Stories about Politics from April, 2013
Police Besiege Barcelona District in the Run Up to May 1st
The day before May Day, a hundred protesters peacefully went through the streets of a Barcelona district, followed throughout the entire route by hundreds of riot police heavily armed with anti-gas masks and shotguns. Social networks were abuzz with reactions.
Yemeni General Apologizes for 1994 Civil War on Facebook
Waving flags of a country that once existed, thousands assembled in former cities that used to make up South Yemen on 27 April 2013, to commemorate the day the north declared war on their people and occupied their land, nineteen years ago. The same day, the President's chief military advisor issued an apology on Facebook for all "unjust wars" declared by former President Saleh's regime.
Pakistan: Sorry Mobile Users, No Service!
Pakistan-based Internet access advocacy group Bolobhi releases a timeline with details of the 12 times mobile services were suspended in the country since April 2012.
EU Seal Ban Maims Indigenous Way of Life in the Arctic
A European Union court in Luxembourg has upheld its ban on the commercial trade of seal products despite a challenge from Canada's Inuit and several Canadian lawmakers that it cripples the indigenous people's ability to make a living.
Pavel Durov, Russia's Zuckerberg, Fights for Control of His Creation
Something strange is happening with Vkontakte, Russia’s homegrown version of Facebook. In the last couple of months, the company’s founder and current head, Pavel Durov, has suffered three very public “kicks in the teeth,” one of which might even lead to criminal charges.
Ukraine's TVi Saga: 31 Journalists Resign
On FT.com's beyondbric blog, Graham Stack writes [en] about the “murky takeover” and “a tangled history of offshore ownership” of the Ukrainian TV station TVi, 31 of whose journalists resigned [uk] on April 29.
Open Letter to Blogger Yoani Sánchez
Journalist and Global Voices author, Leila Nachawati, writes an open letter [es] to Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, who has been touring the United States, Latin America and Europe talking about Cuban technopolitics. Sánchez has been embraced by some, and criticized by others during her voyage. In her open letter, the Spanish-Syrian...
Ukrainian Lawmakers Propose to Ban Abortions
In early April, three MPs from the opposition political force “Svoboda” registered a bill that would ban abortions in Ukraine. Tetyana Bohdanova reports on the online reactions to this legislative initiative.
Impartial Justice Wanted in Côte d'Ivoire
Human Rights Watch reports that there is still work to do to achieve impartial justice in the post-2010-11 elections crisis in Côte d'Ivoire: The ICC’s one-sided approach has legitimized the same approach by Ivorian judicial authorities and undermined perceptions of the ICC’s impartiality.
Surprise Candidates for Madagascar Elections
Update: Here is the full list of the 49 candidates [fr] for the presidential elections. It does not include the current president of the transition. As the deadline to submit candidacies for the Malagasy presidential elections ends today (28/04), a few surprising candidates have allegedly come forth. While the earlier candidates...
To Cut or Not To Cut College Subsidies in the Bahamas?
Education, democracy and societal priorities are being called into question as Bahamian bloggers address the government's recent decision to reduce the subsidy it provides to the College of The Bahamas.
Malaysia: Which Party Has the Best Election Manifesto?
Malaysia’s 13th General Elections will take place on May 5 and fortunately, the major parties have unveiled their election manifestos which can guide voters in choosing the right candidates. Which party has the best manifesto?
Was Kyrgyzstan Ready for ‘The Vagina Monologues'?
Amid vocal protests from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture, a local activist group performed the play 'The Vagina Monologues' in the capital of Kyrgyzstan in March and April. The play by an American playwright and feminist about female sexuality and experiences earned mixed reactions from the Bishkek audience.
Chinese Corruption Spreading to Hong Kong “Like SARS & Avian Flu”
A misconduct scandal implicating Timothy Tong, the former chief of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), has Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people worried that ubiquitous corruption in China has spread to Hong Kong.
Afghan Leader's ‘Brothers’ Carry Out a Deadly Attack
In early April, Taliban insurgents stormed an Afghan court, killing and wounding dozens of people. While the Taliban admitted its responsibility for the deadly attack, President Hamid Karzai blames the incident on "foreign" Taliban and holds that local insurgents had nothing to do with it. Many ordinary people in the war-torn country are unhappy about Karzai's "soft" stance on the Taliban, whom the Afghan leader often calls his "brothers".
Haiti: “Better Prisons, Fewer Prisoners”
Haiti does not need more prisons, it needs better prisons and fewer prisoners. Haiti Chery provides some interesting statistics which support his view.
Public Trust Wiped Away; Jamaicans at Risk from Tainted Toilet Paper
The poop has been hitting the proverbial fan in Jamaica recently over the sale of substandard toilet paper that has allegedly caused a slew of rashes and vaginal infections.
RSF Addresses the Situation at Ukraine's TVi Channel
On April 26, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement [en; fr; uk – .pdf] on the situation at the Ukrainian TV station TVi: Reporters Without Borders condemns the sudden change of management at the opposition TV station TVi, announced three days ago, and is disturbed to learn that ensuing...
Indigenous People Occupy Brazil's Congress Over Land Rights Bill
The occupation of a plenary session of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies by around 300 indigenous people, on April 16, have caught congressmen by surprise and have put the spotlight on proposed amendment to the Constitution number 215, which transfers the power to demarcate indigenous land from the Executive to the Legislative power.
“Drone Strikes are the Face of America in Yemen”
22-year-old Yemeni Farea Almuslimi, appeared before the U.S. Senate hearing on America's secret drone war and gave a powerful testimony. The activist and freelance journalist comes from Wesab village, which was hit by a US drone strike on April 18, 2013.
Ahmadis Boycott Upcoming Elections in Pakistan
The Ahmadi community in Pakistan, comprising of 200,000 members, has decided to boycott the upcoming elections. The decision has been taken to protest the state's discrimination towards the community.
