19 July 2012

Stories from 19 July 2012

Bangladesh: Mourning the Death of a Legend

Bangladesh's most famous writer and film maker has died from colon cancer. Humayun Ahmed was a popular author, playwright and film director. Tributes are pouring in for the creator of iconic characters Himu, Misir Ali, and Baker Bhai, from mourning fans on social networking sites.

19 July 2012

Spain: Deputy Apologizes for Insult

Due to the outcry produced by parliamentarian Andrea Fabra's declarations, she had to publicly retract [es] (PDF) and present a written apology after having declared “¡qué se jodan!” (“Fuck them!”) when President Mariano Rajoy announced...

19 July 2012

Puerto Rico: Strong Support for Land and Agriculture

Various organizations have warned about the food dependency of Puerto Rico and the urgency of revitalizing the agriculture of the country. It was with this reason that a demonstration was held to demand that the University of Puerto Rico not be forced to give part of its agricultural land to the municipality of Gurabo for the construction of infrastructure.

19 July 2012

Paraguay: From Forced Labor to Indigenous Leader

Rising Voices

Meet Margarita Mbywangi, at the age of five, she was taken from her parents and sold several times into forced domestic labor. Since then she has become a key Aché indigenous leader and even a Cabinet Minister. Mbywangi is now sharing her personal story through Rising Voices.

19 July 2012

Bahrain: Tweeting Appalling Conditions at Jaw Prison

Bahraini netizens are rallying online to draw attention to appalling conditions at the central Jaw Prison, which houses political detainees, among others. Following the crackdown on Bahrain's February 14, 2011, uprising, hundreds of people were arrested, put on trial and imprisoned for taking part in anti-government protests.

19 July 2012

Egypt: No to a Military Funeral for Omar Sulieman

Hosni Mubarak's vice president and Egypt's former head of intelligence Omar Suleiman is dead. News of his death has triggered a storm of reactions on social media networks. On Twitter, netizens from around the Arab world, couldn't find much good to say to lament his loss.

19 July 2012

Iran: “If Bashar Gets Killed, the Iranian Regime Will Call Him a Martyr”

Iranian bloggers reacted with humour to the Syrian rebels attack in Damascus and the bomb blast that killed three top security chiefs in the Syrian President Bashar Al Assad's regime. Iran and Syria enjoy excellent relations and netizens have resorted to poking fun at how impacted the Iranian regime would be should Al Assad finds himself out of power, following the 16 month revolution raging in Syria.

19 July 2012

Jordan: Women's Rights Demonstrators Face Barrage of Criticism

On June 25, 2012, more than 200 people created a human chain in the streets of Amman to raise awareness for some of the most controversial women's rights issues in Jordan. The reaction by readers of news websites in the following days reflected how unprepared Jordan was for this type of protest.

19 July 2012

Indonesia: Charismatic Entrepreneur Charmed Jakarta Voters

Residents of Jakarta, Indonesia went to the polls to elect a new governor of the country's capital. In a surprising twist, voters supported Joko Widodo, an entrepreneur and mayor of central Java city of Solo. For the first time in Jakarta elections, social networks were recognized as tools that promote voters' education and campaign awareness

19 July 2012