Stories from 19 March 2011
Malaysia: Blogger who wrote about sex scandal arrested
uppercaise reported that popular blogger Mohd Nur Hanief Abdul Jalil from Malaysia was arrested and questioned under the Sedition Act. The blogger recently wrote about a sex scandal involving the Sultan of Selangor and a celebrity model
Malaysia: Dilemmas of students in universities
Aerie Rahman, writing for LoyarBurok, describes the dilemmas experienced by Malaysian students in local universities
Malaysia: Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011
Twestival Kuala Lumpur 2011 will be held this week in support of a Malaysian NGO for single mothers and children living with AIDS/HIV.
Libya: Gaddafi Threatens as Coalition Starts Air Strikes
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi spoke for three minutes on the phone, in a call which was just broadcast by Libyan State Television, threatening countries around the Mediterranean Basin, and calling for help from Africans and South Americans. His speech comes as a coalition made up of the US and France, among others, have started air strikes against his forces.
India: Bong Mom's Cookbook
A Bengali Mom is posting mouth watering Bengali food recipes in her blog “Bong Mom's Cookbook“.
Libya: Air Strikes on Libya Begin
Air strikes on Libya, aimed at crippling Muammar Gaddafi's air defenses, just started, receiving mixed reactions from people around the world. A coalition made up of the US, France, Italy, Canada and the US have been formed for the offensive to uproot Gaddafi, whose people have called for his ousting since popular uprisings started in the country on February 16.
Nepal: Unequal Treatment Of Women
Blogger Nepali sees unequal treatment of women almost everywhere in Nepal because some people see this as a normal phenomenon.
Georgia: Journalists Dismissed Because of Facebook Hate Speech
On 18 March 2011, the Georgian Public Broadcaster dismissed two of its journalists, Giorgi Tukhareli and Giorgi Gabrichidze, because of offensive comments they made on Facebook against homosexuals as and the Vatican as well as the Catholic Church.
Pakistan: Citizens In Action After Minority Minister's Assassination
On the 2nd of March, an unknown gunmen shot and killed Pakistan's Federal Minister For Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti. He was assassinated for their stance on the blasphemy law. A letter writing campaign initiated by a blogger to protest this received responses from over 15,000 people from different walks of life.
Lebanon: Online Book Club
The Cube is a blog of a group of Lebanese who have one thing in common, their passion for reading and books. On their blog, they share their impressions of the books they are reading.
Bulgaria: Offering Shelter to Japanese Earthquake Victims
The earthquake in Japan has become a tragedy for the entire world. This is evident from the willingness of people from different countries and continents to help the victims of the quake, which took the lives of thousands of people. Ruslan Trad reports on the Bulgarian online initiative.
Armenia: Opposition rallies again
Ianyan presents its readers with a curated comments on last week's protest demonstration held by the extra-parliamentary opposition in Yerevan, Armenia. Unzipped also comments on the rally attended by 12-15,000 people. Meanwhile, however, The Armenian Observer is more skeptical with regards to opposition claims to have ‘liberated’ the city's central...
Libya: Mourning Mohammed Nabbous
Mohammed Nabbous, founder of Libya's AlHurra TV, died while reporting from a firefight in Benghazi. Known as "Mo" to his many fans, he brought the brutal repression of Muammar Al Gaddafi's forces home to viewers and journalists from the Middle East and around the world. He leaves behind a wife and an unborn child.
Azerbaijan: “Great People's Day” Protest Criticism Answered
Following a youth protest held in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, on 11th March, some bloggers have been critical of those responsible for organizing the action via Facebook. As a result, one of those organizers answers such criticism on a new blog.
Japan: “The Light and Darkness of Social Media”
It's human nature for rumors to run rampant in a high pressure situation, and social meda tools can be a double-edged sword in expediting this situation. Yasuhisa Hasegawa gives an analysis in his blog post "The Light and Darkness of Social Media", drawing parallels between social media usage and consumption of mass media.
Mali : Internet and African languages
For the International Mother Language Day [Fr], Boukary Konaté [Fr], a French language Global Voices contributor, held a conference on “Internet and African languages”. The presentation [Fr] is on the blog “Toujours pas sages” [Fr].
Hungary: Waiting for the Hungarian Guard
The conflict between the Roma and the Hungarian community of Gyöngyöspata, a village north of Budapest, escalated drastically when paramilitary organizations appeared in the settlement some two weeks ago, after the far-right Hungarian political party's rally. Marietta Le reports on the online response to the situation.
Japan: Story and photos of everyday life in the aftermath of the earthquakes
The Japanese francophone blogger from A la cuisine de Shoko writes here [fr] and here [fr] with accompanying photos, about daily life and the atmosphere in Tokyo after the earthquake.
Puerto Rico: Tite Curet Alonso at the Plaza
Art blogger Javier Martínez celebrates the installation of a life size sculpture [es] honoring the life and music of composer Tite Curet Alonso in the central square Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan.
Japan: Wondering About the Meaning of Life
Poet Shuntaro Tanikawa's famous poem "To Live", which explores the meaning of life, has been posted by many bloggers who wonder what's the best thing to do now.
Puerto Rico: Students, professors and solidarity
Artist, professor and blogger Alejandro Carpio analyzes and contextualizes the recent debates [es] on the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico.
