism and indignation from most bloggers, even from those who are opposed to the politics of the Future Movement.
Prof Abu Khalil mentions this shut down and denounces it as a replication of the one sided polemic exist in other countries in the area:
I was also displeased with the closure of Hariri media, as much as I detest them and as much as I believe that they have been engaged in acute sectarian mobilization that is exactly the same as of the propaganda of Al-Qa`idah. I will not enjoy writing in Al-Akhbar and attacking my opponents if they are not on an equal footing: especially if their media are closed. One sided polemics are the stuff of which the Saudi and Syrian media are made, and we can't replicate that in Lebanon. Having said that: i still blame the Hariri Inc for the crisis, and their external backers: the agenda of the external backers pose the biggest threat to Lebanon and Palestine, but that does not mean that the left should be a mere cheerleader of organizations that are not leftist.
Charles Malik reports on the re–launching of Future TV:
Future TV is back on air. Future CEO Nadim al Munla is on, and Minister of Information Ghazi Aridi is calling in, at the moment.
A technician is showing the torn and cut Future TV cables and where equipment was broken and stolen.
Other bloggers are criticizing the media for taking sides and propagating biased and untrue information. Antoun has the following:
F*** all the hoopla about the Lebanese media being free and liberal. What we need in this conflict is fewer أطرفة , fewer partisan sides, and more unfiltered, honest information. The Lebanese deserve better. Don't they realize that they are being tricked, maligned, lied to by the media every day?! What we have instead is far too much biased analysis and far too little information, and I unfortunately don't see this being resolved any time soon.
Similar protests against some media’s portrayal of the conflict as a sectarian strife was raised by In the Middle of the East:
Media that are allied with the government in Lebanon aims to present the current situation simply as sectarian strife. … First it’s important to highlight that Beirut was never strictly Sunni, while the people who are now fighting for the opposition, many belong to Beirut, live in Beirut, a city that has never been just Sunni but a mixture of all religious sects in Lebanon. This is one critical point. Clearly there is a strategy from the government and pro-government forces to portray Hizballah as the outsiders, to try to portray Hizballah as a force coming to change the nature of Beirut by bringing in Shi’ite elements, Iranian elements, Persian elements, barbarian elements, etc. All oriental stereotypes that mainstream western media and some mainstream Arab media will quickly adopt.
Sursock is posting his observations on the events as they happen. Here is a sample:
The army's French made armor was on display in the downtown area. Little did the US and France know that all the weapons sent to upgrade the army for a showdown with the resistance are instead taking aim at the western backed government.
The majority Shia Muslim and Christian areas are peaceful; the battles are mainly taking place in the mixed areas, with the resistance and its allies in the opposition driving out pro government forces very quickly indeed.
It is without a doubt that the army is backing the opposition. It is stepping into to battles to disarm pro government forces, taking over captured positions and seizing any arms. The thinking is that the head of the army and possible president, Michel Suleiman, is clearing any opposition to his appointment from the ruling coalition.
In addition to the updates on his blog, MFL worries that the conflict will drag on like the 1975 to 1990 civil war in this post:
What worries me most is that tomorrow we wake up and pray: “it is over”, but it doesn't. I know it won't be 17 years of war, but my parents for everyday then lived the horrors, and every day they woke up praying that it will be over.
Bloggers are also reporting about atrocities committed on all sides. Blacksmith of Lebanon lists what he sees as six atrocities committed in just five days of the conflict.
Darko wrote about an atrocity that he experienced first hand and had to flee Lebanon because of it:
I’ve been trying to sum up the word to write this post for over an hour now, and honestly…no words can sum up what happened yesterday and all the events that followed in Halba, Akkar.
[…]
Negotiations began to put an end to the fighting, and the attackers demanded that the SSNP evacuates the HQ and hands it over to them. SSNP fighters rejected the offer, and the fighting continued as both sides used machine guns, B-7s, stingers(WHERE THE F*** DID THEY GET THAT????) and mortars (the home of a journalist i knew was hit with two successive mortar shells with his kids inside the house, we caught with him later). At 4:30 PM, SSNP fighters ran out of ammo as FMers moved in and threw a burning Truck tire  into the HQ. At this point, a shaikh intervened and asked the SSNP fighter to hand over the office to the army, the fighters agreed after the shaikh guaranteed their security. Army soldiers took over the office and we all thought that this was it. It wasn’t. FMers stormed the office and as the army watched, lined up the SSNP fighters on a wall and executed them at point blank range. They executed the fighters after they surrendered. That wasn’t all, FMrs brought axes and started hammering down at bodies, cutting every limb. All of this happened while the army was watching.
Abu Muqawama posts a video about the same incident that Darko mentions:
Okay, Abu Muqawama has no idea how long this video will remain up on YouTube, but this is a video of some Future Movement gunmen kicking and torturing wounded opposition fighters in Halba, North Lebanon. This video is not for the faint of heart.
Harryzzz mentions the mobilizing of Salafist fighters and declaration of Jihad against Hezbollah:
With urgent peace talks currently taking place in Tripoli (Northern Lebanon), 500 heavily armed Salafist fighters in and around this city have decided, on Monday, to declare Jihad against “Hezbollah, Shi'ites and their allies”.
This according to a very well informed source in Tripoli.
The fighters, who all are armed, are ideologically close to Al Qaeda.
Jeha’s Nail comments on the escalation of the conflict and its spread to the predominately Druze mountain region over Beirut:
As in the past war, the Druze have united in a sectarian fight against “the Shiite”. For all the talk from pro-Syrian “leaders”, it appears that all “bani maarouf” have been checking Hezb’s advance all through last Sunday, maintaining control over their towns and strategic positions such as “hill 888” and well into Sunday night, all in the face of a heavy artillery barrage, with Hezb’s guns bombing many Druze villages.
Hezb’s forces may yet storm the mountain; the Druze are isolated and encircled, and supplies should be running low. The news blackout creates difficulties, but we can always figure a few things out; the artillery barrage, for example, had been going on all Sunday with little reports, and whatever filtered was inaccurate… But we're sure of one thing; those “mlabbas” was not ‘82’s, but a much higher caliber.
Ghassan Karam ends his article “Who lost Lebanon” for Ya Libnan by stating what he sees as the solution to the Lebanese problem:
The current system of confessionalism has not served us well. We need to end it, the sooner the better. If ,we the people, act and show our disgust with the current state of affairs then we can reverse the apparent gains made by Hezbollah's armed bands and at the same time we can push all the politicians into creating a new Lebanon based on modernity, equality and social justice.
Will there be a new Beirut? Habib Battah explores this question in this post:
Here's a photo taken a couple of hours ago in Ain El Mreisse in what has once again become known as ‘West Beirut’. The massive poster that has been ripped off an apartment building (center) was that of former prime minister Rafik Hariri and his son Saad Hariri.
For over a decade, the Hariris have been the biggest political force in the capital. Now many Lebanese are wondering what the new Beirut and the new Lebanon will mean for them.

author: Moussa Bashir


text:
Myanmar: Twittering the cyclone disaster · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Burmese bloggers have been using Twitter to give updates and reports about the situation in Myanmar. More than a week has passed since a powerful cyclone hit the country which claimed the lives of more than 30,000 people (government data) and left hundreds of thousands homeless. The Twitter account: MBS or Myanmar Blogs, provides useful links to recent news articles and blog posts about the relief efforts, donation information details and other eyewitness accounts of the continuing tragedy in Myanmar.
Through this Twitter account, we learned these updates:
Burmese journalists face restrictions on cyclone coverage as authorities have placed restrictions on journalists covering the disaster areas.
Burmese junta forcing storm victims to leave monasteries, separating families.
Cyclone death toll is rising
An interesting campaign: Project Nargis – Using internet to check weather report step by step. (in Burmese)
Twitter updates have led us to visit these blogs:
Myanmar News uploads an interview about the situation in some refugee camps:
“I can see many refugees and there are many camps. Our house provided medicines and the like as much as we could, but not sufficient. Many people are still streaming in. The number of people who can donate and the number of people in town are so unbalanced. Last night I asked the driver of the district authority chairman, how many refugees are there, I asked. He told me that there are 10,000, but my estimation is, it must be more than that. He told me that materials for support have arrived. But, he said, there are people who went to the sea to make a living and they suffered. These people are also among the refugees. These people will be questioned and turned back, and only those who are genuine refugees will be given the support. They will be checked. Only when they think that they are true refugees, would they be given support, he said.”
Burmese Gold Bull writes about the (unintended) consequence of the earthquake in China which is now the focus of mainstream media:
“I felt heartbroken for the survivors and victims of China's earthquake especially because I just witnessed the destruction power of natural disaster beforehand in my country.
“In my opinion this earth quake in China is a severe blow to Myanmar, not just to China. Now that there is a natural disaster in bigger and stronger in China, Burma will have to share the media attention it has been receiving, with China. The consequence of this China earthquake will be that the plight of my country's cyclone survivors will once again fall into the obscurity.
“But I would like to take this opportunity to contrast the two government's responses towards these tragedies.”
This narrative of A glimpse of my life deserves to be quoted at length:
My experience with Nargis
There had already been warnings of the cyclone Nargis lurking around the coast since the end of April, but I had thought that it won't come our way because in my life time, a cyclone had never reached us in Yangon. Previously, most of the storms that occured in the Bay of Bengal mostly went into Bangladesh or India, or sometimes, into the coast of Rakhine.
“On May 2nd, we got news that the storm was heading directly into Yangon, so the employees were released to go back home early at 2pm. Even at that time, I was planning to stay until office hour was over because looking outside, the sun was still shining. But later, after being urged by friends online to go back home early, I went back home. When I got home, electricity was still on, so we opened TV, and on MRTV 3, there was a news flash scrolling, saying that the storm had passed Hi-gyi Island and is on its way towards Ayeyarwaddy, Yangon, Bago, and Mon States. The radio station was also broadcasting warnings of this. Electricity was cut off at 6:30pm according to ration schedule, so we just sit around with emergency lights. It had started raining, but it was not very windy yet. So I went to bed around 9pm. I hardly ever wish anything whenever I prayed, but that night, I prayed that the storm will not cause many casualties. I wasn't able to fall asleep quickly, because of the noises of the rain falling on the roof.
“When I woke up, it was around 2:30am, and the wind was howling now. I can hear noises on the roof, and I was afraid that the roof, even though it's one of those big one-piece roofs that cover the whole house, will fly away with the wind. So I got my pillow and a blanket and went into the living room and found my mom and my cousin sitting on the seats with a candle lit. They couldn't sleep either, I guess. My father was praying in the shrine room, and my brother was awake too. It wasn't raining heavily at that time, but there was very strong wind. I can hear the next door house's windows slamming shut and open again (no one was at home) and hear shattering sounds – the charms and the decorative lamps on that house falling down on the ground, and some windows breaking. Even though I thought I had closed my room's window tightly, I guess it wasn't, cos it flew open and slammed the walls and back again, and 3 glass panes shattered. So we had to tie the windows with the ropes to be sure they were closed. We just sat on the chairs in the living room, wrapping our blankets around us to keep out the mosquitoes, and tried to get some sleep. I think I got some sleep for about an hour until I woke up again around 5am.
“By that time, it was already getting light outside, so we can see the trees and everything, all moving around like it's going to fall any moment. It looks more scary since we can see with our eyes now. We looked outside and saw that the make-shift water-proof roof of the restaurant near our house had collapsed. The night-watch stand had flipped over (though I could have sworn I heard 3 chimes from there at 3am – maybe the watchman had run away later). The tall coconut trees were swaying left and right so dangerously, but none had fallen over. Even amidst all this wind and chaos, there were people outside, wearing raincoats and umbrellas, picking mangoes and jack-fruits from the streets. Electricity had been cut ever since it started raining, thank god, because the electric poles had bent and the cables were hanging on the road. It started raining heavily and the wind was howling, and my brother's room was leaking from the windows, so I had to help him soak up the water from the floor and wring it out into a bucket. I was praying for either the wind or the rain to stop because we were getting tired of wringing out the water. Around 10am, the heavy rain stopped, and was just falling, and it wasn't so windy anymore, so we were able to leave my brother's room, and tend to other parts of the house and dry them up.
“The wind and the rain stopped at around 2pm, I think, I'm not sure about the time anymore. Soon, people started coming out and look around in the neighborhood. The trees that have been on our street ever since we were young – the two big star-flower trees where we always picked the flowers that fell onto the ground – had been uprooted. The road was blocked by one of this tree, and another tree, and people were already cutting the tree to pieces so that a car or two can pass. Already, the people were lining up in front of the shops that sell those aluminum sheets that you cover the roof with.
“All around Yangon, there were shortage of water since the water supplies had been cut off, and those who have wells, they have to use a water-pump, but no electricity. So some went to Inya Lake to get water, and bathed there. Our house has a small well, so we can carry water with a pail. Actually, most of the houses on our road had their own wells, since municipal water was unreliable (since our pipes always got stolen by other houses) so water was not a problem for us. And some of the monasteries let people come and bathe there and carry water.
“On Monday, I went to work because I was called to come the night before. Thankfully, there was some buses running, and it cost 300 Ks. ( the bus ran from Sule to North Dagon Township) Our office was all wet because it was located in a high-rise building, and there was windows, and the water seeped in from the cracks. But luckily, our PC towers were on the floor, but on top of some styrofoam, so they didn't get wet. So we unhooked all the pc's, put them on the desks, and get to work. The building had no electricity but the generators operated, and we opened the air-conditioning, so the floor dried quickly. After eating lunch, we were dismissed, and told that we will be informed when we should come back to work. At that time, they were running the generators for only a short time (until 11:30am) because diesel was getting expensive: about 10,000 ks. ($10) per gallon on the black market, since the gas stations were closed down and were not distributing.
“My birthday was on May 8th. Previously, I had planned to make a BBQ party at my home on May 11. But when the time arrived, I was in no mood to celebrate. Already, I was hearing about the news and devastation in other parts of Ayeyarwaddy, and it made me felt so sad that so many innocent people had to suffer. I was angry at the merchants for raising the prices. I was angry at the government for not accepting the aids yet. My problems and most of Yangon's citizens problems were petty comparing to those storm-hit areas in Ayeyarwaddy Township.
“My parents say that they have never faced a storm such fierce before in Yangon. Heck.. not even a 90-year old person had experienced it. That's one of the reasons why we were not prepared for it, taking it lightly. And also due to not very accurate weather forecasts. Yeah, sure, the storm warnings were posted since April 29, but exactly where it will hit – they did not say. I hope that they've learned their lessons by now too.”
My Little World uploads a poem
Burma's Non-Political Flood
Thu I Sann
Water, water, all around me
But I am so..so… thirsty.
Here, there, human bodies’ everywhere
But none alive accompany me and share.
And I look at myself
Broken hopes and empty handed.
And I look further around
Just like a post heavy-battled ground.
Wild cyclone has wiped all things down.
Where are those kids from innocent playground?
Where are students in the green and white uniform?
Where is my town always singing along country rock songs?
Where are my mates who search for freedom and independent?
Where are those local chicks with new-leaf-color lips?
Where are those parents with a too busy habit?
All my questions disappear,
All my answers whisper…and whisperer.
Collaborated disaster of the nature and the dictator!
And I constantly hear voices from my empty stomach
Asking me food, forcing me speak out and stand up.
I silently speak with my loudest, to the entire world
Then mankind's sympathies come and knock my door.
Let me now open my door
‘Cause those sympathies will help to fix my wounded floor.
Let me invite them with an open heart
‘Cause those sympathies will help my life reconstruct.
Hello Mr. militarists,
Your guns are currently useless,
My demands are urgently needed,
Here, I'm alive, not a corpse yet,
Neither much time left.
Together, let's work out as a nice diplomat!
(Dedicated To My Mother And People Of Burma Who Lost Lives And Who Hardly Survived Under Both Natural And Political Weathers!)
More photos of the disaster, images on the ground and documentation of relief efforts. A survivor from Lubutta captured on video. Another survivor tells her story through a video.
Meanwhile, an online petition requesting the United Nations to apply “responsibility to protect” doctrine to force international aid into Myanmar has generated more than 4,000 signatures.
Global Voices – Myanmar also has a Twitter account.

author: Mong Palatino


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Myanmar: Voices through Tweets · Global Voices
May Hnin Phyu

Twittering is getting popular among Myanmar community and blogosphere. Although many Myanmarnese are yet to make effective use of available tech gadgets and popular medium such as twitter, facebook and the like due to lack of information and resources,  a few overseas bloggers and students are beginning to indulge in various communication mediums to express their voices. The so called micro blogging mechanism, Twitter, has become quite active among Myanmar users in reporting recent cyclone Nargis news. In addition to previous post which highlights tweet stories and links from @mmblogs (MBS – Myanmar Blogs), Myanmar: Twittering the cyclone disaster, here are some interesting tweets from recently most active Myanmar twitterer.
waiphyok tweets very interesting questions and statements such as -
(#) Will first US Aid Flight be attacked in the Burma sky?
(#) 900 million relief to Tsunami + 5 million a day expenses for activities , only 3 million to Burma ? Come on US. More please =]
(#) Nargis == Tsunami ? .. The fact is Nargis + Burma's Poverty (far far greater than)  Tsunami . !_!
He also twitted tips and comments -
(#) Folks from US are whining. Well this time, it's not about Tyranny of Oil , it's Empathy of Humanitarian.
(#) Tip: Aid workers should write their  requests/forms in “Burmese” . Should notarize to native language first  with embassies before u apply. =|
(#) I want to read the Burmese official statement =)
and adds some opinions -
(#) Shame on you CHINA, ur country will look like that of Resident EVIL! . EV71 !!!!!!
(#) the prophecy has come true! This is not  like the girl with blue eyes as in 10k BC. Simply, we are just destined  to unmask Mountain of Gods!!
(#) Nargis is combination of Tsunami (it  floods), Earthquake (cos buildings collapse), Tornado (things flying),  Forest Fire(fire broke out too).
mmhan has a few more to say about Nargis in his tweets and generated quite interesting conversations among his followers.
(#) I'm once again feeling down after watching some videos of the aftermath of Nargis in Myanmar.
(#) It's juz gr8, UN doesnt step in & Burma deprts aid workers http://is.gd/e4O While we r @ it, lets juz effin w8 for another thousands to die.
(#) Dammit, while thousands are feared dead,  these politicians are fearing their help might look like a  confrontation, what a sick world it is!
(#) been following the news of Myanmar for a week now and still the situation is simply disappointing. :(
(#) Shouldn't there be a crime for stalling  aid like that in Myanmar? Shouldn't UN hv entered by force for the sake  of thousands of dying ppl?
(#) Yangon, Myanmar is having a hard time getting fresh water.
A bit disappointed to see that 30 day for a million voice campaign isn't growing really well. Need support @ http://is.gd/bbz
Meanwhile, myochauhtun reports -
(#) 20 Death photos after Nargis Cyclone: I felt sad now after looking up this album from Picasa. IR.. http://tinyurl.com/6q5t8u
(#) We should request Linkin Park for donation coz they donated millions since tsunami
(#) I can't concentrate on works :( God where are you? Please help us or tell them to accept int. help :(
and mgthantzin analyzed and throw some questions -
(#) Did China allow foreign correspondents access to the disaster zone?
(#) many Twitter users across the world care about Myanmar. i thought we were abandoned. felt glad.
(#) Nargis killed 62k (and counting). it's a natural disaster which was informed of 48 hours in advance? Unbelievable!!!?
(#) Shame on You, CHINA!!! Such a cruel decision you made.. totally inhumane!
While yangonthu wonders “why is it so hard to get people to give donations?”, Rule of Lords publishes an informational post of Cyclone Nargis. Pistachio compiles a great information in her post, Meaningful Action in the Cyclone Aftermath, listing many blog feeds, twitter accounts and news posts. New Mandala compiles the academic commentary of the cyclone Nargis, “As the humanitarian response to the cyclone continues I expect that experts, of all sorts, will have much more to say”.
Burmese Gold Bull wonders about Burmese Junta actions in contrast to China.
While China has transformed itself into a responsible member of international community, Burmese junta's behaviours still are worse than that of barbarians.
In the past, the way China handle the natural crisis is very similar to what Burmese junta is doing now. They don't care for the lives of their own people.
Today China is a totally different country. They've learned how to handle a crisis. They know how to make their people happy. And the best is their leaders know how to behave in front of the cameras.
In contrast, our military government remains ignorant of the outside world. In the eyes of international community, Burmese junta are worse than barbarians. They don't know how to behave. They don't know the values of lives. They don't know what are the norms and values in international communities.
and here are some of the interesting conversation about Myanmar among international twitterers.
Many people ask about the word “Nargis”and WorkingWriter is no exception; across the globe sanjuroku explains “Nargis” (نرگس, IPA: næɵr-ɡɵs), is a Persian word meaning daffodil – just dropping the knowledge for you all”. elm200 commented “China looks much better than Burma in terms of the determination to help their own nationals” while davechua asks “Will people forgot Myanmar's tragedy after what happened in China?“.
DivinePurposeMV throws a question to her followers “Can you call for a worldwide revolt against Burma? Should we be invading or something?” and there follows the never ending stream of news tweets such as these: “(#) Typhoon Rammasun is not an issue now but another tropical cyclone is spinning up and moving into Myanmar (Burma) today. Not a good thing!”, “(#) Beaten out by Burma, the earthquake in China, wildfires in Florida, and havoc from storms in the midwest.”, “(#) Cyclone Nargis to Myanmar, then Earthquake in China…  RIP to all victims”.
Indeed, voices from twitterers are important and we should  not miss them.

author: May Hnin Phyu


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Nigeria: African Mobile Marketing & Advertising Summit 2008 · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Yomi writes about the African Mobile Marketing & Advertising Summit in Lagos, Nigeria: “The African Mobile Marketing & Advertising Summit is the foremost event of the year dedicated to communication and loyalty on the mobile in the emerging markets. With the huge growth of mobile communications in Africa, this event will be bringing together advertisers, communication agencies, content developers, and mobile service providers.”


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Nigeria: Boycott The British Airways · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A campaign for Nigerians to boycott the British Airways: “Boycott British Airways. We can do with one “less” airline. Nigerians are very respectful and hardworking people and they deserve to be respected. British Airways does not respect Nigerians.”


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Pakistan: Gender segregation and health · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Five Rupees on how unhealthy extreme gender-segregation can be.


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Panama: Rembrandt Exhibit at Canal Museum · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Avarana [es] visits the Rembrandt exhibit at the Canal Museum in Panama, which is temporarily on display thanks to the Dutch embassy, Dutch museum and a private corporation.


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Paraguay: Universities for Change in the Country · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

“The universities should become an important pillar for president-elect Fernando Lugo on his quest to bring about change in the country,” writes Viviana Benítez Yambay of Panambi News [es].  She writes that the new Paraguayan president, as a former professor himself, should recognize the importance of higher education and provide more funding for research.


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Russia: Bloggers on Yeltsin’s Legacy · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At The Lede, a translation of 13 responses to a question posted on the Russian-language LJ blog of the New York Times’ Moscow bureau: “What is Mr. Yeltsin’s legacy?“


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Russia: “Rules” for Activists · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

“A Russian blogger has offered six detailed rules for those who wish “to engage in civic activism” in that country without risking being “beaten in the head,” a guide that highlights both what cautious Russians can do to advance their interests at little risk to themselves — and what they must at all costs avoid,” writes Window on Eurasia.


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Serbia: “A European Destiny”? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Mark Mardell's musings on Serbia's future – at Euroblog.


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Serbia: Eurovision and Museum Night · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade and Beyond writes about “Eurovision 2008 in Elbonia & 5th Museum night” in Serbia's capital.


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Slovakia: American Football · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia writes about American football in Slovakia.


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Slovenia: Independence · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Sleeping With Pengovsky recounts the history of Slovenian independence movement.


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South Korea: Lee and U.S Beef · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee Byong-chul from Ohmynews reports on how the new president Lee Myung-bak's popularity was challenged by the recent protest against importation of U.S beef.


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South Korea: Mad Cow Image · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Matt from Gusts of popular feeling captured some poster images of mad cow and the U.S in the recent anti importation of American Beef.


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Tajikistan: Murder in the Higher Family · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Ian comments on the news article saying that last week, the tajikistan president's son shot his uncle, the presidential brother-in-law, and the latter died on an emergency trip to Germany for treatment.


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Tajikistan: Poor country’s most expensive trial · Global Voices
Vadim Sadonshoev

The poorest country in Central Asia, Tajikistan initiated the most expensive trial in the history of British legal proceedings. Tajikistan will pay 120 million USD for the legal fees which represents 5,2 percent of the country’s entire GDP. A bone of contention is the Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco), fully owned by the state. The Tajik side accused its partners of fraud.
Registan earlier linked to the article of John Helmer about this trial.
The High Court in London is considering a trial this year of claims to money, estimated to be as high as US$500 million per year, disappearing from the Tajikistan Aluminium Plant (TadAz, Talco), whose principal trading partner is Hydro Aluminium, the state-controlled Norwegian aluminum producer.
Then Joshua Foust goes on and comments on it.
In essence, several hundred million dollars are missing, possibly moved through Caribbean front companies, and everyone is suing or has sued everyone else to find out what really happened.
Ian at Beyond the River links to an article in Asia Times.
Herbert Smith, one of the largest-billing of British law firms, has been forced to reveal this month in the High Court in London that it is charging the Tajikistan government more than US$100 million for a three-year court claim ordered by Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov (Rahmon). Rahmon’s targets are a group of aluminum traders and managers, now based in London, who were ousted from the Tajikistan Aluminum Plant (TadAZ, Talco) after getting too close to the president’s interest in Tajikistan’s principal industry.
According to Ian,
This all has a lot to do with a) the best natural resource Tajikistan has, aluminum; and b) the deal between RusAL, the Russian aluminum company, and the Tajik government to build a new aluminum plant as well as to complete the Rogun Hydroelectic Dam. That dam that the Tajik government is now begging for private donations for.
Indeed, this trial astonishes everyone who sees the amount of legal fees and compares them to the GDP of Tajikistan. It exceeds more than ten times the amount that the mayor of Dushanbe wants to raise from the Tajik capital residents for construction of Rogun dam, which may give Tajikistan sufficient electricity supplies.
Tojvar is wondering [tj] where our officials are going to take this money from:
Seems like we need to slaughter all our horses, cows and sheeps to raise money, which will not be enough to cover even half of the fees. Now I’m wondering to what extent these officials are shameless that [they spend so much money for legal fees] and put their arms in pockets of poor people to get money for construction of Rogun. What should the poor people do?
The Tajik aluminum could be a great source of funneling money to the budget and get the country out of the severe economic crisis. Last year Talco reported on its profit, and it is quite huge. However, Central Asia thinks that corruption will minimize the profit, which will make no difference for the country.
It’s great to hear that Tajikistan has a commodity that could fund some serious domestic development, but, unfortunately, corruption and switched contracts are turning this potential cash cow into mincemeat. Talco continues to default on loans and contracts, and Tajikistan has asked the international community to forgive the debts–with a USD 1.2 billion annual income, it’s kind of hard to see why Talco can’t pay.
Tajikistan has enough resources, but endemic corruption makes revenue from these resources fill the pockets of only few people. If we could use our resources rationally, we could have already built both Sangtuda-1, 2, Rogun and many other vitally necessary energy projects, which would help us to have independent electricity and heating supply.
Finally, Ian at Beyond the River makes an excellent roundup about this trial and reports on the murder of one of the major persons involved in it.
Also posted on neweurasia.

author: Vadim Sadonshoev


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Trinidad & Tobago: Disaster Preparedness  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

FIFA Vice President and Minister of Parliament Jack Warner was in China during the earthquake; KnowProSE.com hopes that the experience will be a motivating factor for him “to deal with the lack of preparedness in Trinidad and Tobago upon his return.”


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Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica: Lyrical Content · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

ttgapers.com reports that Jamaican dancehall artist Buju Banton “is pleading with fellow…entertainers to clean up their lyrics in order to stem the social decay that is not only present in Jamaica but most of the Caribbean countries where the music is very popular.”


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Turkmenistan: Gas pipeline to China becoming reality · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Maciula writes about the planned gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China and notes China’s successful activity in securing its gas interests in Turkmenistan.


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Ukraine: A Turkish View on Ukrainian Politics · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A view on Ukrainian politics – from The Turkish Invasion.


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Ukraine: Anti-Trafficking NGOs · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Buffalo Expat writes his travel to eleven Ukrainian cities – and about a case study in Ukrainian anti-trafficking NGOs that he's working on.


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Ukraine: Europe Day · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana posts a huge photo and video report on the celebration on Europe Day in Kyiv.


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Ukraine: Foreign Troops · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop writes about foreign military presence in Ukraine this year.


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Ukraine: Kravchuk on Holodomor · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Steve Bandera of Kyiv Scoop translates Holodomor-related passages from the autobiography of ex-president Leonid Kravchuk.


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Ukraine: Luzhkov and Sevastopol · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who has been declared persona non grata in Ukraine, following his speech on the status of Sevastopol.


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Ukraine: “Rescuing a Revolution” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A discussion of a Moscow Times piece on Ukraine's most recent political battles, written by three members of the EU parliament – at Foreign Notes.


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Uzbekistan: Remembering Andijan 3 Years Later · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Sean R. Roberts recollects the tragic events that took place in Andijan, Uzbekistan, three years ago today on May 13, 2005, when hundreds of civilians were shot dead by the military.


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Algeria: Favourite Books  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger Nouri shares a list with 53 of his favourite books in this post.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Sardarapat Anniversary Extravagance · Global Voices
Onnik Krikorian

Unzipped comments on local press reports that celebrations planned to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Sardarapat will cost $1.1 million. The blog says that while such an event should be marked, it considers the amount of money being spent by such a cash-strapped nation currently experiencing a political crisis too much.


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Bahrain: Leaving Home  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Life in Bahrain is not impressed with a new increase in housing lending – as real estate prices in Bahrain hit the ceiling – and announces that he has found a job abroad and is leaving the country soon.


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Bahrain: Ministers Always Right  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Mahmood Al Yousif, from Bahrain, is not surprised that Parliament cleared ministers of any wrongdoing in this post.


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Bahrain: Why?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Why does the person in the fifth car back at a traffic light usually believe that beeping as soon as the light turns will make the queue move more quickly?” asks Bint Battuta in Bahrain.


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Bermuda: Due Process · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blogging from Bermuda, Vexed Bermoothes says that the fact “that changes to the Parliamentary Election Act could be proposed without structured involvement of all political parties, and then be provided solely to the political incumbent…risks attracting accusations of favoritism”, while Politics.bm adds: “When the public and other political organisations are kept in the dark…you have a process which is illegitimate and politically poisoned from the start.”


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Bosnia & Herzegovina: Alexandros Lykourezos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Srebrenica Genocide Blog writes about Alexandros Lykourezos, Ratko Mladic and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.


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Chile: Meeting with Ministry of Planning for One Computer Per Child Project · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Luis Ramírez of Audentes Fortuna Luva [es] writes about his meeting with the Chilean Minister of Planning regarding the One Computer Per Child project.  Ramírez writes that it was suggested that the Ministry establish “technological policies for equality.”


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China: Against One Voice in Disaster · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Wang Ning pointed out that even though people should hold together to fight the earthquake disaster, there shouldn't be just one voice in telling the disaster story. He praised the ATV report (from Hong Kong) in showing the genuine emotion of the people in disaster.


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China: Civic Rescue Team · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

In less than 36 hours, 120 civic rescue team members and 60 bulldozers had been mobilized to the earthquake areas. More from hecaitou [zh].


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China: Earthquake Diary · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Zengying, a reporter from Chengdu, started his earthquake diary since May 12. Journalists were reporting with tears and he pleaded the government not to strengthen the control over media report. Today, he started his journey to the earthquake center, Wenchuan.


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China: Reprimand Theory · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Michael from The Opposite end of China is furious at the reprimand theory of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka on the earthquake in Sichuan. Similar reprimand theory can also be found in Hong Kong. (via ESWN)


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China: Seismologist Claims Sichuan Earthquake Was Predicted · Global Voices
Meng Zhang

Li Shihui, a researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), exposed in his blog that the Sichuan earthquake on May 12 was already predicted at an earlier time. In spite of the various rumors of earthquake omens which are flooded on the Internet, Li's specialty and systematic statement have helped him gain many people's confidence, even after his controversial articles are deleted by the network administrator.
The front page of Li's blog
Clicked on the relevant articles of Li's blog, the page appears to be”Sorry, the blog you visit doesn't exist.”
A copy of Li Shihui's article on chinalabs.com:
在西方现代科学技术主导下，破坏性地震（5级以上）的预报，特别是临震预报是不可能的。这是国内外地震界主流的共识。从这个角度看，32年前的唐山地震和今天的汶川地震都是不能准确预报的。凤凰卫视“有报天天读”提到：有的报纸说唐山地震是“三分天灾，七分人祸”；“时事辩论会主持人说：如果唐山地震时不拒绝外援，不会死几十万人。这些看法不符合实际。实际情况是，如果尊重中西文化优势互补的科学家的意见，这些灾难倒是可以避免的。请参阅本人博客上转载的和发表的有关文章。
在中国，一批（1970年代）年轻的中国地震工作者学习中国传统文化的精华（包括充分利用历史文献记载和“取象比类”的方法等），取得遥遥领先国际的科研成果。例如，耿庆国根据历代(包括1956-1970年)大旱与地震关系的统计，发现“6级以上大地震的震中区，震前1-3.5年往往是旱区。旱区越大，干旱时间越长，相应的震级越高”的统计规律（公元512年-1879年中国大旱后2-3.5年,发生了7次7.5-8级大地震）。1972年耿庆国提出“旱震关系大地震中期预报方法”，根据这一规律，耿庆国预报了1975年的海城地震，特别是1976年的唐山地震。在1980年代出版了专著《中国旱震关系》（科学出版社）。这些成果触犯了地震界当权者的利益，耿庆国被调出预报队伍，去了地震报社。
今天，2008年5月12日，听到四川汶川发生7.8级强震，中国的地震科学家耿庆国欲哭无泪，心里在流血。2006年他根据旱震关系提出中期预报，近年阿坝地区将发生7级以上地震。2008年4月26日和27日在中国地球物理学会下属的“天灾预测委员会”经集体讨论,作出“在一年内（2008.5-2009.4）仍应注意兰州以南,川、甘、青交界附近可能发生6-7级地震”的预报（文字报告已报中国地震局等，4月30日密件发出），而且，耿庆国根据强磁暴组合，明确提出“阿坝地区7级以上地震的危险点在5月8日(前后10天以内)”（以上地震预报三要素均已明确）。明明是国宝，却受到当权的主流地震科学家的排斥，只能靠微薄的退休费坚持搞科研。可惜这位退休的地震科学家的话，没有起到作用。
我的感觉是满腔悲愤。什么时候耿庆国、汪成民、任振球、王迪兴等一批国宝才能不受排挤，放开手脚为振兴中华效力呢？
Seismologist with tearless grief: Today's strong quake was predicted
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Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Li Shihui
2008-05-12 23:45:02
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Under the direction of the modern science and technology of Western World, the forecast of destructive earthquake（over 5 magnitude) is impossible, especially the imminent earthquake prediction, which has been a general consensus in the seismology world. From this point of view, there is no way to well predict the Tangshan earthquake 32 years ago or today's Wenchuan earthquake. The TV program “Read News Everyday”(有报天天读）of Phoenix mentioned: some newspapers said the calamity of Tangshan earthquake is “mainly caused by human error” ; the anchor of “Debate on Current Affairs”(时事辩论会) said: if China had accepted the international aid, hundreds of thousands of people would have survived. Those opinions are not in accord with the facts. The truth is the tragedy might have been avoided if authorities had accepted the views of the scientists, who combined the research of the east and the west. Please refer to the relevant articles I copied or published in my blog.
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During 1970‘s, a group of young seismologists in China had achieved great results which were well ahead of the world level by studying the essence of Chinese traditional culture(including the methods that fully make use of the historical documents and “analogy drawn from phenomena”). For example, according to the statistics of the relationship between drought and earthquake throughout the ages（including 1956-1970), Geng Qingguo discovered a law that “the epicentral region always suffered droughts 1-3.5 years before the earthquake over 6 magnitude. Besides, the larger the drought region occupied and the longer the drought lasted, the higher the corresponding magnitude would be.” (2-3.5 years after the long droughts during 512-1879AD, seven 7.5-8 magnitude earthquakes had occurred in China)  In 1972, Geng Qingguo put forward a theory of “medium-term earthquake prediction based on the relationship between drought and quake”. By that law, Geng Qingguo successfully predicted the Haicheng earthquake in 1975 and especially the Tangshan earthquake in 1976. In 1980's, He published his treatise The Relationship between Drought and Earthquake in China (Science Press). However, those achievements challenged the powers in the Chinese seismology circle, so Geng Qingguo was shunted from the prediction team to an earthquake newspaper office.
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Today is May 12, 2008, Chinese seismologist Geng Qingguo is suffering with tearless grief. In 2006, according to the relationship between drought and earthquake he predicted in recent years there would be a serious earthquake over 7 magnitude in Aba autonomous region. After a group discussion on April 26 and 27, 2008,  Committee of Natural Hazards Prediction subordinate to Chinese Geophysical Society (CGS) reported that “a 6-7 magnitude earthquake may occur to the south of Lanzhou, around the borders of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai.” (the written report had been sent to the China Earthquake Administration by confidential letter on April 30). What's more, Geng Qingguo clearly indicated that “the dangerous point of an earthquake over 7 magnitude in Aba region is on May 8 (within 10 days before or later)” in accordance with the magnetic storm Combinations.（The prediction above had obviously pointed out all the three essential factors).  Geng Qingguo, an undoubted national treasure, is excluded by the earthquake experts of mainstream, and can only depend on a meager pension to continue his research. The pity is what this old seismologist said didn't make any difference.
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I am filled with grief and indignation. I was wondering if there will come a day when Geng Qingguo, Wang Chengmin, Ren Zhenqiu and Wangdixing such national treasure are not frozen out any more, and freely work for the rejuvenation of China.
摄于2006年12月17日“从海诚地震到青龙奇迹研讨会（第20次天地生人学术会议）”会前，左为耿庆国，右为汪成民，中为李世煇。
A picture taken before the “From Haicheng Earthquake to Qinglong Miracle Conference” on December 17, 2006. The one siting left is Geng Qingguo, Wang Chengmin on the right and Li Shihui in the middle.
The mass circulation of Li Shihui's article in the blogsphere and BBSs has provoked more criticism on China Earthquake Administration which did not publish any warning before the dreadful earthquake while some other netizens expressed their doubt about Li's unofficial statement.
Comments on KDNET:
作者：东风51   发布于 2008-5-15 0:11:55
……
总之，应以科学老实，实事求是的态度对待有关地震的信息，向民众讲清这些信息既不能说成是谣言，也还不足以可靠到可以公开发表的程度，相信人们是能理解的。简单粗暴的意识形态斗争式的处理方式只能适得其反，这个教训需要汲取的。
另外，拿耿庆国的预测说事也实在不可取，因事先并无法知道他预测的准确与否。
有朋友认为事先应对他的预测给予足够重视，因为人命关天。但这些朋友不知像这种“预测”成千上万，事先让人们从浩如烟海的信息中找到哪个是有价值的是困难的。
……
Author: Eastwind 51  Posted on 2008-5-15 0:11:55
…
In a word, the information about the earthquake should be treated with scientific and realistic attitude. Tell the people that those information is neither rumors nor totally reliable truth. I believe people will understand that. To deal with the situation only by violent ideological confrontation can only backfire. The authorities should learn the lesson.
On the other hand, it is really inadvisable to give too much emphasis to Geng Qingguo's prediction, because before the earthquake no one knew whether his prediction was right or not.
Someone may believe that it's a case involving human life, so the authorities should have paid more attention to his prediction. However, those friends may not know there are hundreds and thousands of such kind of prediction. it's not easy for the authorities to pick the valuable out of vast information.
…
作者：后台操作   发布于 2008-5-15 0:21:34
让政治需要下地狱吧！
Author: Background Operation   Posted on 2008-5-15 0:21:34
To hell with political needs！
作者：李三来也   发布于 2008-5-15 3:28:16
如真有此事，地震局长应送交法办！
If the thing is true, the head of the Earthquake Administration should be handed over to the justice!
Comments on Tianya:
作者：中国结3   发布于 2008-5-14  11:13
如果地震局的领导有一丝人性的话 这样的预报至少也应该引起他的一些重视吧 密而不发 他居心何在！！让他去和温总理一起到四川 去挖那些遇难者！！
Author: Chinese Knot 3   Posted on 2008-5-14  11:13
If the head of the Earthquake Administration still had a little humanity, at least he should have paid some attention to the prediction, but he just kept it as secret. What was he up to!! Let him go to Sichuan with Premier Wen and unearth those victims.
作者：游客   发表于 2008-5-14  12:04
国家作了自己该做的事情,可是地震局是否履行了自己的职责?是否存在失职??国家是否应该追究???全国人民都在为温总理,为所有营救的官兵、医务人员、媒体工作者感到骄傲；为死难者感到悲哀的同时，那些玩忽职守的人，是否该去体验一下失去亲人的痛苦呢？？？
我不懂地震学，不知道上述人员是否是地震学的专家，如果是，那真是中国的一大悲哀。如果中国不重用人才，国将……
Author:Guest   Posted on 2008-5-14  12:04
Our country is doing all that which is to be done, but whether the Earthquake Administration carried out their responsibilities? Is there a negligence of duty?? Should the authorities call the Earthquake Administration to account??? All the people are proud of Premier Wen, the rescue officers and soldiers, the medical personnel and the reporters; When those people who are negligent of their duties mourn for the dead, is it necessary to let them experience the bereaved family's feelings???
I have no idea of  Seismology and I am not sure whether the person mentioned in the article is a Seismologist. If so, it's really a big woe of China. If China does not value talents, the country will…
作者：游客   发布于 2008-5-14  13:06
我觉得不是预测不出，也不是玩忽职守，而是怕负责任。如果预测的地震确实发生了，那么算是立了一功。但是更多时候可能是预测不了那么准确，责任谁来负呢？从技术专家到行政首长，谁愿意承担这个风险呢？
Author:Guest   Posted on 2008-5-14  12:04
I don't think it's a negligence of duty or problems of prediction capability, but a terrible fear of responsibilities. If the predicted earthquake occurs, the prediction become an honor, but more often the prediction will fail, and in that case who is going to be responsible for the failure?  From the technical experts to the chief executive, who is willing to take the risks?
作者：游客   发布于 2008-5-16  3:46
这些是地震一发生,我就产生的疑问了.地震局的相关人员还在打太极,说什么不能预报,不能预警.
狗屁,那要这个地震局是干啥的,就是为了测已经发生的地震的级数的吗
我们可怜的中国老百姓!!!!!那么多幼小的生命!!!!!!!
Author:Guest   Posted on 008-5-16  3:46
I was in doubt about the earthquake at very beginning. The officials of Earthquake Administration are still practicing Tai chi chuan, prevaricating with a excuse that prediction and early warning are impossible. Bullshit！The work of this Earthquake Administration is only to measure the quake magnitude?
Poor Chinese!!!!! We have lost so many little lives!!!!!!!

author: Meng Zhang


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Cuba, USA: Texas Trade Visit? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the Texas state agriculture commissioner prepares to visit Cuba (the first state-elected official to do so since the 1962 trade embargo), Uncommon Sense says: “American policy toward Cuba must be measured by only two standards: Is it good for the United States, and is it good for the Cuban people — that is, does it improve their chances for freedom.”


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Ecuador: Changes in the Country’s Symbols · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Danny Ayala of El Federalista [es] writes about proposals to change some of Ecuador's symbols put forth by members of the Constituent Assembly. He adds his own suggestions on what should changed, such as the country's flag.


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Egypt: Stock Market Decline  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Hossam el Hamalawy reports that the Egyptian stock market continues to decline


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Guyana, USA: Speaking With Soul · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Signifyin’ Guyana is enjoying reading a book about Ebonics, but says: “If I ketch any one of my students writing that way, he or she gon get a straight up F.”


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Haiti: Pierre-Antoine Still Missing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Blog de Port-au-Prince draws attention to the fact that Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, a prominent human rights worker and Famni Lavalas activist who has been missing since August 12, 2007, still has not been located.


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Hong Kong: Fishing Village Photos · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Tinyau posted photos of Tai O, one of the remaining fishing villages, in Hong Kong.


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India: Food Prices and Bush · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Rethinking Developmental Economics on the food price crisis around the world, George Bush's remarks and the factors that are pushing the cost of food up.


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Iran: 2 minutes for reading · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Razeno  says [Fa] that according to statistics each Iranian reads 2 minutes per day. The blogger adds unfortunately our culture is an oral culture, in other words we just chant slogans.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran: Australia vs. Iranian President · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Anthony Lowenstein says that Attorney-General Robert McClelland,in Australia, is “currently taking advice” on the possibility of pursuing Iranian president,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for his comments about “destruction” of Israel. Anthony shares his opinion on this story.


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Iran:Remember Ferdowsi,the great poet · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Several bloggers wrote about Ferdowsi and reminded us his importance for Persian speaking people and Iranian history.Mohmmad Ali Abtahi says [Fa] Ferdowsi by writing his poems created a link between us and ancient Iran.


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Israel: Iranian Grad Missiles Hit Ashkelon Mall · Global Voices
Gilad Lotan

Hours after President George W Bush arrived in Israel, Iranian Grad missiles penetrated the roof of an Ashkelon mall. Four people, including a mother and her toddler, were seriously wounded. In addition, 87 others were transferred to a hospital.
The early warning siren that was supposed to warn of the missile attack on Ashkelon was turned off in the early afternoon because Military Intelligence said there was a low probability of an attack on Ashkelon. False alarms which caused panic in the city also prompted the city to turn the sirens off.
They turned off Ashkelon's siren system because some complained that the false alarms made them anxious, and thus it was decided to take down the our protection.
I cannot find the appropriate words to describe just how infuriated I am by this. Even the 15 seconds that we get from the alarm is taken from us? 15 seconds… that's nothing, right?
But these 15 seconds can be the difference between life and death.
In 15 seconds you can reach a shelter, hide away from glass windows, seek a secure space or even hide under a table. You can say a prayer, hug the children real hard, say a calm word.
Ashkelon's residents who spent their time in the mall yesterday did not get these “spoiling” 15 seconds.
only 15 seconds…   source
Below are photos and a video clip taken in the mall shortly after the missiles hit Ashkelon:
above: damage from the rockets
above: toddler's bloody shoe, left in the mall
The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs analyzes the underlying message sent by Hamas:
Firing the grad missiles on Ashkelon during Ehud Olmert's meeting with George Bush, carries a clear political message. Negotiation with Hamas came to a halt after much pressure from the Israeli public ,forcing to add the request to free (the captured soldier) Gilad shalit, which was not included in the early agreement with Hamas. It seems like the Ashkelon bombing is intended to shake Israel from its request to free Shalit, and return to the original agreements. The fact that a high profile delegation from Hamas is heading to Cairo, along with messages coming out of Israel, teach us that an option for ceasefire is still preferred by both sides.
Arguments have been developing within virtual spaces within talkbacks (web-comments) around the Hebrew blogosphere – on images, videos and articles describing the Ashkelon bombing. Hundreds of user-generated comments have been written in response to news articles. Below is a translation of one thread which is fairly popular these days, especially after attacks in the south – a wish for missiles to finally hit Tel-Aviv and shake the country out of its current status quo:
No brains… No worries – I'm talking about our government
I really hope there will be rockets on Tel-Aviv
Because as long as there are rockets only on smaller cities nobody cares. Maybe if rockets land in Tel-Aviv finally someone in the army headquarters will wake up and deal with the situation in a harsh manner.
Transfer either us or them. You decide.
Even if rockets fall on Tel-Aviv and Israel reacts in a severe and outstanding manner, qassam missiles will keep landing in the south. I am sad to write this, but the problem is that in the eyes of the government, and most Israeli residents, who do not live in the south – this has become a status quo.
There is no difference between Sderot and Tel-Aviv.
Why the panic?
I wish they would execute the said threat. Israeli public got used to Hizbollah's katyusha rockets in the north. The public also got used to katyusha and qassam missiles in Sderot. Qassams missiles hitting settlements in the outskirts of Gaza is routine. Back then, we all got used to shootings in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem. So what will happen if katyushas hit Tel-Aviv? …We will all become accustomed to it. Maybe in 20 years we will understand that we shouldn't have restrained, not even for one second. Go learn how to deal with bad kids. Very simple. If you concede to their wrongdoings they spin out of control. Here is precisely the same thing.
So perhaps katyushas on Tel-Aviv will wake this nation up!!
Olmert, Peretz and the rest of our “acting” politicians!
Why don't you all stop with the game of positions in this musical chairs you are playing. The situation with our enemy is heating up. It is necessary to manage the country under threats, perhaps even war.
Climb down from the tree – you were not chosen by the people so that you could play around.
Start working!
Amen! God give us rockets on Tel-Aviv.
Nobody protests over the 500 missiles which were fired since disengagement from Gaza.
Because this is not Tel-Aviv.
Because we are type B citizens.
We were promised that if one qassam hits all of Gaza will shake…
Only here, as long as it is not Tel-Aviv, it is normal.
Links to related posts from GVO:
– Ashkelon is ‘on the map’
– Two Sderot Kids Severely Injured by Hamas Missiles
– Israeli Bloggers Respond to Crisis in Palestine
– Rockets Hit Sderot, Flame the Israeli Blogosphere
– Sderot's Invisible Wounds


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Jamaica, Barbados: Human Rights  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp is joining in Bloggers Unite‘s awareness campaign for human rights, “especially in Jamaica where the rights of our gay men and women are denied almost daily”…while Barbados Underground chooses to “highlight the plight of many women in our own backyard.”


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Japan: Views on the Sichuan Earthquake · Global Voices
Chris Salzberg

The earthquake in China's Sichuan province, besides taking its toll on tens of thousands of Chinese citizens, has also had reverberations far away in the Japanese blogosphere, where the topic ranked top among blogging keyword lists [ja] and sparked conversations in forums [ja] over the past few days.
Blogger Kobayashi Akihito at Shirokuma blog writes about the way that Twitter was used to broadcast early news about the earthquake, and how this indicates a change in the way journalism is now functioning:
これまでのジャーナリズムは、言うなれば「選ばれた人」だけが情報を発信するというものでした。最近は市民ジャーナリズムというかたちも登場していますが、ここでも「市民記者」という存在になれるのは限られた人であり、しかも（各サイトによって程度の差があるようですが）編集部の検閲が必ず入ります。つまり一部の人間や組織が情報を選別し、その選別に対する信頼感で、情報の信憑性が保証されているわけですね（もっとも最近では、それに疑いの声を上げる人が多くなっていますが）。
一方 Twitter が構築したネットワークの中では、誰もが自由に情報発信することができます。その分ウソやウワサ話といったものも多く含まれることになりますが、別に従来のメディアのように情報の信憑性を保証しているわけではありませんから、受け手はそれを鵜呑みにせず「これは本当だろうか？」と吟味することになります。その情報を発信したのが、普段から信頼できる発言をしている人物か。一人だけでなく、他の人々も同じことを語っているか。同じ情報を受け取った他のユーザーは、どのような反応をしているか。そういった要素をベースに信憑性を判断し、場合によっては自らも「中国で地震があったらしいよ」と発言する――それがまた別のユーザーに伝わって、という流れになるわけですね。もちろんこれは理想像ですが、今回「Twitterで目にした情報はすべて正しいようだ」という発言が出ているのは、従来のジャーナリズムとは別の仕組みで、正しい情報が伝わる仕組みが現れつつあることを示しているように思います。
Whereas Akihito focused on the medium, most bloggers in fact were writing about the actual earthquake itself. In a post entitled “Will the Olympics be alright?”, one blogger expresses sympathy for victims of the earthquake while also questioning the strategy of rush construction, which apparently compromised the structure of some buildings:
まずは被害に追われた中国の、そして世界の方々にお見舞い申し上げます。
タイミングもタイミング、恐ろしいほどのタイミングで地震が起きてしまいましたね。
折からのチベット問題に加えて、この大地震。
しかも、死者は１万人を超えそうだと。
また、この被害は地震のみならず、急成長裏の手抜き工事が大きく影響しているようです。
こうなると素人のわたしとしては、果たして無事にオリンピックは開かれるのかと。
いや、むしろこれも愛国心の高揚に一役買うかも知れませんね。
オリンピックもいいですが、突貫工事で被害が拡大したという点も早急に対処してほしいですね。
At Wakaba no Nikki, one blogger remarks on all the disasters hitting Asia recently, including the typhoon that took 30,000 lives in Myanmar:
このところ、ミャンマー・サイクロン（あまり『ミャンマー』という呼称は使いたくないが…）、中国・四川省大地震と、アジアで大災害が続発している。ほぼ１日たって大地震の死者は１万２千人と発表されたが、今なお９万人以上の人が生き埋めになっているとか。一刻も早く一人でも多くの人が救助されることを願ってやまない。私も僅かながら義援金を送ろうと思う。
The blogger then comments on a strange phenomenon observed before the earthquake hit:
ところで、今回の「大地震の前に、同省の綿竹市で数十万匹のヒキガエルが一斉に移動するという異常現象があった」というニュースを読んだ。日本ではナマズが暴れると言われるし、以前読んだ地震の本には、雪の上を這いずっているヘビが確認された後に地震が起こったと記されていた。冬眠中のヘビを叩き起こすような変化が土中に起こったのだろう。また私の経験では、近所の犬が夜中にうるさく鳴き続けるので目が覚めたら直後に地震が起こったことがある。このような動物の異常行動を「宏観異常現象」と言うそうで、動物達は電磁気や化学物質の変化を感知しているのではないかと考えられている。
Blogger Tatsuro Satoh at the Voice from Kobe draws a comparison with the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake:
テレビで、地震による空港での混乱の状況を放映していたが、テレビ画面からも「極めて強い揺れ」を感じ取ることができた。
場面は全く異なるが、一瞬阪神淡路大震災を思い起こした。
記事の写真は、余震を恐れ、路上で一夜を明かした人々を写し出している。阪神泡時代震災時、私自身もある意味で、写真が写し出している人々のように、茫然としていたことを思い出した次第である。。。
While bloggers were mostly sympathetic with the victims of the earthquake, online bulletin boards and forums expressed a different perspective. An anonymous poster in the 6th comment on a thread at 2channel about the earthquake writes:
6 : 名無しさん＠八周年：2008/05/14(水) 14:51:39 ID:4t7Tb1Oe0
売国政治屋だらけで支持する政党が無い国、それが日本。
５億払ったって中国共産党に流れるだけだ。
今まで兆単位で貢いできたＯＤＡもそれが日本からの支援だとは殆どの中国人は知らない。
なぜなら共産党はその事実を絶対に教えないから。
そして洗脳教育によって日本は中国に金を貢いで当り前だと中国人は思いこんでる。
今も昔もそこに感謝の念などは全く無い。
Another poster, shortly thereafter in comment number 39 on the same thread, describes how they came to 2channel expecting to find sympathy for the victims of the disaster, only to be met with hostility:
39 ：名無しさん＠八周年：2008/05/14(水) 14:57:27 ID:I7toTpGP0
[…]
同じように心を痛めている人も多かろうと思い、インターネット掲示板
２ちゃんねるを覗いてみた。だがそこで目にしたものは、フリーチベット
支持者(ネットウヨクと呼ばれる若者達)の心無い、中国人被災者の方に
対する目を疑うほどの罵詈雑言の書き込みの数々だった・・・。

author: Chris Salzberg


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Jordan: Queen Rania Reads Blogs  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian Ahmed Humeid is excited Queen Rania of Jordan has mentioned a number of websites related to citizen journalism in a recent newspaper interview.


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Jordan: Underwater Cemetery  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordanian blogger Lulu, who lives in the US, draws our attention to an underwater cemetery, which sea lovers can choose to be buried in.


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Kazakhstan: Monuments, Economics, Gender and Media · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

The blogosphere of Kazakhstan was not too keen to discuss perturbations in the official government. The traditional May holidays have become a naturally most popular theme, however many other issues were also traced by the bloggers.
Thus, pycm posts a photo of the Eternal Fire monument in Atyrau, a city also called as the Kazakhstan’s oil capital. The Eternal Fire memorials were erected in all major cities of the Soviet Union in commemoration of the victims and soldiers of the WWII. Quite often, and especially in 1990s (years of economic hardships) the flame was not actually burning in the center of the five-point star. But the fresh picture from Atyrau shows that it’s not there again:
“The fire is not burning. The oil capital of Kazakhstan lacks natural gas, memory and conscience”, pycm says [ru].
The monument issue is supported by pr-odin, who tells about the plan to erect a monument of charity in the capital city of Astana. The monument is expected to be dedicated to the city’s tenth anniversary this summer, and the initiators are currently gathering money contributions:
“Does it have anything to do with charity?… By the most conservative estimate, it will cost 1-2 hundred thousands dollars… Can you imagine how many really good deeds could have been done with such budget, which will be used for the Monument of Hypocrisy” [ru].
Another strange monument is a sculpture of Charlie Chaplin in Kustanai (Northern Kazakhstan). Nurgeldy notes the strangeness of the very fact of its appearance in the city, where the only one movie theatre (which reportedly had the largest screen in the country) was demolished last year.
Many bloggers keep on worrying – and they really have sound reasons to do so – about economic situation and endemic rise in prices. Eev asks why food gets more expensive:
“I can understand the rise in prices for clothes and cosmetics”, she says. “It’s because euro’s rate has jumped up, so the European goods have become a profusion. But what happened to bread, sugar, milk and cereals?” [ru].
The question aroused a lively discussion, in which renovated proposed an original answer:
“It’s all very simple – those who sell bread, sugar, milk and cereals also want to buy expensive stuff and European cosmetics” [ru]
Small-horsy shares her observations concerning the influence of crisis developments on an entity – similar symptoms are experienced by many businesses that used to serve the chilled market:
“Customers don’t have money to pay for the projects, and they offer barter… The scope of work has sharply reduced, many employees were to go to the vacations, including non-paid ones” [ru].
Meanwhile, megakhuimyak warns that May is not only the month of holidays, but also a month when the financial year ends:
“Banks and other financial institutions sum up their accounting. As of now, six principal banks acknowledged failed credits to the sum of  $1,179 billion. Let’s see what the other will say. The most sexy stuff will come up in the end of year” [ru].
Aslili supports the female MP, who came out against the polygamy amendment, proposed by a group of parliamentarians [ru]. The very fact of such discussions taking place in the single-party Legislature against the background of serious socio-economic problems causes at least sorrow. Meanwhile, m-kaa continues the gender thematique, opining on the perspectives of marriage contract in Kazakhstan. He emotionally argues that the level of family and marriage relations in Kazakhstan is higher than in the Western countries [ru].
The sphere of media and Internet is traditionally covered in blogs. The LiveJournal community journalistkz discusses migration of the print and web-based media, which faced obstacles in reaching their readership, into the blogosphere [ru]. Blogs – a free and unmediated tool to reach out to the audience – is really becoming a simple solution for them. Hackuna reports that the Kazakh state ICT agency intends to involve Yandex JSC – a leading Internet company in Russia – into development of the Kazakh sector of the worldwide web [ru]. And epolet reproaches the Kazakhstani TV channel Caspionet, which makes a broadcasting abroad:
“The weather forecast should be edited. Montenegro has to be displayed as a separate state, not as united Serbia and Montenegro, in order to avoid shame for our television” [ru].
Also posted on neweurasia

author: Adil Nurmakov


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Kazakhstan: What Rakhat Knows · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Adam reviews the Wall Street Journal article, telling that in 2003 Dariga Nazarbayeva, elder daughter of the Kazakhstan president, hired an American consulting firm to collect data on the Kazakhgate trial, a probe into corruption among top Kazakh officials.


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Kuwait: Car Query  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

From Kuwait, Amu, asks what car to buy.


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Kuwait: Gay Encounter  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Cat, from Kuwait, describes her encounter with a gay person at a workshop in this post.


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Kuwait: Mixed Signals Over Name · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Ansam, a male blogger from Kuwait, is receiving mixed signals over his name.


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Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan: Shake Down, Shake Up · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Patrick Frost tells that the Tajikistan government tries to impose a voluntary tax on its citizens to raise $10 million dollars to finance the Rogun project, while the Kyrgyz government has given a compensation payment to 72 children, who were accidentally infected with the AIDS in hospitals.


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Lebanon: “Revolverism” · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“Firing weapons in the air is a local custom rooted in tradition and history and nurtured by more than a century of frivolity and inter-communal love,” states Ms. Tee, while posting a 99-year-old report written by the British Consul General in Beirut at the time.


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Lebanon: Back from the Abyss??  · Global Voices
Jennifer Brea

While the situation in Lebanon remains uncertain, Lebanese bloggers keep writing about their fears, pain and disappointment.
Of course, there is new hope: a deal brokered by the Arab League to end the strikes which have brought Lebanon to the brink of second civil war is being finalized.
But all signs point to a deal made on terms highly favorable to Hezbollah, which, according one blogger, means a return to peace is an “illusion.”
Here is a small selection of what some of those who write in French have to say.
Chroniques beyrouthines has been updating several times daily, with detailed bullet points of all the major events in Lebanon.  As I write, they are on Day 8.
Le Jour du tac tac writes about the Homs road to Syria, rumored to be partially open; it eventually leads to the airport at Damascus, where the hotels are full of Lebanese attempting to flee.  There are rumors: shuttles from Jounieh port and Beirut may run again tomorrow.  The airport may reopen.  tac tac writes:
Faut-il y croire? impossible de se prononcer pour le moment. Ne jamais planifier ni se projeter dans l’avenir lorsqu’on est libanais. Une leçon importante que nos politiciens tentent de nous rappeler, trop souvent peut-être.
Last week, Frencheagle was so incensed and pained by the crisis in his country, he “>contemplated the temporary closure of his blog.
Voila, cela faisait 2 ans que je disais qu’un conflit était inévitable vu la politique insensée conduite par certains et par les propos inconciliables d’autres que je soupçonnais vouloir construire des cantons religieusement “propres”
On en est la aujourd’hui.
Today, we are there.
Je n’aime pas parler de guerre, c’est pour cela que je pense temporairement fermer ce blog ou parler d’autre chose.
Je n’aime pas parler de guerre, parce que je suis un fils de la guerre civile. Je suis née durant la guerre civile, j’ai vu des personnes décédés, j’ai vu mon propre père ensanglanté mais vivant, j’ai vu le pire durant mon enfance.
I don't like talk about war, and for that reason I think I'm temporarily going to close this blog or talk about something else. I don't like to talk about war because I am a son of the civil war.  I was born during the civil war, I saw people killed, I saw my own father drenched in blood but alive, during my childhood, I saw the worst.
Je ne peux souhaiter la guerre, la guerre n’est pas une option, la guerre est un échec. Un échec à cause du manque de vision, la politique menée aurait dû être différente. Notre révolution est désormais un échec, en raison du manque de maturité de certains hommes et du non renouvellement d’une classe politique déjà seigneur de guerre plus rêveurs de leur ancienne gloire de criminels que de personnes de paix.
Je voudrais dire merde à ceux qui durant les 3 dernières années étaient les prophètes du conflit fratricide, je pense à certains individus qui dénués aujourd’hui de tout scrupule veulent reprendre leur ancienne gloire.
Je voudrais dire merde à ces médias dit traditionnels mais au combien partisans qui ont abouti à non pas limiter la casse sociétale du partisianisme mais au contraire ont augmenté les tensions sociétales. Il faut être 2 pour faire la guerre, on connaissait le Hezbollah, on découvre aujourd’hui les autres milices dont celles de la majorité.
An Nahar, Al Manar, Futur, LBC, OTV, tous pareils en fin de compte, tous coupables.
I want to say f*** you to all those who in the last three years were the profits of fratricidal conflict, I'm thinking of certain individuals today who are unencumbered of any scruple and want to reclaim their former glory.
I want to say f*** to you those so-called traditional media with how many subscribers that have managed not to limit the social damage of partisanship but rather who have increased social tensions.  It takes two to make war, we knew about Hezbollah, today we discover the other militias of which these are the majority.
An Nahar, Al Manar, Futur, LBC, OTV, all the same at the end of the day, all guilty.
His readers rallied, each echoing this sentiment, expressed by one reader: “I understand that you feel like closing your blog, but permit me to offer some advice, don't do it.  Lebanon needs its children to express themselves.”
Fortunately, Frencheagle has kept blogging.  In a recent post about everything he would do if he were president, a reader sarcastically replies: “One can always dream, but when you have good intentions, there is a 50pc chance you will be assassinated (Bachir Gemayel et René Mouawad). To be a politician in Lebanon is the most dangerous occupation in the world…”
And in response to what the government has compromised in order to secure a truce, including its decision to abandon plans to fire the head of airport security, a purported Hezbollah sympathizer, Frencheagle writes:
Le gouvernement a annulé sa décision de révoquer le responsable de la sécurité et d’enquêter sur le réseau de télécommunication du Hezbollah, faisant illusion que la paix reviendra.
Maintenant qu’il y a eu cette déflagration, ce n’est que partie remise, j’ai envi de dire que “c’est reculer pour mieux sauter” au sens propre comme au sens figuré.
The government canceled its decision to revoke the head of [airport] security and to investigate Hezbollah's telecommunication network, greating an illusion that peace will return.
Now that there has been this explosion, this is just putting off the inevitable, I feel like saying its a “recoil in order to jump farther” both literally and figuratively.
Les faiblesses de l’état ont en effet été exposées, la majorité a perdu militairement et peut-être même politiquement maintenant avec ce recul, les armes du Hezbollah ont été sanctuarisées alors qu’il y avait une voie de discussion à ce sujet, souvenons nous du discours d’Hassan Nasrallah en aout 2006 déclarant que les armes ne sont pas éternelles. Aujourd’hui, elles sont d’une certaine manière devenues éternelles, divines et remercions ironiquement les déclarations incendiaires de certains poussant à l’extrémisme…
Yet, Frencheagle concedes “Today a compromise is more necessary than ever”.
On her blog moustique, Sanaa writes bittersweet verses about home in a post titled “Mea Culpa“:
Je regrette….
Je regrette de ne pas arriver à regretter de rester dans ce pays….
Je regrette d’avoir espéré et cru…
Je regrette d’espérer toujours
Je regrette de ne pas pouvoir me projeter dans un « demain » qui serait ailleurs
Je regrette de ne pas avoir appris à m’offrir l’idée d’un demain qui irait au-delà d’aujourd’hui
Je regrette de m’attacher aux « cordes de vent » (traduction littérale de l’arabe)….
Je m’excuse déjà de ma jeunesse,
Pardonne moi de te laisser couler dans les rues de Beyrouth….
Pardonne moi … je ne saurai t’offrir de meilleure garantie pour tes souvenirs des 30 premières années… je t’ai construite en grand château…. Et il s’avère être de sable…
Pardonne moi de ne pas avoir su
Pardonne moi de toujours ne pas vouloir savoir
Pardonne moi Sanaa pour ce que je t’inflige en restant là….
Mais, crois moi, nulle part ailleurs je ne serai chez moi comme ici….
Moussa Bashir has written two roundups of anglophone blogs on the political crisis in Lebanon and Lydia Beyoud translates the harrowing accounts of a Moroccan foreign exchange student in Beirut.

author: Jennifer Brea


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Lebanon: Iran Smart, US Dumb?  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Two veteran American commentators who have spent time in Beirut and who are sometimes referred to as the “Liberal Neocons”, have seen what happened in Lebanon and reached similar conclusions” – that Iran is smart and the US is dumb – writes Beirut Spring from Lebanon.


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Lebanon: Warlords and not Leaders · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Lebanese blogger Maze, who lives in Kuwait, asks: Will peace ever prevail in Lebanon? He appeals to his countrymen: “wake up ..don't let those sick minds who are in power influence you…yes we are governed by sick leaders..leaders who care for their personal interests and how to make fortunes from wars…these are WAR LORDS!”