Stories about Politics from April, 2024
The Law against Fascism that perpetuates authoritarianism in Venezuela
Repression and censorship: The Law against Fascism is Maduro's new card to continue consolidating his authoritarian model in a country that is waiting and yearning for democratic presidential elections.
38 years after Chernobyl disaster, 12% of Belarus's territory is still contaminated
The state media reports on the success of Belarusian state-sponsored Chernobyl program that deals with economic, social and environmental consequences of the disaster, but many are skeptical about it
Judith Suminwa Tuluka, the DRC's first woman prime minister
With Judith Suminwa Tuluka's appointment as prime minister, the DRC enters the group of nations with a woman leading the government.
EU Parliament condemns the reintroduction of Georgia's foreign agent bill
The EU resolution is a clear warning to the ruling Georgian Dream: Lest the government drop the bill from the parliamentary discussion, the country's EU accession negotiations will stall.
First regional elections in Togolese history: An interview with Paul Amegakpo
Togo is getting ready to hold its combined election on April 29, 2024. This election will be a first for this country, which is holding its first regional election.
Imran Khan's conflict with the military establishment in Pakistan, and his political future
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and jailed politician Imran Khan's recent tweet has stirred significant controversy on social media, sparking debates and speculation about his and his party's political future.
As a strong supporter of reparations, Barbados has had to reconsider purchasing land from a former slave-owning family
Barbados' plans to purchase land — to the tune of GBP 3 million — from British Conservative MP Richard Drax whose forebears were slave traders, have been put on pause.
Papua New Guinea demands apology from Joe Biden over cannibalism remarks
"President Biden’s comments contribute and are a testament to the broader misunderstanding and this fantasization from the West about cannibalism in Papua New Guinea."
In Brazil, the intelligence services spied on over 300,000 citizens during the military dictatorship
SNI, the predecessor of the current Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin) sought to continue illegal activities after the end of the military dictatorship, according to previously unpublished records
Audio deepfakes and AI tricks threaten elections around the world
The rights of the people whose voices and images are being appropriated will need to be more seriously protected.
How gendered disinformation on social media harms Kenyan women seeking political office
"Women often don’t sue because they don’t actually know that the law can protect them ... because of the stigma around it, and the fact that people have normalised cyberbullying ..."
A Hong Kong Facebook group on shop closure strives to survive allegations of inciting discontent
Several pro-establishment commentators and outlets claimed that the page had been hijacked by the “yellow clan” (pro-democracy) and a newspaper columnist warned that it might “incite” discontent against the government
The denial of Palestinian childhood
This analysis explores how systemic dehumanization of Palestinian children by Israeli forces mirrors racial injustices against Black children in the US, highlighting the role of Western media biases in normalizing such injustices.
‘Lobster gate’ in Turkey sparks conversation about economic inequality
Amid a deepening cost of living crisis in Turkey, the ruling party MP, Şebnem Bursalı found herself at the heart of public criticism when she posted a photo of a lobster.
Presidential elections in Venezuela: Less free than ever
As Venezuela's presidential election approaches on July 28, will the opposition be able to endorse a viable candidate? Will Maduro leave anyone who threatens him electorally out of the race?
Mali: Political parties call for presidential elections to end military transition
A military government has led Mali since the coup d’état on March 24, 2021 and refuses to hold fresh elections. It has also announced measures to restrict the press.
Explaining the politics behind Chinese language translation: The year of “Loong”
After mainland Chinese official media outlets started calling the 2024 Zodiac the Year of “Loong” instead of the Year of the Dragon to advance the State's political goals.
Four decades of strife and resistance: A deep dive into what's happening in West Papua
A video went viral last month seemingly depicting Indonesian military forces torturing a man from West Papua. For over 60 years West Papuans have been fighting for independence from Indonesia.
Georgia draws criticism and protests as government debates the foreign agent bill
After three days of large-scale protests, domestic and international criticism the draft bill nevertheless passed the first reading at the parliament.
Inside Germany's Orwellian crackdown on Palestine Congress
The inside story of how Germany deployed hundreds of police and 'cancelled' a Berlin conference with speakers like Ghassan Abu Sitta and Yanis Varoufakis for speaking out for Gaza.
How China is trying to turn Xinjiang from concentration camp into tourist paradise
Overall, the accelerated and intensified assimilation program appears to have worked, and the authorities seem to have loosened the reins.
