28 July 2011

Stories from 28 July 2011

Mexico: A Mother's Struggle to Find Her Missing Daughter

  28 July 2011

Judith Torrea in her blog Ciudad Juárez, En la Sombra del Narcotráfico (Ciudad Juárez, In the Shadow of Drug Trafficking), tells the story [es] of Lucy, a mother who has been looking for her missing 18-year-old daughter, Nancy Navarro, for two weeks. Nancy disappeared in downtown Ciudad Juárez, and is...

Peru: Tweeting About President Alan García's Last Speech

  28 July 2011

Global Voices author and Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano has collected reactions [es] to President Alan García's last presidential address. Twitter users used the hashtags #mensajepresidencial, #teperdonocomoAlan, #LargateALAN, among others, to tweet during the speech. Ollanta Humala will be sworn in today, July 28, 2011, as the new president of Peru.

Lebanon: Musician Arrested for Mocking President in Song

Lebanese musician Zeid Hamdan was detained briefly this week for allegedly defaming President Michel Suleiman in a song he released in 2010. Lebanese newspaper Assafir has since reported the Hamdan has been released, but not before a Twitter and blogger storm publicised the news of his initial arrest. Lebanon's online...

South Korea: 41 Dead in Torrential Flooding and Landslides

  28 July 2011

Torrential rain has battered South Korea for several consecutive days, causing landslides, flooding and power cuts. At least 41 people have been killed and 12 people are still missing. Throughout the disaster, South Koreans have shared updated stories, photos and useful tips for those affected via Twitter.

Lebanon: Maritime Dispute with Israel Escalates

Hezballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has exclaimed that God had given Lebanon an opportunity to rid itself of a crippling debt, and become a "rich country" by providing it lucrative offshore oil and gas reserves. However, the reserves potentially lie in a disputed maritime border zone with Israel.

Ukraine: Timoshenko Case Turning Sour

Levko of Foreign Notes argues that the trial against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko is quickly becoming a liability for President Yanukovich, with mounting international and domestic critique, and the trial in itself giving an additional political platform for Timoshenko.

Estonia: Tower of Babel

Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa discusses how Estonia – contrary to preconceptions – is very much of a multilingual country, not least because of tourism but also in daily practicalities.

Malaysia: Letter of Catholics to Pope

  28 July 2011

A letter signed by 365 Catholics and other Christians in Malaysia was sent to Pope Benedict XVI expressing concern about the timing of the visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the Vatican. They remind the Pope that Najib used “unnecessarily excessive force” in dispersing a democracy walk early...