Stories from 5 March 2011
China: No real friends abroad?
In recent years, China has spent a lot to cultivate alliances with illiberal regimes around the world. While it is portrayed as a battle against Western "universal values", the real reasons may lie at home. And it remains to be seen whether this policy would eventually come back to haunt China itself.
Angola: Calls for a Revolution
In the spirit of protest that has swept across North Africa and the Middle East, it appears that Angolan people have found some inspiration. A protest against the government in power for 32 years has been set for March 7th. Bloggers and government officials react.
Equatorial Guinea: Writer ends hunger strike
Writer and poet Juan Tomás Avila Laurel decided to end a hunger strike [es] in protest against the rule of Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who siezed power of Equatorial Guinea in 1979 in a military coup. “It makes no sense to continue with a protest that has lost its essence,” he...
Bhutan: Monk Becomes The First Victim Of The Tobacco Act
Depending on which way you look at it, the first violator or victim of Bhutan's anti-tobacco act that came to effect in January 2011, was a Buddhist monk who was arrested end of January while trying to enter the country with 72 packets of chewing tobacco from India.
Israel: A new participatory online video project
“Bits of my life in Israel” is the title of a new video project, initiated by Israeli journalist and blogger Ziv Kitaro. The project invites Israelis to upload short videos in English documenting bits from their daily life dealing with any aspect of life, outside politics. the aim of the...
Israel: Over 1,500 bikers escorted motorbike guru on his last ride
On Wednesday 2/3/2011, a deadly accident took the life of Tal Shavit (55), a local motorbike guru, the founder of Motto Magazine and an activist campaigning for safe riding. His death shattered the local bikers community who felt that if it could happen to Shavit, one of the most experienced...
Egypt: Protests and Clashes at State Security building in Alexandria
In yet another chapter in the ongoing revolution in Egypt, on the evening of March 4, people surrounded the State Security Police headquarters in in Alexandria. The State Security Police forces are a much despised element of the police force within the Mubarak regime, they acted with impunity over decades...
Egypt: Ayman Nour's Stolen Mobile and False Tweet
Egyptian politician Ayman Nour's Twitter account acted up last night - first with a tweet saying that he would not run for the next presidential elections, and then with a tweet saying he hasn't decided yet and that his mobile phone, which had access to his Twitter account was stolen. Tweeps react to the developments here.
Brazil: Google Transparency Reports doesn't prove press censorship
Blogger Fernando Marés de Souza unraveled [Pt] the biased interpretation of some Brazilian newspapers and magazines about the Google Transparency Reports: Government Requests. He confirms the report is not about press censorship, as the news circulating about the subject want to believe.
Colombia: High School Students Speak About Sexual Diversity
In Colombia, the government of Medellin has started a campaign to raise awareness on sexual diversity in high schools, and part of the campaign includes online videos of different students speaking about their experience
