Several Iranian bloggers say Freegate, a software utility that enables surfers from mainland China, Iran, among others, to view websites banned by their government, is not anymore free. They say Ultrasurf is an alternative.
It’s so sad that people have to get custom programs just to bypass the internet oppression forced upon them by their government.
It makes perfect sense for them as the internet can be a huge eye and mind opener… and that’s the last thing a controlling government would want. Just pray, worry about covering your hair, and leave everything else to us.
Krista, from the collective blog Muslimah Media Watch, shares her family's passion for “ridiculous and tacky” salt and pepper shakers. Their latest acquisition, a gift bought in Dubai, has raised a lot of questions in Krista's mind.
How do international media represent cities in South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East? Is it fair or helpful to development? A symposium of scholars from the London School of Economics in London, United Kingdom explore this topic. See video.
As the situation in Syria worsens, and more terrifying reports arrive from the Homs district of Houla, Foreign Policy-hosted blog Turtle Bay summarizes a report [PDF] from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the UN observer mission. This “gloomy” account clearly shows that measures recommended by Kofi Annan have not been implemented, and a viable peace plan is not yet in place despite diplomatic pressure. Ban Ki-moon notes that “while many fear the implications of a further militarization of the conflict, some have doubts that peaceful change is possible.”
Local open governance activists in Tunisia have launched the first open data website showing the municipal budget [ar, fr] of the city of Sayada for the current fiscal year. The Tunisian open governance community [ar, fr] has had some success in increasing the government's transparency; they have already convinced the Tunisian presidency to reveal its budget.
It’s so sad that people have to get custom programs just to bypass the internet oppression forced upon them by their government.
It makes perfect sense for them as the internet can be a huge eye and mind opener… and that’s the last thing a controlling government would want. Just pray, worry about covering your hair, and leave everything else to us.