Stories from Quick Reads from December, 2011
Iran: “Law of Computer Crimes” and Parliamentary Elections
Iranian authorities warned web sites and blogs not to publish any content to encourage people to boycot or to protest the March parliamentary elections. The authorities published [fa] 25 categories of criminal content related to the next parliamentary elections. Read more about computer crimes in Iran.
Macedonia: Pioneering Battery Disposal Initiative
Greener, a Macedonian NGO, blogged [mk] about their pilot-project Go Clean [FB page, mk], which aims to grow into a national campaign for proper disposal of used batteries and accumulators.
Somalia: Crimes against Journalists Increased In 2011
In a post published on december, 27th, The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) declares that: “In 2011, 4 journalists were murdered in Mogadishu alone, making it the only place where the utmost repulsive crimes against journalists were committed. A further 7 journalists were wounded, 5 in Mogadishu, while the remaining...
Jamaica: why they lost the election
Active Voice analyses yesterday's general election in Jamaica, explaining how Prime Minister Andrew Holness and the Jamaica Labour Party — who looked, a month ago, set to be returned to office — lost in a landslide to Portia Simpson-Miller and the People's National Party. “Let’s see if the PNP having...
Africa: 10 West African Club Tracks
This is Boima Tucker's 2011 10 club friendly Afropop tracks: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one song dominate a nation’s psyche like Junior Freeman and African Soldier’s “Dumyarea” did in Liberia this summer. Maybe it was because it was an election season, and all the politicians co-opted the song...
Ghana: Reading 52 Books in 50 Weeks
Fiona reaches a milestone: 52 books in 50 weeks: “With two weeks to spare, today I reached my goal of reading fifty-two books for the year. A week ago I was beginning to wonder whether I would make it and then I discovered The Hunger Games and ploughed through three...
Ghana: My Blogging Year 2011
Swedish blogger based in Ghana discusses her blogging year 2011: The year started out on a strong note. In January, I learned about Free and Open Source Software for Academics and analysed the Ghanaian “happiness culture“.
Trinidad and Tobago: a lesson about strength
When Passion.Fruit sets out to rescue a trapped pigeon, a random encounter with a passing grandmother teaches her a lesson about strength, patience, and wisdom. “She cooed and comforted — nothing weak about her…. An accustomed unbinder of trapped limbs.”
Jamaica: a new prime minister
As Girl with a Purpose reports, the governing Jamaica Labour Party was defeated in yesterday's general election, and People's National Party head Portia Simpson-Miller is Jamaica's new prime minister — “a leader whose educational background is not as brilliant as her competitors,” observes Abeni from St. Vincent and the Grenadines,...
Chile: Netizens Report and React to Torres del Paine Wildfire
For days, a wildfire has been consuming thousands of hectares in national park Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia. Netizens are sharing reports and reacting to the news through #salvemostorresdelpaine [es] (let's save Torres del Paine) and ‘Torres del Paine’ [es] on Twitter.
Iran: A petition for a jailed activist
A petition is launched to support Mehrdad Karami, a jailed student and human rights activist in Zanjan (Iran).
Iran: Rafsanjani's site was filtered
Several Iranian news sites reported Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani's site was filtered. According to his brother, Rafsanjani's site managment had been asked to omit his last Friday Prayer sermon in 2009 when he called for release of political detainees. Rafsanjani, former Iran's president, is head of the Expediency Council.
Iran: Student activist was released after 11 years
Setareiran says Behrouz Javid Tehrani, a student activist who was jailed 11 years ago, finally was released from prison.
Iran:”Parliament is like Animal House”
From Your View reports Behrouz Moradi head of government subsidies called Iran's paliament an “animal house”. The blogger writes with irony this guy was so polite not to call parliament a “stable”. He can become a moral teacher in Iran's government.
Argentina: New Anti-Terrorism Law Raises Concerns
A new anti-terrorism law is causing concern in Argentina. Lillie Langtry explains in her blog Memory in Latin America that, “the new package of measures is intended to combat financial crimes, but opponents are worried that its vague terms could be employed against legitimate protesters.”
Argentina Tech Blogger Looks into ‘Death’ of Blogs
Technology blogger Mariano Amartino [es] reacts to the post “The Golden Age of Tech Blogging is Over” by Jeremiah Owyang. He points out the irony that posts about “the death of blogs” are written in blogs, and asks: who defines what is or isn't ‘a blog'?
India: Growth of Online Shopping
Arun Prabhudesai at Trak.in points out a Comscore research report which claims that 3 out of every 5 Indian Internet users now shop online.
India: Some More Travel Tales in Images
Freelance travel writer and photographer Arun sums up his India travels in 2011, through a series of images.
Bangladesh: Suggestions for the New International Crimes Tribunal
The government of Bangladesh is planning to set up another International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to help expedite trial of war criminals of 1971. Rumi Ahmed offers some suggestions in this respect, which he feels will enable the government to avoid the controversies dogging the current tribunal.
Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia
Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.
Pakistan: Images from the Manghopir Shrine
Blogger Karachi Walla shares some images from a visit to the Manghopir Shrine – one of the oldest Sufi shrines located in the suburbs of Gadap town, to the North-West of Karachi.
