10 May 2011

Stories from 10 May 2011

USA: Native Americans Take Offense at Osama Nickname

For the United States government, "Geronimo EKIA" (Enemy Killed In Action) is the code for Osama Bin Laden's death. For many Native Americans, however, comparing their folk hero Geronimo to the world's number one terrorist is offensive. Geronimo was the most famous Chiricahua Apache figure who fought against Mexican and US armies to defend Apache lands.

10 May 2011

South Africa: Corrective Rape Claims Another Victim

The unending cases of "corrective rape" that have plagued South Africa at alarming levels are still on the rise. Corrective rape is a criminal practice, whereby men rape lesbian women, purportedly as a means of “curing” the woman of her sexual orientation. The latest victim is a twenty-four year old soccer player from Johannesburg who was stabbed to death minutes after dropping off her girlfriend.

10 May 2011

Ecuador: Blogger Detained for Offenses Against Attorney General

The detainment of Ecuadorian blogger Víctor Vizcaíno Luzuriaga for alleged offenses against Attorney General Washington Pesántez became a trend on Twitter, with strong reactions in the blogosphere and a harsh analysis regarding freedom of expression in Ecuador. Many have been commenting on the situation online with the Twitter hashtag #presoporopinar (in English: detained for expressing his opinion).

10 May 2011

Brunei: Fake Bus Robbery Alerts Citizens

Last week, news of a bus robbery in Brunei spread fast on Twitter and Facebook. Residents immediately expressed their concern about the safety of public places in Brunei. Then it was discovered that the robbery was a fake. Netizens react to this issue.

10 May 2011

Global Blogging Competition on Water Issues

The European Journalism Centre has launched a three month international blogging competition focusing on water issues called TH!NK5. Bloggers from 40 different countries joined the contest, aiming to win the final prize: a trip to Lisbon, Portugal. Here are some of the most popular and original posts written by some of the winners.

10 May 2011