Stories from 13 October 2011
Iran: “Stranger than Fiction” Saudi Ambassador Plot Accusations
Accusations of an Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in the United States has captured the front page of websites and newspapers around the world. Iranian blogger opinions on this “stranger than fiction” story are diverse as ever.
Chile: Calls for Government Action One Year Since Rescue of ‘the 33′
Chileans today remembered the incredible rescue one year ago of 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days. Twitter users are calling upon the government to reignite the spirit of that coordination effort. They say politicians need to unite once again to fix problems plaguing Chile.
USA: Legendary Computer Scientist Dennis Ritchie Has Died
Computer science legend Dennis Ritchie died on October 8, 2011, in his home in New Jersey at the age of 70, leaving behind a legacy of enormous impact on global development. Ritchie was the developer of the C programming language, one of the most widely used programming languages of all time.
Chile/New York: Similarities Between Occupy Wall Street and the Student Movement
The students of Chile are entering their fifth month protesting for education reform. As Occupy Wall Street gains numbers on the ground and increased attention from the press, economic and social echoes between the two are worth noting -- and perhaps provide a hint as to what comes next.
Colombia: You Can Copy This Creative Commons Film Festival
The Creative Commons Audiovisual Festival will be taking place in Barranquilla and Medellin later this month. You can still experience it even if you aren't in Colombia by requesting to Copy the Festival, and getting a full package to replicate the festival, including films, talks and contact information for directors and panelists.
Russia: Investigative Journalists Expose Security Services Monitoring Internet
Andrey Soldatov and Irina Borogan, famous investigative journalists, describe [ru] software and methods used by Russian security services to monitor the Internet. Journalists argue that while Federal Security Service (FSB) can easily monitor Russian social networks (like Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and others), it has problems with monitoring foreign platforms (like Facebook and...
Ethiopia: Netizens Take Campaign for Shweya Mullah Online
A social media campaign for justice is raging amongst Ethiopians online after a CNN journalist, Dan Rivers, revealed the horrifying abuse of Shweyga Mullah who was brutally injured after the wife of Gaddafi’s son poured boiled water on her body for allegedly failing to keep a crying child quiet.
Trinidad & Tobago: Integrity Commission Chair Resigns
Gerard Best tries to connect the dots between the resignation of the Chair of Trinidad and Tobago's Integrity Commission and the Opposition Leader's rejection of an offer by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner “on the same day that a Daily Telegraph article reported that ‘Warner…appears to be recorded telling other...
Cuba: News about El Sexto
babalu has an update on the arrest of graffiti artist El Sexto, while Translating Cuba calls for his release and publishes several examples of his artwork.
U.S. Virgin Islands: No News is Good News
News of St. John says that there's an upside to the island being quiet: “There are still 49 days left in H!^&*($#@ season [hurricane season] and so far St. John's doing OK. A close call, a few brush-back pitches – but nothing bad.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Need for Proper Tender Process
Afra Raymond continues to blog about the tender process surrounding the proposed development of public lands at Invaders Bay: ” To proceed as things stand is to continue on a path which lacks the necessary transparency and public participation. The quantities of money involved and the absence of those critical...
Jamaica: New Prime Minister Designate
As Jamaica prepares to swear in a new Prime Minister, Girl With a Purpose says: “It is expected that the government of Jamaica will call an early election this year. This is so that they can capitalize on the upsurge in popularity of the JLP since electing a new leader-designate...
Cameroon: Diaspora Fail to Participate in Elections
Seven million Cameroonian voters were called to elect their next president on October 9, 2011. However, the question of the abstention seems to be the great winner of this ballot, in particular that of Cameroonians living abroad. Julie Owono reports.
El Salvador: Communities Severely Affected by Flooding
Voices from El Salvador is reporting on the consequences of severe weather in El Salvador: “Over 4000 people have been evacuated from their homes in San Salvador, La Paz, San Vicente, Sonsonate, and Usulután, and the risk of more flooding and landslides remains high.” They are also posting pictures on...
Portugal: Democracy Takes to the Streets on October 15
In Portugal, on the global action day scheduled for October 15, 'democracy will take to the streets' in a protest for 'participatory democracy, transparency in policy and the end of the precariousness of life'. The mobilization is however, being prepared quite sparsely on Facebook, and without the backing of major media.
Mexico: Photo Essay on Migration in Oaxaca
Todd Miller, from NACLA's Border Wars blog, posts a photo essay on migration in Oaxaca, where “76% of the […] population lives in poverty.”
Colombia: Students Protest Higher Education Reform
Mike shares pictures of the October 12 student protests in Bogota: “Striking university students have got classes suspended at many of the public universities and vow to stay on strike until the government gives up on a proposed university reform, called Law 30, which would permit private investment in public...
Mexico: U.S. Alleges Iranian Assassination Plot Involving Los Zetas
Reports that the U.S. Justice Department charged two men with conspiring with "factions of the Iranian government" to assassinate Saudi Arabia's U.S. ambassador and to bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington - allegedly with assistance from the Los Zetas drug cartel - provoked strong reactions from netizens in Mexico and around the globe.
Colombia: Could Miss Universe be Colombian?
A Mexican newspaper published that Miss Universe is Colombian, and that her documents were forged [es] so that she could represent Angola. Territorio Chocoano adds that Leila Lopes’ place of birth would be Nóvita, in the Chocó department [es] (the department with the largest population with African-descent). A Colombian magazine...
United States: “Occupy Wall Street” Gets Stronger
When we first published our story on "Occupy Wall Street," it barely made it to the front pages of newspapers. Currently, with thousands of followers, Occupy Wall Street has captured the attention of the national and international media, and the protests have extended to hundreds of city in the United States.
China: Reflecting on 100 Years Since the Xinhai Revolution
October 10, 2011, marked 100 years since the Wuchang Uprising and the beginning of the Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and established the Republic of China. Oiwan Lam reflects on China's revolutionary past.
