21 June 2012

Stories from 21 June 2012

Georgia: Bloggers Against Homophobia

Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts a video by Georgian bloggers against homophobia set to the song F*ck You by Lily Allen. The move comes less than a month after a Gay Pride march in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, was disrupted by priests and conservative elements in society. The same month a...

Ecuador: Remembering the Colombian Refugees

  21 June 2012

The growing displacement of Colombians towards Ecuador has awoken the interest of international bodies and the concern of Ecuadorean citizens. With the celebration of World Refugee Day on June 20, the issue of Colombian refugees in Ecuador has captured the attention of the media and citizens alike.

Somalia: Deep Divisions Over New Constitution

  21 June 2012

Somalia, which has not had a central government controlling the entire country since 1991, is drafting a new constitution that will end the current transitional administration and elect a new president. Here is a roundup of debate and conversation taking place online about the draft constitution.

Myanmar: Burmese Proverbs

  21 June 2012

Fifty Viss created a Tumblr account called Zagabon, to collect and publish Burmese proverbs and sayings, along with English translations and context if necessary

Azerbaijan: Musical Talent on YouTube

Gultekin Garadaghly continues to post her own renditions of well-known songs on YouTube, including those from this year's Eurovision Song Contest held in her native Azerbaijan. The young singer living in Baku, who also covers Azerbaijani folk songs, has even been featured in the local press with 1news.az [RU] reporting...

Thailand: Reconciliation Bills

  21 June 2012

Aim Sinpeng links to an unofficial translation of the four versions of the important articles of the proposed reconciliation bills which are being tackled now in the Thailand parliament.

Kuwait: Unconstitutionally Elected Parliament

Kuwaiti blogger Mona Kareem discusses the latest political developments after the Constitutional Court ruled the parliament was elected unconstitutionally. “So is the court acting political? This can only be fully read in relevance to the steps that will be taken by authorities in the coming days. If authorities re-dissolve and...

Greece: New Prime Minister Makes First Official Facebook Comment

  21 June 2012

Newly elected Antonis Samaras posts his first message [el] as Greek Prime Minister on his official Facebook page, asking for Greek people to “show patriotism and unbreakable national unity and trust”. He also underlined that “with God's help, they will do everything possible to get the country out of crisis...

Armenia: Army Doctors Beaten In Oligarch's Restaurant

Unzipped comments on the severe beating of three army doctors dining out at a restaurant owned by notorious oligarch MP and Armenian Football Federation President Ruben Hayrapetyan. Better known by his ‘Nemetz Rubo’ nickname, the blog notes that the violent assault, allegedly by his bodyguards or security guards, is not...

Bolivia: “We want a democracy of participation”

  21 June 2012

Peter Lackowski from Upside Down World interviewed Oscar Olivera, “an activist, thinker, and writer based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was a leader during the uprising in 2000 in Cochabamba in which the people of the city threw out Bechtel, the multinational corporation that had privatized all the water in the...

Egypt: Mubarak Dies One More Time

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has died at least once every few weeks since the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, which toppled his 32-year reign. Netizens react to the latest speculations regarding his health.

Journeys Through Latin America

  21 June 2012

Thanks to a collective of bloggers who are traveling through Latin America, readers from all over the world can get a glimpse of the many facets of this vast region. Here's a summary of the route so far.

Lebanon: Complete Blackout

Two of the major power plants, Zahrani and Deir-Ammar, in Lebanon suffered from “unknown” technical difficulties, which plunged most of the country into complete darkness. While some citizens took to the streets blocking roads in protest, netizens took to their keyboards to express their frustration.

Ai Weiwei's lawyer was missing as the tax hearing approaches

  21 June 2012

Upon the hearing of the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei’s tax case hearing on Wednesday, Ai told the Guardian that he was warned by the police to stay away from the court. Ai also said his legal consultant, Liu Xiaoyuan, has been unreachable since he was told to meet state...