Stories about Politics from January, 2015
Antarctic Misadventure Sparks Scandal for Russian MPs
When two Duma deputies set off to plant the Russian flag atop the highest mountain in Antartica, they probably did't expect their trip would spark a political scandal.
Civil Liberties vs. Terrorism: What Are We Willing to Give Up?
European Union Interior Ministers are considering measures to combat terrorism in the region, which many have branded as draconian.
Outspoken ‘Israeli Zionist Arab Muslim’ Teen Emerges from Hiding in the US
"I had to leave Israel...for trying to show the world the real face of regular Arabs and Muslims who're simply sick of their leaders' corruption and unlimited hate..."
Sketch Comic Faces Accusations of ‘Glorifying’ Terrorism in Spain
The day after the attack on Charlie Hebdo in France, a Spanish judge summoned satirist Facu Díaz for questioning about a satirical sketch broadcast on his online TV show.
‘So Many Kids Lost in Such a Small Place': St. Vincent Mourns Bus Disaster
A bus plunged off a cliff in northern St. Vincent, leaving at least five young people dead as it crashed onto the rocky coastline.
Croatia Makes History With First Woman President, But Her Politics Worry Some Voters
Croatia is deeply divided politically. Kolinda Grabar Kitarović managed a narrow win over incumbent President Ivo Jospović in the runoff in January 2015 with 50.74% of the votes.
What Snow Can Tell You About Russia's Local Politics
Russia is notorious for having a weak civil society and an oppressive government, but that reputation isn't equally deserved throughout the country.
Documenting the Struggles of Papuans in Indonesia
Papuan Voices is a video advocacy initiative that highlights the struggles of the people of West Papua, a province of Indonesia. West Papua has been struggling to be an independent state although this conflict from Indonesia is not widely reported in the media.
ISIS Claim Their Kazakh Children Are Murdering Russian Spies [UPDATED]
Radical group ISIS released footage today of what it says is a Kazakh child assassinating two agents of Russia's Federal Security Service. Should we believe it?
Pro-Russian Forces in Eastern Ukraine Apparently Fire on Another Civilian Vessel by Accident
This is not the first time separatists have boasted of an attack online, quickly followed by an assertion that the attack was actually carried out by the Ukrainians.
What Do Twitter Users in Ukraine and Russia Say About Their Presidents? An Introduction
RuNet Echo collaborates with MITH to investigate how Russian and Ukrainian Twitter users talk about their presidents—Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko.
They Are Not Charlie: They Torture, Jail and Kill Journalists in Their Own Countries
The presence of world leaders at the forefront of the Paris rally drew much criticism online, especially since some of those leaders were among the world's worst free speech offenders.
Voting For Ourselves
As a result of her no-holds-barred commentary on life and politics, Trinidad and Tobago blogger Rhoda Bharath is often asked who she's voting for in this year's general election.
The Spirit of Henri Young: A Bahraini Prisoner Tries To Take His Own Life
Bahraini Ali Altaweel, 25, has been in solitary confinement for over three years. He attempted suicide twice: once by cutting his veins, and more recently by trying to hang himself.
Charlie Is Ahmed. And Ahmed Is Charlie: Hashtags Emerging From the Tragedy in France
While we consume news from France, commenting on freedom of satirical expression, Islam and France as a society, the concept of French universalism and republicanism is left in the shadows.
Australian Police Arrest Activist Wearing ‘I'm With Stupid’ T-Shirt
On the same day as the Charlie Hebdo tragedy in Paris, Queensland police arrest an activist at a political event who was wearing an 'I'm with stupid' T-shirt.
Venezuelan President Would Free Opposition Leader if US Frees Oscar López Rivera
Puerto Rican Oscar López Rivera has been in prison for 33 years in the United States. He has been called the longest held political prisoner in the Western Hemisphere.
A New Era Begins for Sri Lanka After President Mahinda Rajapaksa Concedes Defeat
The two-time president lost to former Health Minister Mithripala Sirisena, the candidate for the main opposition United National Party, who earned 51.28 percent of the votes.
How #EuroMaidan and War with Russia Have Changed Ukraine's Internet
Global Voices takes a look at how #EuroMaidan and Russia's interventions in Crimea and the Donbas have changed Internet use in Ukraine.
Russia Investigates VKontakte User for Posting Ukraine-Related Content
Russian authorities are investigating a Yekaterinburg woman on charges of "inciting hatred and violence" for posting links to content about Ukrainian Euromaidan protests on the social network VKontakte.
Meet Russia's 369 Kremlin-Registered Bloggers
What are the websites that populate Russia’s blogger registry, which is supposedly the Kremlin’s handpicked collection of the nation’s most read web pages?
