Stories from January, 2013
Colombia: A Long Way to Peace?
Despite ongoing peace talks, Colombia refused to recognize the most recent ceasefire declared by the FARC and launched an airstrike on New Year's day. Meanwhile, the deadline for brokering a peace agreement approaches.
Why Did Mali's ‘Soldier of Death’ Go Viral?
This photo of a French soldier wearing a scarf depicting death's face has been shared around the world and has become a concrete symbol for many of the start of French military operations in Mali. But why has this soldier captured imaginations on the Web?
Tens of Thousands Affected by Heavy Rains in Mozambique
In Mozambique, the rains that have been falling since early January devastated populations in the country's center and south. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, and 45 deaths have been reported. While the number of victims continue to rise and damages continue to increase, the online community has called for solidarity and expressed its indignation in the face of the vandalism and pillaging that has occurred.
Saudi Arabia: 36 Days in Jail for a Human Rights Sign
Saudi Mohammad al-Olayan was detained for 36 days for having a sign against arbitrary detainment on his car. Although he denied the charge, saying he found the sign on his car, he was held in inhumane conditions. al-Olayan shares his experience on Twitter.
‘Planet Asks for Pedalling': Cycling Through Latin America
"I understood that travelling like this, without being in a rush, gives you the freedom to get to know cultures more deeply and the simplicity of the people." Meet Beto, from Brazil, and his project 'Planet asks for Pedalling' that will take him on a 2.5 years journey cycling through Latin America.
Free Mobile Phones for Nigerian Farmers?
The Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture made public its plans to provide free mobile phones for rural farmers. This has triggered many reaction in the Nigerian blogosphere.
Navigating Entrepreneurship in Ghana
Ghana, a sub-Saharan country, has many budding young entrepreneurs. Some have even been recognised and awarded by international organisations, including Bright Simons, Regina Agyare and Elikem Kuenyehia.
‘Student Hair Revolution’ in Thailand
Kaewmala writes about the complaint of many Thai students against the official school hair policy of “crew cut for boys and ear-lobe-length bob for girls.” Some student groups want to...
Indonesian Hackers Strike Again
Several Indonesian websites were hacked by individuals who are supporting Wildan Yani Ashari, the person who was arrested by the police for hacking the website of the Indonesian president. Enricko...
First International Urdu Bloggers Conference
Mehwish Khan at ProPakistani reports that the first international Urdu bloggers conference was held on January 26, 2013 in Lahore, Pakistan. Over 70 Urdu bloggers from different parts of the...
Myanmar: Biggest Barcamp in the World
At over 6,400 participants on January 19 and 20 this year, BarcampYangon not only dwarfs every barcamp in the region but even exceeds last year’s number by over one thousand...
Two Versions of Mao's China: History Retouched as Propaganda
A collage of historical photos showing two versions of Chinese history during the Mao's era (1949-1976) published by micro-blogger @Pongyoung with a brief comment: "How history has been amended?", has been retweeted 13362 times with 2237 comments within one day.
Survey of China's 24 most corrupt officials in 2012
Barry van Wyk from DANWEI highlighted a survey conducted by the Crisis Management Research Center at Renmin University which looked into 24 cases of corruption that became public knowledge on...
China: Air Pollution in Major Cities
Jacky Huang from China Hush translated a local media feature on the problem of air pollution in major Chinese cities. According to a report published by National environmental analysis of...
Google Debuts Crowd Sourced Map on North Korea
Google revealed on Jan 29, 2013 its newly revised, crowd-sourced map of North Korea. There are drastic changes of Google's North Korea map and instant web reactions have followed.
Kazakh Quake Sends Tremors through Twitter
After an earthquake hit southeastern Kazakhstan yesterday, hundreds of the country's netizens took to Twitter to tell the rest of the world about what they had experienced. Blogger Olzhas Salmurza...
Spain: Catalonia's “Declaration of Sovereignty” Translated into 36 Languages
On January 23, 2013, amid rising tensions with the Spanish government, the regional parliament of Catalonia approved by majority vote a Declaration of Sovereignty [ca] — seen widely as a prelude...
A Couple's Civil Marriage Rejected in Lebanon
A secular marriage in Lebanon is still not possible, but a couple's claim to the contrary reignites the debate and hope for partisans of civil marriage.
Google Maps Targets Hermit Kingdom, North Korea
Google debuted its Google Maps program for one of the world's most secretive countries, North Korea, as part of its crowd sourcing map initiative. North Korea Tech blog posted several pictures of...
Iran's Newspapers Silent on Mass Arrest of Journalists
The world's leading jailer of journalists has struck again. At least 12 Iranian journalists were arrested by agents of the regime's over the weekend.
