29 November 2012

Stories from 29 November 2012

Syria Plunges Into Total Info Darkness

Advox

On Thursday, the US-based internet connectivity monitoring firm, Renesys, reported that internet was cut off in Syria. All of Syria's 84 IP address blocks were inaccessible, “effectively removing the country from the Internet.”

29 November 2012

Trinidad & Tobago: Kublalsingh's Hunger Strike Continues; So Does the Debate

Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh's ongoing hunger strike to protest the proposed route of a highway in south-western Trinidad is raising questions of transparency, good governance and the approach to political debate. Some bloggers feel that the current administration is out of touch with the needs of the people and they are concerned about the way in which the government is dealing with dissident voices.

29 November 2012

‘Industrial Scale’ Hunting of Migratory Amur Falcons in Nagaland, India

Each year thousands of migratory Amur falcons are hunted by locals in the Indian State of Nagaland during their passage through that region. On November 1, 2012, Shashank Dalvi and Ramki Sreenivasan first documented the massacre at ‘Conservation India‘ site and the news went viral on social media which resulted in a ban on capturing or killing of the raptors.

29 November 2012

Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO

The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.

29 November 2012

Tortured Sudanese Female Journalist Speaks Up

Sudanese journalist Sumaya Ismail Hundosa, 34, was abducted from near her house on October 29, 2012, later to be found thrown inside a mud pit in a remote area in Khartoum on November 2, 2012, five days after her abduction. As the details of Hundosa's unprecedented torture unfolded, Sudanese netizens largely responded with shock and outrage, showing sympathy and solidarity with the journalist, writes Usamah Mohamed

29 November 2012

Why Have Honduras Expats Stopped Blogging?

Laurie Matherne from Honduras Gumbo shares three theories about why expatriates in Honduras have stopped blogging: it's too dangerous, the economic crisis has forced many to leave, and those who...

29 November 2012

Developing Latin America Hackathon Draws Near!

We are only 2 days short of commencing the regional hackathon Developing Latin America 2012. Anca Matioc, who is in charge of organising the event, spoke with us about the preparations. She also answered some questions relating to the development of a hackathon like Developing Latin America.

29 November 2012

Tunisian Police Use Shotgun Shells Against Protesters

Over the last two days, Tunisian security forces fired shotgun shells at protesters in Siliana (north-west of the country), injuring 265 persons. Clashes erupted in this impoverished interior province, when police clashed with protesters calling for the departure of the local governor.

29 November 2012

Are Communications in Damascus Down?

Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi has raised the alert of a possible Internet cut in the capital Damascus, where she reports that the phone services are also down. She tweets: @RedRazan:...

29 November 2012

Life Sentence for Qatari Poet for Insulting Amir

The poem is said to praise the Arab Spring, drawing comparisons to other countries living in repression and under dictatorship. According to Qatari journalist Abdulla Al Athbah, Al-Deeb's poem was seen as insulting to the Qatari Amir, and called for overthrowing his rule.

29 November 2012

Singapore: Bus Drivers Participate in “Illegal Strike”

About 171 Chinese bus drivers from SMRT – a major public transport provider in Singapore – went on strike to protest the salary discrepancy between Chinese and Malaysian bus drivers working for the company. A government official condemned the action as an 'illegal strike'

29 November 2012