· April, 2011

Stories about Breaking News from April, 2011

Italy: Initiative in Support of Ai Weiwei

  30 April 2011

While the event itself initially seemed to have passed without comment [it] by traditional media and bloggers in Italy, something is finally happening [it] to call for the release of the Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei [it], who has been presumed imprisoned by the Chinese authorities since April 3. The Pulitzer Association has issued an appeal [it]...

Argentina: Writer Ernesto Sabato Dies at Age 99

  30 April 2011

Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato passed away on April 30 at age 99. Buenos Aires Herald describes him as “one of the most influential writers in Argentine literature and author of the trilogy of novels, ‘The Tunnel’ (1948), ‘Of Heroes and Graves’ (1961) and ‘Abadon, the Exterminator’ (1974).” His readers are...

Syria: The Revolution Continues (Video)

It's the Friday of Rage in Syria, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of different cities to call for the overthrow of the Al Assad regime, and show solidarity with Daraa, which is facing a ruthless crackdown for being the nucleus the Syrian protests.

Peru: Second Electoral Round Kicks Off

  28 April 2011

A few weeks before the second round of elections in Peru, the choice between candidates Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori, the growing polarisation in Peruvian society, and ultimately from the electorate, is as notable in the press as it is on social networks.

Iraq: Is Saddam Still Alive?

Saddam Hussein is making the rounds on social media, with a new recording claiming that the Iraqi dictator is alive and well and that his double Mikhail was the one executed on December 30, 2006. Many netizens are quick to describe the video as phoney and assure readers that Saddam is dead and gone. Had he been alive, the former Iraqi dictator would have turned 74 today.

Mexico: 51 Kidnapped Migrants Rescued in Tamaulipas

  27 April 2011

Gancho reports that “Federal Police rescued 51 kidnapped migrants in Tamaulipas today [April 26], days after they saved another 68 in the same state. Such rescues were not common before the discovery of scores and scores of dead bodies last week in San Fernando, and now we've had two in...

Egypt: Protesting for Syria

Scores of Egyptians joined Syrian students who gathered outside the Syrian Embassy in Cairo in protest against the killing of demonstrators and called for the overthrow of the Syrian regime of Bashar Al Assad. Protesters chanted in solidarity with the Syrian demonstrators.

Syria: Blog Interview with Opposition Activist Ammar Abdulhamid

American blogger and Syria expert, Joshua Landis, conducted a video interview with exiled leading Opposition activist Ammar Abdulhamid on the Syrian unrest. Speaking on Landis' blog, Syria Comment, Abdulhamid was questioned on a variety of topics concerning the Syrian revolution, from the dangers of a sectarian breakdown, to the regional implications of a potential collapse in regime.

Yemen: Millions Protest on Last Chance Friday

Millions of protesters thronged the squares of Sanaa and Taiz in Yemen, calling for the end of Ali Abdulla Saleh's regime. Dubbed Last Chance Friday, protesters are keen to boot out Saleh, who has ruled the country for 32 years. The whole week saw support pumped up for today's massive protests, which didn't fail the expectations of observers.

Palestine: Kidnapping of Italian Activist in Gaza

Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni was kidnapped on Thursday 14 April, 2011, in Gaza by a Salafi-Jihadi group, who said that they would kill him if Sheikh Abu Al Waleed Al Maqdisi, recently arrested by the Hamas government, was not released. It was reported on Friday 15 April by various international media outlets that Vittorio Arrigoni has been found dead.

North Korea: One American Has Been Detained

  14 April 2011

North Korea confirmed that it has detained an American man. The United States is urging North Korea to release the man on humanitarian grounds. North Korean Economy Watch blog summarized the latest detention cases.