Stories about Politics from August, 2016
Blue Skies, Fake Tourists and Maximum Security: China Prepares For a Flawless G20 Summit
Whether they like it or not, Hangzhou residents must comply with government efforts to present theirs as the best and safest city in the world.
The Burkini Ban Is Only Skin Deep
By focusing on a law governing what women can and can't wear, we're missing the deeper point of the argument.
Nigeria: Curbing the Tide of Ethnic Hate — Online and Off
Nigeria is the most active African country for political conversations on Twitter. That vibrant digital sphere, however, is fraught with hate speech.
Has Uzbekistan's Ailing Dictator Danced His Last Dance?
"For the first time in 27 years, Karimov is not in control of Uzbekistan."
How Beijing’s Breach of ‘One Country Two Systems’ Gave Birth to the Hong Kong Independence Movement
"Their main method looks set to be trolling and rattling Beijing: identifying what makes the regime most paranoid, and piling it on."
Daraya, Symbol of Non-Violent Revolution and Self-Determination, Falls to the Syrian Regime
"The people of Daraya paid a heavy price for their dream of freedom. For four years they defended their autonomy from the Assadist state, and kept going despite the siege."
Twenty Years of Russian Political Campaign Ads
RuNet Echo looks back at the most memorable political advertisements in Russia over the past two decades, highlighting some of the strangest, silliest, and scariest videos put out by politicians.
In Syria and Beyond, Protesters Make Sure the World Doesn't Forget the Ghouta Chemical Massacre
"We must teach all dictators a lesson, that all people will come together against any dictatorial regime in the world."
Independent TV Station and Two Community Radio Stations Suspended Amid Disputed Elections in Zambia
"Zambia is slowly becoming a court room. We all must be careful when we speak out on issues of national interest."
These Videos Expose the Dirty and Destructive Impact of Large-Scale Mining in the Philippines
Residents and investigative journalists have been using mobile phones and even drones to expose how mining is destroying the country’s watersheds and rivers.
An Ethiopian Runner Makes a Brave Gesture of Anti-Government Protest at the Olympic Finish Line
"#FeyisaLilesa used the biggest stage of his life to express a muzzled generational cry for freedom. He spoke without words. #courage"
The ‘Different Yet Equal’ Protest Politics of Sri Lanka
The vigil highlighted that the insecurity felt by some Sinhala Buddhists continues to persist, despite the fact that they remain the country's majority community.
‘Safe Schools': Life-Saving Anti-Bullying Program or Radical Sexual Indoctrination? Australians Can't Agree.
A petition opposing 'Safe Schools' - a program designed to promote acceptance of LGBT students - has reignited national debate over how far school inclusion policies should go.
Chinese Volleyball Coach Lang Ping Has Spent Her Career Thinking Outside the Communist Party Box
"She is an independent Chinese who has been exposed to the international field of sport, she is not a cog in the machine of a national bureaucratic sports system."
Put Down the Marvel and DC, Kids: Russia Just Bought You a Patriotic Comic Book.
The three “primary goals” of the comic book are creating alternatives to foreign superheroes, incentivizing teenagers to become active in sports, and raising basic levels of knowledge about military service.
A Citizen Journalist in India Took on the Local Government Over Pensions—and Won
"I know how important are a few hundred rupees in an impoverished person’s life. It means food, medicine and security."
Philippine Sugar Farmers Facing Another ’Dead Season’ Turn to Government for Help
Tiempo Muerto, or “The Dead Season,” can be so brutal on farmers that more than a quarter of a million people—a whopping 385,000 sugar workers—are affected on Negros Island alone.
Say Hello to Thailand’s New Constitution. And Say Hello Again to Thailand’s Military Rule.
By all accounts, Thailand’s new constitution boosts the dominance of the military, threatening to institutionalize even further a culture of censorship and state control over the media.
In India, a Nationalistic ‘Witch Hunt’ Targets Journalists Who Exposed #BabyLift Trafficking Operation
According to its constitution, India is a secular republic with freedom of expression, but it also prohibits anything that hurts religious or ethnic sensitivities.
The Week That Was at Global Voices Podcast: The Status Quo Has Got to Go
This week we tell you tales of protest, tragedy, and discrimination from Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, Trinidad and Australia.
Nine Years on, Turkey Blames Gulenists for Murder of Ethnic Armenian Journalist
Supporters of Hrant Dink are quietly hopeful that some of those responsible for his death, if not all, are about to face punishment.