28 May 2012

Stories from 28 May 2012

Syria: Houla Massacre Creates International Outcry

On May 25, anti-government protestors in Houla, northwest of Homs, took to the streets at midday, little expecting that their demonstration would be eventually answered by a massacre of unprecedented savagery. At least 116 people were killed by pro-government forces.

28 May 2012

UAE: Some Savoury Questions

Krista, from the collective blog Muslimah Media Watch, shares her family's passion for “ridiculous and tacky” salt and pepper shakers. Their latest acquisition, a gift bought in Dubai, has raised...

28 May 2012

Palestine: Remembering the Nakba

May 15 is Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the displacement and dispossession that took place at the time of Israel's establishment in 1948. In this post we look at how the day was marked by Palestinians on blogs and Twitter this year.

28 May 2012

Brazil: Sex Abuse Revealed by Children's TV Presenter Provokes Debate

Xuxa Meneghel, the most famous children's TV presenter in Brazil, revealed on national television that she was the victim of sexual abuse during childhood. Her declaration divided opinions on the Internet and opened up a debate on a subject that is still considered taboo in the country: sexual abuse against children and adolescents. Paula Góes reports on the first week of the debate.

28 May 2012

Philippines: Military Bombings Create Refugees

Thousands of residents in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao have been forced to flee their land in the past few months because of increased military presence and activities in the area. The escalation of conflict between government and rebel troops also worsened the situation recently. The residents have become bakwits - the local term for refugees.

28 May 2012

Hong Kong: Living in High-rises

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated a feature story showing German photographer Michael Wolf's collection of “Architecture of Density” which reflects the living condition of ordinary Hong Kong people in high-rises.

28 May 2012

Mozambique: Diving and Defending Marine Life

Recent alarm has been raised about overfishing at one of Mozambique's most important tourist beaches. We document involvement of Mozambicans as dive professionals and conservationists - crucial to a sustainable future for Mozambique's coastal areas, where it is estimated two-thirds of the population lives.

28 May 2012

Mapping the Australian Twittersphere

Queensland University of Technology academic Dr Axel Bruns presents research findings into the Oz twittersphere with graphic slideshow and audio presentation in Many Maps of the Australian Twittersphere.

28 May 2012

Ukraine: Homophobic Legal Initiatives in Sync with Public Attitudes

Ukraine's first Gay Pride Parade ever failed to take place on May 20 due to perceived threats of violence against its participants; one of the organizers was attacked and beaten by a group of masked men. Meanwhile, Ukrainian MPs representing various political forces seem for once united in their attempts to ban "homosexual propaganda" in the country.

28 May 2012