Stories about Politics from October, 2013
Former Croatian President Mesic Says Tudjman and Milosevic Set Out to Divide Bosnia
Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who was in this office as Croatia's second President from 2000 to 2010, recently gave an interview for Serbian weekly NIN, in which he claims to have found maps of a divided Bosnia in the presidential safe of Franjo Tudjman. BalkanInside.com quotes a portion of...
Radio Licences in Zambia Cancelled Because of Opposition's Access
Zambia's President Michael Sata has publicly lambasted former Information and Broadcasting Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba for issuing national broadcasting licences to two private radio stations and non-Christian radio stations.
Egypt: Urban Constitution Document
As the “50 member-committee” meets to amend Egypt's constitution, some civil society organizations and urban activists participated in producing what they called the “urban constitution document” [Ar]: We present this document to “50 member-committee” as a comprehensive suggestion for articles we see important in being added to the constitution. What's...
A 700-Kilometer March for Missing People in Pakistan's Balochistan
Thousands of Baloch have disappeared in the last decade in war-torn Balochistan.
Russia's Demagogues Just Can't Get Along
Nationalist MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky ranted about natives of the North Caucasus on the popular debate show “The Duel” - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov took offence.
Argentina's Legislative Elections
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her allies lost by large margins in the biggest and most important elections in the country yesterday. Her legislative lists were crushed in Buenos Aires (both city and state), Cordoba, Mendoza, and Santa Fe. There is a reason that every major newspaper is talking about her...
15-Year-Old Roma Girl's Deportation Shakes Up France's Immigration Debate
In the Leonarda deportation scandal, everything is controversial: the way in which the police acted, the media management of the scandal and the peculiarity of the family.
Egypt: Lawsuits Greet Bassem Youssef's Long-Awaited Al Bernameg
How ready is Egypt for Bassem Youssef's latest round of satire? Netizens react to the first episode of El Bernameg (The Programme), which was greeted with lawsuits.
On the Kingdoms of Spain
Overnight, Catalan politics changed. Hundreds of towns in the Catalan countryside preemptively declared independence. Catalonia's Parliament passed a declaration of sovereignty. But nothing changed in Spain.
Is Cambodia a One-Party State?
Anirudh Bhati rejects the position by some analysts that Cambodia has become a one-party state after the main opposition party boycotted the inaugural session of the National Assembly: …it would be erroneous to assume that Cambodia has relapsed into a one-party state simply based on the premise that the current...
Council of Europe Condemns Deterioration of Human Rights in Spain
The Council of Europe denounces the serious situation of human rights in Spain, largely as a result of social spending cuts, and disproportionate police violence.
Iranian Student Leader Majid Tavakoli Is Out on Bail
After 4 years in jail, an influential Iranian student leader was welcomed home by his family and supporters.
Venezuela Creates a ‘Vice Ministry of Supreme Happiness’
The Vice Ministry's objective is to coordinate more than 30 social missions. On Twitter the reaction to this measure has been a mixture of scepticism, mockery and sarcasm.
Journalists Fear Japan's Proposed Secret Information Protection Act
The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a bill [ja] on October 25, 2013 to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secrets and harm national security. The so-called Secret Information Protection Act has been unpopular among Japanese press, human rights advocates, and citizens...
Grenada: Remembering the Revolution
Thirty years ago this month, former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed by a firing squad. It was the beginning of the end of the People's Revolutionary Government in Grenada.
GV Face: Everything You Need to Know About #SudanRevolts
We talk with our Sudan author Usamah M, and Magdi ElGizouli, author of the influential blog Still Sudan, and ask them if this is the next Arab Spring.
Madagascar On Tenterhooks As Election Proceeds
After an eventful election day, citizens in Madagascar feverishly await the polling results.
Wearing Putin's Insult as the Badge of Honor
The Greenpeace activists locked up in Murmansk may be suffering the worst luck of anyone in the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia's Arctic drilling, but they aren't the only ones hurting.
Portugal Says “Thank You Troika”, Really?
Subverting the discourse of austerity, a protest was held in Lisbon earlier this week to “thank” the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Commission for the ongoing measures to tackle the economic crisis in Portugal. The protest took place on October 21, 2013, and gained the attention of mainstream...
Bahrain: More Tear Gas Than People
With a total population of 1.3 million, Bahrain plans to purchase 1.6m canisters of tear gas. Here's how a group of activists plan to stop the shipment from South Korea.
After Lampedusa Shipwreck, Italy Considers Decriminalizing Illegal Immigration
The tragedy, in which 350 or so African migrants were killed, has renewed debate about illegal immigration in Italy, which is a destination for many African migrants.
