Stories about Breaking News from April, 2009
Azerbaijan: Last day of April
Sheki, Azerbaijan comments on today's massacre of at least 13 students at a university in Baku and says that the end of April will now live on in the collective memory of the country as the day when the children of some families never came home.
Kazakhstan: Internet Regulation Amendments
Adam analyzes possible outcomes of the law on internet regulation, which is currently passed through the lower chamber of Kazakh Parliament.
Kazakhstan: Internet Regulation Amendments Adopted in First Reading
Yesterday the Kazakh Parliament's lower chamber has approved the first reading of the draft law on online regulation, which is meant to equate all websites (including blogs, social networks, chatrooms, forums and even online shops) with mass media. On the other hand of this law, the authorities will be granted...
Hong Kong: SexyPhotoGate uploader sentenced
Just over a year since photos of Edison Chen in bed with his Hong Kong celebrity friends appeared online, computer technician Sze Ho-chun has been found guilty of uploading the 1,300 images, blogs an anonymous The Dark Side blogger.
The News of Bantu Mwaura's death shocks Kenyan bloggers
The news of Bantu Mwaura’s death have caught many with absolute shock. Bantu Mwaura, an award winning Kenyan performing artist, director, playwright, storyteller, poet and university lecturer is dead.
China: Tracking swine flu on Twitter
Swine flu for China so far is a chance to reflect [zh] on how SARS was prevented from becoming a pandemic, and the steps being taken now in Mexico and elsewhere. Wang Jiadong has a post [zh] looking at how social media have been used to track the spread of...
Afghanistan: Bombings in Kandahar
Joshua Foust reports that three suicide bombers have struck the provincial governor’s compound in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Barbados: Waiting on the Verdict
AfriKa CRY BLOOD is very interested in the outcome of the inquest into the death of Barbadian I’Akobi Maloney – the verdict will be given today.
Australians divided by Durban II boycott
The decision by the Rudd government of Australia to boycott the United Nations Conference on Racism in Durban was a controversial one. GV author Kevin Rennie gathers reactions of Australian bloggers.
Israel: Reflections on the Holocaust Memorial Day and Durban II
Yesterday was the national holocaust memorial day in Israel. Coincidentally, it was also the opening day of the highly contested UN Durban II conference on racism in Geneva. Gilad Lotan updates us with reactions from Israeli bloggers, who link both occasions.
Jamaica: Hostages Released
Breaking news in Jamaica this morning is that a hostage situation has developed with the crew of a Canadian jet at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. Canadian mainstream media is since reporting that the situation was resolved without any loss of life when "an anti-terrorism unit of the Jamaican military stormed the plane and disarmed the gunman", but bloggers Caribbean-wide and throughout the diaspora are still in disbelief.
Bolivia: Piecing Together the Life of an Accused Terrorist
Bolivian police killed three foreign nationals in a Santa Cruz hotel. What is not entirely clear is the connection between the men, who national authorities say were a part of a terrorist cell that had been planning to assassinate President Evo Morales, as well as others from the opposition. One man has emerged as the ringleader of the group, Eduardo Rózsa-Flores, a Bolivian-Hungarian citizen with a long history. The media, as well as bloggers, have been trying to piece together his background to draw conclusions.
Bangladesh: Bijli Strikes
Tropical cyclonic storm Bijli (01B) is making a landfall in the Southern coasts of Bangladesh. The 3rd world view has the updates.
Caribbean: 5th Summit Begins
As the heads of member states of the Fifth Summit of the Americas gather today in Trinidad and Tobago, bloggers Caribbean-wide are eager to discuss the pros and cons of the event.
Guyana: CLICO Judicial Manager Shot
News broke yesterday that Insurance Commissioner Maria van Beek, who also happens to be the woman in charge of dissolving failed conglomerate CLICO Guyana, was shot yesterday in Georgetown. Bloggers have been trying to make sense of the attempted murder...
China: Wuhan government building on fire
Here is a twitpic on the fire happened in Wuhan government building today (April 16). A number of tweets said that the news had to be down played, so far all the reports very brief and there are very few photos circulating online.
Russia, U.S.: YouTube Orchestra's Gennady Krutikov's Visa Ordeal
Podstantsiya, a Russian podcasting portal, posts an interview (RUS) with Gennady Krutikov, member of the Russian National Orchestra and one of the three Russian participants of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra project, who is on his way to the United States but will not be able to perform his part at...
Bangkok protests: Black Songkran
Songkran, the Thai New Year celebrated from April 13 – 15, is supposed to be a joyous event in Thailand. But this year’s Songkran has been described as the “Black Songkran” in reference to the chaotic and violent confrontation between soldiers and anti-government protesters. Two protesters were killed and more than one hundred were injured during the clash in the streets of Bangkok.
Lebanon: Academics and Bloggers Call for Israel Boycott
Lebanese academics and bloggers are lending their voice and support to the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Antoun Issa sums up reactions from Lebanese and Palestinian blogs in this post.
Thailand’s “colored” protesters
Red shirts. Yellow shirts. Blue Shirts. Pink Shirts. White Shirts. Orange Shirts. Purple Shirts. Black Shirts. Be careful what you wear in Thailand today. Your politics are determined by the color of your shirt. A blogger suggests that tourists should wear floral shirts in Thailand in order not to be identified with any of the political forces here.
Thailand: Protesters disrupt ASEAN Summit
Thousands of opposition Red Shirts in Thailand stormed inside the venue of a major Asian Summit which forced the government to announce the cancellation of the event. Most of the Red Shirts are loyal to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They want incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to resign. What are the reactions from Thailand’s blogosphere?
