Stories from 19 February 2012
Iran: Security forces kidnapped Khazali from hospital
Several bloggers reported that security forces kidnapped Mehdi Khazali from hospital.Iranian imprisoned blogger Mehdi Khazali has suffered a heart attack after six weeks of hunger strike.His wife and daughter were released on bail.
Iran: Iranian rappers sing for people of Homs in Syria
Here is an Iranian rappers's song for people in Homs in Syria.
Iran: Internet not just spying tool but spy itself
Iran's intelligence Ministry says Internet not just spying tool but spy itself.
Africa: Weaving the African Dream Through Social Innovations
Gamel identifies social innovations that weave the African dream: “Tech in Education: This project is the main motivation behind today’s post. Tech in Education is a 48hr gathering of ideas, people and digital tools aimed at creating novel web and mobile solutions to improve learning amongst primary and secondary school...
Africa: Colonial PR Films Provide a Window to Africa's More Recent Past
African Urbanism discusses the UK's Colonial Film Catalogue, a database of more than 6000 films, which provides a window into British colonial period: “…these videos find their value in providing a fantastic trip through time into life in these places — showing people as they were (or, rather, how the...
Iran: Blogger suffered heart attack
Iranian imprisoned blogger Mehdi Khazali has suffered a heart attack after six weeks of hunger strike, due to opposition sources [fa]. His family has shown serious concerns on Mr. Khazali's health conditions, saying [fa] that authorities do not allow any doctor to visit him.
Iran: Execution waits for web developer
The Iranian-Canadian web developer, Saeed Malekpour, is going to be executed ‘at any moment’, a blog updates by his family and supporters reports. Mr. Malekpour is accused of running pornography websites by Iranian judiciary and convicted to death. Now his verdict has been confirmed and going to be carried out....
China: Wukan Elections Continue and Inspire
Wukan has moved quickly along its path toward clean and fair village elections, inspiring villagers in other parts of the country and winning support from microbloggers all the way up to university halls. However, at least one central government official has blamed the democratic advancements on psychological disorders.
Jordan: Corporate Twitter Accounts are Stupid
Corporate Twitter accounts are stupid, says Jordanian blogger Roba Al Assi. Click here to learn why.
Morocco: Historic Telecom Operator Blocks Skype
“What a dreadful news today!” laments the blog Moroccan Geeks [fr], which reports that the Moroccan historic operator Maroc Telecom is now officially blocking all VoIP services, including Skype. The news sparked a heated debate on social media. Many netizens speculate the move is meant to bolster Maroc Telecom‘s paying...
Ecuador: Citizens React to Verdict Against Newspaper El Universo
On Thursday, February 16, the highest Ecuadorian court upheld a verdict in favour of President Rafael Correa in a libel case against newspaper El Universo, one of the major dailies in this South American country. Ecuadorian netizens are divided between those who celebrate the verdict and those who define it as a serious offence towards freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Spain: Police Violence Against Students in Valencia
Students gathered at the Luis Vives Institute of Secondary Education in Valencia to protest cuts and because they have to bring blankets to school due to lack of heating. The police attacked the students, many of them minors, and detained ten students.
