Stories from 26 September 2011
USA: The Real and Digital Unite for Latin American Literature
La Casa Azul - an online bookstore - has recently announced it is going to collaborate with a new bookstore located in Washington Heights, New York. Word Up (@wordupbooks) has two goals: to spread Latin American literature and independent bookstores.
Zambia: Starting Life Under a New Leader
Zambians have started life under newly elected president Michael Sata who was inaugurated on September 23, 2011, three days after the elections which ended 20 years of rule by the MMD government. Netizens on various social network platforms have expressed different views on the inauguration and the new presidency.
Albania: One in three pays bribes
Home of the Albanian Blogger reports that one out of three Albanians pays bribes, making the country the most corrupt in Europe.
Protecting African Forests: Wangari Maathai's Legacy
Wangari Maathai, a prominent Kenyan environmental and political activist and 2004 Nobel prize winner passed away on September 25. She was the first African woman to be awarded the prize and is recognized worldwide in the fight to protect the environment on the African continent.
Zambia: Did Ex-President Implicate Himself in Farewell Speech?
Netizens have been dissecting the speech by Zambia’s outgoing president Rupiah Banda to find out whether he implicated himself in the plunder of national resources. Gershom Ndhlovu reports.
Russia: Expert Analyzes RuNet's Role Under Putin's Presidency
Nikolay Kononov, a columnist of Russian “Forbes,” says [ru] that the Internet will be the only space where real politics will take place in the era of new Putin's presidency. In...
Hong Kong: Migrant Domestic Workers
Foreign domestic workers constitute 3,763,000 total workforce in Hong Kong. However, their rights are very often neglected. “Open door” a support group for FDW posted an article addressing the situation...
China: National Secrets and Face
C Custer explains how the Chinese authorities’ concern for their “face” is at work in Chinese media and law enforcement unit.
Indonesia: Suicide Bomb Blast at Protestant Church
A Protestant church in Solo, Central Java in Indonesia was hit by a suicide bomb blast on Sunday. Twitter users in Solo and elsewhere are extending their condolences and expressing their disappointment over this tragic event.
Philippines: Anti-Planking Bill Draws More Planks
A proposal in the Philippines to ban planking has drawn much criticism online and offline. Planking has been used by student activists as a creative form of protest, especially in last week's nationwide campus strikes against education budget cuts.
India: The Dark Side Of Social Media
Lazy Optimist informs that Malini Murmu, a student of the Indian Institute Of Management (IIM) Bangalore, committed suicide because her boyfriend “dumped her via a status update on Facebook”.
Nepal: Buddha Air Crash, Who To Blame?
Guffadi questions the aviation security in Nepal considering why the Buddha air flight that succumbed into a crash was allowed to take off in the midst of incessant rain.
Sri Lanka: University Autonomy Under Threat
Groundviews posts an appeal of the academic community to the Sri Lankan government protesting a directive that all state universities (who enjoy autonomy) should hire the services of certain government...
Sri Lanka: Colombo Municipal Council Election On Facebook
Indi.ca highlights some of the candidates of Colombo Municipal Council election, who are using Facebook and other social media tools to run their web campaigns.
India: A Town Shuts Down To Protest Media Corruption
Sans Serif reports that the residents of the town of Mudhol in the Karnataka state of India observed a strike recently to protest “blackmail journalism” and the growing number of...