Stories about Law from May, 2013
Bahamas: Too Free on Facebook?
Facebook is free for all, but it doesn’t mean that we are liberated to slander others with impunity – or to make vile threats…without consequences. POLITICAL BAHAMAS BLOG discusses “potentially criminal Facebook behavior.”
Young Woman's Suspicious Death Triggers Rare Protests in Beijing
Thousands of people took to the streets in Beijing yesterday, May 8, 2013, in response the suspicious death of a young migrant worker named Yuan Liya.
Police Raid Navalny's HQ in Kirov
At this very moment, Kirov police are searching [ru] Alexey Navalny's local headquarters, established to coordinate the blogger's public outreach in the city where he currently stands trial for embezzling roughly half a million dollars. The case has attracted international attention as the latest in a long series of politicized Russian judicial...
Obama, Minister of Chinese Petitions?
The White House petition for the Zhu Ling case has received 137,676 signatures by May 8, 2013. Some web users have made light of the fact that Chinese have turned to an American petition site seeking justice. The following image shared on Sina Weibo is Obama in the Oval Office, which has...
Catalonia's Sovereignty Declaration Suspended
The Spanish Constitutional Court just suspended Catalonia's Declaration of Sovereignty, which the regional parliament of Catalonia approved by majority on 23 January, 2013. Amid rising tensions between Spain and Catalonia, the decision has generated strong reactions on offline and online media. Thanks to a diverse team of collaborators, the online...
A Push for Political Ethics in Trinidad & Tobago
However you want to define it – principles, a moral code, character – ethics boils down to doing the right thing. With Trinidad and Tobago falling to the number 80 ranking in Transparency International‘s 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index, a few local bloggers have been discussing the issue of integrity.
Crowdsourcing a Fair Election in Bulgaria
In less than five days, on May 12, Bulgarian citizens will elect a new parliament. There are doubts, however, about the fairness of the upcoming vote. To help monitor the violations of the electoral process, Bulgarian activists have created several online tools. Ruslan Trad reports.
Wiretapping Scandal, Voter Disillusionment Ahead of Bulgaria's Elections
Bulgarian citizens will have to make some difficult choices as they go to the polls on May 12, 2013, to vote in the parliamentary election. Nevena Borisova reports.
Turf War Brewing in Brazil Over Corruption Investigations
On the heels of a landmark corruption case in Brazil that saw former members of ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government convicted of participating in a vote-buying scheme, a proposed constitutional amendment in Brazil would hand over much of the investigative powers of the public prosecutors' office, which prosecuted that case, to police.
Côte d'Ivoire: Opinions on Marriage for all
France’s adoption of the ‘Marriage for All’ bill has given rise to incomprehension, sometimes with a jokey tone, in Francophone Africa, Here, we look at opinions of commentators from the Côte d'Ivoire.
‘Hope, Service, Passion': Meet Laura Boldrini, Italy's Likable Leader in Parliament
Italy's most recent elections swept several non-career politicians into office. Among these new players on the Italian political scene is writer and human rights activist Laura Boldrini, whose popularity during her short time in office has skyrocketed thanks to a reputation for sincerity and compassion at a time when corruption is ever present in the country's politics.
China: More Suicides at Foxconn Factory
Two Foxconn employees recently jumped to their deaths in Zhengzhou, raising concerns about the poor working conditions in the world’s largest electronics manufacturer.
China: Unsolved Poisoning Case in Spotlight
Due to the recent poisoning case at Shanghai's Fudan University, Chinese netizens have taken renewed interest in another well-known university poisoning from 20 years ago. In 1994, Tsinghua University chemistry student Zhu Ling was nearly killed and permanently paralyzed due to thallium poisoning. Although cleared from charges, her roommate Sun...
Animal Cruelty In Kathmandu On The Rise
Siromani Dhungana at United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal highlights rising cruelty to animals in the Nepali capital Kathmandu and questions how long it will continue.
Saudi Activist Refuses Trial: “I Will Not Tolerate Women Degradation”
The fifth session of the ongoing trial of Dr. Abdulkareem al-Khudar, a co-founder of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, was held today; and as in the previous session, the judge continued to refuse to allow women to attend the public trial, saying that they shall stay at home.
The Kremlin Defeated the Russian Opposition?
“Do you really have the feeling that the old system collapsed after the December 2011 protests? The system defeated the opposition. It’s a fact.” Vladislav Surkov delivered this line earlier today to a crowd of reporters and students in London. Russian netizens were not happy.
Saudi Authorities Continue Crackdown on Human Rights Activists
Saudi Arabian authorities detained yet another member of the country's defiant leading human rights organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). Umar Al-Saeed is the seventh ACPRA member to be detained since the kingdom initiated a crackdown on human rights activists in 2012.
Bermuda: Bag Tax or Bad Tax?
Local charities are lobbying the Bermudian Government to institute a bag tax to encourage people to shop with reusable bags and reduce waste – but Vexed Bermoothes insists that “it’s nice to think that you can tax people into living or acting better; it rarely works out that way.”
PHOTOS: Thousands of Workers March for Rights across Southeast Asia
Global Voices reviews the May 1 Labor Day protests in Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. The rallies, which were organized to echo the various demands of workers and advocacy groups, were relatively peaceful across the region.
Blaming the Blind Dog: Hungarian Politician's Domestic Violence Case
József Balogh, a Hungarian ruling party politician, has allegedly beaten his partner so badly that she had to be treated at a hospital. He claimed she had tripped over the family's blind dog, while she said the politician had hit her. Marietta Le reviews the memes and serious discussions that this incident has produced.
Tensions Grow at Moldova-Transnistria Security Zone
Tensions increased during the night of April 26-27 in the Security Zone of the Republic of Moldova, as the Transnistrian authorities unilaterally installed two checkpoints between the village of Varniţa and the city of Bender. Diana Lungu reports.
