5 August 2011

Stories from 5 August 2011

Peru: The Amazon and the Diversion of the Huallaga and Marañón Rivers

  5 August 2011

Law 29,760 -also known as 'Corina Law'- was published this July in Peru, qualifying as a "public need and of national interest" the diversion of the Marañon and Huallaga rivers "for hydro-power and agricultural purposes." The projects associated with this law have caused much opposition because of the strong environmental impact they would have on the Amazon Rainforest.

Sri Lanka: Should Poor Countries Play Games?

  5 August 2011

In reaction to Sri Lanka's bid for the next Commonwealth Games, which may cost billions of dollars and pose risk of corruption and controversy, Indi.ca asks should poor countries have the luxury of playing such costly games?

Haiti: Tackling the Housing Problem

  5 August 2011

Toussaint on Haiti maintains that “kicking people out of the IDP camps without providing them with an adequate alternative will not solve the [housing] problem”, adding: “The only solution is for the government to provide some form of public housing [and] engage in serious agrarian reforms that will provide real...

Cuba: Female Protesters Arrested

  5 August 2011

Reports of female political activists being “violently arrested on the steps of the old Capitol building in Havana after their demonstration in favor of freedom for the Cuban people drew support from other Cubans and tourists”, here and here.

South Korea: Extremist Grandpas Attack Labor Activists

  5 August 2011

The Korea Parents Federation, an extreme right-wing group made up exclusively of elderly Korean men has been involved in clashes with protestors demonstrating against massive layoffs in Busan, South Korea's largest port city, on July 31, 2011. Are the group conservative extremists or rather victims political manipulation?

Bahrain: Liliane Khalil, Another Blog Hoax or Propaganda?

On 2 August 2011, British blogger and PhD Student, Marc Owen Jones wrote a post about his investigation into the identity of an alleged Arab-American Journalist named Liliane Khalil. Jones traced back all the social media accounts of this persona, only to discover that most of what she had written about herself turned out to be false.

Ukraine: Court Orders Yulia Tymoshenko's Arrest

  5 August 2011

According to media reports, the court has ordered the arrest of Ukraine's ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko (@YuliaTymoshenko [uk]). Olga Sulyma (@OlenyatkoS) addresses [en] Ukraine's President Victor Yanukovych on Twitter: “Dear Mr.President,by arresting #Tymoshenko you are one step away from handcuffing #Ukraine.”

Chile: Citizen Videos of August 4 Clashes Between Students and Police

  5 August 2011

Pepe Díaz, blackmetalmeda on YouTube, posted videos (1, 2, 3) of yesterday's clashes between students and police during an unauthorized education protest in Santiago, Chile. Also, blogger Montserrat Nicolas from Curvas Políticas shared a video (with English captions) she put together with footage by Hernán Ortega (@yoopinopino).

Brazil: Proposal to Award a Homophobic Pastor Causes Outrage

  5 August 2011

The proposal of Rose Sales, councilwoman of the city of São Luis from the Communist Party of Brazil, to award a “Title of Citizen of São Luís” to the pastor Silas Malafaia has caused outrage among the defenders of gay rights. Malafaia is considered by many a homophobic preacher, tells...

Brazil: New Minister of Defence Becomes Trending on Twitter

  5 August 2011

Brazilian diplomat Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations of the former President Lula da Silva, was appointed by President Rousseff as the new Minister of Defence, replacing the controversial Nelson Jobim, writes [pt] Hugo Albuquerque. Thousands tweeted the news as Amorim's name became [pt] a worldwide trending topic.

Brazil: Brazilian Singer Censored by Politician

  5 August 2011

Brazilian singer and songwriter Tonho Crocco is being prosecuted by the State Deputy Giovanni Cherini due to a song in which he criticizes 36 lawmakers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul for the 73% pay rise they voted for themselves, writes [pt] Jefferson da silva, from the blog...

Azerbaijan: Refugee problem

  5 August 2011

Ilkin Huseynov posts photographs of refugees in Azerbaijan on Invisible Photographer Asia and says that even 17 years after the 1994 ceasefire agreement with Armenia the problem remains urgent and demands special attention from society.