Stories from 11 December 2010
Puerto Rico: Original version of Wikileaks
An anonymous team has founded the website Iupileaks [es] in which they are posting documents of the administration of the University of Puerto Rico (Iuipi is the colloquial name of the main campus of the University): “We are a small group of people who attempts to inform the public about...
Côte d'Ivoire: Anger and Sarcasm in Citizen Media after the Elections
After a hopeful start, the presidential elections in Cote d'Ivoire took a dramatic turn that led the country in a seemingly hopeless political stalemate. While the crisis persists, the Ivorian blogosphere seems to be split between either taking the events with a hint of humor and sarcasm or debating passionately the political and legal implications of the latest events. Julie Owono explains:
Bolivia Opposes UN Climate Summit Declaration
Ben from The Latin Americanist reports: “Bolivia stood alone today at the UN Climate Summit in Cancun as the only country that opposed the summit's declaration. Why? Bolivia felt the declaration didn't go far enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions or to support the renewal of the Kyoto Protocol before...
Venezuela: New Bill Cracks Down on the Internet
In Caracas Chronicles, Francisco Toro blogs about “a draconian set of amendments to the Orwellianly named Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television to extend its reach into the online world and dramatically expand the categories of banned speech.”
Honduras: Increased Militarization
RNS from Honduras Culture and Politics says that, “Daily life in Honduras is increasingly much like it was under the military dictatorship of the early 1980s. In the name of security, the country is gradually being militarized.”
Colombia: Nukak Maku Indigenous Peoples Forced to Leave Their Territory
In Colombia Passport, Albeiro Rodas writes: “An indigenous leader of the Nukak Maku peoples, a group of nomads in the State of Guaviare, Amazon region, denounced in a session in San José with the Senate commission for human rights and international observers, that members of the Farc guerrilla forced them...
The Latin America Personal Democracy Forum As Seen by Bloggers
The Latin American Personal Democracy Forum took place on the 18th and 19th of November in Santiago Chile. Juan Arellano collects the thoughts, analysis and reports from the bloggers that attended the event.
Russia: Photos and Videos of Soccer Fans Protesting in Moscow
Blog of Novaya Gazeta [RUS], Radio Liberty [RUS], aleshru [RUS], and vadimb [RUS] share pictures and videos from the mass protest action of soccer fans in the center of Moscow. It is the second public event since the murder of one of the fans this week. Snob.ru hosts [RUS] discussion on the political consequences of...
Saudi Arabia: Free Saudi Scholar Dr Mohammed Alabdulkareem
Saudi Dr Mohammed Alabdulkareem was arrested after publishing an article on the effectiveness of the political regulation among the royal family. Using blogs, Facebook and Twitter, netizens stand up to call for his release.
Brazil: Pension rights for gay couples
Marcelo Marques in Blog do Bacana [pt] informs of a recent decision by the Social Security Ministry in enforcing a rule that recognizes that the social security benefits to relatives, such as pension in case of death, must include partners of same sex in stable marriage.
Jordan: Football Violence or Racism?
News reports estimate that 250 people were injured following a football game in south Amman between the Wihdat team, usually followed by Jordanians of Palestinian heritage, and the al-Faisali team, usually supported by Jordanians of Transjordanian heritage. Twitter users react to the unfolding drama.
D. R. of Congo: From Lubumbashi to Kinshasa by road
Photos of a couple who traveled by road from Lubumbashi to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
South Africa: The Vuvuzela gets a makerover
Vuvuzela's new role: Regrdless of its irritating “virtues”, the Vuvuzela’s place in history as the symbol for the first African World Cup is assured. Thanks to Matt Blitz and his colleagues at advertising firm Leftfield launched, the Vuvuzela is gearing up for a new role.
Nigeria: Our Senators and our health
Nigerian Senators simply don't get it: “How can we possibly afford to pay Senators in Nigeria N15.18m in salaries and allowances monthly ($100,000.00), when we cannot pay our doctors, teachers, nurses, a fraction of that. That is the absurdity of our country.”
Eritrea: Eritrea and the shadow of WikiLeaks
Gabriel Guangul discusses WikiLeaks in the context of Eritrea: “Somewhere along the lines of US embassy cables being laid bare on WikiLeaks, one could imagine the dark clouds behind the façade of Eritrea’s defiant image. In fact, that is exactly what it was all time – a shop window for...
Bangladesh: The Judiciary And The Parliament
“In Bangladesh, among the three pillars of the State, undoubtedly Parliament has become the most weakest, largely because it had acted as rubber stamp for the people in power- either military rulers or elected governments,” comments Adnan M L Karim at Law Chronicles Online.
India: Sari Is Not A Terrorist Outfit
The Indian ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar was pulled from a security line at the Jackson-Evers International Airport in Mississippi, USA, and was subsequently forced to undergo a pat-down body search on grounds that she was wearing a sari. The incident sparked strong protests from India and the blogosphere reacts.
Japanese Expat Population
Adamu at Mutantfrog reviews [en] the situation of the Japanese expats around the world.
Lebanon: Blogger Farfahinne's First Arrest
Lebanese human rights activist and blogger Farfahinne shares her story of getting arrested by the Lebanese security forces when she tried to enter the Palestinian refugees camp "Nahr al-Bared" in north Lebanon to meet friends.
Lebanon: What are people wondering about?
Lebanese geek and blogger Mir is surprised by the Google search suggestions that she found while she was using the localized www.google.com.lb and posted her findings in her latest contribution to LifeGeeked.
Morocco and WikiLeaks: Royal Corruption and Balanced Reactions
With WikiLeaks dominating the media, it seems no nation is immune. From unbridled support to trepidation, Moroccan bloggers share their thoughts on the latest leaks.