Iranian opposition keeps up online pressure

In this edition: the Iranian opposition mobilises on the eve of the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The South African rappers of the group Die Antwoord are making waves on the web.

WEB NEWS

IRAN: OPPOSITION MOBILIZATION

On the eve of 31^st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian opposition leaders are preparing a new day of mobilisation. Calls to take part in demonstrations on the fringe of Thursday’s official celebrations have been circulating on the Internet for several weeks now.

http://persian2english.com/?p=5759

http://www.rahesabz.net/story/9211/

Appeals inviting protesters to seek inspiration from the revolution which overthrew the Shah, on the 11th of February 1979. On this video which shows images from recent protests against the current regime, we also hear the song which the people started to sing 31 years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfmnSv3EOcQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VElqHBK1ziw

Even though for officially technical reasons, web connections in the country have been severely disrupted over the past few days, the movement continues to be organised online.

http://twitter.com/ThinkIran/status/8845303164

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwTizP5aHs

This map, available on reformist web sites, details the itinerary of the demonstration planned for Thursday in Teheran.

http://masmoom.blogspot.com/2010/02/22.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB0eRLeiqcI

And on social networks, web users are passing on these safety instructions as well as several directives. One of these being to stop President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from delivering his speech in the centre of the capital. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest&note_id=318375961070

The authorities have warned the opponents that they are getting prepared for the confrontation. According to this web user, who has put this video online, the City Council of Teheran has taken away all the towns rubbish bins. Objective: to stop the demonstrators using them to make barricades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsveeON0b_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfRDD8IC3N4

SOUTH AFRICAN RAPPERS BECOME WEB STARS

Explicit and direct lyrics, provocative performances, and a perfect command of the net. The South African rappers of the unusual Hip Hop Group “Die Antwoord”, which means “the Answer” in Afrikaans, have exploded on to the web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q77YBmtd2Rw

The images which greet the web user on the group’s official web site give an immediate insight into the group. Suggestive poses, tattoos and trashy looks. Web users can even visit their virtual secret chamber. There are three members of Die Antwoord : Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er the singer and “beat monster” DJ Hi-Tek.

http://www.dieantwoord.com/

http://www.dieantwoord.com/secret.html

Discovered by the blog Boing Boing last week, their web site where their album is available free of charge, has been visited several million times over the past few days. This influx caused the web sites host server to go down. It has since been moved to an American server to handle the traffic.

http://www.dieantwoord.com/

Crazy video clips coming from this self described “mongrel-like entity, the love-child of many diverse cultures, black, white, coloured and alien” are proving highly popular on sharing sites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc3f4xU_FfQ

Fan groups of this musical UFO have appeared on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=die+antword&init=quick#!/DieAntwoord?ref=search&sid=626180559.2780186074..1

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=die+antword&init=quick#!/group.php?gid=54065831874&ref=search&sid=626180559.2780186074..1

And Die Antwoord, who are getting ready to start a tour of Europe and Scandinavia in April, have been proposed contracts by a Dutch record label and by a major company in the record industry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfr8gbgmezA

PROJECT REPORT

The Pulitzer Centre and Youtube have launched the second edition of Project Report. It aims to allow aspiring journalists to publish reports on subjects that might not otherwise be shown via traditional media. This year, 5 winners will receive 10 000 Euros each to work on their report. To take part, candidates must first of all showcase one person who’s positive actions they think should be given media coverage. Last year’s winner explains here that his prize enabled him to go to Israel to tell the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

http://www.pulitzercenter.org/open.cfm?id=637

http://www.youtube.com/projectreport

YELTSIN’S DAUGHTER BLOG

For a month now, Moscow has been delighting in sharing Tatiana Borisovna Diatchenko’s secrets. At 50 years old, the daughter of Russia’s first president Boris Yeltsin, has in fact launched her blog. She wants to denounce the lies told about her father. She attacks the entourage of the former president, who died in 2007 and talks of the affairs that shook up the Kremlin during one of the most troubled periods in Russian history. Since it first went online, her blog has attracted thousands of web users.

http://t-yumasheva.livejournal.com/

VIDEO

And what if Wes Anderson directed the new Spiderman film, due in 2012? This web user has dreamt up a spoof film trailer. The director is known for his particular style as well as his group of favourite actors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5KfHEoZDKI