10 April 2012

Stories from 10 April 2012

Greece: Abbot Released Over Ecclesiastical Real-Estate Scandal

  10 April 2012

Mixed online reactions have met the news that Elder Ephraim, abbot of Vatopedi monastery on Greece's Mount Athos, who was implicated in a scandal arranging land swaps between Vatopedi and the state, has been released from jail after only four months of detention. The scandal cost the Greek government millions of euros.

Africa: Access to Water and Sanitation Services Still a Burden

  10 April 2012

Babatope Babalobi, Secretary General WASH-JN [Water, sanitation and Hygiene journalists network (WASH)] discusses two meetings on water and sanitation held in Marseilles last month: “It seems that the organisers of the two events wrongly assumed that all citizens are able to access water and sanitation services through public or privately...

Iran: Instagram users to lose access

  10 April 2012

A few hours after announcement on Facebook acquisition of famous mobile application Instagram, Iranian users are complaining about losing access to their older photos on the service. Mehrdad, based in Tehran, says [Fa]: ‘I can not load any image older than a couple of days without anti-filter tools’.

Myanmar: Suspended Dam Project May Reopen Again

  10 April 2012

The Democratic Voice of Burma reports about a leaked government document which suggests the reopening of a suspended dam project in Myanmar. The dam construction was suspended after it was actively opposed by local communities.

Indonesia: Promoting Sexual Rights

  10 April 2012

Irin tackles the difficulty of promoting gender and women rights in Indonesia. In particular, sexual violence victims are unable to seek redress because of ‘archaic’ laws and traditions in the country

Philippines: Netizens Unite to Save Pine Trees

  10 April 2012

Filipino netizens are using the hashtag #savebaguiopinetrees to protest the plan of a mall owned by the country's richest man to cut 182 pine trees in order to construct a parking lot in Baguio City in northern Philippines

Puerto Rico: Kike Estrada's Cartoons Live on the Internet

  10 April 2012

Enrique "Kike" Estrada is a cartoonist of an endangered species in Puerto Rico. For a cartoonist with his sense of humor, the Internet is the perfect place to exhibit his work. In this online space, he found the freedom to express his point of view. Angel Carrión interviews him.

Controversy on North Korea's Satellite Launch

  10 April 2012

North Korea invited foreign reporters to its satellite launch facility, asserting that the launch is peaceful in purpose. North Korea Tech blog wrote about the ongoing controversy and suspicions surrounding North Korea's space program.

Mali : Opinions of a Blogger on the Military Coup

  10 April 2012

On his blog Askia Mohamed [fr] reviews the military coup of March 21, 2012 and in a post entitled Un peuple-Un but-Une foi [fr] (‘One people – One Aim – One Faith’), following a brief summary of the current situation, puts the Tuareg rebellion in an historical context.

Greece: A Poem and a Song for Dimitris Christoulas

  10 April 2012

“He has the touch of history / And white hair / Mister Dimitris”. On April 6, the anniversary of the German invasion in Greece during World War 2, Stamatis Kalogeropoulos posted a poem [el] and a song on his blog, Ποίηση κι Αφήγηση (Poetry and Narration), written in memory of 77-year old Dimitris Christoulas, whose...

Russia: Astrakhan Becomes Opposition's New Rallying Cause

RuNet Echo  10 April 2012

Astrakhan mayoral candidate Oleg Shein's cause is becoming the biggest rallying point for an anti-Kremlin opposition that has spent the last month struggling to rediscover its direction. Today, a hunger strike by Shein and several of his supporters is entering its fourth week, with rumors flying that participants' lives are in danger.