5 April 2011

Stories from 5 April 2011

Azerbaijan: Novruz Bayramı

Novruz, a holiday celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan and other countries, was once again also observed in Azerbaijan on 21 March although festivities started weeks before. This year was no different, and Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the former Soviet republic once again commented on the event.

Russia: Tandem under the carpet

Streetwise Professor discusses various scenarios on relations between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Premier Vladimir Putin against the backdrop of the most recent white paper [RU] of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

Belarus: Sickening statement on homosexuality

  5 April 2011

Ihar Ivanou of Belarus Digest reports from a medical conference in Minsk where homosexuality once more has been characterized as an illness that needs treatment, despite the fact that same-gender relations are not prohibited in Belarus.

Russia: LiveJournal under attack

Putin Watcher reports on how a cyberattack by DDOS and hacking against top blogs on LiveJournal, Russia's most popular blogging platform. This attack follows earlier incidents this year, aiming to knock out LiveJournal.

Ecuador Tells US Ambassador to Leave Over Leaked Cable

  5 April 2011

The Latin Americanist reports that Ecuador has requested U.S. Ambassador Heather Hodges leave the country: “The main gripe against Hodges has to do with a cable uncovered by Wikileaks where she alleged that corruption was entrenched in Ecuador’s national police […] She also claimed that President Rafael Correa was aware...

Ecuador: Latest Study on Internet Use

  5 April 2011

Christian Espinosa in the blog Cobertura Digital writes two (1 [es],2 [es]) posts on a recent study about Internet in Ecuador. The study, by the INEC [es] (National Institute of Statistics and Census), shows that “29 out of 100 Ecuadorians are connected,” and other information by region.

Haiti: Martelly Declared Election Winner

  5 April 2011

Bloggers are reporting that Michel Martelly has emerged victorious in the recent run-off election to become Haiti's next president; Throwing Down the Water, meanwhile, is unhappy with the Miami Herald's early declaration of the winner: “I don't appreciate news agencies interfering with Haiti's attempt to actually hold a legitimate run-off...

Trinidad & Tobago: Mohammed's Sacking

  5 April 2011

“Trinidad’s unerring instinct to do the wrong thing at the wrong time continues in spades,” says B.C. Pires of the firing of the Police Service Commission Chair, adding: “Instead of Nizam Mohammed being made to see the error of his ways, he has now been made a martyr.”

Guyana: Knowledge in Bloom

  5 April 2011

Guyana-Gyal can't believe how stingy some people can be with their knowledge, which is why she wants “to start a knowledge-sharing revolution.”

Japan: Journalist Takashi Uesugi exposes Tepco and govt lies

  5 April 2011

Blogger TokyoTom published an interview [en] with Japanese freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi, “a critic of the Japanese news reporting establishment who now is lancing some of the lies and half-truths coming from TEPCO and the Japanese government with respect to the Fukushima nuclear reactors.” The interview appeared on online journal...

Gabon: Documentary Wins Prize At Web TV Festival 2011

  5 April 2011

WebDocu.fr [fr] has announced that the documentary “Gabon : violence d'un coup d'état électoral“[fr] (“Gabon: violence of an electoral coup d'etat”) is the winner of the Jury Prize in the Web-Politique category. The documentary was produced in 2009 after the violence that followed the controversial election of Ali Bongo as...

China: Student Consultation or Thought Control?

  5 April 2011

Peking University, a major research university located in Beijing and a center for progressive thought in modern China, will introduce a consultation program in May 2011. The University has explained that the program is designed to help students, but many believe that it aims to blacklist radicals.

Russia: Online Fundraising Changes Transparency Standards in Politics

Oleg Kozyrev, popular Russian blogger, writes [ru] about the effects of online fundraising (this year online opposition activists had fundraised nearly $230,000): 1. it improves transparency standards of opposition politicians, thus making them resistant to corruption allegations and criminal cases, 2. it brings activists closer to their supporters, 3. it makes...