Stories about Feature from December, 2012
Hungarian Protesters Occupy Bridge, Three Students Arrested
Student protest rallies continue in Hungary. On Wednesday night, the protesters occupied a Budapest bridge, and three of them ended up getting arrested.
Cambodia Bans Internet Cafes Near Schools
Internet cafes are now banned within 500 meters of schools or educational buildings. Internet cafes are also prohibited from welcoming anyone under the age of 18, because the "internet poses numerous dangers such as terrorism, economic crimes & distribution of pornography."
Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China
V for Vendetta, a film produced in 2005 about a near-future dystopian society, previously censored in China, was aired on China Central Television Station (CCTV) Channel Six on December 14, 2012. The screening has caught many people by surprise.
China's Media Mute on Local School Tragedy
On Dec 14, 2012, 20 children were killed in a gun shooting in Connecticut, US. The sad news was immediately all over China’s CCTV and made the headlines of major newspapers in China. On the same day, another school tragedy took place in central China: a man stabbed and injured 22 children. However, there was not a single mention of the domestic tragedy in Chinese mainstream media. The only news was through Weibo, China’s twitter.
Catalonia: Independence from Spain to Do What?
It appears that Catalonia is now set to hold a referendum on its ties to the rest of Spain. Could an independent Catalonia lead to the break-up of the establishment dynamics that have dominated Spain since the late-1970s? The optimists believe so.
Indigenous ‘Idle No More’ Movement Sweeps Canada
Thousands of people across Canada mobilized Monday 10 December, 2012 under the banner “Idle No More” to protest the effects of current and proposed government policies on the nation’s indigenous peoples.
Campaign Against Pro-China Media Monopoly in Taiwan Turns Global
The Taiwanese government's lack of response to the street protests against the monopoly of a pro-China media group in the country, has triggered a series of online protests across the world.
Most Corrupt Country Award Goes to Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks as the world's most corrupt country in the latest survey by a global corruption watchdog. The release of the survey triggered a wave of anti-corruption rallies across the war-torn country. In Bamyan, civil society activists awarded an effigy of Afghan president with the 'Most Corrupt Country Cup'.
Global Voices and the Power of We
To kick off this year's fundraising campaign, a behind-the-scenes look at how the 700-plus members of our diverse, global and entirely virtual community pull together stories. This holiday season, please consider a gift to Global Voices.
Reporters Stand By as Biswajit Das is Brutally Murdered in Bangladesh
On 9th December, 2012, during an 8-hour road blockade programme called by the opposition, 24yr old Biswajit Das was brutally murdered in the open before the eyes of the public and a large number of media personnel who were busy taking photographs and video footage of the incident and did nothing to try and save the young man from his horrific end. Shock and outrage poured in via social media.
Voices of Dignity – Women Survivors of Colombia's Armed Conflict
Through the powerful testimonies of Yoladis Zúñiga and Petronila Mendoza -two Colombian women who fled their homes after paramilitaries killed their husbands and raided their villages- the multimedia project Voices of Dignity provides an intimate and necessary look into the struggles of the victims of Colombia's armed conflict.
Deadly Storm in the Philippines: “Everything was flying. It was surreal.”
Father Joel Tabora summarizes the extent of damage left by Typhoon Pablo in Southern Philippines: "Entering the Municipality of Compostela was like entering a warzone, its hectares and hectares of banana and fruit trees flattened. People there have no food. No potable water. No signal. Electricity is expected to return after at least two months."
Japan's First Live Streamed Political Debate
On November 29, 2012, Nico Nico Douga hosted Japan's first live-streamed political debate. Presidents from ten different parties joined the debate, which faced its own unique challenges.
Iran's Diplomatic Missions Under Attack
Iran's diplomatic missions have been under attack around the world in recent weeks by Iranians and Afghans, for different reasons. The actions sparked a hot debate within the Iranian blogosphere, with ideas ranging from praise to condemnation and denouncements.
‘Public Hunger Strike’ in Saudi Arabia for Imprisoned Activist Al-Bajady
Saudi human rights activist Mohammad al-Bajady has been getting much attention in the Saudi Twittershare in the last few weeks. Al-Bajady is one of the co-founders of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA) and he has been detained since March 21, 2011. Yesterday, December 9, @freealbjadi announced a public hunger strike to support al-Bajady on December 10, which marks the international Human Rights Day.
‘The Economist’ Accused of Hacking by Bangladesh's War Crimes Tribunal
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is an ongoing tribunal in Bangladesh that was set up to investigate and provide justice regarding the war crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The tribunal has asked The Economist magazine to explain how it got emails and recordings of private Skype conversations between a presiding judge and a diaspora legal expert and put an embargo on publishing the same.
Women Banned from Using Mobile Phones in Indian Villages
A village council in the Indian state of Bihar has banned women from using mobile phones because it is “debasing the social atmosphere” and leading couples to elope. Similar bans have also been seen in other parts of India.
Ecuador Launches Oil Auction Amid Indigenous Protests
On Wednesday November 28, 2012, Ecuador began an international licensing round for 13 oil blocks - nearly ten million acres - of untouched south-central Amazonian territory as indigenous leaders took to the streets in Quito to protest petroleum concessions on their lands.
Pardon Granted to Police Officers Convicted of Torture in Spain
The sentence of police officers found guilty of torturing a Romanian citizen in 2006 has been commuted and they have been fined instead. This development has reignited the debate on Spain's system of granting 'pardon,' which has been used to benefit those in closest proximity to power for years.
Top 10 Chinese Internet Memes of 2012
As the year comes to an end, we've picked China's 10 most memorable Internet memes of 2012. They cover scandal, celebrity, humour and buzzwords.
Still Shaking from Kim Kardashian's Bahrain Trip
Reality show celebrity Kim Kardashian's trip to Bahrain is still making the rounds on news - and social media. In a series of tweets, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof makes it clear how unhappy he is to be denied a visa to visit Bahrain, where Kardashian was invited to open a milkshake shop, writes Mohamed Hasan
