Stories about Politics from April, 2012
Tunisia: Police Clash with Jobless Protestors in Radès
On April 13 police clashed with a group of young protestors from Cité El Mallaha in the port of Radès, just south of the capital Tunis. The protesters were staging a sit-in, demanding a share of some jobs which had been recently created in Radès port.
Russia: Liberal Democrats Join Opposition to Ulyanovsk NATO Hub
In the last week, Vladislav Naganov and Aleksei Navalny, two of Russia's most prominent liberal democrat bloggers, entered the debate about a proposed NATO transit hub in Ulyanovsk. The transit hub (or "military base," as critics call it) is unlike most Russian political issues that involve the North Atlantic Alliance, as the Kremlin in this instance has agreed to cooperate with (rather than resist) the West.
Portugal: ‘You Cannot Evict an Idea’ Without Borders
The violent eviction of a self-managed community center in Porto by the police, on April 19, triggered a wave of solidarity beyond the borders of the neighborhood of Fontinha, left to oblivion for years. Sympathy is coming from many cities in Portugal and beyond, following the motto "you can not evict an idea".
Mauritania: The Face of Modern Day Slavery
Although Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1981 and made the practice a crime in 2007, slavery is still a common phenomenon in the country. A CNN special report titled "Slavery's last stronghold" reveals that an estimated 10% to 20% of the population lives in slavery.
Egypt: Should the Grand Mufti Have Gone to Jerusalem?
On April 18 Ali Gomaa, the Egyptian grand mufti and one of the highest religious authorities in the Islamic world, visited Jerusalem for the first time. The visit is controversial since it is seen by many as a step towards normalised relations with Israel.
This Week in the Caribbean Blogosphere
In last week's summary of the regional blogosphere, a young comtemporary artist from Barbados made the observation that the region is “more than the beach and coconuts.” Here's a round-up of what Caribbean netizens were talking about this week, with not one mention of beaches or coconuts...
Tunisia: Neglect of Those Wounded in the Revolution
Tunisians have been expressing their dissatisfaction and anger regarding the government's poor treatment of those wounded during the Tunisian revolution. Some of them have bullets still to be extracted from their bodies, and other had limbs amputated and are still waiting for prosthetic limbs.
Bolivia: Questions Over Murder of Indigenous Female Council Member
The murder of Juana Quispe, an indigenous woman and Municipal Council Member, has boosted the demand for the Plurinational Assembly (Bolivia's Parliament) to pass the Law "Against Political Violence and Harassment based on Gender". Civil society and different organisations also demand appropriate and timely investigation of the unfortunate crime.
Panama: Italian Scandal Rocks Martinelli Government
Links between Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and Italian citizen Valter Lavitolla have placed the Panamanian government in the eye of the story, following the arrest of the Italian at the Rome airport on accusations of bribery and corruption. Fingers have been pointed at other members of the Panamanian government for allegedly taking bribes during tendering for contracts to build prisons.
Cuba: Absent at the Summit of the Americas
At The Cuban Triangle, Phil Peters blogs about Cuba's absence at the Summit of the Americas, which was held this week in Cartagena, Colombia. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's president, addressed the issue of the US trade embargo on Cuba, calling it an “anachronism.” “We cannot be indifferent to a process...
Cuba: New Video Series “Just Another Cuban”
Penultimos Días alerts readers to a series of videos, “Un Cubano Más,” produced and posted on YouTube by Eliécer Avila, the University of Information Sciences student who famously questioned former president of Cuba's National Assembly Ricardo Alarcón about why Internet access is heavily restricted in Cuba.
Spain: The King and the Elephants
King Juan Carlos was operated due to a hip fracture after he suffered a fall when he was in Botswana, Africa, hunting elephants. In a country suffering a severe financial crisis, with over 5 million unemployed, protests have not ceased to take place online.
Senegal: An Innovative Way to Monitor the Presidential Elections
During the second round of the Senegalese presidential elections, journalist Papa Alé Niang of channel 2stv was able to give results trends as early as 9pm thanks to the work of monitoring team Sunu 2012. This project was devised and created by Cheikh Fall in 2008 and has proved an invaluable tool in monitoring practices during this campaign.
Macedonia: Lead Smelting Company Sues Environmental Activist
Greenbox blog reports [mk] that Toni Dimitrievski, director of Мetrudhem, the corporation that intends to restart the lead smelting factory in the city of Veles, has filed a lawsuit against environmental activist Igor Smilev for “endangering security,” “unauthorized recording,” “slander” and “insult,” requesting EUR 20,000 in damages. So far, only...
Cuba: Youth Film Festival Marked by Controversy
The 11th "Muestra Joven del audiovisual cubano" [Youth Festival of Cuban Audiovisuals] took place this year from the 3rd to the 8th of April. The festival was marked by poor media coverage and the resignation of its coordinator, director Fernando Pérez.
North Korean TV Announcer Appears with Double “Kim Pins”
North Korea Tech wrote a post on a new lapel pin made for the country's young dictator, Kim Jung-un. The “Kim pins” with the face of North Korean former leaders, are worn almost all the time by North Koreans and the new version debuted on its state TV.
North Korea Timeline in Storify
In the midst of North Korea's failed rocket launch, @StandfordCISAC posted a storify story with a summary of North Korean major events happened during recent decades.
Russia: Astrakhan in Turmoil
In Astrakhan, opposition leaders have relied on social media to mobilize and coordinate protestors. Technology, however, is not a panacea for Astrakhan's struggling opposition. Many in the city are still strangers to Internet technology, and others are utilizing it to support the state.
Egypt: Country's First Research University At Risk
Since last year the fate of Nile University, Egypt's first research university, has been uncertain. Its purpose-built campus has been “conceded” to the Zewail City of Science and Technology, an initiative of Nobel Chemistry Prize winner Ahmed Zewail, and netizens are fighting to save it.
Somalia: Hands Off Somalia
Hands Off Somalia is a campaign originally organised to oppose any upcoming corporate, political and military intervention in Somalia by the British government, which was signalled at their conference held on 23 February 2012.
Argentina: Bloggers React to Announcement of Nationalization of Oil Company YPF
The announcement of the nationalization of the oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, and the transfer of 51% of its shares to the Argentinean government, sparked many reaction on the Argentinean blogosphere. Jorge Gobbi shares some of these opinions, which in general, are divided between those in favor and those opposed to the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
