20 August 2012

Stories from 20 August 2012

Brazil: Company Continues Construction of Belo Monte Dam

  20 August 2012

Instituto Socioambiental informs [pt] that despite a judge order to halt [pt] construction work in Belo Monte, the company responsible for the construction of the dam, Norte Energia, continues its work, claiming that it hasn't been officially notified. Last Friday, August 17, 2012, netizen Simone Gomes had reported on Facebook...

United States: Significance of Paul Ryan for the Hispanic Population

  20 August 2012

From the day that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney chose Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, there has been extensive media coverage in favor and against the decision. Little has been said, however, with respect to the effect that it will have on the Hispanic population in the United States.

East Timor: Hundreds of Resistance-Related Images on Facebook

  20 August 2012

“East Timorese media organisation Tempo Semanal published almost 900 resistance-related images on its Facebook fan page. The photographs appear to range in time from 1975 to the early post-1999 referendum period. They include many portraits of Falintil leaders and troops and life in resistance areas”, blog Timor Archives informs. Falintil,...

Caribbean: Marking Eid

  20 August 2012

There were just two posts from within the Caribbean region talking about Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated yesterday: this one from Guyana and this, from Trinidad and Tobago, which republishes the President's Eid message.

South Korea: Controversial Launch of Online Music Video Rating

  20 August 2012

South Korean authorities have launched a new ratings system for music videos posted online. The new bill requires every music video (or promotional video) and even movie trailers to be rated prior to upload. Failure to comply could result in up to two years in prison or a hefty fine.

Brazil: Belo Monte Halted, but for How Long?

  20 August 2012

When it seemed that all was already lost, the movements opposing the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant were surprised by an order suspending the works, which were being carried out on the Xingu River in the state of Pará. News of the decision, which was made on the night of the 13th of August, spread like a wave of hope for the activists, who inundated social media with exuberant reactions.

Senegal: SunuCause, a Blogger-Driven Humanitarian Project

  20 August 2012

The team of bloggers that created the Sunu2012 project earlier this year to monitor the Senegalese presidential elections has launched a new collaborative online project called SunuCause. The objective of the project is to raise awareness over social issues in the region among the Senegalese online community.

Russia: Zombies Versus the State in Omsk

RuNet Echo  20 August 2012

Early last Sunday morning in the city of Omsk, a few hundred youths gathered together for a flashmob. Police were on hand to warn everyone that they represented an illegal assembly, and could be charged with breaking the law. Why had roughly 300 people come together? The answer to that question is the "Zombie Parade": the city's first attempted 'walk of the living dead.'

The Day I Got Arrested in China

  20 August 2012

Hannah from Seeing Red in China blogs about his experience of being stopped and detained by traffic police for a suspected car stolen case while driving back from a trip to the Great Wall.

Spain: “Health Disobedience” in the Face of Massive Cuts

  20 August 2012

Independent groups of public health workers and participants have created a digital platform to protest against the recent health reform. The movement is named "I say yes to universal health" and its main proposal is civil disobedience and to object the new Law 16/2012 imposed by the government in the context of severe austerity measures and social protests.