Stories about Politics from October, 2013
One Month Until Honduras’ General Election
Mike Allison from the blog Central American Politics shares links to English-language posts on the November 2013 elections in Honduras. Mike recommends blogger Hermano Juancito's post “about the breakdown of the two-party system”; a post from the blog Honduras Culture and Politics on the newest poll results; and a post...
Central Asia's Presidents: Political Stalwarts and Musical Softies
Some presidents in Central Asian countries sing, dance, and play musical instruments. When they fail to impress their populations, however, people sing against them.
Malaysia Revives ‘Detention Without Trial’ Law
The government insists a tough law is needed to defeat gangs and criminal syndicates. But critics are worried that the law would lead to grave human rights abuses.
Catalan Man Sentenced to Prison after Refusing to Speak Spanish
Carles Mateu, who refused to speak in Spanish to officers during a routine traffic stop in Valencia, was sentenced to six months in prison and had his driver's license revoked.
Tajik Official Plagiarizes Story Extolling President
Social media users in Tajikistan have caught an education official-cum-ardent supporter of the incumbent president plagiarizing. In his recent article “Why I Am Voting for [President] Emomali Rahmon” [ru] Ilkhomjon Khamidov extolled the country's veteran president who is seeking to secure a re-election in the November 6 vote. After the article...
The Suspended Martyrdom of Russia's Alexey Navalny
After his tumultuous guilty verdict and five-year prison sentence last July, a court recently suspended Alexey Navalny's sentence, leaving the Russian opposition's most prominent leader on probation but free.
Chinese Newspaper Defies Censors, Publishes Front-Page Call for Journalist's Release
Reporter Chen Yongzhou was detained by police after the publication of his numerous investigative reports on the business practices of a large Chinese construction company.
In Wake of Suicide Bombing Russians Question Their Security
An explosion aboard a Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) commuter bus caused a stir in Russia’s blogosphere on Monday.
Saudi Clerics Protest Women Driving
‘A group of more than 100 conservative Saudi clerics gathered Tuesday at the Royal Court in Riyadh to protest against what they called “the conspiracy of women driving.”’ writes Ahmed Al Omran at Riyadh Bureau. Saudi women are planning to defy a ban on women driving in the absolute monarchy...
Saudi Prisoners’ Children Put Into Solitary Confinement
Relatives of prisoners, including children, who were denied from meeting their loved ones during Eid Al Adha, are now being detained in Saudi Arabia, after staging an "illegal" protest.
Fujimori Trial Temporarily Suspended Due to His Haggard Appearance
Many were not convinced about the state of the president's health, who was subpoenaed to testify about the purchase of the editorial line of some newspapers to promote his reelection.
Opposition Wins Trinidad's Local Government Elections, but Everybody Celebrates
The opposition People's National Movement has won Trinidad's Local Government Elections - but that hasn't stopped the other political parties from claiming some measure of victory. Netizens, meanwhile, are incredulous.
Nicolás Maduro's First Six Months as President of Venezuela
Venezuela is sitting on top of the largest oil reserves in the world and has a continual flow of dollars coming in. So they are not on the brink of a collapse. But they are progressively sliding into the swamp of serious economic dysfunction that will make sustained growth difficult...
Egypt: “Morsi is Not Coming Back”
Former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi will not return to power, says Egyptian blogger Alya Gad, on Twitter. To make her message clear, she translates it in different languages: مرسي لن يعود – Morsi is not coming back – Morsi no va a volver – Morsi ne reviendra pas – Morsi...
The Crowd in the Machine
How we create images of crowds affects our understanding of them.
Madagascar Presidential Elections: The Home Stretch
33 candidats se présentent aux élections présidentielles à Madagascar. Cependant seuls 16 d'entre eux ont eu une vrai présence pendant la campagne dans les médias. Certains se demandent où sont passés les autres.
“Let Russians Sweep Their Own Streets”: Minorities Ponder Ethnic Violence
Non-ethnic Russians have been keen to express their views on the Biryulyovo riots online, using the language common to many of them - Russian.
CCTV News Tweets About Zhou Yongkang Corruption Case
China Watch Twitters spotted a news tweets which was quickly deleted about the government's investigation on Zhou Yongkang's corruption case. Is it a rumor? Or a glimpse of the truth? Beijing cream put a spotlight on the discussion.
Trinidad & Tobago: Giving the Government the Finger?
Today, Trinidadians voted in the country's Local Government Elections; Facebook was full of photos of citizens' ink-stained fingers. The question remains: have their votes sent a message to the government?
Malaysian Court Rules Catholic Paper Can’t Use ‘Allah’ to Refer to God
The court ruled that the Catholic paper would create confusion and disrupt public order if it is allowed to use the word Allah
Why I'm Not Giving Up On Politicians (Yet)
Madagascar's political situation can seem hopeless, but Lova Rakotomalala has still decided to actively support one of the candidates in October 25's presidential election. Here's why.
