Stories from 24 May 2011
Brazil: Forest Defender Shot Dead
As the Brazilian Congress debates a new Forest Code, and as the Environment Ministry launches new raids on illegal deforestation in Brazil, forest defender José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva was shot dead [pt]. He had announced his life was under threat in the TEDxAmazonia conference, last November.
Egypt: A Day for Criticizing the Military
Why did the Egyptian bloggers decide to dedicate the 23 May to criticizing the Supreme Council of Armed Forces on their blogs? So far 375 blog posts criticising the army have popped up on blogs despite a law which makes any criticism illegal.
Russia: Renewed Anger Over Bureaucratic Traffic Bypasses
A fiery incident on a Moscow highway has reignited the debate on Russian officials' use of “special signals” that allow bureaucrats to move quickly through traffic. Ashley Cleek explores the issue.
Hungary: Changing the memory of Holocaust
Eva Balogh of Hungarian Spectrum reports on how the government of Hungary has sacked the director of the country's Holocaust Memorial Center and replaced him with one more compatible with the views of the current regime.
Estonia: Between East and West
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa reflects upon Estonia's changing politico-cultural identity against the backdrop of the 2011 Lennart Meri conference.
Russia: Most Users of Popular Social Network Are Russian Orthodox
Ten million users of the most popular social network in Russian Vkontakte.ru consider themselves Russian Orthodox, news agency Interfax reported. It is the most popular religion on Vkontakte.ru followed by Islam (1.5 million users) and Buddhism (363 thousand users).
Russia: Senator Calls for Civilized Political Discussion Online
Senator from pro-Kremlin “United Russia” party Robert Shlegel urged opposition leaders to join him in developing the rules of civilized political discussion online, Lenta.ru reported [ru]. The senator said the opposition often uses “lies, accusations and provocations” online.
Russia: FSB Blocks Access to LiveJournal in Ulyanovsk City
A user of Internet portal Habrahabr wrote [ru] that on May 17, 2011 an Internet provider company in Russian city Ulyanovsk blocked access to the blog of Aleksey Navalny, a famous online personality on RuNet, following the order of FSB, Russian security service. It was later reported [ru] by GTZ.ru that the...
Azerbaijan: Jon Snow and Amnesty International in Twitter Action
Ahead of tonight's Amnesty International Media Awards 2011, the organisation has launched a Twitter photo campaign to call for the release of an imprisoned journalist and newspaper editor in Azerbaijan. With major British media names such as Jon Snow on board, pro-government supporters in Azerbaijan reacted negatively.
Russia: Internet Economy To Reach 4 Percent of GDP by 2015
Russian Internet economy will more than double within the next four years and rich four percent of the country's GDP by 2015, reported [ru] Lenta.ru citing the latest research by The Boston Consulting Group.
Russia: Mobile Users Search and Socialize Online
Russian mobile users utilize their phones for searching, browsing social networks and downloading musics, Rumetrika reported [ru]. Half of Russians own own mobile phones. The majority of people using mobile Internet are younger than 24 years old.
Bahamas: Fish Market Hazard
Weblog Bahamas‘ Sidney Sweeting acknowledges that “hindsight is always better than foresight” as he blogs about a fish market that he considers “a ticking time bomb”.
Cuba: Students Need Internet
“The more often I read about the internet from the Cuban government perspective the more I feel like we need to do a better job of explaining to them why the internet is necessary”: Graham Sowa, blogging at Havana Times, makes a case for why the Internet is a critical...
Cuba: Rojas Detained
Cuban bloggers focus their attention on Luis Felipe Rojas, who was reportedly detained this past weekend, allegedly for blogging about the beating of three women.
Trinidad & Tobago: Gay Rights
gspottt thinks that “it’s impressive that the Ministry is interested in attitudes to homosexuality; and notable that the poll [about equal rights for homosexuals] was commissioned by the last government”, but maintains that “it’s a matter of how you ask the question.” Photos and video of Trinidad and Tobago's first...
Africa: Bloggers Discuss The Failed Rapture
The American Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping predicted that the Rapture would take place on May 21, 2011, when Christians will be caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus Christ. It is May 24, 2011 and we are still here. Bloggers in Africa discuss the failed Rapture.
Trinidad & Tobago: Hops Bread
Lifespan of a Chennette asks: “How do you like your Hops?”
North Korea: Kim Jong Il in China
Adam Cathcart from Sinologistical Violoncellist blogs about various economic and political implications of Kim Jong Il's visit in China that might have been missed by western media.
Equatorial Guinea: Blogger Juan Tomás Ávila is Back
Juan Tomás Ávila has written his first post on his blog Malabo [es] after an absence of two months. In the context of the meeting in Annobon Island to discuss constitutional reforms, held by a committee named by the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang, Juan Tomás Ávila discusses the inhumanity...
Brazil: Crowdfunding Potential
Interest in crowdfunding, a form of online fundraising, has exploded in recent months in Brazil. We survey the scene and the potential of crowd fundraising in a country known for world-renowned social organizing, and creativity.
Russia: Attack Survivor Journalist Oleg Kashin on Internet Freedom
Oleg Kashin, special correspondent for the newspaper Kommersant and well-known blogger, was brutally beaten near his home in November 2010. A video recording of the attack was subsequently published on the Internet. Global Voices interviews Kashin.
