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Syria appears to be cut off from internet access, according to reports from web monitoring groups. Google’s transparency report shows that access to its services has been cut off in the country since 22:00 local time on Tuesday. Similarly, web security group Umbrella Security Labs said in a blog post that “it seems Syria has largely disappeared from the Internet.” Internet connection monitor Renesys also confirmed the outage last night:
Renesys confirms loss of Syrian Internet connectivity 18:43 UTC.BGP routes down, inbound traces failing.@geeknik
— Renesys Corporation (@renesys) May 7, 2013
Syrian residents have confirmed that the internet is down to the BBC, but both landlines and mobile phones are still working.
Internet and mobile connectivity was shut down in November 2012.
Syria
“Attacks on journalists have threatened the flow of news to the outside world”, says Amnesty International, launching a report on threats to media workers in that country’s civil war. According to AP, killings of journalists in the conflict number “somewhere between 44 and 100, depending on who does the counting”. (AP)
Burma
A Muslim woman, Win Win Sein, has been charged with “religious defamation”, after she accidentally knocked over the alms bowl of a Buddhist monk (AFP)
France
The video for “College Boy” by rock band Indochine has been banned from TV for its portrayal of bullying and the crucifiction and shooting of a schoolboy (Huffington Post France)
(Warning: video is graphic)
Turkmenistan
Government officials searched phones and cameras of spectators at a horse racing event in an attempt to suppress footage of President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov falling off his horse at the end of a race he “won” (The Times £)
Syria
“Attacks on journalists have threatened the flow of news to the outside world”, says Amnesty International, launching a report on threats to media workers in that country’s civil war. According to AP, killings of journalists in the conflict number “somewhere between 44 and 100, depending on who does the counting”. (AP)
Burma
A Muslim woman, Win Win Sein, has been charged with “religious defamation”, after she accidentally knocked over the alms bowl of a Buddhist monk (AFP)
France
The video for “College Boy” by rock band Indochine has been banned from TV for its portrayal of bullying and the crucifiction and shooting of a schoolboy (Huffington Post France)
(Warning: video is graphic)
Turkmenistan
Government officials searched phones and cameras of spectators at a horse racing event in an attempt to suppress footage of President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov falling off his horse at the end of a race he “won” (The Times £)
The US Secretary of State is headed for the Middle East and the Gulf. Sara Yasin explains the censorship issues in the region he needs to hear about
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