Stories about Breaking News from January, 2011
Israel: Bloggers Eye Gaza as Egypt Unrest Spreads through Sinai
This is a summary of Israeli perspectives, blog posts, and media shared online over the last two days, in reaction to the unrest in Egypt. Referenced by Israeli sources as the 'Egypt Intifada', bloggers are looking closely at the spread of the violence into Sinai and the possibility of igniting violence in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank.
Uganda: Gay Rights Activist Found Murdered
Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato was found murdered yesterday, just weeks after winning a court case against a local newspaper that had called for Ugandans to “hang” homosexuals. Kato was an advocacy officer for gay rights group Sexual Minorities Uganda, which published a press release reading: David was brutally...
Egypt: Friday is the Day of Anger
The Egyptian Twittersphere is full of predictions of renewed demonstrations over the weekend. Dubbed the Million Egyptian March, Friday is expected to witness unprecedented protests across the country, despite government warnings that it would not tolerate any more unrest.
Cuba: Fariñas Arrested & Released
Uncommon Sense has been following the recent arrest of Cuban independent journalist Guillermo Fariñas and calls his detainment a “We told you so” moment. He has subsequently been released.
Egypt: Twittering from the Rooftops
The Egyptian Twittersphere on #jan25 is thick with stories of the ongoing unrest. For observers, the rooftops have become a favored vantage. Ivan Sigal shares this bird's eye view of developments, on the third day of the protests that have rocked Egypt.
Egypt: Reports of Police Brutality, Arrests and Live Ammuntion
More reports are emerging of arrests and police harassment and brutality, as Egyptians rise for the for the third day in a row. There are also reports of deaths but the details and exact toll remain sketchy.
Russia: Domodedovo Bombings Expose Imbalance Between Traditional and Social Media
Social media played a significant role in the coverage of the terrorist attack in Domodedovo International Airport near Moscow. Russian bloggers and journalists discussed the consequences of increasing role of blogs and Twitter in emergency situations. Gregory Asmolov analyzes the roles of the government, traditional and new media in the coverage of the attack.
Egypt: What is Happening in Suez?
Different reports about clashes between the protestors and security forces are coming out of Suez, 129km east of the capital Cairo, as demonstrations across Egypt enter their third day. With mobile networks down, netizens are left scrambling for information. The question remains: What is happening in Suez?
Arab World: New Media and the Egyptian Demonstrations
The Arab World is looking in awe at the developments unfolding in Egypt. Today, mainstream media is taking a back seat, while citizen media triumphs. Arab bloggers share their reflections on the protests in Egypt, as witnessed from their computer screens.
Lebanon: ‘Day of Rage’ Shocks Bloggers
Thousands of supporters of disposed Sunni Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri took to the streets in a 'day of rage' on Tuesday to protest the fall of their leader. The worst of the scenes were in the predominantly Sunni city of Tripoli, where protestors burnt tyres, vehicles, offices, and attacked the media. Bloggers of all political persuasions expressed dismay at the violent behaviour and openly sectarian nature of the protests.
Egypt: After Twitter, Facebook Now Blocked
Egypt today blocked access to Facebook, as part of its clampdown on the transfer of information, following yesterday's protests. Also, yesterday, it blocked access to Twitter, jammed mobile communications in areas protesters were gathering in, and banned access to live video streaming site Bambuser.
Egypt: Night Falls, After Day of Rage
As the night sky extended over Egypt, protests in Cairo and around the country continued. So did reports of police violence, but also acts of kindness by local residents and businesses. Whether protests will actually continue tomorrow still remains to be seen.
Gabon: Opposition Leader Takes Oath as New President
The double presidential power struggle in Côte d'Ivoire seems to have inspired Gabon's political opposition as well. This afternoon on January 26, 2011, former Gabonese presidential election candidate André Mba Obame - regarded by many as the probable winner of the 2009 election - has taken oath as President and formed his own 'unofficial' government.
Puerto Rico: More Arrests and Civil Disobedience
The student blog Desde Adentro [es] and the monthly Diálogo [es] are offering live coverage of the most recent round of arrests at the University of Puerto Rico. About 30 students and protesters have been arrested today for engaging in civil disobedience against the imposition of a special tuition fee....
Egypt: The January 25 Demonstrations in Photographs
A picture is worth a thousand tweets, especially when Twitter is blocked in Egypt in order to halt the transfer of information about the ongoing demonstrations in Egypt today.
India: Government Official Burnt Alive by Miscreants
In a gruesome incident, an additional district collector was burnt alive today - allegedly by petrol and diesel mafia while investigating fuel related irregularities. As the news broke, netizens reacted with shock and outrage.
Egypt: Tweeting the Day of Revolution
From reports of small gatherings to those of thousands of demonstrators marching across different cities in Egypt, Twitter is ablaze with reactions. This nationwide "Day of Revolution" coincides with Police Day and brings together people from different walks of life and a wide political spectrum to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Russia: First Twitter Reports of Domodedovo Suicide Bombing
A deadly explosion killed at least 35, and wounded as many as 70 people in the Moscow airport Domodedovo. Early reports assert (ru) that the attack was a suicide bomb. Information has been coming in from many sources. Twitter is experiencing an explosion of tweets with the hashtag #Domodedovo.
Russia: Domodedovo Airport Blast
A bomb exploded at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, at least ten casualties reported. An avalanche of Twitter items here (RUS) and here (RUS, ENG). @ann_mint, who works at Domodedovo, was one of the first Twitter users to report on the blast; “There're victums in #domodedovo Pray for us,” she wrote (ENG)...
Taiwan: Greenpeace member arrested
Tipsuda Atichakaro, a Thai member of Greenpeace's flagship Rainbow Warrior, was arrested in the first protest in Taiwan during the ship's East Asia tour to protect the ocean. Taiwan environmental activist wobblies67 tweets that “…a member was arrested by the police and is now under investigation at District Prosecutors Office. Our lawyer friend says...
Israel/Palestine: Reacting to the Palestine Papers
Today, Al Jazeera English released the first of more than 1,600 internal documents from a decade of the Israel-Palestine Peace Process, dubbed the “Palestine Papers.” The papers released today make public a number of secret negotiations between Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat and the Israelis, including what Al Jazeera called...
