Stories from 7 January 2011
Bangladesh: Looking Back At Media Experiences
Fahmidul Haque discusses the developments of journalism in Bangladesh in the last four decades.
Hungary: International Blackout Campaign
Citizens advocating freedom of speech are also trying to keep up the volume of the international coverage by means of communication on the internet. A group called Blackout for Hungary started a campaign for 24 hours beginning on Jan. 5 against the new media law introduced on Jan. 1. Marietta Le reports.
Palestine: Eyewitnesses Report Tear Gas at Bil'in Demonstration
The death of a Palestinian woman from Bil'in, allegedly after inhaling tear gas at a demonstration, sparked another protest today - this time reported and followed closely on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Bangladesh: Introducing the Bangla Alphabets To The International Community
In preparation of this year's International Mother Language Day on the 21st of February, Jerome is posting one Bangla (Bengali) alphabet a day to introduce these alphabets to the international community.
Nicaragua: Feeling Inflation
Bloggings by Boz writes about “feeling” inflation: “And if I'm feeling it, then the average Nicaraguan family living on only a couple of dollars per day is definitely feeling it. Most wages are not going up to match inflation. Inflation along with unemployment are the top concerns I hear as...
Chile: Bloggers Discuss Therapeutic Abortion
Chilean bloggers are discussing a proposal to decriminalize therapeutic abortions, a procedure banned in 1989 that would allow the termination of a pregnancy if the mother is carrying a nonviable fetus or her life is at risk.
Côte d'Ivoire: Torture Scenes in the Most Populated Prison
A video is currently creating a stir among the Ivorian online community. It shows militaries beating up prisoners - presented as Alassane Ouattara's partisans - in the Abidjan MACA prison. Since the beginning of the political crisis in Ivory Coast, dozens of people have been arrested in Ivory Coast for their political opinion and jailed at the infamous MACA prison.
Hong Kong: Remembering Szeto Wah
Hong Kong democracy icon Szeto Wah passed away on 2 January 2011, aged 79. Eddie Cheng, author of the book Standoff at Tiananmen, reviews the life of the democracy advocate. He also translates exerpts of an interview that Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao conducted with Szeto Wah last October. The...
Korea: Poem insulting Kim family posted on NKorean Govt Website
It was revealed that a poem cursing Kim's regime was posted on the North Korean regime's official site for two days and was read by several hundreds, Free North Korea Radio[ko], a South Korea-based radio station runs by North Korean defectors initially reported[ko]. South Korean net users discovered an evidence...
Iran: Christians under pressure
In Balatarin, a leading Iranian community website, several users reported that more than 20 evangelical Christians including a church leader were arrested on 24th of December.
Georgia: Policeman fired after being identified on Facebook
After the excessive use of force by policemen to break up a demonstration in Tbilisi, Georgia, many Facebook users used the site to identify those responsible.
Cape Verde: Women's contentious spirit
Eurydice, from the blog Igualdade na Diferença [Equality in Difference, pt], pays a tribute to the contentious spirit of women from Cape Verde and tells the story of the Revolt of Ribeirao Manuel (Santiago island, 1910). Eurydice says that women were in the spotlight of the unrest.
Lusophone collective conscience and cyberspace
“Lusophony, identity and diversity in the network” [pt] is the title of an article written by the Portuguese researcher Lourdes Macedo (republished in the blog Buala), with reflections on the contribution that “cyberspace may offer to consolidate the collective conscience of a Lusophone community. “
