· January, 2011

Stories about Breaking News from January, 2011

Venezuela: Cholera Cases on the Rise

  31 January 2011

During a wedding held in the Dominican Republic, a group of Venezuelans were diagnosed with symptoms of cholera after eating contaminated food. What were initially 13 cases has increased rapidly within a few days; the most recent reports speak of 135 people treated for cholera.

Russia: Valeria Novodvorskaya's Blog Hacked

RuNet Echo  31 January 2011

Vladimir Pribylovskiy reports [RUS] hi-jacking of Valeria Novodvorskaya‘s (Russian liberal politician and a former Soviet dissident) LiveJournal account [RUS]. “The Brigade of Hell,” dispersed group of generally pro-Kremlin hackers, took the responsibility for the attack. For the time being Novodvorskaya's account has been suspended.

Venezuela: Explosions Rocked the Maracay Night

  30 January 2011

Early Sunday morning the city of Maracay was rocked with explosions from 5 government ammunition warehouses which caught fire. Some are calling it gross negligence while others suggest it might not have been accidental at all.

Egypt: Trouble for Mubarak as Protests Continue

  30 January 2011

Mass protests are continuing for the sixth day in a row. Despite attempts at a total news blackout, against both citizen and mainstream media, news from Egypt continues to dominate the scene about demonstrations across the county, from Cairo and Alexandria. More trouble is also in store for Mubarak as journalists from government-backed papers change sides.

Egypt: Al Jazeera Cairo Bureau Shut

  30 January 2011

Egypt just shut down Al Jazeera's Cairo bureau, drawing outrage online. This comes after it switched off the Internet, in a bid to stop the world from seeing its people's revolution, where demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule continue for the sixth day in a row.

Egypt: The World is Watching

  30 January 2011

As Egyptian demonstrators take to the streets for the sixth day in a row, netizens continue to pull all the stops to keep the world informed of what is happening on the ground. Here's a snapshot of reactions from Twitter this morning, compiled by Jordanian Nadine Toukan.

Saudi Arabia: Jeddah Rain .. Again

  30 January 2011

Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Jeddah has been lashed with rain again, bringing back the ill-fated #Jeddahrain hashtag to our Twitterfeeds. Following are reactions from netizens, who poured their wrath on corruption and Jeddah's deteriorating infrastructure.

Lebanon: Protest in Support of Egypt

  29 January 2011

A solidarity protest in support of the demonstrators in Egypt is taking place next to the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Similar protests are being reported around the world, as Egyptians continue to rally against the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt: Demonstrations Continue for Fifth Day

  29 January 2011

Widespread demonstrations continue to rock Egypt for the fifth day in a row, as netizens around the world continue to closely watch developments on the ground. Reports say the millions of demonstrators are taking to the streets to protest against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Egypt: Is the Army on the People's Side?

  28 January 2011

Following massive protests across Egypt today, the army was deployed to enforce a night time curfew. On Twitter, the news was received with surprise, with reports that the army was on the people's side. Following is a selection of tweets from across the region.

Cuba, U.S.A.: New Travel Rules in Effect

  28 January 2011

Cuban diaspora bloggers note that the new Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations, which contain the new Cuba-related travel policy, are out; from Havana, Iván García observes that “the new policies of flexibility in the U.S. embargo against Cuba have permitted an exhibit [by Dégas] to be displayed at...

Egypt: Tweeting the Protests Continues

  28 January 2011

The blackout on the Internet in Egypt was supposed to thwart efforts to let the world know what was happening on the ground, as massive demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak enter their fourth day. This attempt has failed as the tweets covering the unfolding events in Egypt continued to dominate our Twitterfeed. Here is a round up of some of the tweets.

Egypt: “The People Will Bring the Regime Down!”

  28 January 2011

People around the world were glued to their television and computer screens today, as Egyptians took to the streets after the noon Friday prayers. The Day of Rage marks the fourth day in a row for Egyptians to demonstrate against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Despite an Internet blackout, news continued to flow through satellite channels, with reports being rebroadcast on social networks by netizens.

Puerto Rico: Violence Continues as Students Engage in Civil Disobedience

  28 January 2011

On January 20th, students from the University of Puerto Rico started staging acts of civil disobedience as part of their strike against the $800 dollar annual fee imposed by the administration. The Police has arrested almost 100 protesters and assaulted journalists who have been covering the incidents. Social media and blogs have been an important tool of dissemination and a space for analysis.