Stories from 17 March 2014
The Syrian Uprising through the Eyes of Syrian Women
As Syria marks the third anniversary of its revolution, Syria Untold talks to three women activists about the untold battle they face on the ground.
Ethiopian Journalist Reeyot Alemu Has Been in Jail for 1,000 Days
On March 16, 2014, jailed Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu spent her 1000th day of imprisonment. Twitter users lent their support using the hashtag #ReeyotAlemu.
Leftist Candidate Wins Presidential Elections in El Salvador by a Margin of 6000 Votes
In El Salvador, candidate Salvador Sánchez Cerén won the presidential election by 6,364 votes. The losing party and their candidate, Norman Quijano, are demanding a recount and calling for protests.
Kazakh Artist Remembers Zhanaozen Oil Riot
Photo blogger Serikzhan Kovlanbaev presents [ru] a photo report from a recent exhibition of works by Saule Suleimenova, perhaps the best known contemporary artist in the country. Suleimenova has been described by another blogger as “one of Kazakhstan’s deepest, most interesting and prolific artists”. The theme of the exhibition is Zhanaozen,...
Russian Officials Sanctioned Over Crimea Scoff on Twitter
"Comrade Obama, what should people who don't have any foreign bank accounts or property do? Did you not think of that?)" -Dmitry Rogozin
What Vybz Kartel's Conviction Says About Jamaican Justice & Dancehall
Since the Vybz Kartel murder conviction, Jamaica has been divided on the verdict, with upset fans maintaining his innocence and others feeling reassured about the workings of Jamaica's justice system.
Digging into Uganda's Anti-homosexuality Bill
Kristoff Titeca looks beyond a single explanation on Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill: A crucial point is that President Museveni has never been an outspoken supporter of the bill, instead being rather dubious about it: he was fully aware of the disastrous international consequences. In his first public reaction after the introduction...
On Rwanda's Twittergate
Susan Thomson discusses Rwanda’s Twittergate in the context of disinformation campaign by Rwanda's president Paul Kagame: Rwanda’s Twitter-gate raises questions about the central role of RPF Twitter-trolls in calling out foreign journalists who seek to hold it to account for its excesses at home and abroad. President Kagame’s reactionary tweets...
5 ICT Solutions From Miss Geek Rwanda 2014
MsGeekRW is a competition for Rwandan women encouraging them to showcase their knowledge and skills in ICT. The event was held during 2014's International Women's Day on March 8, 2014. The event shortlisted the following 5 best ICT solutions: 1.Mobile Cow 2. Wireless Blackbox 3. Item Locator 4. Online Driving...
Inside #SOSVenezuela: “People of the World, Help Us!”
Blogger Kira Kariakin writes about the ongoing protests in Venezuela for Future Challenges. She reviews the protesters' demands, the role of mainstream and social media, and analyzes what's to come.
How Cafe Culture is Destroying Indonesia's Street Food Culture
An Ismanto from Yogyakarta in Indonesia observes how new western-style cafes are edging out ‘plastic tent-covered food carts’ known as ‘angkringan': …the angkringan is in decline. Students don’t frequent them anymore, preferring to pay at least twice as much to eat, drink and socialise in the stylish surrounds of the...
Two Historic Saigon Buildings to be Demolished in Vietnam
Tim Doling, writing for the Saigoneer, gives a brief history of the Ho Chí Minh City People’s Committee building and an art deco office block which are both scheduled for demolition in Vietnam. A Date with the Wrecking Ball: 2 Historic Saigon Buildings Slated for Demolition http://t.co/M6e9ACY5DB #Vietnam pic.twitter.com/PPjEBJzl7e —...
Australia's #MarchInMarch Street Party Protests
Prolific tweeter @geeksrulz reports on the No Fibs citizen journalist website about Melbourne's part in the nationwide marches against the Australian government: Melbourne #MarchInMarch Street Party Protest A grassroots movement that started on Twitter managed to get tens of thousands of people onto the streets away from their keyboards. That...
Kenyan Company Launches Social Media Sharing Card
Gigwapi, an online event listing service, has launched a cashless payment system and social media sharing card. The card, Gigwapi card, will be used to pay for tickets and goods at events: The card holds your personal information and can automatically integrate to your social media profile. This provides a...
Lies and Falsehoods Keep the World Go ‘Round in Japan
Twitter user @suzaks1 criticized [ja] the amount of lies and inaccuracies that are making Japanese headlines: ホテルの食材も北の国のレールも何処かの役場の書類もクラッシックの楽曲も国が誇るトップレベルの研究所や有名大学院で博士なるための論文も、みんな虚偽だらけ虚偽まみれ。それでも回っちゃってる変な国。原発だって爆発して当然だわ。国土汚染しても嘘の上塗りで皆を騙せられる便利な国。こえ~ — 須崎真一NoMyCar,NoNukes (@suzaks1) 2014, 3月 14 [Japan is a] country covered in lies: fake ingredients on the menu of top Japanese hotels, railway gauges fabricated in Hokkaido, major symphony music by a fraud composer, and...