Stories from 7 August 2012
Sri Lanka: Buddhist Priest Robs Statue From Hindu Temple
D. B. S. Jeyaraj informs that a mob led by a Buddhist Priest had forcefully taken away a statue of Pillaiyar, the Elephant faced deity, from a Hindu temple in Panamai on the Eastern coastal district of Amparai in Sri Lanka.
Nepal: Gaijatra Gay Pride Festival In Pokhara
Lex Limbu posts photos of the 3rd International Gaijatra Gay Pride Festival, which took place in the lake city of Pokhara on Friday, 3rd of August, 2012.
Pakistan: A Tribute To Mango
Owais Mughal at Light Within posts a tribute to Mango, which is the national fruit of Pakistan.
D. R. of Congo: M23 Rebels Take Their Offensive Online
The M23 movement has made headlines by entering into open conflict with the Congolese army. But the rebel group is not stopping at armed conflicts on the ground - they have also gone on the offensive on the Internet and social networks.
Puerto Rico: Javier Culson Wins Historic Bronze Medal
The athlete Javier Culson won Puerto Rico's first ever medal in athletics. This medal takes the count to 7 medals in the country's history: 5 bronze and 1 silver in boxing, and 1 bronze in athletics. This is the first Olympic medal for the country since 1996. Puerto Rican netizens celebrated this historic achievement.
Tunisia: Activist Lina Ben Mhenni Attacked by Police
When Tunisian activist and blogger Ben Mhenni attended a pacifist sit-in to protest against the Ennahda-led government in the capital Tunis on August 5, 2012, the last thing she expected was to be savagely beaten by those who are supposed to preserve law and order. The police and not just one but 10 of them attacked her. In a blog post entitled "Assaulted by the cops", Ben Mhenni recounts her story.
Spain: ‘I Won't Pay’ Campaign Hits Catalan Highways
A wave of protests against rising tolls on Spanish highways reached its five-month mark last week, when a clash between motorists and private authorities motivated a company that oversees more than 6,713 kilometers of European motorways, to put up barriers blocking the flow of traffic on the C-33 highway.
Cyprus: First Ever Olympic Medal at London 2012
The London 2012 Olympics will be a landmark in Cyprus’ sport history. Twenty-two year old Pavlos Kontides, who is from Limassol, Cyprus, became the country's first ever Olympic medalist. Kontides won the silver medal at single-handed Laser class in Men's Sailing.
Macedonia: Devastation of Skopje Aqueduct Continues
On Facebook and on her blog, archeologist Vasilka Dimitrovska shared recent photos by Toni Mandzukovski, raising the alarm about the continuous destruction of the ancient Skopje Aqueduct, neglected by the authorities and used as a source of building material by the local population. The ironic title of her post [mk]...
Cuba: Food Measures
“General Raúl Castro acknowledges that beans are more important than canons”: Iván García explains why “food is a matter of national security.”
Colombia: Journalists and Citizens Tracking Corruption
Monitor de Corrupción [es] (“Corruption Monitor”) is a crowdsourcing platform which aims to “expose areas of corruption in Colombia, where misuse of funds, bribery and fraud are common,” Lindsay Kalter explains at the IJNet blog.
Qatar: Student Activism “for Cafeterias and Covered Car Parks”
Universities are renowned for being the epicenter of student activism. Qatari Esraa Al Meftah talks about how Qatari university students' only form of activism is in asking for "opening cafeterias on campus and installing car shades in the student parking lots."
Saudi Arabia: Ramadan Iftar to Say ‘No to Sectarianism’
A group of Saudi men decided to rise above sectarianism and held an Iftar which brought together members of the Sunni and Shia communities. The Riyadh event, held under the theme No to Sectarianism, is encouraging Saudis across the Kingdom to hold similar gatherings
Egypt: Morsi's Wrong Colour Tie
Zeinonia, at Egyptian Chronicles, picks on the choice of Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi's tie and smile, as he mourned Egyptian officers and soldiers killed in Sinai.
France: The Currency Taboo Deciphered
In the latest [fr] podcast episode “Monnaie Libre,” dedicated to deciphering monetary systems, French bloggers Galuel and Jean-Baptiste B. discuss the reasons why currency is taboo among economists. They also explain how central banks work and give alternatives to the monetary system, such as basic income and neo-chartalism.
Egypt: Ahmed Shafik Denies UAE Appointment on Twitter
Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik has resorted to Twitter to react to what he described as "rumours" about his appointment as an adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates. Many netizens tweeted and retweeted a news story announcing Shafik's appointment. Shafik, who was former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's last Prime Minister, is also a former candidate for the Egyptian presidency.
Philippines: Floods Hit Metro Manila and Nearby Provinces
Strong rains caused huge floods in many parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the Luzon Island of the Philippines. Manila-based Global Voices editor Mong Palatino gathers photos from social media platforms which show the extent of flooding in the country's capital
UK: Taking on ‘Brandalism’
The collectively maintained website Brandalism presents an ever-growing collection of street art. The project is inspired “from the Dadaists, Situationists and Street Art movements” and its goal is to “see the largest reclamation of outdoor advertising space in UK history as artists challenge the authority and legitimacy of the advertising...
Bangladesh: Citizenship Rights for Myanmar's Rohingya?
Myanmar's Rohingya are stateless, not wanted by any country. The Rakhine Nationalities Development Party in Myanmar is calling for the segregation of Rohingya Muslims from ethnic Arakanese and the Bangladesh government recently ordered three international charities to halt aid to Rohingya refugees living in camps to stop their influx from Myanmar.
Mauritania: Head of Supreme Court Rejects His Dismissal
Mauritania has been witnessing a wave of mounting protests calling for the toppling of the military regime. According to the opposition [ar], the military rule is against the existence of an institutional state in addition to its attempts to tame justice. Meanwhile, the head of the Mauritanian Supreme Court, Seyid Ould Ghailani, has rejected the decision discharging him from his function prior to the end of his mandate. Ghailani considered this decree as a coup against justice and an outrageous interference in the work of the judicial power by the executive one.
