· April, 2007

Stories about Breaking News from April, 2007

Uganda: Protest turns into manhunt for Indians, three people killed

  13 April 2007

Last week, Joshua Goldstein wrote about Ugandan bloggers’ reaction to Ugandan government's decision to give away 7,100 hectares of Mabira Forest to private investor for sugarcane plantation. The decision has been criticized by the Ugandan civil society, whose resistance to the allocation included the use of SMS. Yesterday, Ugandan bloggers...

Kuwait: April 16 Date for Iran War

Kuwaiti blogger UzF reports that members of the Kuwaiti military reserve will not be available to play a video game online starting April 16 because they will be on emergency duty/detention for an unknown time. “I wonder.. is that about Iran? that's what we were afraid the case was..” he...

Egyptian blogger Abd al-Monem Mahmoud has been arrested

The 27 year-old Egyptian Muslim Brother journalist and blogger, Abd al-Monem Mahmoud, who is running the “I am Ikhwan” blog has been arrested today by the Egyptian police. “I believe his arrest is mainly an attempt to silence the campaign against sending ikhwan leadership to military tribunal, Monem was coordinating...

Mexico: Breaking News: Earthquake

  13 April 2007

Via Twitter I was just alerted to a “strong earthquake in Mexico City.” Acapulco is without electricity. Eduardo Arcos is updating every minute [ES] on Vivir Mexico.

Bahrain: Blogger Sued

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif has just been summoned to show up at the High Criminal Court on April 17 for a libel suit being brought against him by a minister for comments he published on his popular blog. “I am convinced that I did no wrong. I have portrayed...

Japan: Ethnic Korean prefect candidate

  12 April 2007

Ongoing election bloggage from the eponymously-named debito blogger: “Read on to hear about a naturalized Korean-Japanese’s campaign for a prefectural seat in Osaka, campaigning his Korean roots overtly.“

Japan: New local law blog

  12 April 2007

As if the powerhouse China Law Blog weren't enough, now there's the new Japan Law Blog. Via gen at the Gen Kanai weblog.

Madagascar: English as an Official Language, Tribute to Victims of Colonial Conflicts and Cyclones (Again)

  10 April 2007

It's been a busy couple of weeks for Madagascar: A referendum for an amendment on the constitution which includes the addition of English as an official language. Madagascar was also honoring the memory of the victims of the colonial insurrection of 1947 which resulted in 80,000 casualties. Finally, a 6th cyclone in 6th month hit the Malagasy coast, leaving even more devastated areas before reconstruction from the earlier one could be completed.

China: Renewed unrest in Dingzhou?

  10 April 2007

Pro State In Flames blogger Moogee writes yesterday of a freeway roadblock in Hebei province's Dingzhou village which allegedly lasted forty minutes, led to a 500 vehicle-long traffic jam and disrupted train service. [zh]

China: Queer Tibet

  10 April 2007

Did you know Lhasa, capital of Tibet, has its own gay bar? Gay bloggers too. Via Jeremy Goldkorn at Danwei, that and more from Fridae.com correspondent Dinah Gardner.

Eritrea: Female Genital Mutilation Outlawed

  9 April 2007

Addax posts an article in English announcing the Eritrean government's decision to outlaw female genital mutilation. Adds the blogger [Fr]: “Note that this practice is now condemned by the African Charter of Human Rights in its Article 5.”

Thailand blocks access to YouTube

  5 April 2007

Yesterday, 4th April, 2007, Thailand’s military-appointed government has blocked access to the popular video-sharing site YouTube after its owners, Google Inc, declined to take down a clip ridiculing the country's revered monarch: King Bhumibol Adulyadej. “When they decide to withdraw the clip, we will withdraw the ban,” said ICT Minister...

Egypt: Bloggers Detained .. Again .. and Released

In what has now become the norm, two prominent Egyptian bloggers, along with a human rights lawyer, were detained in custody today and later released. Another blogger has also been called by telephone to appear at a police station – which he refused to do unless he received official summons....

Tunisia: Dailymotion Censored April 1st

Tunisian blogger Astrubal writes[Fr]: “Tunisian blogs and sites have been censored, then those of civil society, then those of LEGITIMATE political parties, now the stupidity of Ben Ali's regime is attacking Dailymotion, one rare remaining space of freedom for Tunisians… Yesterday (April 1st), the Ben Ali dictatorship decided to behead...

Zimbabwe: Bloggers invade mainstream media

  2 April 2007

With the world's eyes focused on events in Zimbabwe, the country's blogosphere has come of age over the last two weeks. Zimbabwe's bloggers have claimed their rightful place among the leading re-tellers of the Zimbabwean story. All of last week, popular group blog This is Zimbabwe was the guest blog...