Stories from 14 February 2011
Jamaica: Banton Wins “Best Reggae Album”
YardFlex.com “sends hearty congratulations to Mark ‘Buju Banton’ Myrie” on his Grammy win last night.
Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part II)
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.
Iran: Protesters back to Streets
Iranian protesters demonstrate in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan,Rasht and several other cities. Here is a video film shows Sharif University students in Tehran chant against ‘dictator’.
Azerbaijan: Anti-corruption drive following Egypt and Tunisia
Fatalin's Blog comments on word that an anti-corruption drive in Azerbaijan has been initiated following popular revolts in Egypt and Tunisia. The blog cites some examples and hopes that the crackdown will last long after the time when the oil-rich country's regime believes it will be spared any similar protests.
Uganda: Press Freedom Diminishing as Elections Near
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.
Afghanistan: Taliban and al-Qaeda ‘distinct groups with different goals’
Nick Fielding reviews new book by the Centre on International Cooperation, which says that the Taliban and al-Qaeda remain distinct groups with different goals, ideologies and sources of recruits. The authors insist that understanding this is a key to success in Afghanistan.
Armenia: Facebook revolution?
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
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.
Turkmenistan: Fake concert as a sign of longing for more freedom
A fake Hip Hop concert announcement on the Internet reveals something about the character of Turkmenistan’s young generation, and the complexity of hope, fantasy, and reality, reports neweurasia’s Annasoltan.
Tajikistan: Dead insurgent lives forever online
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...
Iran: “Al Jazeera, Please Cover Iran as you did in Egypt”
As Iranian cyber activists flooded into the virtual world to encourage an officially banned mass demonstration on 14 February (25 Bahman) in the name of the Egyptian and Tunisian peoples, a Facebook page has been launched to encourage Al-Jazeera to cover the event.
Tajikistan: Opposition Member Severely Beaten
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
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.
Israel: A Music Video Celebrating Egypt's New Freedom
A group of Israeli indie musicians have gathered to create a song, entitled Children of Liberty, expressing their support of the Egyptian people's newly acquired freedom, and have a “toast” to new neighbors, human rights and equality in both countries.
Egypt: Freedom Party Continues (Videos)
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
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.
China: Could better PR have prevented Groupon's China gaffe?
Imagethief looks into Groupon's public relation strategy in setting up their business in China.