Stories from 24 December 2011
Armenia: Fans of Facebook Cocktail Bar
Global Voices’ Caucasus Editor snaps a photo from mobile of a new cocktail bar in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The bar is called ‘Fans of Facebook’ and there's of course a group page on the popular social networking site.
Syria: Regime Affiliates Try to Frame Muslim Brotherhood for Damascus Car Bombs
Syrian official media outlets yesterday published a statement allegedly issued by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood taking responsibility for the twin car-bomb attacks that caused heavy casualties in Damascus on Friday. Several irregularities and inconsistencies in the regime's story prompted a few Syrian netizens to investigate the matter further.
Jamaica: politician too loud?
Yvette J. Rowe contemplates a Jamaican election campaign advertisement that portrays opposition leader Portia Simpson-Miller as “too loud”: “These ads about attitude and posture are scoring dubious points rather than talking about the policies or the future of the country.”
Barbados: leptospirosis outbreak
A government press conference addressing a leptospirosis outbreak prompts Barbados Free Press to ask some questions: “Why must every new leptospirosis outbreak be a surprise? Why are Barbados governments incapable of implementing and carrying through with long-term plans about issues that are foundational to the health and safety of citizens?”
Yemen: The Amazing Life March Arrives in Sanaa
Thousands of Yemenis just arrived in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after marching from the city of Taiz in the south, to call for the trial of Yemeni president Ali Abdulla Saleh. The aim of the 264km march, which protesters undertook on foot, is to demand the that Saleh, who was granted immunity from prosecution for his involvement in an 11-month crackdown on protesters demanding democracy, gets punished for his crimes.
Singapore Memory Project
irememberSG is part of the Singapore Memory Project, a national initiative to “collect, preserve and provide access to the memories” of a nation which rose to become one of the most prosperous cities in the world.
Singapore: Person of the Year
Alvinology lists 12 individuals as possible choices for Singapore's person of the year.
Indonesia: Solidarity March for Aceh Punks
EngageMedia uploads a video of the solidarity march which was organized to support 64 musicians who were detained in Aceh, Indonesia for being “punks” and “disturbing the peace.”
Singapore's Transport Problems
Molly Meek writes about the frustration of many Singaporeans with the country's inefficient transportation system
Cuba: Dance Flash Mob in Plaza Vieja
To celebrate the end of the year long activities around the 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Unicef, ballet and dance students worked together to produce a colorful flash mob in the Old Square of La Habana as seen in this video.
Hungary: Presidents in Correspondence, Journalist in Blind Copy
Attila Mong, a Hungarian journalist, has obtained and published on his blog the letter sent by José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, to the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán. Marietta Le reports.
