July, 2011

Stories from July, 2011

Plank Vietnam

  31 July 2011

A Tumblr account was created encouraging Vietnam netizens to post their planking pictures.

Vietnam: TEDx Mekong

  31 July 2011

TEDx Mekong will take place on August 18 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This year's theme is “Entrepreneurship in Vietnam”

Vietnam: Resolving the dispute over Spratly Islands

  31 July 2011

Vietnam Talking Points uploads an article by Thi Quang Lam, a former general in the South Vietnamese Army, who writes about the dispute over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea involving Vietnam, China, and other Southeast Asian nations.

Practicing legal profession in Vietnam

  31 July 2011

Attorney Huynh Van Dong writes about the challenges facing lawyers in Vietnam. He reports that an increasing number of lawyers are now in jail for “expressing their own personal opinion.”

Russia: US Support of Opposition?

LJ user grad46 (Maxim Petrovich) claims [ru] that several Russian opposition groups are funded by US-interests. Until recently an opposition activist himself, Petrovich publishes corroborating documentation, accuses several leading opposition activists of taking American money, and is interviewed [ru] on the issue by Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.

Mozambique: Political Rapper Arrested

  31 July 2011

Mozambicans are reacting to what appears to have been the arrest yesterday of controversial and talented MC Azagaia. While there is no official news, some of his 4,600+ fans showed their support on Facebook and have created a “Free Azagaia” event. The rapper was questioned in 2008 by police, who...

Lesotho: Discover Lesotho

  31 July 2011

Watch a video of Episode 4 of Discover Lesotho: “In this episode of Discover Lesotho Palesa takes us to the Liphofung Caves of Butha-Buthe guided by Mohau. This place is one of Lesotho’s smallest but most intriguing national heritage sites. You can learn about the San people that have stayed...

Somalia: Happy Ramadan

  31 July 2011

Happy Ramadan wishes from Terror Free Somalia Foundation: “In the spirit of Ramadan, I pray that Ramadan gets into our hearts and minds and make us embrace all factions of Muslims without undermining their tradition and further pray that we treat every human on the earth with dignity, respect and...

Africa: Prefix Taps Into Africa’s Digital Realm

  31 July 2011

Prefix taps into Africa’s digital realm, Bontle Moeng reports: “Prefix Technology, a software design company is developing mobile applications and content management tools (cms) for Africa’s online publishing companies. In SA, the company connects 1 in 5 people to a digital platform.”

D.R. of Congo: “Missing” Governor Jets Back

  31 July 2011

Alex Engwete posts a video of “missing” Governor Moïse Katumbi of Katanga province and his family after they returned from his holidays spent at a still undisclosed location: “The millionaire governor had chartered what looked to me like a Falcon jet…Upon deplaning he was interviewed by the local press on...

South Africa: WordCamp Cape Town 2011

  31 July 2011

Get ready for WordCamp Cape Town 2011: “WordCamp Cape Town is scheduled for 15th September 2011 and will serve as a platform for discussing the latest trends in WordPress, targeting developers and publishers alike.”

China: Hu Jia's tweets

  31 July 2011

Mainland Chinese activist Hu Jia had been imprisoned for 3.5 years under the charge of “inciting state sedition”. He was released on 26 of June 2011. @WLYeung has translated Hu's tweets about his state of mind.

China: Music Video on Wenzhou Train Crash

  31 July 2011

Some netizens have changed the lyrics of a popular rock song “Nothing to my name” by Cui Jian to comment upon the Wenzhou Train Crash. C Custer from China Geeks has the lyrics of the music video translated.

Chile: Starbucks Employees on Hunger Strike

  31 July 2011

In Chile, a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs more than the baristas’ wages for one hour of work. This is what the 3 union leaders [es] on hunger strike in Chile state through a handwritten sign in this video [es]. They demand Starbucks to comply with only 4 out...