Stories about Politics from March, 2014
Teenage Bloggers in Bangladesh Arrested For ‘Blasphemous’ Facebook Posts
Fellow bloggers accuse an Islamist student organization of distributing false propaganda that rallied a mob against the two bloggers and led to their arrest.
A Schism Over Ukraine in Russian-owned LiveJournal
Igor Bigdan (ibigdan), one of the most popular RuNet bloggers, announced yesterday that he would be leaving his position as Director of LiveJournal Ukraine starting April.
Massive Online Campaign to Free Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera
The international campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is asking people from all over the world to contribute in making the hashtag #freeOscarLopez a trending topic...
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Nuclear Security Summit Protests
Free Tibet protesters were foiled by Chinese security officials, and a protest urging the US to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions was given prime real estate near the summit.
Embattled Opposition Blogger's Insanity Defense?
When attempts to silence Alexey Navalny, Russia's top blogger and anti-corruption activist, don't work quite as planned, it's time to shovel the dirt.
Afghanistan: ‘My Best Weapon to Fight the Taliban is My Voter Card’
Afghanistan's voters are in a defiant mood as they ready themselves for the polls, ignoring an intensification of civillian-focused attacks by "desperate" Taliban insurgents.
Roots of Conflict in Southern Thailand
Patrick Jory traces the history of the conflict in southern Thailand and probes the causes and impact of naming it as an Islamic insurgency: The answer can be found in...
Indonesian Candidates Accused of Exposing Children to ‘Indecent’ Campaign Shows
Twerking-like Dangdut dances and cash handouts are among the spectacles watched by children in the ongoing legislative election campaign in Indonesia.
‘Sleeping Lion’ China Awakened, Says President Xi Jinping
Evoking Napoleon during his visit to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country is an awakened lion that is “peaceful, pleasant and civilized”
South Sudan Military Intelligence Chief Denies Attempted Coup
The chief of military intelligence for South Sudan denies that there was an attempted coup there on December 15, 2013. PaanLuel Wel reports: Reports from Juba have it that the...
Top 10 Russian-Language Tweets, Week 13 of 2014
Every Friday, RuNet Echo collects the top ten Russian-language tweets and curates them for Global Voices readers.
‘Anonymous International’ Leaks Kremlin's Instructions to Russian TV
A Russian Internet group called “Anonymous International” has leaked what it claims is a “tyomnik”—a list of prepackaged news stories prepared by the Kremlin for Russia’s central television news stations.
Should Africa Learn From the Crimea Referendum?
“Is Crimea referendum a good model for Africa?” asks Richard Dowden: Africa’s arbitrary borders, mostly drawn by people who had never set foot in the continent, have always been an...
Trinidad & Tobago: Another Minister Bites the Dust
In the wake of the dismissal of the latest minister from the current government, Wired868 chronicles the firings of his colleagues.
The “Happy Voting” Project Encourages Young Europeans to Vote
Drawing on the Pharrell Williams worldwide hit “Happy” and the associated equally renown music video (over 143 million views on YouTube), the Brussels-based film company Full Tunes Production has recently...
Blogging about Russia's Crimea Annexation? You Could Be an Extremist!
Russian lawmakers are toying with the idea of levying extremism charges against bloggers who “incite xenophobic attitudes” when writing about the Crimea.
‘NATO Air – Just Do It’ Meme Opens Old Wounds for Serbia and Kosovo
On the fifteenth anniversary of the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu retweeted a tweet by Kosovo Minister of European Integration Vlora Citaku, causing controversy and angering many.
Australians Joust over Knights and Dames Revival
The revival of knights and dames had Australians all atwitter.
Russia's Media Crackdown Spills into Academia
Three days ago, MGIMO University fired Professor Andrei Zubov for so-called academic misconduct. His supposed crime was writing an antiwar op-ed criticizing Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
“Click Rights” Campaign for Digital Rights in Middle East and North Africa
The IGMENA campaign “Click Rights” aims to bring more awareness of digital rights to citizens, so they in turn can pressure governments and the private sector to uphold them.
In A Syrian Neighbourhood, Rocket Fire Becomes The New Normal
When her Aleppo neighbourhood is the target of rocket fire, Syrian activist Marcell Shehwaro's is both surprised, and not surprised, at how quickly life returns to "normal".
