JUNE 1 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Uzbek authorities launched a new social networking website called YouFace. The Uzbek authorities are notoriously paranoid about the influence of social networking websites and youface.uz is monitored by the authorities. As well as having a similar name to Facebook, it also has a similar layout.
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(News report from Issue No. 091, published on June 8 2012)
JUNE 4 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Villagers living near Kyrgyzstan’s most important single economic entity, the Kumtor gold mine, blocked the only road leading to the site for three days in a protest over environmental protection. Kumtor generates roughly 12% of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP. Officials said the protest did not stop production, unlike a strike earlier this year.
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(News report from Issue No. 091, published on June 8 2012)
MAY 25 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Hours after hearing that its bid to host the 2020 summer Olympic Games had been rejected, Azerbaijan announced that it would prepare a joint bid with Georgia to host the 2020 European soccer championship. The soccer tournament is one of the biggest in the world and would involve major investment in infrastructure.
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(News report from Issue No. 090, published on June 1 2012)
MAY 26 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, ending one of the most politically charged and sensitive events in Azerbaijan’s post-Soviet history. Human rights protesters had staged protests in the build up to the final, while the authorities had used the competition to showcase the country.
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(News report from Issue No. 090, published on June 1 2012)
MAY 27 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Tens of thousands of people protesting against Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili rallied in Tbilisi. This was the largest anti-government demonstration in Georgia since 2009 and showed the depth of support that billionaire opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili has generated.
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(News report from Issue No. 090, published on June 1 2012)
MAY 17 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A group of around 20 people attempted a rare gay pride march through the centre of Tbilisi until Christian activists and priests blocked their path and smashed their placards, media reported. The incident highlights Georgia’s deeply conservative society. Homosexuality is still a taboo subject.
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(News report from Issue No. 089, published on May 25 2012)
MAY 23 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected Baku’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games. Baku had been one of five bids considered at the initial stage of the selection process but was dropped for being unrealistic. The IOC also rejected Doha’s bid. The remaining candidates are Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo.
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(News report from Issue No. 089, published on May 25 2012)
MAY 25 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Thousands of spectators, journalists and competitors flew into Baku for the Eurovision Song Contest, one of the biggest international events Azerbaijan has hosted. Media debates have focused on the economic advances Azerbaijan has made over the past 20 years against its alleged human rights abuses.
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(News report from Issue No. 089, published on May 25 2012)
MAY 14 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Police broke up another anti-government protest ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku later this month. Activists have used the Eurovision Song Contest as a focal point to challenge the government and call for President Ilham Aliyev to resign. Police detained a handful of protesters at the rally.
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(News report from Issue No. 088, published on May 18 2012)
MAY 7 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Around 100 anti-government protesters clashed with police as they tried to march to the mayor’s office in Baku, media reported. The protesters carried placards calling for President Ilham Aliyev to resign. Tension in Baku is rising ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest later this month.
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(News report from Issue No. 087, published on May 11 2012)
