Stories about Politics from July, 2021
Pegasus spyware revelation indicates Indian state snooping on journalists, activists and politicians
The Pegasus Project released a report detailing the potential hacking and surveillance of more than 1,000 activists, journalists and politicians from India using the Israeli-made spyware, Pegasus.
‘Maohi Lives Matter': Tahiti protesters condemn French nuclear testing legacy
"According to our calculations, based on a scientific reassessment of the doses received, approximately 110,000 people were infected, almost the entire Polynesian population at the time."
CARICOM bristles at international community's slight as Haiti installs a new prime minister
An international Core Group's call for Jovenel Moïse's prime ministerial nominee to form a “consensual and inclusive government” struck a sour note with CARICOM, but he's been installed, anyway.
Team 29, Russia's most prominent legal defense group, shuts down under state pressure
On July 19, after its website was blocked, Team 29 announced it was shutting down its operations in order to protect its staff and clients from possible criminal prosecution.
Thousands of flamingos found dead in Central Anatolia
Every year in March, thousands of flamingos migrate to the south of Lake Tuz, earning it the moniker “flamingo paradise.”
Street art protest in Kazakhstan becomes routine
Since Nazarbayev’s resignation in 2019, new protest movements in Kazakhstan have chosen street art as their preferred tactic. In this case, the target is a public utility hut in Almaty.
‘Courage is accumulative,’ said director of Hong Kong protest documentary at 2021 Cannes Festival
"This is a paradox, only if I stay in Hong Kong I can enjoy freedom, a freedom to overcome fear."
State escalates attacks on media freedom and civil society in Belarus
Since the start of July, dozens of civil society organisations and independent media outlets in Belarus have faced law enforcement raids, searches and staff detentions.
Twitter Japan appears to suspend government critics
Twitter Japan typically provides no explanation for the bans, or why accounts are restored.
Image of marijuana leaves on an energy drink creates debate in Mozambique
The authorities claim that the drink encourages cannabis consumption, which is prohibited in Mozambique.
Released journalists share prison experiences in Myanmar
"Without letting me sleep, they interrogated me for three days. I requested water, which they allowed me only on the third day. I had food only on the fourth day."
July arrests mark turn for the worse in Vietnam
Among those arrested were two relatively unknown individuals with hardly any history of pro-democracy activism.
Chinese cities’ plans to ban unvaccinated from public facilities triggers online backlash
A few dozen Chinese cities have introduced restrictive policies banning unvaccinated people from visiting public venues including schools, hospitals, mass transportation and shopping malls.
The year of the ‘orange handkerchief’ for State-Church separation in Argentina
With the slogan "Church and State: Different Matters," this campaign fights for the establishment of a secular Argentine State that does not allocate public funds for the Catholic Church.
Government-appointed rector removed from office in an overnight decree
After six months of protests, government-appointed rector Melih Bulu was removed from office in a late-night presidential decree that was announced in the official gazette.
Macau bans 21 opposition candidates from campaigning for the Legislature
A handshake with the ex-chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party was presented as evidence to disqualify Antonio Ng from Macau political office.
India mourns Dilip Kumar, the ‘tragedy king’ of Bollywood
Dilip Kumar was among the most legendary actors and producers of the Indian Cinema Industry. He worked on over 60 films over six decades and is mourned by many.
Turkey's spectacular city statues — a thing of beauty or an architectural failure?
Across the country one may find statues of garlic, a rooster, meatballs, local desserts, walnuts, pottery, and much more, symbolizing whatever that province is famous for.
Pro-European party takes the lead in Moldova's snap elections
President Maia Sandu's PAS party is "the first pro-EU party in the country's electoral history to gain a majority in the legislature."
Georgia mourns the death of a journalist
Known among his TV Pirveli colleagues as Lekso, journalist and cameraman Aleksandre Lashkarava, 37, was found dead in his apartment on July 11 in Tbilisi.
A decade after the first siege, Assad's regime besieges Daraa, the cradle of the Syrian Revolution
Calls for solidarity and global pressure to end the blockade have risen worldwide, amidst silence from key regional and international players.
