Stories from 8 May 2011
Guinea-Bissau/Sao Tome and Principe: A Collection of Visual Arts
A collection of projects and experiences on visual arts in Sao Tome and Principe and Guinea-Bissau, by the french illustrator and author Alain Corbel, including illustrations, paintings and photography, is featured on the blog Noticias do Quelele (News from Quelele) [en, fr, pt].
Cuba: A Controversial Encounter
The bloggers from the collective student blog from Matanzas La Joven Cuba reflect [es] on their meeting with the US professor Ted Henken, who was informed by Cuban authorities that he could not return to the Island after conducting research on the Cuban blogosphere.
Russia: Livejournal Blocks Navalny's Post
Livejournal.com, the most popular blogging platform in Russia, blocked the post of one of the famous bloggers Alexey Navalny for violating the Livejournal terms. Navalny attempted to publish a screenshot from the Russian social network Vkontakte.ru that allegedly contained personal information of the person connected to the recent anti-corruption donors...
Georgia: Human rights precedent in the Caucasus
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reports that the first case against homophobia displayed by police in dealing with a LGBT activist in Georgia has been submitted to the European Court of Human Rights. Also the first such case from the Caucasus, the blog notes the important precedent it represents.
Afghanistan: US National Archives releases new bin Laden files
Nick Fielding writes that the US National Archives, which has just published a remarkably informative bin Laden file containing some fascinating documents, including the President's Daily Brief from 6 August 2001 warning “Bin Ladin determined to Strike in US”.
Turkmenistan: Dangerous mirage for businessmen
Foreign businesses are facing an unusual “investment” crisis in Turkmenistan: three major Turkish companies have lodged a legal inquiry with the ICSID, and according to an anonymous source, 22 more may soon follow, reports neweurasia’s Annasoltan.
Afghanistan: So Osama’s dead. And?
Sekundar argues that the death of Bin Laden does not mean a lot for the war on terror, because many other iconic and key figures within al-Qaeda are “still drawing breath”. “The war stopped being about Osama a loooong time ago”, he adds.
Kyrgyzstan: International Commission releases report on Osh violence
Christya Riedel reports that the Independent International Commission released its final report on the interethnic clashes in Kyrgyzstan last year, blaming the country's interim government for failing to stop the violence.
Turkmenistan: TAPI Continues To Face Challenges
Christya Riedel provides an update on the TAPI, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India proposed gas pipeline scheduled for completion in 2016. So far, no big progress has been made on a diplomatic front to provide for the project's start.
Iran: Street fights between Khamenei and Ahmadinejad supporters
Several blogs such as Mina and news sites reported [fa] Khamenei, Iran's Leader, and Presidnet Ahmadineajd supporters attacked each other in Tehran on Saturday. Read more here.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Fighting Malaria, 2011 Report
On the occasion of World Malaria Day, April 25, 2011, the blog santelog.com reports: “Although funds to combat malaria have increased significantly since 2003, current levels of funding have reached US$1.6 billion annually, approximately only 25% of the estimated amount required to reach the goals of the RBM [Roll Back...
Senegal: “Enough is Enough” Movement: First the Web, Now the Presidential Palace
As the uprisings continue across the Arab World, several incidences of angry young people have sprung up on Senegalese websites. Since early March, this activism has left the web behind and a group calling itself "Y'en a marre" (Enough is Enough) has now become the main symbol of the protests. Founded in January 2011, Y’en a marre arose from frustration built up during power cuts that brought Senegal to a standstill. The group hails from the Dakar suburbs and is led by several local rappers, including Fou Malad, Thiat (from the group Keur Gui) and Matador.
New Japanese site about business in Africa
The ICT4Development site [ja] reports the launch of Rising Africa, a Japanese site that delivers information about business on the African continent.
Brazil: Homophobia, Religion and Politics
In the second article in the series dedicated to LGBT issues in Brazil, Global Voices reports on polemical statements made by parliamentarians, extreme right groups and religious representatives that oppose legislative advances, and have left the blogosphere startled at the level of hatred and prejudice shown.
