Stories from 5 July 2011
Nepal: Indian Movie Banned By Censor Board
Pradeep Kumar Singh reports that a Bollywood movie called “Delhi Belly” had been banned in Nepal because of use of explicit language dialogues. The ban was lifted after the distributor agreed to remove the alleged explicit dialogues from the movie.
Syria: Did Man Film Himself Getting Shot by Sniper?
The citizen video posted by user syria7ra on YouTube has both press and netizens wondering about the authenticity of the images, where it seems that a citizen journalist who was recording disturbances in Syria caught the moment of his death on film.
Trinidad & Tobago: Blood Donation
“What’s missing from the Blood Bank now is a readily shared message that will take people past the banking metaphor to a fresh and inspiring rationale for blood donation”: bitdepth blogs about donating blood and “the missteps of of the National Blood Transfusion Service over the last six months”.
Puerto Rico: High Murder Rate
“June 2011: 101 murders in one month in what is the bloodiest year to date in Our recent history”: Gil the Jenius says that “almost all the blame for this lies in a purposely-created system…”
Trinidad & Tobago: Flugtag Fiasco
Plain Talk blogs about “the recently concluded Red Bull Flugtag”, which he says “could have been seen as either an amazing and fun filled event, a nightmare never to be experienced again or a tragic horror story…”
Trinidad & Tobago: Here Comes the Rain
“Rain brings mixed emotions and the delightful confusion of love you feel for a place that is a most sometime-ish lover”: four fingers and a thumb 2.0 is listening to the sound of the rain.
Bermuda: Action Needed on Good Governance
“We need anti-corruption laws. We need whistleblowing statutes. We need political finance reform. We need to take the political Register of Interests seriously”: Vexed Bermoothes has had enough of all talk and no action.
Serbia: Demanding Apology From Comedian Chelsea Handler
Nearly 44,000 Serbs have joined the Facebook group 'Boycott of Chelsea Handler until she apologizes to the Serbian people,' demanding an apology from the popular American female comedian for the offensive remarks she made about the Serbian nation during a television show.
Russia: Vladivostok Bloggers Choose the City’s Flag
As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit of 2012 approaches, local authorities of the Russian maritime city of Vladivostok are busy with preparations, but creative netizens have pointed out that the city does not have an official flag for the event. Here are some of the creative suggestions put forward to remedy this.
Mexico: Neighborhood Affected by Floods Feels Abandoned on Election Day
On Sunday, July 3, the state of Mexico held gubernatorial elections, but Daniel Hernandez in the Los Angeles Times blog La Plaza reports that in the Colonia Franja del Valle de Mexico neighborhood “residents did not have the time or the energy to go the polls. They spent most of...
Wikimedia Bolivia Organizes First Event for Local Wikipedia Editors and Readers
The Bolivian Wikimedia [es] chapter gathered [es] local Wikipedia editors and readers for the first time. The event included a workshop for current and future content editors. You can see photos of the event on the group's blog [es].
Colombia: Killings of Indigenous Zenú Attributed to Paramilitaries
Ahni in Intercontinental Cry reports: “During the last week of June, paramilitary groups shot and killed five Zenú (Senu) indigenous people in northeastern Colombia, including a vice-governor from the community of La 18 and two of his sons. A total of thirteen Zenú have died this year at the hands...
Iran: Satellite dishes confiscated
Here is a film showing Iranian security forces confiscated satellite dishes in Ardabil, in north western Iran, to prevent access to information.
East Timor: Urging Proper Investigation on Child Labor
After recording a short video titled ‘Possible Child Labor with Timor Leste Heavy Oil Mega Project‘, Josh Trindade, a Timorese sociologist, says UNICEF and ILO should conduct a “proper investigation”. According to the Government of East Timor, in 2009-2010, 1,000 children between 10 and 14 years old were active labor...
India: Amazing Show Of Hindu Muslim Unity
Deshgujrat.com posts a photo story showing Hindu Muslim unity during Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad of Gujrat State in India.
Morocco: Protests Over Reform Continue
On Friday Morocco voted in a Constitutional referendum proposed by King Mohammed VI. Official results show an overwhelming support to the reform. Bloggers have been denouncing widespread irregularities.
Ukraine: New twist to trial against politician
The trial against former Ukrainian interior minister, Yuri Lutsenko, has according to Foreign Notes taken a new twist. Allegations are now raised that the presiding judge is partial or has alterior motives, making Lutsenko demand his removal from the case.
China: Popular Actress Sparks Homosexuality Debate
Homosexuality is not a crime in China and in the past few years the gay community has become more visible in the Chinese online world. Last week, an overseas Chinese pastor's reaction to the legalization of same-sex marriage by the New York State Senate, was echoed by an award-winning actress Lu Liping, and their words have triggered a heated debate.
Morocco: Reform With the Taste of an Unfinished Business
Throughout the referendum process, the Moroccan blogosphere was divided over the issue of reform. The heated debate shaking the Moroccan society was reflected in social networks. Some are willing to accept the reform proposed by the King. Others question the legitimacy of a process, they say, was marred with irregularities.
Russia: Arctic armament
Mia Bennett at Foreign Policy Blogs notes how Russia is strengthening its military presence in the Arctic by organizing new military units, thus adding to other countries’ increasing interest in the region.
Tunisia: A Crucial Decision for the Tunisian Net
Reporters without borders emphasize the importance of the appeal hearing due to start [fr] on July 4th, in a Tunis appeal court, against a court order to block porn sites. “Like many Tunisian netizens, Reporters Without Borders are worried that this decision marks the return of the censorship practices during the Ben...
