14 February 2011

Stories from 14 February 2011

Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part II)

  14 February 2011

Speculation about the health of the former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro Ruz, was one of the main issues discussed in various cables revealed by WikiLeaks. In this second part of a series, our author Elaine Díaz analyzes the content of the controversial diplomatic cables.

Uganda: Press Freedom Diminishing as Elections Near

  14 February 2011

Observers and media activists see a steady decline in press freedom in Uganda, particularly with the 2011 elections approaching. It seems that the reductions in freedoms may also ripple out beyond the mainstream media outlets. According to AllVoices, Uganda's Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asan Kasingye, has announced that the police will be monitoring social media such as blogs, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter during the elections.

Armenia: Facebook revolution?

  14 February 2011

Following successful protests in Tunisia and Egypt, aided in part by social media, The Armenian Observer reports that the extra-parliamentary opposition in Armenia hope to replicate attempts to overthrow the government with Facebook. However, the blog notes, with usage incredibly low, such hopes might be sorely misguided.

Kyrgyzstan: The ghost of state-level racketeering returns

  14 February 2011

Kamilla reports on a clash between the Kyrgyz authorities and Russian investors over the status of MegaCom, one of Kyrgyzstan’s leading mobile operators – while the government claims that the company’s stock has been nationalized, the Russians claim that their share (51%) is in the government’s hands for safekeeping.

Tajikistan: Dead insurgent lives forever online

  14 February 2011

Nathan Hamm writes that one of the most notorious Tajik opposition commanders Ali Bedaki, who was reportedly killed in combat operations, as been noticed on a YouTube video that shows him being interrogated in the back of a vehicle. The Tajikistan government claims the video is a fake, but the...

Tajikistan: Opposition Member Severely Beaten

  14 February 2011

Christya Riedel reports that Hikmatullo Saifullozoda, a 60 year old editor of the opposition newspaper Najot and a prominent member of the Tajikistan opposition, was brutally beaten by unidentified perpetrators near his home in the capital city Dushanbe.

Brazil: Criminalization of Sharing Internet via Wifi

  14 February 2011

On January 27 Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency - ANATEL - seized equipment and fined an internet user approximately $ 1,810 USD for sharing his wifi connection with neighbors in the capital of Piauí state. In times of appeal for digital inclusion, bloggers comment on the limits posed by such criminalization.

Egypt: Freedom Party Continues (Videos)

  14 February 2011

Since the news came out that Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as president of Egypt, celebrations were carried out across the country. Throughout the world, people are celebrating in solidarity with the Egyptian people and their newly recovered freedom. More and more videos are uploaded on social networks and video sharing websites. Millions of people filmed different angles of a globally celebrated moment. Here's a tiny sample of the videos posted online.

Bangladesh: World Cup Makeover Breaks The Law

  14 February 2011

The Bangladesh government has decided to remove beggars and hawkers from major streets of Dhaka city in preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup. Rahnuma Ahmed reports that the police in Bangladesh is breaking the law to implement this directive.