9 August 2012

Stories from 9 August 2012

Puerto Rico: “Ateorizar” Takes Atheism Online

Finding an absence of online projects in Spanish about atheism, Puerto Rican blogger Manolo Matos started "Ateorizar." The podcast will be going to its third season next October, and the blog has received over 150,000 visits. Matos talks to Global Voices about his project.

9 August 2012

Mauritania: The Day Ould Taya was Toppled

Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya ruled Mauritania for more than 20 years following a military coup he initiated against his predecessor Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidallah, on December 12, 1984. In 2005, he was toppled. Remembering Ould Taya's ousting, netizens share some of their memories and impressions on that day.

9 August 2012

Egypt: Cairo Blackout

Egyptians woke up today [August 9, 2012] to a Cairo without electricity. The city's metro and the Egyptian Stock Exchange stopped functioning. Netizens took to their keyboards to complain.

9 August 2012

East Timor: President Rejects Woman Defense Minister

Prior to the swearing-in of East Timor's new cabinet, the new President provoked controversy by rejecting the coalition government's proposed Minister of Defense, Maria Domingas Alves (known as Mikato). Women's groups, academics and the public questioned why and also whether there are strict limits to women's participation in politics.

9 August 2012

Russia: Pro-Kremlin YouTube Sensation Gets Own TV Show

RuNet Echo

Sometimes, a 90-second online video can change lives. Svetlana Kuritsyna was just nineteen last December, when she became an Internet sensation thanks to a laudatory and rambling interview celebrating the political records of Vladimir Putin and United Russia. Now she's been handed her own TV show, and Russian netizens are left wondering what it means.

9 August 2012

China: Online Advertisement Contract

Dan Harris from China Law Blog looks into the advertisement contract with Baidu, the largest search engine in China and highlights some of the unique arrangement in the business agreement.

9 August 2012

Argentina Returns Frozen Bank Deposit Funds

On August 3, 2012, the Argentine government returned depositors' funds which had been frozen during the year 2002 and which puts an end to the corralito era. The news was announced during the anniversary of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, and immediately there were comments on the Internet, for and against.

9 August 2012

Kenya: ‘Do Milk!’ Campaign Targets Fast Food Generation

The Kenya Dairy Board and milk processors in the country have decided to launch a nationwide campaign to encourage the consumption of milk, using the title ‘Do Milk’. This is in line with changing lifestyle attitudes in the country, which has seen many of the youth abandon healthy eating practices for fast food.

9 August 2012

Bolivia: New Video Campaign Seeks to Boost Tourism

'Bolivia Awaits You' is the name of a promotional tourism campaign recently launched by the government of Bolivia. It seeks to boost tourism by investing 20 million US dollars in the next five years, which will primarily benefit indigenous communities.

9 August 2012

China: Animal Cruelty

A puppy owner in Beijing threw his pet out of 18-story building. The puppy miraculously survives and its owner was arrested for endangering public safety. Story curated by Beijing Cream.

9 August 2012

Kazakhstan: ‘Imported’ Olympic Champions Cause Controversy

Two of the six gold medals bagged by Kazakhstan at the London Olympics were claimed by Chinese-born female weightlifters. The success of the "imported" athletes has caused a lot of controversy, with Chinese officials accusing Kazakhstan of misinforming the public about the athletes' country of origin.

9 August 2012