· January, 2011

Stories about Politics from January, 2011

Egypt: Is the Army on the People's Side?

  28 January 2011

Following massive protests across Egypt today, the army was deployed to enforce a night time curfew. On Twitter, the news was received with surprise, with reports that the army was on the people's side. Following is a selection of tweets from across the region.

Egypt: Visualizing Topics Shared on Twitter

  28 January 2011

Twitter has played an instrumental role in keeping the world abreast of the latest developments in Egypt, where demonstrations against the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak have entered their fourth day. The following widget shows Twitter content mentioning the hashtag #jan25 over the last three days, and are all related to terms mentioned in people's Twitter messages.

Haiti: Candidates on Twitter

  28 January 2011

“With a measly 199 followers, @Judecelestin10's campaign seems to have underestimated Twitter as a communications tool”: kiskeacity looks at the popularity of Haitian political candidates on Twitter.

Cuba, U.S.A.: New Travel Rules in Effect

  28 January 2011

Cuban diaspora bloggers note that the new Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations, which contain the new Cuba-related travel policy, are out; from Havana, Iván García observes that “the new policies of flexibility in the U.S. embargo against Cuba have permitted an exhibit [by Dégas] to be displayed at...

Trinidad & Tobago: More Questions About Ramnarine

  28 January 2011

Of the ongoing controversy over the appointment of Reshmi Ramnarine, Jumbie's Watch says: “The failure of the PM to apologise for misleading the country is not merely a stalling tactic. It is an aberration of her promised mantra to “Serve the people, Serve the people, Serve the people”.

Egypt: Tweeting the Protests Continues

  28 January 2011

The blackout on the Internet in Egypt was supposed to thwart efforts to let the world know what was happening on the ground, as massive demonstrations against president Hosni Mubarak enter their fourth day. This attempt has failed as the tweets covering the unfolding events in Egypt continued to dominate our Twitterfeed. Here is a round up of some of the tweets.

Cuba: Second Arrest for Fariñas

  28 January 2011

On learning that Guillermo Fariñas was arrested for a second time in less than 24 hours, Uncommon Sense says: “Nothing is unusual about what is happening…what is unusual is for the police to move so aggressively against someone with Fariñas’ profile, someone whose arrest will get at least a few...

Egypt: “The People Will Bring the Regime Down!”

  28 January 2011

People around the world were glued to their television and computer screens today, as Egyptians took to the streets after the noon Friday prayers. The Day of Rage marks the fourth day in a row for Egyptians to demonstrate against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Despite an Internet blackout, news continued to flow through satellite channels, with reports being rebroadcast on social networks by netizens.

Puerto Rico: Violence Continues as Students Engage in Civil Disobedience

  28 January 2011

On January 20th, students from the University of Puerto Rico started staging acts of civil disobedience as part of their strike against the $800 dollar annual fee imposed by the administration. The Police has arrested almost 100 protesters and assaulted journalists who have been covering the incidents. Social media and blogs have been an important tool of dissemination and a space for analysis.

South Africa: Honor Madiba with your actions

  28 January 2011

Mike Stopforth calls on South Africans to honour Nelson Mandela with their actions: “Soon, Nelson Mandela will die. As I write this post traditional and social media channels are rife with rumours of his ill health and deteriorating state.”

Cote d'Ivoire: Lessons for international community

  28 January 2011

Laura's thoughts and links on Cote d'Ivoire: “After a nearly two-month stand off between former President Gbagbo, who refuses to admit defeat, and newly-elected President Ouattara, who is sequestered in a U.N.-fortified hotel, the situation for civilians is grave and looks likely to become even more dire.

Egypt: Countdown for Day of Rage Continues

  28 January 2011

Netizens from around the world are holding their breath, as widespread demonstrations are scheduled to begin in Egypt in less than an hour. International support is overwhelming, as well as a clear defiance to back Egyptian protesters and make their voices heard despite the total information blackout.

Taiwan: Ma Ying-jeou on Facebook

  28 January 2011

President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan(Republic of China) opens his official facebook fan page today. At the “About” session it says that the goal of the fan page “…is not to be trendy, but to exchange ideas with all of you, share experiences through wall posts, think together, click ‘like’ for...