Stories from 18 June 2011
Sri Lanka: The Challanges Of A Homosexual Person
Sri Lankan Male describes what is it like to be a gay in Sri Lanka today and the increasing use of social networking to find a partner.
Maldives: Privacy Act Required
How would you feel seeing your personal data divulged in a public website? Iru Veli highlights a few recent incidents of privacy breach of personal data of many Maldivians and stresses the need for a privacy act in the country.
India: Hungry For Power
Srishti Chauhan asks “why is India stepping on the nuclear bandwagon?”
China: Farmers shot in protest
Boxun has released a short documentary on anti forced land acquisition protests in Guanxi Fangsheng back in April 2011. In the protest, a number of farmers were shot by police gunfire.
Bulgaria: Soviet Army Monument “Keeps Pace With Time”
Bulgarian blogger Peio Popov posted photos [bg] of the Soviet Army monument in Sofia, parts of which have been “updated” by unknown street artists to resemble heroes of American comic books, as well as Santa Claus and Ronald McDonald. Bulgarian newspaper Sega (“Now”) reports [bg] that Sofia city authorities are...
South Korean Troops Shoot at Passenger Jet, No One Injured
South Korean troops shot at passenger jet on June 17 after mistaking it for a North Korean military aircraft near the border with North Korea. No one was hurt from the incident, but South Korean net users from public forum sites are demanding more thorough explanations [ko].
Syria: Al Assad's Cousin Quits Business for Charity Work
On 16th June, at the eve of another Friday of protests in Syria, Syrian State Television announced that 41-year-old businessman Rami Makhlouf will quit his businesses to take up charity work. Netizens react to the announcement.
Saudi Arabia: Women Behind the Wheel
Several Saudi women took the wheel yesterday to break the siege on driving in Saudi Arabia, where women are banned from driving cars. The campaign to drive was announced on Facebook, and fueled by conversations on other social media platforms, such as micro-blogging site Twitter. Laila Sindi, from Jeddah, shares her experience in a series of tweets.
Malaysia: Hacktivist Group Attacks Government Websites
At least 50 other government websites in Malaysia were attacked by international ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous last Thursday over the government’s proposed censoring of several file sharing websites. Online reactions were mixed.
E Day: Discovering Celebrities’ Favorite Words
What do singer Shakira, actor Gael Garcia Bernal, chef Ferran Adria and writer Mario Vargas Llosa have in common? They are all part of the group of 30 celebrities who have shared through video their favorite word in Spanish as part of the celebrations for E Day by the Cervantes Institute.
