Stories from 14 February 2012
Iran: Blogger's wife and daughter got kidnapped
According to a report Mehdi Khazali‘s wife and daughter were kidnapped by the security forces and moved to an unknown place[update: they were released on bail]. Khazali is a blogger and publisher who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison but later a court revised his jail term to...
Arab World: Where Even Valentine's Day is Different
It's Valentine's Day today! The occasion was not forgotten despite a year of protest across a large portion of the Arab world. Netizens share their thoughts on this day of celebrating love.
Senegal: Reasons Behind the Pre-Election Turbulence
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade was elected head of state in 2000 and has decided to stand for a third term even though that should not be allowed under the constitution. Many Senegalese are protesting the decision to allow him to stand.
West Papua: A Different Side of the Independence Struggle through Video
A documentary video letter from a woman in West Papua to an Indonesian soldier echoes the stories of many other women in the area. In this case, she asks the soldier, who was once based in her village, to please write and return to meet his daughter.
Caribbean: We'll Always Love You, Whitney
Following the untimely death of singer Whitney Houston, a handful of Caribbean bloggers are talking about her talent, her music and her legacy. From Trinidad and Tobago, The Liming House posts a video of the singer performing “I Look to You” and says: Goodbye, Whitney. Because your voice, even when...
Paraguay: Displaced Indigenous Community to Return to Land
Intercontinental Cry re-posts a report by Amnesty International: “After living next to a major highway for nearly two decades without access to water, regular food supplies or even land to cultivate–the Enxet community of Yakye Axa can finally return to a normal way of life on their ancestral lands in...
Tunisia: Social Media Campaign to Legalize Marijuana Underway
Legalize It was an album by the Jamaican and pro-marijuana consumption, Peter Tosh, in 1976. Now Legalize It! is a social media campaign for the legalization of marijuana in Tunisia. Ahmed Medien sums up netizen reactions to consuming marijuana ahead of a protest planned in front of Parliament to call for its legalization on Saturday, February 18.
Antigua, Guadeloupe: From the Common Past
For the past decade, the tight historical and geographical bonds between the West Indian islands of Antigua and Guadeloupe have been analyzed by historians. A recent conference entitled “Antigua: From the Amerindians to an Independant Nation” [Fr] was organized in Guadeloupe by the group Yo Té Pou Nou Sé. Bloggers...
Mexico Prepares to Elect a New President
As personalities and political parties in Mexico prepare for the presidential election this year, various bloggers and Twitter users are analyzing its implications while others are seemingly more interested in the ineptitude of the candidates.
Caribbean: It's V-Day; Can You Feel the Love?
Love is definitely on the minds and in the hearts of Caribbean bloggers today; here's a quick look at how many of them are honouring the feeling that makes the world - and apparently the blogosphere - go round…
Colombia: Romantic Movie for Men Premieres on Facebook
Lessons for a Kiss, a Colombian film categorized by writer and director Juan Pablo Bustamante as a romantic comedy for men, will premiere on Facebook on Valentine's day (Feb. 14) and will stay online for 3 months. It will be available for rental for $.99 cents.
Lebanon: Bloggers Get Together
The first Get Together for Lebanese bloggers organized by LebAgg took place on February 9, 2012. “It was a pretty casual one, the sole purpose was to kick-start a series of more get togethers for bloggers. We were hoping for some brainstorming and bloggers suggesting ideas, but the settings didn't really help whereas there...
Iran: Threatening message targets journalists
Reliable sources, including one Iranian journalist, have told Global Voices that several Iranian activists and journalists have received an email threatening that they will be punished according to the “Islamic Punishment” law of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Culture?
“What it has become and where it is going?”: The TnT River looks at the history – and the future – of Trinidad Carnival.
Jamaica: Media Mandate to Provide Info
A man dies after being shot during a robbery at an ATM; Active Voice wonders “why Jamaican media seems to be conspiring with the bank concerned to keep the exact location of the ATM a secret”, adding: “Such an omission raises serious questions about the media and exactly whose watchdogs...
Trinidad & Tobago: Blogger Karen Walrond is All About Love
Love is so much more layered than the romantic love of Eros; what better gift for Valentine's Day than to talk about love with a Caribbean blogger whose entire mission revolves around sending love and positive energy into the blogosphere?
Iran: ‘Internet is an unwanted guest’
A member of Iranian council of internet filtering says [fa]: Internet is an unwanted guest in our country. Mohammad Reza Aghamiri adds: Due to the problems of this guest, we should apply severe monitoring. He believes Google is supporting ‘disruptions’ in Iran, helping opposition supporters. Several Iranian users have reported in...
Slovakia, Hungary: Shrouded in Smog
Blogger Ulrika Lejnarová, highlighting air pollution data from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute [sk], wonders [sk] why Slovakia, while often paying attention to the critical conditions in Hungary [en], is doing little to inform its own citizens of the domestic situation adequately, in order to avoid health complications.
Mexico: PEN Protesta! International Writers Protest in Solidarity With Mexican Colleagues
On January 29, PEN International, the world’s oldest international literary and human rights organization, held an event in Mexico City called PEN Protesta! to show international solidarity with Mexican writers, poets and journalists, and to demand free press and freedom of expression in Mexico.
Hungary: Another Environmental Catastrophe in the Making
In October 2010, a toxic spill from a red sludge reservoir in Kolontár caused the greatest environmental disaster in Hungary's recent history. Atlatszo.hu and Greenpeace are now drawing attention to another hazardous waste reservoir, in the town of Almásfüzitő, which is "leaking like a sponge" and is already causing grave environmental and health damage.
