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Armenia: Fears After Nationalist Firebombers Released on Bail
Following the firebombing of of an 'alternative' and gay-friendly bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, LGBT and other civil society activists are concerned by the rise of nationalism and hate-speech in the country.
China: In Bo Xilai Saga, Did Social Media Challenge Government?
Political struggle, murder, corruption, espionage and diplomatic conflict - the downfall of Bo Xilai from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) elite ranks has turned out to be a multi-faceted story. It is also a good example of the disruptive role that social media plays in today’s China.
Russia: Ustream.tv Attacked Over Russian Blogger
On May 9, unknown parties launched a DDoS attack on the live feed website Ustream.tv. The attack was carried out from thousands of unique IPs based in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran, and was centered on one particular user, reggamortis1, who for the past four days has been covering opposition rallies and protests in Moscow.
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Cuba: National Meeting of Bloggers Ends in Controversy 5 May 2012
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Mauritania: Opposition Sit-in Attacked by Security Forces 4 May 2012
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Malaysia Prepares for Bersih 3.0 Sit-Down Protest 24 April 2012
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Bahrain: One-Woman Demo! 22 April 2012
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Video Highlights: Syrian Activism, Children's Issues and Dolphin Deaths 18 April 2012
Latest stories about Freedom of Speech
16 May 2012
Indonesia: Lady Gaga's Concert Permit Denied
After being pressured by conservative politicians and hardline groups, which branded Lady Gaga as a devil worshiper, the Indonesian police announced that it won't issue a permit to the highly anticipated Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta, leaving over 50,000 fans disappointed.
15 May 2012
Norway: Discussing Latin America at the Oslo Freedom Forum
Last week the fourth gathering of the Oslo Freedom Forum was carried out, organized by the Human Rights Foundation in the Norwegian capital. The event covered a series of topics that involved other world regions, including Latin America.
Malawi: Kondwani Munthali: Malawi's Blogger of the Year
Victor Kaonga interviews Kondwani Munthali who made history this month by becoming the first blogger to be awarded Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Blogging Award of the year in Malawi. Munthali has been blogging since 2007.
Caribbean: Supporting Our Mothers
Mother's Day, celebrated this past weekend all across the Caribbean, was a hot topic of discussion with regional bloggers - or rather, mothers were. From posts of admiration and thanks to accounts of how women regularly defy oppression, it was a mixed bag, but one that mothers everywhere would have been happy to sample from…
Russia: Duma Deputy Wants Criminal Liability for Extremist Tweets
Yesterday, on May 14, Aleksandr Khinshtein, a Duma deputy and member of United Russia, wrote a letter to Yuri Chaika, the Prosecutor General of Russia. In that letter, Khinshtein noted emerging extremist trends on Twitter and Facebook, and called on the state to prosecute users who advocate violence and other illegal acts.
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14 May 2012
Iran: Cartoonist Eludes Sentence of 25 Lashes for Drawing Politician
An Iranian cartoonist, Mahmoud Shokraye, was sentenced to 25 lashes for drawing a cartoon of former conservative member of parliament, Ahmad Lotfi Ashtyani in the Arak region. A campaign to support the cartoonist was launched online.
13 May 2012
Zambia: Citizen News Website Hacked
On Wednesday, 9 May 2012, netizens who flock to various citizen-run news websites such as Zambian Watchdog and Tumfweko were met with “page not available” or messages to similar effect. Zambian Watchdog reported that its website was a target of a sustained attack allegedly by the PF government.
11 May 2012
10 May 2012
Venezuela: Video ‘Caracas, City of Farewells' Sparks Discussion on Emigration
It only took a matter of days before the Venezuelan blogosphere heaped an avalanche of criticism and mockery on the video documentary "'Caracas, ciudad de despedidas" ("Caracas, City of Farewells"). The video compiles 17 minutes of interviews focused on emigration in Venezuela and the reasons which have pushed many to join the growing Venezuelan diaspora.
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China: Political Space of the Weibo Blogging Platform
Chicago University Sociology Professor Zhao Dingxin recently delivered a speech entitled "Weibo, Political Space and Chinese Development", which has triggered off some debate and reflections amongst Chinese netizens. Oiwan Lam reports.
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