Stories from 7 February 2012
Cuba: Exit Visa as Punishment
Bloggers republish Amnesty International's statement on the Cuban authorities’ decision to deny blogger Yoani Sanchez permission to travel overseas, noting that they “[use] exit permits to punish freedom of expression.”
Myanmar: Human Rights Violations Persist Despite Reforms
After a six-day mission to Myanmar, U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana releases his report about the continuing human rights problems in the country despite the reforms implemented by the government
East Timor Presidential Candidates
Centru Jornalista Investigativu Timor Leste uploads the list of presidential candidates in East Timor who have registered with the Court.
Bulgaria: Severe Flooding Emergency
GV Author Ruslan Trad is tweeting – here, here, here, and here – about the severe flooding in southern Bulgaria, which was caused by heavy rainfall of the past few days and has killed at least eight people in the village of Bisser. The latest tweet came about an hour...
Brazil: Folha, The Second Best-Selling Newspaper
Teacher Chico Bicudo [pt] and journalist Lino Bocchini from the blog Desculpe a Nossa Falha [pt] comment on the fact that the newspaper Folha de São Paulo still declares itself as the number one newspaper in Brazil while the country's institute that verifies the circulation of newspapers denies it.
Kyrgyzstan: World Bank Country Director Storms Out of Round Table
For Kyrgyzstan-based netizens the story of last week was undoubtedly the sudden and violent meltdown of Alexander Kramer, head of the World Bank's Bishkek office, at a high level government-donor round table. Chris Rickleton reports.
Brazil: Indigenous Guarani Kaiowá's Letter Asks for Survival
Blogger Sonia Matuscelli posts a letter [pt] written by the leaders of the Guarani-Kaiowá people of the Ñanderu Laranjeira-Rio Brilhante settlement, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, saying that they “want to physically and culturally survive as a Brazilian original people”, in face of the genocide they...
Italy: More Protests Against Austerity and Information Deficit
The austerity measures being implemented in EU countries are still drawing popular opposition. Especially in a country like Italy, already strained by years of government mismanagement and budget issues -- not to mention a relevant information deficit.
Internet Radio and Podcasts from Ecuador
Juan Arellano shares some video interviews from Campus Party Quito with the people behind several podcasts and internet radios in Ecuador.
Maldives: On the Brink of Chaos
The Maldives is in a deep political crisis as the police force and some military personnel mutinied against the government in a follow-up to three weeks of protest by civilians. Details are emerging and there are frequent updates on Twitter.
Ukraine: Netizens React to Popular File-Sharing Website's Shutdown
The news of the shutdown of Ukraine's most popular file-sharing website caused quite a stir online. Tetyana Bohdanova reports on the netizens' varied reactions to the controversy.
Balkans: Online Platform Tracks Reports From Areas Hit by Record Snowfall
Since last week, the Balkans have been hit by massive snow storms, the likes of which have not been seen in over a decade, if not longer. Danica Radisic reports on relevant initiatives launched by the region's online community, including the new Ushahidi platform for tracking verified information on road blocks, power outages and other critical points and information in the entire region.
