11 February 2011

Stories from 11 February 2011

Tunisia: Slim Amamou Speaks About Tunisia, Egypt and the Arab World

  11 February 2011

Slim Amamou, a 33-year-old Tunisian blogger, programmer and activist, made the headlines back in January 18th, 2011, when he was appointed Minister for the Youth and Sports in the interim government of his country, following the toppling of the dictatorship of former autocrat, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In this interview to Global Voices Slim comments on recent events in Tunisia and the Arab world.

Cuba: Calls to Demonstrate

  11 February 2011

Uncommon Sense and Antunez blog about two different calls to demonstrate in Cuba – one “to demand the freedom and democracy that have been taken from us” and the other to mark the “one year anniversary of the assassination of political prisoner Orlando Zapata.”

Colombia: If Mubarak were Colombian

  11 February 2011

Around the time Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was scheduled to deliver his disappointing speech on February 10, 2011, the hashtag #siMubarakfueracolombiano ("If Mubarak were Colombian") started trending on the local twittosphere.

Cuba: The Disconnect

  11 February 2011

The irony of having an Information Science Fair “on the Island of the Disconnected” does not escape Generation Y.

Slovakia: Deaflympics 2011 Controversy

  11 February 2011

Slovakia may fail to hold a successful Deaflympics this month, due to problems with funding and unfinished facilities, which were known to exist as far back as last spring - and still remain today. Tibor Blazko reports on the Slovak netizens' frustration with the situation.

Jordan: Celebrating Mubarak's Departure

  11 February 2011

In the moments following the announcement of Hosni Mubarak's stepdown, Jordanian tweeters reacted in jubilation. Moey tweeted: WE ARE PROUD OF YOU #EGYPT – SERIOUSLY, WTF #MUBARAK – I suggest Mubarak tweets #FML #Jan25 #Feb11 #Amman #JO #Arab Gaith Kawar wrote: Alf mabrouk to my Egyptian brothers… An historic day...

Trinidad & Tobago: “We are all Egyptian”

  11 February 2011

“We are all part of humanity, and thanks to social networking we can be part of events around the world”: Globewriter is glued to developments in Egypt, saying, “Right now we are all Egyptian.”

Bahrain: A $2,650 Gift to Each Bahraini Family

  11 February 2011

To mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, Bahrain's King Hamad announced a BD1,000 ($2,650) gift to each Bahraini family. While some tweeps have already started counting their money and planning what to buy with the windfall, others are complaining that it is too little, too late. Here...

Peru: Inambari Hydroelectric Project Generates Rejection

  11 February 2011

The Inambari hydroelectric project in the Peruvian Amazon jungle has sparked public debate and generated rejection due to its potential impact on the local ecosystem and because 80% of the energy produced will go to Brazil. Inambari would be the fifth largest central in the region, with an installed capacity of 2,200 megawatts, and its construction will require an investment of U.S. $4 billion.

Egypt: Mubarak's Resignation Celebrations Continue

  11 February 2011

Celebrations around the world continue after news that Hosni Mubarak has left the house. The dictator, who ruled Egypt for three decades, and refused to step down despite 18 days of continuous protests in which Egyptians expressed their demand that he leaves power in every peaceful means possible, has finally resigned.

Egypt: The Vlog before the Revolution

  11 February 2011

The video blog made and shared on Facebook by Asmaa Mahfouz, where she asked Egyptians to join her on January 25th to protest and ask for human rights went viral, and is being called “The Vlog that Helped Spark the Revolution”, according to Iyad El-Baghdadi.

Egypt: Kareem Amer is Free

  11 February 2011

Prominent Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, also known as Abdulkareem Nabeel Sulaiman, has been set free, tweeps confirmed today. The blogger, previously jailed for four years for an article he wrote on his blog, along with film-maker Samir Eshra were "kidnapped" by thugs on February 7, handed over to military security, and shipped to an army jail in the "middle of the desert."

Gabon: Students Protest, Army Deployed

  11 February 2011

Gabon's political crisis reached new heights on February 10, as students protested at Omar Bongo University in the capital city, Libreville. Whereas riots last week involved mainly the opposition, the confrontation appears to be developing into a wider social conflict.