Stories from 4 November 2011
Equatorial Guinea: President Appoints Son as Deputy Envoy to UNESCO and the FAO
According to guineequatoriale-info.net [fr], the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has appointed his son to lead the National Directorate of the ongoing referendum campaign to create a...
Russia: Reactions to Arms Smuggler Viktor Bout's Conviction
Many citizen media outlets from around the world have captured the controversy surrounding the November 2 conviction of the Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout by an American jury. Donna Welles reports.
Cuba: Diaspora Discusses New Real Estate Law
Bloggers, primarily from the Cuban diaspora, are having a field day with news of a new law that will allow Cubans to buy and sell real estate legitimately. Many feel that there are still too many restrictions.
Palestine: Israeli Commandos Intercept Gaza-bound Flotilla and Arrest Activists
Israeli soldiers boarded two ships heading to Gaza earlier today. The Canadian ship Tahrir (Liberation) and Irish Saoirse (Freedom) were en route to Gaza in an attempt to break the Israeli siege on it.
Bahamas: Fear of Crime or Denying Kids a Good Time?
Womanish Words has a message – albeit a late one – for “all you people who say you don't like Halloween so that you can relieve yourselves of the responsibility...
Cuba: Sports Showdown at PanAm Games
Iván García will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Cuban athletes at the upcoming Pan American games, saying that Cuba will have to perform at its very...
Barbados: No Love for Culture
Barbados Underground says explains why he thinks that “we are a people devoid of any need to connect to our culture.”
Jamaica: Space for a New Type of Leader?
The Prime Minister's recent resignation has got Jamaica Salt thinking “about if and when the political make up in Jamaica can ever change.”
Nicaragua: A Preview of the November 6 Election
Bloggings by boz previews Nicaragua's upcoming elections on Sunday, November 6. He analyzes two important points regarding President Daniel Ortega‘s reelection bid, and lists 7 things to watch for on...
Catalonia: From Arab Spring To Islamic Autumn
Pepe Nieto from SODEPAU, a Catalan international aid organization, published a post entitled: “From the Arab Spring to the Islamic Autumn” [cat]. Nieco forecasts that political Islam will be the great...
Taiwan: Will Taishang be the decisive power of Presidential election?
On Ballots and Bullets, Chun-Yi Lee brings up the role of “Taishang”(Taiwanese businessmen, especially those who are doing business in China) in the coming joint election of President and legislators...
Pakistan: The ‘Captain’ Makes His Presence Known
Imran Khan, the cricket-star-turned-politician has sent ripples through Pakistan’s political arena with his mega-rally at Lahore sporting a crowd of well over 100,000 people. The former captain of Pakistan cricket team has infused a new spirit into Pakistan’s politics by stirring the urban youth.
Cuba: Bloggers Discuss the Internet “Offline” on Radio Martí
On September 22, Radio Martí presented a program focused on the increasing visibility of bloggers and social media in Cuba, and the unique ways that new media is used on the island, where Internet and mobile phone penetration rates are extremely low.
Russia: November 4th – a Day of Marches
Ridus.ru, citizen media platform, provides an extensive coverage (photos, reports, streaming videos) of 4 marches: “Russian march” [ru] (anti-government, nationalist; ~6,000 participants), “Russian imperial march” [ru] (pro-government, nationalist; ~300 participants),...
Tunisia: Netizens Turn to Facebook to Criticise Islamists
The question of the power of Islamic movements has become a hot topic since the so called Arab Spring started in Tunisia last December. Mona Kareem takes a look at how Tunisian netizens are turning to Facebook to criticise and mock this movement and draw support to Tunisia's secular way of life.
Russia/Georgia: The Dilemma of Politics Blogging for Cash
One well-known Georgian political blogger writes of his dilemma in being approached for payment for a blog post. Blogging for cash is a recent shady public relations phenomenon in Russia and former Soviet Republic countries. Dmitry Davidov reports.
Kuwait: Twitter Users Arrested then Released for “Insulting” Amir
Kuwaiti Twitter users Hamad AlOlayan and Tariq Al-mutairi were arrested and then charged with insulting the country's ruler on the social networking site. They have since been released but the investigation against them continues. Here are reactions to their arrest.
Ukraine: First Online Political Talk Show
On Politiko.ua, Serhiy Levytsky posts [ru] an announcement about the second broadcast of the first Ukrainian online political talk show. The show, called “The Firing Line” [uk], is run in...
Egypt: Men Should Wear the Veil!
With Islamists rising in post-revolution Egypt, fear of religious oppression is growing among youth, minorities, and women. A new Facebook group encouraging men to wear Hijab or veils, in solidarity with women has just popped up. Here are some reactions to the initiative from Egyptian and Tunisian netizens.
GovCamp Singapore 2011
GovCamp Singapore 2011, which will take place this month, will discuss “how to improve citizen engagement and services using technology” and “will bring together leading thinkers from government, academia, industry...
Singapore: Dengue Alert App
x-Dengue is a free public service project in Singapore to “raise the general public’s awareness of dengue clusters, health risks and prevention through location-based, individual SMS and email alerts.”
