9 February 2012

Stories from 9 February 2012

Sri Lanka: Social Media Success Stories

Amitha Amarasinghe discusses the use of social media by the corporates in Sri Lanka and ponders whether there are any social media success stories in Sri Lanka.

9 February 2012

Brazil: Is the Weather Wacky?

Talking about the weather may be mere elevator chit-chat but, come rain or shine, there is no honest conversation that does not make some reference to the weather. Obviously the online community could not remain silent on the issue. Especially not in the face of Brazil's readying for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.

9 February 2012

Maldives: Marred by Violence

The political crisis in the Maldives took an ugly turn Wednesday when the police brutally beat and injured supporters of the ousted President Mohamed Nasheed as they protested against what they claimed to be a coup that removed the island nation's first democratically elected president from power.

9 February 2012

Cuba: Collapsing Capital?

“For Rogelio, 49, the need for housing is stronger than his fear of losing his life due to a collapse”: Iván's File Cabinet discusses the conundrum many inhabitants of Havana...

9 February 2012

Cambodia: Demolition of Houses in Borei Keila

Forced evictions and land grabbing are getting worse in Cambodia. But the case which grabbed global attention involves the violent demolition of an urban poor community in Borei Keila located in central Phnom Penh. This is the story of the residents' struggle for their land and housing rights.

9 February 2012

Spain: The Rebel Grandparents of the 15M

The majority of them far exceed the age of 60, they're retired, they're "iaios" (grandparents in Catalan) and they're veterans of activism. Lali Sandiumenge interviews some members of the “Iaioflautas”, a collective that emerged in Barcelona last October in the camp out at Plaza Catalunya.

9 February 2012

South Africa: Virgin Active Caught in Racism Row

South African newspapers ran a story recently about a South African woman who was racially abused in public at the Virgin Active gym in Morningside, Johannesburg. The story has caused a public outcry on social media which resulted in Virgin Active re-opening the investigation into the incident.

9 February 2012

Argentina: Musician Luis Alberto Spinetta Dies

Luis Alberto Spinetta, "El Flaco", one of the most influential rock musicians in Argentina, died on February 8 from illness; Spinetta had lung cancer, diagnosed in July, 2011. The Twitter hashtag #ChauFlaco quickly started trending, bringing together the tweets of those wanting to express their emotions on the news of the death of one of the most legendary Argentine rock stars.

9 February 2012

South Korea: Activist Indicted for Retweeting North Korean Messages

South Korean prosecutors indicted a photographer last week for retweeting messages posted by the North Korean government's Twitter account. This case has sparked another round of debate on the country's controversial national security law which prohibits "acts benefiting the enemy" without specifying what constitutes such acts.

9 February 2012

China: Another Grassroots Uprising in the North

Follow Wukan Uprising, Panhe Village in Zhejiang province is also revolting against local government and developer who are colluded to grab away villagers’ land. David Wertime from Tea Leaf Nation...

9 February 2012