Stories about Politics from September, 2018
Do Macedonians want their country to join NATO and the EU? A historic referendum will decide
The September 30 referendum explicitly asks: 'Are you in favour of EU and NATO membership by accepting the Agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?'
The Alliance for the Protection of Theatre fights to preserve Albania's cultural heritage
"Do not erase the collective memory of the generations. Any new theatre is welcome but we do not have to destroy the old one."
Fifty years after the Mexican Movement of 1968, students continue their march against violence and impunity
"We are the grandchildren of '68".
As Colombia's peace process falters, scores of social activists are being killed
"How much longer [will this go on] and how many more [will die]?"
A new indie film festival features the struggles and triumphs of indigenous Papua, Indonesia
The film festival "highlights the issues of the indigenous people of Papua through documentary films as well as to build public awareness of the important issues impacting them.”
As xenophobic policies sweep Central and Eastern Europe, refugee aid is criminalized
While the numbers of refugees entering Europe decrease, political hysteria against them, and civil society organizations that help them in Central and Eastern Europeis on the rise.
A sea-change in Maldives politics as opposition presidential candidate declares a win
As of 2 a.m. in the Maldives (GMT+5) Solih "said he had won by a 16 percent margin over incumbent Abdulla Yameen" and urged for a peaceful transition.
Beijing authorities slam Swedish police for humiliating Chinese tourists, but there's another side to the story
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to make use of the incident to stir patriotic sentiment to exercise pressure on Swedish government. But netizens know ... what’s right and wrong."
Venezuelans say they are unable to access key Google services
Reports of new Internet blocks sound alarms and point to a possible escalation in communication and information control.
A film about a Montenegrin freedom fighter seeks to keep anti-fascist values alive
"By sharing the story of an ordinary person's struggle, we wanted to remind younger generations how the rights we now enjoy were won..."
Will Brazil's forthcoming data protection law actually protect peoples’ privacy rights?
The president vetoed the creation of an independent authority that would oversee the law's implementation.
While some Brazilians tried to school Germans on Nazism, others apologized in shame
Were the Nazis socialists? A video posted by a German Consulate in Brazil has reignited discussion among Brazilians of this historical misconception.
Serbian president apologizes for ‘stupidly’ citing The Onion, a satirical news platform
'I don't blame my advisers, if I had thought that through and if I wasn't tired I would realize it's odd,' Vučić said, adding that it's normal to make mistakes.
Arrested for fact-checking: Kazakh court fines Ukrainian journalist after police break up media workshop
The incident highlights authorities' aversion to discussions of Ukraine in Kazakhstan and a long-running battle with a local newspaper.
Japan moves to accept more workers from abroad, but public opinion remains divided
Japan may have little choice but to accept more workers from abroad to cope with an expected shrinkage in the working population caused by an aging and low birth rates.
In Syria, regime loyalists use art as a tool of war
"Since the early days of the revolution, the Syrian regime has idolized and romanticized a military state"
In a blow against impunity, Guatemala's top court rules in favor of the return of UN anti-corruption commissioner
"The eyes of the world should be put on Guatemala as the country goes through a key moment of their history"
‘Crimes of solidarity’ in Europe multiply as 11 stand trial in Belgium for helping migrants
Activists in Belgium claim the trial is aimed at dissuading people from helping migrants by establishing an intimidating judicial precedent.
Protestors artfully demand the release of Shahidul Alam, Bangladesh's prisoner of conscience
"When a regime is governed by nothing but fear, it is often a sign that the regime might have lost its plot."
One Syrian's harrowing journey to freedom
"For the first time in years we saw streets undamaged by missiles, sidewalks unmarred by shrapnel, and walls unblemished by war."
Under Austria's right-wing government, ‘ethical’ principles for journalists could hijack media rights
If the current draft is adopted as it stands, it will provide for an extra layer of strict control that aims to silence the critique and dissent.
