Stories about Breaking News from June, 2011
Macedonia: Gathering Prohibited in a Public Space?
Vnukot informs that the Ministry of Culture has forbidden the protesters to gather on a small square behind the memorial house of Mother Teresa, violating their right to free assembly enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia.
Venezuela's Prison Crisis
A riot on Sunday, June 12, at El Rodeo prison left at least 22 inmates killed [es], according to the government's report –other reports raise that number to 30 [es]. The Devil's Excrement, criticizes the way the Chávez administration has handled the country's prison problem, and today updates his blog...
Chile: More than 70,000 March in Santiago Demanding Improvements in Education
According to the online version of Chilean daily El Mercurio, more than 70,000 people [es] are marching in downtown Santiago demanding improvements in education. Using the hashtag #junio16 (“June 16,” a local trending topic), netizens are sharing photos, reports [es] and reactions [es].
Syria: Crackdown Continues Despite International Outcry
Protests are continuing across Syria, as the Syrian regime shows no signs of loosening its brutal crackdown despite an international outcry. Netizens react on Twitter to the latest developments.
Pakistan: The Beasts Kill Again
“The beasts in Pakistan have made it a habit to kill. Kill in the name of sect. Kill in the name of religion. Kill in the name of tribe. Kill in the name of Islam – They are not aware that in Islam killing one person is like killing the...
Lebanon: New All-Male Government Formed Amidst Continued Wrangling
After almost five months of protracted negotiations and political bickering, Lebanon's Hezballah-led March 8 alliance finally announced a new exclusively male, 30-minister government to be headed by Sunni billionaire Najib Mikati.
Puerto Rico: Barack Obama Visits the Island
Netizens can follow the discussion on US President Barack Obama's flash visit today to Puerto Rico under the hashtags #obamapr and #obamaenpr.
Two earthquakes hit Sumatra
Two earthquakes hit Sumatra Island in Malaysia Tuesday morning. Tremors were also felt in Indonesia. Use the hashtags #earthquake, #tremors, and #sumatra to monitor news reports.
Malaysia: Government website receives hacking threat
A group called Anonymous, warned that it will launch a cyber attack against a Malaysian government website on Thursday morning.
Egypt: The Story of the Israeli Spy in Cairo
Ilan Chaim Grapel, an American immigrant to Israel, was arrested in Egypt last Sunday. Grapel has now been detained for 15 days as he is being questioned by the State Security Prosecution over alleged espionage activities in Egypt. Many Egyptians have reacted to the story on Twitter and in their blogs.
Belarus: Crowdsourced DDoS Attack Attempts to Put Down President's Website
The website of Belorusian president Alexander Lukashenko is under attack by a crowdsourced DDoS attack hosted by PutinVzrivayetDoma.org, lenta.ru reported [ru]. @putinvzrivaet explained the purpose[ru]: “Because he [Lukashenko] had blew such a country.” Previously, Ukraine-based @putinvzrivaet scheduled attacks on many other commercial and political websites. So far, however, presidential website is accessible.
Turkey: Twitter Reactions on Election Day
Turkey held its general elections today for 550 seats in the Grand National Assembly. Following are some of the reactions that are emerging online as the first results are being announced.
India: Senior Crime Reporter Shot Dead in Mumbai
This afternoon, veteran crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at point-blank range at Powai, Mumbai. Indian netizens react.
Spain: Protests Evolve, but Tensions Continue
The mobilizations that started on May 15 in Spain have gradually evolved into local meetings, gatherings and different kinds of initiatives all over the country. But the tension on the streets is still high. On June 11 in Madrid, a sit-in ended up with police charging against demonstrators.
Kuwait: Shia Twitter User Arrested
Kuwaiti Nasser Abul, a young Shia man, has been arrested, allegedly for his posting on micro-blogging site Twitter. This is the first time a Twitter user is held for tweets in the country. The arrest has created a furour on Twitter, where many called for his release.
North Korea Threatens to Disclose Recordings of Talks with South
In an apparent act of blackmail, North Korea threatened South Korea on Thursday that they would release secret audio recordings from Inter-Korean talks reportedly held on May 9, 2011. The secret meeting, initiated by the South, was meant to lead to an agreement on talks for how to move forward after two deadly attacks on South Korea in 2010.
Russia: Yuri Budanov Shot to Death in Moscow
On GlobalPost, Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) reports on the killing of the former Russian colonel Yuri Budanov in Moscow today.
Peru: Aymara Indigenous People Announce Resumption of Protests in Puno
After a temporary truce to allow for presidential elections to take place in the Puno region, the Aymara Indians in said region have announced that they will resume their strike indefinitely, with which they demand the cancellation of all mining concessions in Puno.
China: Nose of CCTV female staff chopped off by stranger
Jing Gao from the Ministry of Tofu puts together Weibo's breaking news on a revengeful act against China Central Television. A female staff was attacked by a stranger and her nose was chopped off.
Colombia: Robbery at Andean Parliament Headquarters
On June 7, members of the Andean Parliament were robbed at the organization’s headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia. On Twitter netizens posted their opinions, mostly rejecting what had happened, with the hashtag #Parlamentoandino.
Russia: 6 Months of Suspended Sentence and a Destroyed Laptop for a Forum Comment
Yuri Yegorov, blogger from Tatarstan and a former employee of the regional government, has been sentenced with 6 months of suspended sentence for a libelling, openinform.ru reported [ru]. Additionally, the court ruled out to destroy Yegorov's laptop ‘as a weapon of crime.’ Yegorov published information on corruption in the office...
