Stories from 13 February 2012
China: Online Protest Against the Bear Bile Business
Since early 2011, Gui Zhentang, China's largest bear bile medicine producer, has been trying to apply for stock market launch on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Last year, the application was turned down as a result of netizens' protests. Oiwan Lam updates the issue.
Sri Lanka: Lack Of Basic Convenience At The National Development Exhibition
Serendipity reports that there are insufficient toilets planned at the annual Deyata Kirula (National Development Exhibition).
Madagascar : Crowdsourcing Information about Cyclone Giovanna
Cyclone Giovanna was expected to make landfall on February 13th at 23h00 local time in Madagascar. Malagasy Bloggers have set up a citizen reporting platform to crowd source information during the storm. If you have any relevant information regarding the cyclone, you can share those with mutliple channels: via SMS...
Pakistan: Launch Of Hosh Media, A Citizen Journalism Portal
Sonya Rehman reports about the advent of Hosh Media, a new citizen journalism portal, which epitomizes the growing popularity of locally-based, online portals for citizen journalism in Pakistan.
Bhutan: The Potentials Of Amateur Radios
Tshering Tobgay writes about the Dx-pedition of a ham radio operator from England to Bhutan and the challenges and potentials of the amateur radio and its enthusiasts in his country.
India: Internet Companies Bow to Censorship Demands
India took a giant leap back in time when it demanded that 20 major Internet companies, including Google, Facebook, and Twitter present plans to filter “anti-religious,” or “anti-social” material from the content available to Indian citizens.
Greece: Parliament Votes in New Austerity Deal Amidst Riots
As 200 out of 300 Greek deputies voted in favor of the new austerity deal “Memorandum 2″, these were some of the different scenes. Jimhellas provides his perspective [el] on yesterday's #12febgr huge citizen protest and massive police teargas repression in a post entitled “Mass murder attempt at #Syntagma, as I lived...
Iran: Internet Blackout Ahead of Protest Day
Internet and email services in Iran have become partially inaccessible in recent days with no explanation from the government. Bloggers suspect it has to do with opposition movement protests scheduled for February 14.
Trinidad & Tobago: The Job Letter
Perhaps the best (or worst!) recommendation letter ever – diaspora blogger CunningLinguist shares.
Singapore: Citizens Discuss Politician's Extramarital Scandal
An opposition politician has resigned from his party's Central Executive Committee amidst rumours of extramarital affairs. Netizens discussed the issue in various social networks and many expressed their disappointment over how the issue was handled by the Opposition Party
Curacao: Elvio Carmela Dies Amidst Pension Reform Struggles
TRIUNFO DI SABLIKA pays tribute to the late Elvio Carmela, “a man who stood up for the unemployed, the welfare recipients and kept defending the rights of senior citizens as president of the pensioners association.”
Cuba: Different Pope, Different People
Generation Y adds her perspective to the issue of the upcoming papal visit: “At the end of the nineties Karol Wojtyla lit up our hearts – including those of agnostics like myself – saying the word ‘freedom’ more than a dozens times in the Plaza of the Revolution. But now...
Jamaica: The Marley Brand
Active Voice blogs about a public talk that Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley gave at the University of the West Indies, while Jamaica Woman Tongue repors that “Jamaicans of all social classes” attended the 12th staging of the Bob Marley Tribute Concert, ‘Trench Town Rock’.
Jamaica: Engaging on Twitter
“Twitter is a very interesting space once you engage”: Grasshopper Eyes The Potomac finds himself empowered by the microblogging service.
St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Women's Congress
“There is great buzz about St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ first ever Women’s Congress to take place in March”: CODE RED says that “ff the Women’s Congress can move towards the creating women as a political constituency they will have achieved tremendous success.”
Caribbean: Talking to Peter James Hudson of The Public Archive
An interview with historian Peter James Hudson, whose “digital humanities” blog The Public Archive collects historical and archival resources on Haiti.
Arab World: RIP Whitney Houston
Arabs join the rest of the world in mourning the death of superstar Whitney Houston. Reactions on social media platforms ranged from sadness and shock to those questioning why the death of Houston got more coverage in a few hours than the death of thousands of Syrians over the last 11 months.
Greece: Photos, Videos and Liveblogs from Anti-Austerity Protests, Clashes in Athens
Photos and videos from the latest massive anti-austerity protests in downtown Athens on February 12, 2012, the extensive clashes that ensued and their aftermath were posted on Real Democracy Now, while 19 photosets were uploaded on Demotix. Photos were also posted by Odysseas Galinos Paparounis and John Carnessiotis on Flickr, and on Athensville....
Egypt: The Army and the Economy
Egyptian Vlogger Aalam Wassef reacts to the Egyptian security forces intentional aiming at activist Salma Said with a video mentioning a list of foreign companies dealing with the Egyptian army.
Kyrgyzstan: Nationalist Politician's Statements Spark Protests
Recent pronouncements by Kyrgyz MPs of a provocative and nationalist character have brought debates about language, identity and self to the top of the Kyrnet’s ‘to blog’ list, and not for the first time, either. Chris Rickleton reports.
China: Migratory Birds Poisoned and Served in Dining Table
Ministry of Tofu translated a local reports about the poisoning of migratory birds in Hubei province. The dead birds are then headed for dining table in local restaurants.
