Stories from December, 2011
Argentina: New Anti-Terrorism Law Raises Concerns
A new anti-terrorism law is causing concern in Argentina. Lillie Langtry explains in her blog Memory in Latin America that, “the new package of measures is intended to combat financial crimes, but opponents are worried that its vague terms could be employed against legitimate protesters.”
Argentina Tech Blogger Looks into ‘Death’ of Blogs
Technology blogger Mariano Amartino [es] reacts to the post “The Golden Age of Tech Blogging is Over” by Jeremiah Owyang. He points out the irony that posts about “the death of blogs” are written in blogs, and asks: who defines what is or isn't ‘a blog'?
Russia: AIDS Epidemic – “Shame Russia Shame”
International organizations are taking notice of Russia's AIDS epidemic and the hurdles the country faces in combating it. Recent international attention has been directed toward Russia's healthcare system, the stigma attached to those infected, and Russia's drug policies. Donna Welles reports.
Singapore: Is it Flooding, or Just Ponding?
Singapore's Public Utilities Board used the term “ponded” rather than "flooded" when heavy rains caused flash floods in various parts of the city last week. The use of the word has led to much scorn and ridicule from Singaporeans online.
India: Growth of Online Shopping
Arun Prabhudesai at Trak.in points out a Comscore research report which claims that 3 out of every 5 Indian Internet users now shop online.
India: Some More Travel Tales in Images
Freelance travel writer and photographer Arun sums up his India travels in 2011, through a series of images.
Bangladesh: Suggestions for the New International Crimes Tribunal
The government of Bangladesh is planning to set up another International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to help expedite trial of war criminals of 1971. Rumi Ahmed offers some suggestions in this respect, which he feels will enable the government to avoid the controversies dogging the current tribunal.
Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia
Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.
Pakistan: Images from the Manghopir Shrine
Blogger Karachi Walla shares some images from a visit to the Manghopir Shrine – one of the oldest Sufi shrines located in the suburbs of Gadap town, to the North-West of Karachi.
South Korea: Respected Leader of Korean Democratic Movement Dies
Kim Geun-tae, a leading South Korean democracy activist, died December 30, 2011 at the age of 64 from a brain disease. More than three thousand net users have already paid their deep condolences in Daum Agora page [ko], the nation's most famous public forum. Kim was repeatedly tortured and jailed under authoritarian regimes.
China: Police border control servers got hacked
Feng37 from the Nanfang.com reports on the hacking of the Entry-Exit Department of the Guangdong Public Security Bureau (PSB) which has resulted in the leaking of 4.44 million pieces of information on the legal names, passport and ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and telephone numbers of those who...
Indonesia: Activist Dies After Self-Immolation in Front of Palace
Indonesian bloggers have been discussing whether activist Sondang Hutagalung, who burned himself to death in front of the state palace, is a hero or a reckless man.
Iran:Blocking the Strait of Hormuz
Iran has warned that the country could block the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions are imposed on its exports of crude oil. Filternet1 writes[fa] if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, even China, to protect its interests, will attack Iran.
Africa: 12 Predictions for Africa’s Tech Scene in 2012
Read Mbwana Ally's 12 predictions for Africa's tech scene in 2012: “New models of mobile money will be explored that are less dependent on mobile operators, such asPagatech in Nigeria, but their growth will be slow given the lack of a strong agent network to begin with.”
Ghana: Azonto Dance Craze Goes Global
A Ghanaian dance called Azonto is making waves around the world and threatening to spawn its own YouTube industry as dance enthusiasts try to out do each other by posting the most hilarious and most accomplished Azonto moves on the video channel.
Africa: African Arguments Online
African Arguments Online is “a multi-blogging site that covers both contemporary African events as they unfold, and develops debates on themes we believe are centrally important to an ever-changing continent.”
Kyrgyzstan: Ravshan Jeenbekov and the Facebook Generation
Of all the divides in Kyrgyzstan’s fractious political society, one too often overlooked is the divide between generations. Unlike the famed North/South schism, which manifests itself in elections and street-protests, the generational split is subtle in its complexion; existing within political factions rather than between them, as members of a younger, tech-savvy elite...
China: Dairy Company's Website Hacked by Angry Netizens
The latest round of tainted milk scandals broke out last week in China. The country's biggest dairy producer, Mengniu Dairy Co., admitted that some of its milk products contained aflatoxin – a cancer-causing substance. To express their anger, Chinese info-activists hacked Mengniu's official website last night (December 28, 2011). Below...
Bangladesh:Hot Air Balloon Show in Dhaka
On 28th December, a hot air balloon show was held in Dhaka. In this context, photojournalist Monirul Alam discussed the history of hot air balloons.
Pakistan: Childhood Joys – Then and Now
Rabia Tirmizey at The Paradigm House points out that the meaning of joy and happiness has changed tremendously for kids in Pakistan and even the bar for happiness has risen. Simple pleasures such as those enjoyed by children of the '70s to early '90s no longer suffice.
Egypt: A Letter from Maikel Nabil
No Military Trials for Civilians, a collective blog aimed at raising awareness about the military trial of civilians in Egypt, publishes a must read post by jailed Egyptian blogger Maikel Nabil, who has been on hunger strike for more than 120 days.