Stories about Breaking News from June, 2011
Palestine: Two Boats Sabotaged as Flotilla Floats Onwards
The Freedom Flotilla 2 to Gaza will be missing an Irish ship, it emerged today. The MV Saoirse has been reportedly sabotaged while at berth in the Turkish coastal town of Göcek and will now not be able to take part in the flotilla, aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade on Gaza and presenting humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
Peru: Peace Restored in Puno Following Agreements
Through the enforcement of recent statutes put in place by the executive, little by little peace is being restored in the Puno region after recent conflict and social unrest (both related to mining) that resulted in the death of 6 and more than 30 wounded and millions in material losses. Social networks are buzzing with commentary.
Egypt: Khaled Saeed Murder Trial Postponed
Khaled Saeed, a young man from Alexandria allegedly killed at the hands of policemen in June, has been an icon of the Egyptian revolution. His murder fueled discontent among young Egyptians in the weeks leading to the revolution after images of his battered body went viral. The policemen accused of killing him stood trial today. Following are some reactions following the postponement of the case until September 24.
AP to Open News Bureau In North Korea
The Associated Press(AP) announced on June 29 that AP signed agreements with North Korea’s state news agency, KCNA, to open a news bureau in Pyongyang, North Korea. Read net users’ reactions to the news in the BoingBoing blog.
Belarus: Report from Another Non-Violent Protest Event
Belarus Partizan publishes [ru] a detailed report (with photos and videos) on another non-violent protest action (#2906v1900 [ru/by]) in Belarus that took place on June 29, 2011. Police assisted by 3 buses of civilian police helpers (‘druzhinnik‘) and 2 BTRs detained nearly 100 participants. The next action organized by the net-based “Future...
Egypt: The Battle of Tahrir Rages
Mayhem broke out at Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the Egyptian revolution, last night and spilled into today. Various accounts are circulating online on what really happened and how events escalated, all involving the families of the martyrs killed during the protests - and their call for justice, protesters, thugs and battles with the police. Reports speak of police firing tear gas at protesters, and protesters (or thugs) responding with stones and Molotov cocktails - not necessarily in this order.
Republic of Congo: Local Company To Produce First African Android Tablet
VMK, a Congolese company, announced via its CEO Verone Mankou‘s Twitter account, that it will produce the first Android tablet made in Africa. Tech Central magazine interviewed Verone Mankou, showing a picture of the back of the tablet. More pictures are available on the VMK Blog [fr]. An official introduction will be...
South Korea: Downpour-Triggered Landslide Kills One Person
Torrential downpour has triggered a mass landslide in Seoul, killing one person and suspending subway. South Korea's citizen/blogger news Wiki Tree reported [ko] the incident with consolidated tweets.
South Korea: Hunger Strike at Temple
Yoosung Enterprise's listed workers went on a hunger strike at Jogye temple. Moon Yong-min (@yasangmin) tweeted photos of the protest. About 500 workers had been staging demonstrations since mid-May after wage negotiations broke down.
Spain: Police Violence Against Peaceful Demonstrators in Barcelona
Friday, May 27, 7 pm had not yet arrived when the police raided Catalunya Square in the center of Barcelona where the camp of “outraged” of 15 May were located. The hundreds of protesters in attendance refused to leave and the situation escalated. Many calls were made through social networks and access to the Square was quickly blocked by a growing crowd who supported the people who slept there. Photo and video evidence of the brutalities quickly surfaced.
Argentina: River Plate Football Club Relegated to Second Division
River Plate, one of the oldest and most successful football clubs in Argentina and in the world suffered one of its worse defeats recently: on June 26 it tied with Belgrano Athletic Club in a match where its membership of the first division of Argentine football was decided.
South Korea: Labor Workers Fight Against Police and Corporation
Hanjin Heavy Industries have violently clamped down its union protest. Twitterer @pmtsjc posted photos of how company-hired gang cut rope to drag down workers protesting on crane top. The clash, which ignited over unfair mass lay-offs, has continued for over a month now.
Peru: Residents of Puno Resume Protests
Once again the inhabitants of the Puno region have taken to the streets in protests, this time against the contamination caused by the mining of minerals. Six people died as a result of the protests on the day when Peru celebrates the Day of the Peasant.
Myanmar: Bomb Blasts in Three Cities
Three bomb blasts hit three major cities in Myanmar today. No casualties have been reported. Global Voices author Tan translates a few Burmese online reports which give first hand accounts of the bomb disaster
Belarus: Police Crack Down on Minsk Protest
A non-violent rally in Minsk, organized via a social network, ended up with more than 450 people detained. Arrests, trials and numerous detentions, however, do not appear to have stopped the protesters.
Russia: Fire at Toxic Waste Disposal Site Near St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg-based LJ user timoha-spb and Twitter users @Zak_r2 and @theproof are among those who are posting photos [ru] of smoke from the fire at the Krasnyi Bor toxic waste disposal site.
Argentina: Cristina Fernández Announces Re-Election Bid
On Tuesday, June 21, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced she will run for reelection. The Argentine Post looks at the challenges she will have to deal with if reelected, while Eliot Brockner, in Latin American Thought, says her prospects for winning “are looking good”.
Spain: Massive Demonstrations on June 19
The blog #Acampadasol, launched during the days of massive demonstrations in Madrid last May, chronicles [es] the most recent protests that flooded the streets of many cities in Spain last Sunday June 19.
Africa: ‘Foreign Policy Twitterati 100′ Ignoring Africans ?
Following Forein Policy Magazine article on the 2011 ‘Twitterati 100′, blogger Pernille Bærendtsen posted an article: ‘THE FP TWITTERATI 100′ – WHERE ARE THE AFRICANS?’. The author notes that among the 100 listed, only two are Africans (President of Rwanda @Paul Kagame and Ugandan journalist @AndrewMwenda). @DambisaMoyo, Zambian author and...
Syria: Protests Break Out Following Assad Speech
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad gave a speech today outlining reform plans, which include forming a committee to form a committee to study reforms and the need for national dialogue. On Twitter, reactions continued to flow as Assad spoke. Assad's promises were met with more protests across the country, calling for him to leave power.
South Korean Troops Shoot at Passenger Jet, No One Injured
South Korean troops shot at passenger jet on June 17 after mistaking it for a North Korean military aircraft near the border with North Korea. No one was hurt from the incident, but South Korean net users from public forum sites are demanding more thorough explanations [ko].
