14 March 2011
Stories from 14 March 2011
Palestine: Demonstrations For Unity Begin
Palestinians were not at first mentioned on the Arab “revolution timetable“, but a date for protests was indeed set for 15 March. These protests are taking place in towns and cities throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the focus is Palestinian unity – a stand against the political divisions that have riven Palestinian society for many years.
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Haiti: Election Threats
The long-awaited Haitian election is finally scheduled to take place on March 20; the most recent political controversy involves presidential candidate Michel Martelly's threats to the media, accompanied by general references to grabbing power via “the streets”. Netizens are keeping a close check on developments…
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Yemen: A Life-Threatening Message to Blogger Afrah Nasser
Yemeni blogger and journalist, Afrah Nasser, received a threatening message on Facebook on March 13 and decided to post it on her blog “so the entire world reads it“. The original message was in Arabic and she translated to English, provoking many concerned responses from online friends.
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Russia: Fukushima Plant Disaster Triggers Nuclear Power Debate
The natural disaster unfolding in Japan after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake on Friday 11 March, 2011, is currently the one of the most widely discussed topics in the Russian blogosphere. One of the most worrying impacts of the quake and related tsunami has been at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Here, Russian bloggers discuss the question of nuclear energy.
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Hong Kong: Panic Over Milk Powder Shortage
Hong Kong has been hit by a shortage in infant milk powder due to mainland Chinese customers buying large amounts of the territory's baby milk formula. Local Hong Kong parents have called for intervention policies from the government, such as a milk powder departure tax to stop smugglers from reselling for profit.
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Lebanon: Women's Anger At New Tourism Campaign
The Lebanese online community has responded angrily to a new campaign by the country's Ministry of Tourism, which aims to attract potential tourists from around the world with thoughts of Lebanese women. A letter of protest from a group of female netizens is demanding the advert's recall - and an apology.
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Japan: “Not That Sound Again”
The sound of Japan's Earthquake Early Warning system is stuck in people's heads, as aftershocks continue in the days following the major earthquake on March 11, 2011. The alert is starting to wear on citizens, and comments from microblogging site Twitter show the fear and uncertainty that is inherent with the familiar tone.
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Brazil: Reactions to Egyptian and Middle Eastern Crises
From January 25, 2011, the world followed the course of the Egyptian revolutionary conflict, awaiting the fall of Hosni Mubarak, which finally arrived on 11 February after weeks of protest. In the wake of Egypt's crisis, the Brazilian blogosphere was filled with analysis, celebrations and prognoses for the future.
==> As Africans we need to let go of our victimhood, inferiority complex & acceptance of the mediocre. We deserve...