Death of Iranian 'Neda' Sweeps Internet

Slain 26-year-old lover of music, travel 'couldn't stand injustice'

(NEWSER) - Neda Agha-Soltan has become the face of the Iranian protests but friends say she was never an activist before the disputed election, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 26-year-old, a music lover who was studying for a career in tourism, was shot dead by a sniper on her way to a protest Saturday. She was aware of the danger, friends say, but felt she had to take a stand. More»

'Hacktivists' overload president's blog, other government outlets

(NEWSER) - As protests continue on the streets of Tehran, hackers in and outside of Iran are mounting an assault on the establishment's main websites, reports ZDNet. The sites of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several news agencies were crippled yesterday after activists flooded them with traffic. The campaign appears to have spread on Twitter, which has become one of the most reliable forms of communication during the unrest. More»

Twitter users blast network's paltry coverage during riots

(NEWSER) - Twitter has already become a go-to place for breaking news, but the micro-blogging site assumed the role of media watchdog over the weekend, reports the New York Times. As riots protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s victory began to heat up in Tehran—and CNN aired a Larry King repeat about American Chopper rather than images of bloody students—tweets labeled #CNNFail began to fly. More»

In hiding after fleeing Iran, says the movement is still strong

(NEWSER) - "I still cannot believe it. I think I will see Neda again," the boyfriend of the iconic slain Iranian protester tells the Guardian in his first interview since fleeing the country. "Now I have left Iran, I can cry out," says Caspian Makan, who was tossed in the notorious Evin prison after telling foreign media about the government's efforts to crush the story of Neda Soltan, whose death, captured on cell phone, stoked global outrage at Tehran's violent tactics. More»

(NEWSER) - A new "conspiracy" video making the rounds on YouTube purports to show Michael Jackson being escorted from a coroner's van after his death, reports the Telegraph. The poster claims to have received the video from a "trustworthy" source, though there is absolutely nothing on the video that supports the claim or even places the scene in time or location. The tape appears to be another indication of fans' inability to accept the loss of a superstar. More»