· May, 2012

Stories from Quick Reads from May, 2012

Iran: Top figure hails Facebook

  30 May 2012

Iranian former president and now head of The Expediency Council, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani who is close to reformists says: ‘Today we see that a simple free page on Facebook is effective more than a set of TV and radio stations… And this is good for the world even if some...

Philippines: Budget Transparency Portal

  29 May 2012

The Philippine government has recently launched the Budget ng Bayan website to promote transparency and good governance in the country. Budget documents and state expenditures are uploaded in the site.

Honduras: US State Department Releases Human Rights Report

  29 May 2012

Honduras Culture and Politics looks closely at the United States State Department report on human rights: “There's been a blind eye to certain kinds of human rights abuses in Honduras that happen, but don't seem to warrant action by the Secretary or her employees, including the Ambassador. So, we turned...

Iran: ‘Cultural programs’ in social networks

  29 May 2012

Iran's Revolutionary Guardians'would hold cultural programs in Facebook and Twitter’, an official in IRGC says. This two major social networks are blocked in Iran and users can check them only with circumvention tools. Iranian authorities blame such websites for ‘promoting regime change’ in this country.

UAE: Some Savoury Questions

Krista, from the collective blog Muslimah Media Watch, shares her family's passion for “ridiculous and tacky” salt and pepper shakers. Their latest acquisition, a gift bought in Dubai, has raised a lot of questions in Krista's mind.

A Social Network for Wikileaks Supporters

  28 May 2012

Friends of Wikileaks (FoWL) is an independent social network for worldwide supporters of Wikileaks. People who join the site are paired with twelve others who speak the same language. FoWL groups from different countries have issued a statement of support for Julian Assange in advance of a United Kingdom supreme...

Hong Kong: Living in High-rises

  28 May 2012

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a feature story showing German photographer Michael Wolf's collection of “Architecture of Density” which reflects the living condition of ordinary Hong Kong people in high-rises.

Mapping the Australian Twittersphere

  28 May 2012

Queensland University of Technology academic Dr Axel Bruns presents research findings into the Oz twittersphere with graphic slideshow and audio presentation in Many Maps of the Australian Twittersphere.

Somaliland: Sectors for Potential Investment

  27 May 2012

John identifies sectors in Somaliland that are attractive for potential investment: “Although not blessed with mineral wealth, arable land, or a large population, Somaliland does have a few sectors that might interest seasoned investors or savvy entrepreneurs. Infrastructure is one major area.”

Mozambique: Music clips with a regional perspective

  27 May 2012

Youtube user Niassatim uploaded a series of music clips by artists from the northern interior of Mozambique, in the Yao language, also spoken in Malawi and Tanzania. The videos depict a mixture of local realities and musical influences, and global elements. (To date, Niassa province's biggest musical export is Massukos.)

Slovakia: “God Can Cure You”

On May 26, approximately 50-60 opponents of the upcoming Gay Pride gathered [sk] in Bratislava for a rally organized by the Association for Protection of Family, together with the Citizens’ Association for Christian Values and Traditions. The main organizer, Jozef Dupkala, offering a helping hand to homosexuals, said: “Your current...