Stories from 10 August 2012
South Korea: President's Unprecedented Visit to Disputed Islands a Smokescreen?
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak made an unprecedented and highly controversial visit to the Dokdo islands. However, skepticism and suspicion grow strong in the Korean Twittersphere, with many calling the visit, a daring political stunt to cover up other important issues.
Colombia: Gold for Cyclist Mariana Pajón
Colombians on Twitter anxiously awaited the performance of BMX cyclist Mariana Pajón. Hashtags like ORO (“gold”), #ÁnimoMariana (“Go Mariana”), or Mariana Pajón became local Trending Topics before and after Pajón won the gold medal. With this achievement, Colombia ratifies the country's historic performance at the this year's Olympics and now ranks...
Chile: Doubts Over Origin of Violence at Student Protests
Last Wednesday, August 8, 2012, thousands of students tried to march on the Alameda avenue in downtown Santiago in a non-authorized protest that ended up with three public transportation buses burnt. This caused the government to accuse students of fostering an environment for riots with their protests, while some protesters wondered if the thugs were actually part of a set-up.
Dominican Republic: Changes in the Publishing Industry
Writer and blogger Pedro Cabiya analyzes [es] and comments on the transformation of the publishing industry.
Cuba: Freedom of Press?
Blogger, journalist and Global Voices author Elaine Díaz analyzes [es] the nuances of the different practices and definitions of freedom of press, after being interviewed for the Boston Globe.
Puerto Rico: Urban Artists “La Pandilla”
El Punto features [es] the amazing urban street art by Alexis Díaz and Juan Fernández from Puerto Rico, AKA “La Pandilla.”
Puerto Rico: Festival of the Hammock
Auralís Herrero-Lugo writes about her trip [es] with a group of friends to the town of San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, to go to the famous 32nd Festival of the Hammock, a traditional event where artisans show their amazing craft of making hammocks.
Puerto Rico: Penal Code and Freedom of Expression
On the e-zine 80 grados, lawyer and law scholar Hiram Meléndez analyzes the impact [es] on freedom of expression contained in the amendments to Puerto Rico's Penal Code.
Cuba: Celaya on Payá
On Sin EVAsion [es], Havana-based Cuban blogger Miriam Celaya comments on the death of rights advocate Oswaldo Payá: “I did not share all of Payá’s points of view, I was even critical at times of…his proposals. I would be again; but I always respected the man who created them… […]...
Morocco: Students Demand Education Reform
In July, a group of Moroccan students launched a Facebook page called "The Union of Moroccan Students to Change the Education System". In less than a month, it attracted unprecedented support using social media.
United States: MundoFox, More of the Same?
On 13 August 2012 a new TV channel MundoFox will officially begin broadcasting, becoming the fifth channel to join others in transmitting Hispanic content in the United States.
South Korean President Made an Unprecedented Visit to Disputed Dokdo Islands
South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak visited Dokdo (or Takeshima in Japanese) islands, sparking international media frenzy. Lee would be the first South Korean leader to visit the disputed islands which both South Korea and Japan have a historical claim to. The Dokdo Times blog wrote a post explaining the context,...
Kirani James Delivers on Grenada's Olympic Dream
Earlier this week, Kirani James won the Gold Medal in the Men's 400 Metres race at the London Olympics with a time of 43.94, making him the first person from Grenada and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States to win an Olympic medal of any kind. The region celebrates.
Uruguay: Analyzing How Politicians Use Twitter
In his blog Curar Contenidos (“Curating Content”), Manuel Podetti is publishing a series of posts on “Uruguayan Politics and Twitter” [es]. His first two posts look at the most influential political parties [es] and politicians [es] on Twitter.
Chad: 5,000 New Refugees Coming From The Central African Republic
Victorien Ndakass from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that 5,000 new refugees from the Central African Republic have crossed over to Chad [fr] since June. This movement of population is due to the resurgence of the rebel movement lead by Abdoulaye Miskine [fr] in the North of the country.
East Timor: Women's Network Continues Protest
Rede Feto (Women's Network) continues to protest the rejection of a woman candidate for Minister of Defense (our coverage), posting photos of women in East Timor's armed resistance on its Facebook profile and a “Declaration of Women Prisoners and Clandestine Fighters” demanding an explanation the rejection.
Zambia: Chinese Mining Boss Allegedly Killed by Striking Workers
The tragic death of a Chinese supervisor at a coal mine in southern Zambia allegedly at the hands of striking workers demanding the implementation of the new minimum wage policy has reached all corners of the globe from the New York Times to the China Digital Times.
Somalia: The Very First Humanitarian “Customer Calling Center”
In her blog post about the very first humanitarian customer calling center, Anahi Ayala Iacucci describes “a quick and convenient way for Somali beneficiaries to give feedback about projects funded or services provided by the Danish Refugee Council using an SMS feedback system”: “This project has started in September 2011...
Should Singapore ‘Import’ Athletes to Win Olympic Medals?
The bronze medal victory of Feng Tianwei, a Chinese-born athlete who represented Singapore in the 2012 London Olympics, has ignited debate whether the Singapore government should exert more effort to develop local talent instead of simply 'recruiting' from other countries.
Colombia Achieves Historic Results in London 2012
With 6 medals up until now, the Colombian delegation that is participating in the London Olympics has achieved the best performance in the history of Colombia in the Olympic Games.
