Tunisia: will there be a domino effect?

Tunisia: will there be a domino effect?

In the wake of the ousting of Tunisia’s president, Ben Ali, many online commentators from the Arab world are wondering if the revolution will spread to neighboring countries and how the next government, that will bear the brunt of the popular unrest, will be formed. These questions have been largely relayed on the web.

For Egyptian blogger and journalist Mona Eltahawy, some of Tunisia’s neighboring regimes should without a doubt expect the revolution to spread. She mentions notably Libya, Yemen and also Algeria, states ruled, in her opinion, by aging dictators, who are increasingly far removed from their people’s everyday concerns. She says this is a similar situation to that which precipitated the fall of Ben Ali, and it could quite easily turn against the leaders of these countries.

American analyst Juan Cole, who is an expert on this region, hopes the Tunisian revolution will actually trigger the beginning of something bigger. For him, one thing is certain: whatever happens, recent events in Tunisia will have more repercussions on the region than 2009’s Green revolution in Iran.

Numerous web users meanwhile, like these Syrians are hoping a wave of reform will soon sweep through the region and the Tunisian revolution will spark a domino effect in their country. And they are convinced that the next regime to fall to popular pressure will be that of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria.

Finally, online activist group Anonymous, which was extremely involved in Tunisia’s popular uprising, is encouraging people to continue the movement. They have also announced they will soon be launching “operation freedom” to help people from affected regions combat infringement on freedom of expression. They are targeting Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and also Syria.

Drug addiction in North Korea

A North-Korean civilian crosses the frozen river that acts as a border with China, carrying a package under his coat. According to the maker of this video, the package contains opium. The man then makes the return journey carrying another package which he immediately hands over to North Korean soldiers. This video was filmed in secret and points the finger at Pyongyang and its alleged involvement in drug trafficking in exchange for foreign currency needed to ensure the regime’s survival. According to experts, North Korean production alone reportedly covers 40 % of Japan and South Korea’s demand for opium, heroin and amphetamines.

According to online reports from refugees, this lucrative trafficking has disastrous consequences on North Korean society. The Daily NK, a site run by dissidents in exile in South Korea, claims that middle class youths use narcotics on a regular basis and it is common for drugs to be given as birthday present in the country. Apparently, these young people will even use bank notes bearing the portrait of the regime’s founder, Kim Il-sung, to inhale these substances.

This drug problem is now reportedly reaching the working classes. In fact, according to this anonymous blogger, in North Korea it is easier to buy drugs than aspirin, And because of lack of medicine, some poorer families are turning to opium to treat sick loved ones.

And this other web user, also posting anonymously, believes that not even children are safe. He claims the regime is resorting to child labour for opium poppy cultivation and children are reportedly eating the seeds whilst working, and developing a worrying addition.

Weird Google searches

Attracting customers to a bakers shop, the male menopause and also getting a tan on the moon … here are just some of the odd, yet real online searches carried out by web users that can be found on a specially created site called “Devenir un ninja gratuitement”. Classified by theme, these weird searches are updated regularly with the help of web users who can add their own findings to the site.

Religion and Twitter

The Dalai Lama is a veritable Twitter sensation! he has over 1 200 000 followers on the micro blogging site and is well in the lead as far as most popular religious figure is concerned. This is what online daily Huffington Post has revealed in their hit parade of most popular religious leaders, based on numbers of followers. Far behind the Dalai Lama comes the Imam leading the Ground Zero Mosque project and American priest Alberto Cutie, famous for his televised sermons : they come in second and third place with around 5 000 followers.

Video of the day

To demonstrate just how important Facebook has become, the American magazine Time has posted this video online which presents different stats concerning web users’ activity on the social network. We learn that every sixty seconds, members share over 50 000 links, that near to 100 000 friend requests are accepted on the site, and also over 135 000 photos are uploaded. These figures are quite simply astronomical.