· July, 2012

Stories about International Relations from July, 2012

China: Bizarre Power Triangle – Sina, the Government and Netizens

Ever since the advent of Internet in China, the Chinese government has either tried to embrace it or control it. The upsurge of social media in the country has introduced two other characters into the story-Chinese netizens and leading Internet company Sina. Find out more about this often bizarre power triangle.

31 July 2012

Ukraine, Russia: Olympic Athletes’ Birthplace Controversy

RuNet Echo

The official website of the London 2012 Olympics turned out to be not the most reliable source of info on a number of foreign-born members of the Russian team. Demanding corrections, Ukrainian netizens launched a protest letter-writing campaign, and even the Foreign Minister got involved via Twitter.

31 July 2012

‘Small’ Georgia Takes on ‘Big’ Russia with New Media

RuNet Echo

Georgia uses blogging and new media to project soft power in Russia. Even though most Georgians blog in Georgian, there is a sizable contingent of Russian speaking Georgians on Russia's most popular blogging platform LiveJournal. Georgia's government also follows a strategy of co-opting the Russian public through the smart use of new media.

30 July 2012

North Korea Reveals Its First Lady

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is married to former pop singer Ri Sol Ju, reported North Korean state media. Blogger Reaganite Republican wrote a thorough post on the hermit kingdom's...

26 July 2012

Mali: What is The ECOWAS Waiting for ?

Francis Laloupo wonders whether the ECOWAS has a clear  purpose in the resolution [fr] of the crisis in Northern Mali. Laloupo argues that while the ECOWAS has maintained for the past 4 months...

20 July 2012

Iran: “If Bashar Gets Killed, the Iranian Regime Will Call Him a Martyr”

Iranian bloggers reacted with humour to the Syrian rebels attack in Damascus and the bomb blast that killed three top security chiefs in the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's regime. Iran and Syria enjoy excellent relations and netizens have resorted to poking fun at how impacted the Iranian regime would be should Al Assad finds himself out of power, following the 16 month revolution raging in Syria.

19 July 2012

Africa: Nelson Mandela, an Icon Transcending Differences

On his 94th birthday, the entire world is celebrating Nelson Mandela, and the internet users of Francophone Africa are no exception. Nelson Mandela remains an absolute icon of the African renaissance, throughout the continent. Francophone bloggers have praised the life of the man whom they affectionately call "Madiba", and the lessons learned from his struggle.

18 July 2012