15 February 2011

Stories from 15 February 2011

Russia: 2011 State Budget Funding for Media Companies

RuNet Echo  15 February 2011

LJ user sart posts info (RUS) from the Russian Federation's 2011 budget (RUS, .zip, 322MB) on the state funding allotted to media companies: e.g., VGTRK gets nearly 19 billion rubles (approx. $628 million), and TV-Novosti, a company that owns RT (Russia Today), gets over 11 billion rubles (nearly $380 million).

Brunei: Rare coins

  15 February 2011

Tiger Lim from Brunei uploads some rare coins which were used in Brunei and Malaysia in the 1920s and 1930s

Malaysia: Amending the law to censor internet?

  15 February 2011

Malaysia’s government is considering tightening its already strict laws on printing to include online publications as well. The announcement immediately drew huge criticism from the online community who believe that the Internet should not be controlled.

Russia: Reactions to the “Safe Internet League”

RuNet Echo  15 February 2011

Radio Free Europe writes about the “Safe Internet League”, a new initiative that would use volunteer cyber squads to monitor and report ‘dangerous content.’ Reacting to the news, Jeffrey Carr at Forbes notes that “security services have masked a variety of oppressive actions under the more acceptable umbrella of cleaning...

Azerbaijan: We are all Junkies…

  15 February 2011

Jabbar Savalan updates its readers on the case of a youth activist recently arrested in Azerbaijan. In its latest entry, the blog reports that the Dalga Youth Movement have issued a statement concerning the arrest [EN], while in another, it posts a photograph of a protest demonstration held in his...

Russia: Old and New Media Censorship Tactics

RuNet Echo  15 February 2011

In its yearly report Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) analyzes situation with Post-Soviet online expression, noting that online censorship in the region has become more subtle without losing efficiency. “Accidents befall Web servers, just as mysterious, unsolved crimes of violence silence the region's online journalists.”

Gabon: Leaderless Opposition?

  15 February 2011

Gabon is entering its third week of political tension, as its two presidents - official and unofficial - both claim leadership. But as developments continue in this small West African nation, critics denounce a lack of leadership in the burgeoning opposition movement.

Bahamas: Fire on Bay Street

  15 February 2011

Weblog Bahamas‘ Rick Lowe posts photos of yesterday's tragic fire in Nassau, commenting: “What a sad loss of those beautiful old buildings.”

Bahamas: Dr. Keva Bethel Dies

  15 February 2011

Womanish Words pays tribute to the late educator Dr. Keva Bethel: “Bahamian women of my generation can be especially proud of her and grateful to her for a life and career that inspired us to reach for greatness in a man's world.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Songs of Our Youth

  15 February 2011

“There’s no soca like the soca of your youth”: Lisa Allen-Agostini says that's “the reason soca gets ‘worse’ every year. It’s not the music, darling. It’s you.”

Bahrain: The second martyr falls

  15 February 2011

Saudi Twitter user @Al Ahlawy29 posts a series of photos (WARNING: graphic images) showing the second protester to die in Bahrain, prefaced with the text (ar): “And the second martyr falls. The martyr is Fadhel Salman Al Matrook, 32 years old. He was martyred while taking part in the funeral of [first] martyr...

Latin America: Conversations About OCD Iberoamérica

  15 February 2011

Juan Arellano spoke to Soraya Sacaan [es] and Juan José Retamal [es] of OCD Iberoamérica [es], a Chilean initiative whose mission is to “contribute to knowledge of digital communications in the private sector, academia and government to promote and understand its scope and application in society.” Juan added both videos...

Pearl Roundabout, Bahrain's Tahrir Square

  15 February 2011

Following the burial of the first Bahraini protestor to be killed after clashes with riot police on Monday February 14, 2011, hundreds more protestors are gathered once more at Pearl Roundabout in capital Manama, the epicentre of the country's demonstrations.