11 August 2012

Stories from 11 August 2012

US, Equatorial Guinea: Rebranding an African Dictator

  11 August 2012

"This is equivalent of organising a conference on free speech in North Korea - then getting Kim Jong-un to cut the ribbon." US-based human rights group, the Sullivan Foundation is helping rebrand Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang, Africa's longest-serving dictator.

Venezuela: Flirtatious ‘Joropo’ of the Plains

  11 August 2012

Of the musical genres that constitute the folklore of the plains of Venezuela, the joropo has long been the most characteristic of this part of the country. This type of music and dance come from the broad flat areas of Venezuela, where the prevalent culture is closely related to the land and livestock.

Jamaica: Caribbean Region Rallies Behind Bolt

  11 August 2012

Jamaican bloggers - and indeed netizens from the wider Caribbean region - are continuing to celebrate the island's successes at the London Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, Usain Bolt is at the centre of the online discussion, thanks to his amazing performance in the Men's 200m event and his response to Carl Lewis' drug use accusations.

Spain: Expropriation of Food for the Most Needy

  11 August 2012

Politicians and labor unionists have expropriated food from supermarkets in order to give it to the most needy in times in which Spain is experiencing a serious socioeconomic crisis. Chris Moya writes about the action that has caused a commotion in the country.

Côte d'Ivoire: Debate Rages over University Fees

  11 August 2012

The universities of Côte d'Ivoire are getting ready to re-open their doors on September 3, 2012, bringing to an end long months of closure, controversially ordered by the Ivorian president. Joy at this announcement was swiftly replaced by a wave of indignant reactions following the decision of university heads to increase registration fees. Debate continues to rage in the Ivorian media as well as various social networks.

Guinea: Statistics on Poverty on the Rise

  11 August 2012

Mamadou Aliou Barry wrote on the Facebook page Voice of the Guinean Youth [fr]: “According to the results of the study on poverty and inequality in Guinea from 1999 to 2012 published [fr] on July 30, 55.2% of Guineans are poor in 2012, as compared to 53% in 2007. What might...

Cameroon: Giordano Bruno as an Example of Intellectual Courage

  11 August 2012

In an article entitled “The real map of Africa hidden for 600 years“[fr], Jean-Paul Pougala, an author from Cameroon, writes that: “25 years ago I chose Giordano Bruno, philosopher of the Italian Renaissance, as my mentor. His writings helped me grow intellectually, his courage to completely take responsability for his...

Bulgaria: Thousands of Trial Records Go Open

  11 August 2012

The Bulgarian section of the Open Knowledge Foundation announced [bg] the release of 580,049 court decisions and 607,656 additional documents, including motives. Although all those are already publicly accessible in the courts and some of them are browsable in a digital format on the Ministry of Justice website, there was...

Russia: Pussy Riot's Closing Statement

RuNet Echo  11 August 2012

The blog Chtodelat publishes an English translation of the closing statements of one of the defendants in the Pussy Riot trial. Three of the punk group members are charged with “hooliganism” after performing an anti-Putin prayer in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow earlier this year. The prosecutors asked...

Bangladesh: Ugly and Deadly Billboards in Dhaka

  11 August 2012

Dhaka skylines are covered with commercial billboards. These not only block the view of the sky but during string winds and storms they are prone to collapse and harm pedestrians. So far 15 people have died in billboard related accidents.