Stories about Politics from October, 2015
Netizens Think the Controversial Confucius Peace Prize Is Suspiciously Convenient for Chinese Authorities
The Chinese government isn't associated with the prize, which was awarded this year to Zimbabwe's President Mugabe. But that hasn't stopped censorship of critical comments or the communist party's cheerleading.
A Tale of Two Presidents, an Audacious Kidnap Attempt and Misogyny in Turkish Football
"If we will die, we will die like a man, we will not live like a woman. Nobody has the power to make us live like a woman."
Indian Scholars Return Their National Awards to Protest Rising Intolerance
"We have never seen an atmosphere like this in India before. There never was any fear to freely voice one’s opinions."
Ukrainian Official Dismissed for Using Russian Email Service for Official Correspondence
Ukrainian authorities believe that using Russian email services could potentially "jeopardize the country's information security" in view of the ongoing information war between Ukraine and Russia.
Women Survivors Speak Out About Indonesia’s 1965 Mass Killings
“I was told I was only being taken in for questioning. It turns out I would be held for 14 years. From 1965 until December 1979. We never got justice."
On Drawing Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution as a Comic Strip
One year after Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution, cartoonist Jason Li reflects on his social advocacy comic experiment.
Armenian President's Fake Twitter Account Parodies Azerbaijani President's Real One
'We hear warmongering every day, every day we hear threats and attempts to scare us... We don't want war and never wanted, but.....continued.'
Brazilian Activists Prosecuted for Giving Small Donations to Left-wing Parties
Hundreds of citizens are being criminally charged by the State Prosecutor's offices in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo for making micro-donations to crowdfunded campaigns of two grassroots political parties.
From Okinawa to the UN, the Protest Against a US Military Base Continues
Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga went to the UN to address human rights violations he says the Japanese and American governments have committed.
Free Alaa Campaign Takes Social Media by Storm on the First Anniversary of His Imprisonment
Alaa Abd El Fattah has spent a year in prison for his activism. He has four more to serve. Netizens are making noise on his first year anniversary calling for his freedom.
Jailed for Anti-Monarchy Graffiti, Thai Musician Gets Support on Social Media
Opas C, a 68-year-old Thai, is serving a three-year jail term for writing an anti-monarchy graffiti in a mall toilet.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Leaves the US Without a Peep About Nukes
"Very unusual for a long joint statement to appear before the mtg is over! Obama-Sharif talks"
#FeesMustFall Hashtag in South Africa Turns Into #FeesHaveFallen. But Have They?
"The reality is that #FeesHaveFallen has been hushed into FeesHaveNotFallen. Nothing's changed; something has been prevented."
Drowning in Refuse, Lebanon's Capital Is Now Zigzagged by ‘Rivers of Garbage’
It rained in Lebanon and Beirut's rubbish, which has been pilling up alongside roads for months, turned the capital's roads into "rivers of garbage." Fears of a cholera epidemic don't seem unrealistic.
Ukraine Goes to the Polls In Local Elections, But Not Everyone Gets a Vote
The local elections are largely seen as a test of transparency and fairness for the post-Euromaidan Ukrainian political environment, but many Ukrainians aren't getting a chance to vote at all.
New Nicaraguan International Cooperation Policy Raises Questions of Transparent Finances
The dismissal of the representative for the UN system in Nicaragua is seen by some as a way to avoid a "Central American Spring."
Bomb Attack On Shia Gathering in Dhaka Raises Questions in Bangladesh
The Islamic State group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the Hussaini Dalan bomb attack, which killed one and injured over sixty others.
A Canadian First: A Somali Immigrant Wins a Seat in Parliament
From refugee to Parliament Hill: Ahmed Hussen is Canada's first member of parliament of Somali descent.
Did a Russian Journalist Just Out Vladimir Putin's Secret Daughter By Accident?
Today, following Interfax’s interview with Tikhonova, there seemed to be additional confirmation that she is the President’s child, when Yuri Pogorely, Interfax’s online projects director, intimated her ties to Putin.
#FeesMustFall Brings South African Universities to a Standstill
Students argue that increases will keep poor, mostly black South Africans from higher education. Protests against the proposed university fee hikes, which started last Wednesday, and have spread nationwide.
Homophobia and Name-Calling Derail Trinidad & Tobago's Budget Debate
"I want to believe that both Government and Opposition will step their game up and fulfil their real roles as MPs. Otherwise we can simply hire 41 circus clowns..."
