23 August 2012

Stories from 23 August 2012

Iran: Detained Green Movement Leader Moved to Hospital

Mir Hossein Mousavi, a key Iranian Green Movement leader, who was a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and eventually the leader of the opposition in the post-election unrest, has been moved to the hospital for "heart problem." Mousavi has been under house arrest for about 520 days.

Russia: Drug Drugu, Wish Fulfillment via Social Networks

RuNet Echo  23 August 2012

Drug Drugu ("To One Another") is a service that works with the wishes of users. Community members can not only request some kind of help, but also offer their own. The resource's operating principle is very simple: a user leaves a message in the appropriate category, assigns it a category, location, and image, and waits for another community member to response.

China: Open Letter to Car-Smashing “Patriots”

  23 August 2012

The territorial conflict between Japan and China has led to a series of protests in major Chinese cities, with angry patriots smashing Japanese vehicles. In response to such action, a Japanese car owner issued an open letter to the patriots. Rachael from Tea Leaf Nation translates the letter and puts...

Russia: Taxi Drivers Versus Dagestanis in Ryazan

RuNet Echo  23 August 2012

A possible fight between Russians and Dagestani migrants perhaps led to dozens, possibly hundreds, of taxi drivers organizing a pogrom-like attack. Events like this raise questions about Russia's capacity to effectively cope with its multiculturalism, especially now, when the situation on the ground in the North Caucasus is so troubling.

China: Mahjong Obsession

  23 August 2012

Jing Gao from Ministry of Tofu translates a local news feature on the Chinese obsession with Mahjong, a game of chance.

Caribbean: The Number Portability Game

  23 August 2012

. . . there has been considerable buzz around [Number Portability], and several countries across the Caribbean have embarked upon activities that ultimately should lead to its implementation. Yet, how many countries have successfully launched a NP scheme?

Colombia: President and Indigenous Leaders Meet to Discuss Cauca Conflict

  23 August 2012

President Juan Manuel Santos met with the indigenous people of the Cauca to hear their grievances and to talk about the ongoing conflict in this department. Thousands of indigenous people came from several regions of the country with the intention of speaking with the President and to push an initiative of peace. The meeting ended without having reached substantial agreements.

Peru: Syllogisms, Questions and Famous Quotes

  23 August 2012

Peruvian blogger Cyrano, from Columna 17 [es], raises some interesting questions and phrases, such as “an earthquake comes when the Earth trembles with fear”, or “What if I wage it all on poker?”, allegedly by Scrooge McDuck.

France: Unexpected Parallel Between Assange and Strauss-Kahn

  23 August 2012

The blog de Casimira highlights some similarities [fr] between the timing of the charges and the ensuing judicial battles facing  J. Assange and D. Strauss-Kahn.  She also clarifies the peculiarities of the charge, “sex by surprise” [fr], for which the founder of WikilLeaks is being sued. This charge, which applies when the person refuses to wear...

Argentina: Blogging in Welsh from Patagonia

  23 August 2012

The Argentine Patagonia was the first home of the Welsh migration that arrived in 1865 on the Mimosa steamboat. People from Wales and their descendants living in Argentina keep their culture and language alive through blogs and social networks.

Lebanon: It's Back to Kidnapping Time

A wave of kidnappings is taking place between Lebanon and Syria. While the Lebanese government seems incapable of acting, these events are reminding Lebanese of the civil war they lived with for 30 years. Netizens are angry and are blaming all parties.

Six days in Hong Kong's Occupy Central

  23 August 2012

Among the “occupy” movements, Hong Kong's activists probably have set the longest record in the occupation of the central financial area. Hudson Lockett from DANWEI lived with the activists and homeless for six days and told the readers what he experienced in the occupation area.

Portugal: The Dark Side of the National Dam Program

  23 August 2012

The dams in the Programa Nacional de Barragens (National Dam Program) will cost the Portuguese government €16 billion, to be spent on construction, subsidies and interest on loans. Together with wind farms, they are going to make Portuguese electricity the most expensive in the world.

Peru's Feminist Activist-Artist: María María Acha-Kutscher

  23 August 2012

Peruvian feminist, activist and visual artist María María Acha-Kutscher is using the Internet to share her work. From Mexico's Frida Kahlo to Spain's "indignadas" (outraged) and Russia's Pussy Riot, Acha-Kutscher's drawings reflect the life and struggles of female artists and activists from all over the world.