Stories from 14 December 2011
Cuba: Defining “Vulgarity”
Without Evasion continues to share her thoughts about the outcry over the “vulgarity” of a popular reggaeton song, saying: “The confusion lies, then, in properly ascertaining the limits of vulgarity and limiting at the same time in what spheres of social life vulgarity will be allowed without it constituting a...
Cuba: Food History
Iván García reviews Fidel Castro's history with “experiments”, saying: “The ex-president has put his foot in it many times. In all fields. The most painful has been in regard to food.”
Jamaica: So What About the Spy Plane?
After reading a newspaper editorial which was nonchalant over the presence of a spy plane during the country's state of emergency, Active Voice says: “The big deal…is that 73 people were killed under unexplained circumstances during that Tivoli Gardens operation. This spy plane has video footage of what happened…and the...
Nepal: Government Expels UN Human Rights Watchdog
Article 19 reports that the Nepali government has decided “not to renew the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the only branch of the United Nations watchdog in South Asia”.
Pakistan: A Holistic View On The SMS Content Filtering Saga
Fouad Bajwa provides a holistic view on the recent SMS content filtering controversy in Pakistan.
Iran: Where Is My Classmate?
Several empty chairs in Iran's universities were formerly occupied by students who have now vanished or been expelled. This year Tahkim Vahdat, a leading student protest group, called for an “Empty Seat Campaign” on December 7 to remember the victims of religious and government repression in universities.
Mexico: Applications Open for The School of Authentic Journalism 2012
Narco News are accepting applications in English and Spanish until December 28, 2011 from media makers, journalists, bloggers, and activists from any country for The School of Authentic Journalism. This is an annual workshop on journalism, media and civil resistance movements. The 2012 session will be taking place in Mexico...
Iran: Fire department rescues baby lion
A film in YouTube shows Iranian fire department rescues baby lion walking in Tehran highway.
Zimbabwe: Outrage as Octogenarian Mugabe Eyes 2012 Election
ZANU-PF has endorsed Robert Mugabe as their candidate for Zimbabwe's presidential election expected next year. If it happens, Mugabe will be 88 years old and Africa’s second oldest person to stand in a presidential election.
USA: Has NASA Discovered a Life-Friendly Planet?
NASA has announced the Kepler Space Telescope discovery of Kepler-22b, a planet within the right distance of its star for potentially having a habitable temperature. Science bloggers have reacted to the news with analysis and theories of their own.
North Korea Warns South Over Lighting of Christmas Tree
North Korea has issued a warning to South Korea over lighting up of Christmas trees near the border, defining the act as “initiating psychological warfare”. Liam Kruger wrote a short commentary on it.
South Korea: Former Comfort Women Held 1000th Protest
South Korean former ‘comfort women’ who were forced into Japan's wartime military brothels held their 1,000th weekly protest and placed a statue of a sex slave outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. South Korea's citizen media, Wiki Tree consolidated twitter photos of the rally.
How big is China’s social media and digital market?
The Ministry of Tofu picks up the infographic from a social media consultancy, We Are Social, to indicate the social media market in China.
Bangladesh: Restriction In The Hills
Unheard Voice blog reports that the Bangladesh government has recently imposed strict restrictions on travels of foreign nationals to the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Also, foreign nationals will not be allowed to hold discussions with any indigenous groups or religious groups without the presence of a responsible officer.
Mexico: Two Students Killed During Protest in Ayotzinapa
Two students from a rural school were killed during a protest in Ayotzinapa, Chilpancingo, the capital of the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Contradicting versions of the events have been published online, while netizens share reports and their outrage on Twitter.
Argentina's Corruption Problem
Simon Kofoed writes about corruption in Argentina in his blog argen-times: “The culture of corruption in Argentina […] is so strong that everyone knows it’s happening but most will just shrug their shoulders in typical Argentina fashion and say ‘what are you gonna do?’ It’s understood that it’s either get...
Honduran Journalist Protest Against Violence
Honduras Daily reports on a protest held by journalists in Tegucigalpa on December 13: “The media personnel demanded a cease to the violence, and respect for the freedom of expression. ‘Justice! Justice! Justice!’ journalists shouted as they marched toward the President’s home.”
Peru: Bloggers Report Police Harassment During Discussion Group about Conga Mining Project
Members of the group “Casa Cultural Poco Floro” blogged denouncing [es] an alleged case of police harassment during a discussion group about the Conga mining project, one of the most heated social conflicts at the moment. The representative of Poco Floro talks about the incident in an interview (audio) [es]....
Armenia: More Online Diplomacy
Following the recent Question & Answer session on Twitter with the UK's new Ambassador to Azerbaijan, his outgoing counterpart in neighboring Armenia, Charles Lonsdale, is due to answer questions on Facebook on Friday 16th December.
Peru: Protests Against Mining in Videos, Part II
Recent protests against the environmental damage caused by mining in Peru have sparked plenty of audiovisual material. In this second post of a two-part series, Juan Arellano highlights what citizens, journalists and organizations in the area have been uploading to the Internet.
Russia: December 10 Opposition Rally in St. Petersburg
Russia hasn’t seen such a mass political rally in almost twenty years. On Dec. 10, thousands of Russians all over the country hit the bricks to participate in peaceful demonstrations. Maria Lelyuk reports from St. Petersburg.
