Stories from Quick Reads from September, 2013
Bhutan: Electoral Laws Need To Be Changed
Yeshey Dorji welcomes the move of the Bhutanese National Council to initiate a discussion on the electoral corruptions that were reported during the country's last General Elections the possible amendments the electoral laws require.
India: The Prime Minister Nominee & His Criminal Records
“Can a person with Criminal Records become the PM of India?” – asks Dr. Abdul Ruff while discussing the nomination of the right wing leader and Gujarat chief-minister Narendra Modi. He is the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance for the upcoming 2014 Indian general...
South Korea: President's Failed Welfare Promise Sparks Criticism
President Park is under fire for her retreat on campaign promises of higher pension and tuition subsidies. Critics say her campaign pledges adopted against her own identity as a conservative candidate, helped Park to rake in more votes in the last presidential election. @metempirics gathered relevant links and web reactions [ko] in...
Why Indonesia Should Not Raise its Minimum Wage
Rocky Intan explains why a minimum wage hike in Indonesia will harm the country's economy: National and local leaders should resist pressure by some union leaders for an increase in the minimum wage. The increase has not been in line with inflation, unlike what the protesters claim. Moreover, the raise...
Phuket-themed Stamps in Thailand
Mark Jochim features Thailand stamps that showcase the beauty and culture of Phuket, a popular island tourism destination. Interestingly, he notes that Phuket-themed stamps do not include the famous beaches of Phuket.
VIDEO: Filmpoem “Prayer of Fear” Stuns Egypt
The Egyptian citizen collective Mosireen has been tirelessly documenting the #Jan25 revolution and the events that followed in images and documentaries. One of their very last creations is “Prayer of Fear”, a filmpoem by Mahmoud Ezzat narrated by Mosireen member Salma Said. Between roving and painful memories, the filmpoem stuns...
Mozambique women's basketball reaches new heights
Following a thrilling victory in the quarterfinals (see our coverage), last night the Mozambican women's basketball team won a place in the Afrobasket Finals tonight against reigning champions Angola. With yet another comeback-style victory over Cameroon in the semifinals, they are also guaranteed a place in the World Championships, and...
Chinese Rethink Capital Punishment after Execution of Xia Junfeng
The public opinion in China is in support of capital punishment. However, many netizens reflect upon their stand after the execution of street vendor Xia Junfeng. Offbeat China highlights the discussion.
“You Can Kick Female Flight Attendants” in Kazakhstan
A former government official in Kazakhstan recently kicked a female flight attendant, reportedly because she did not speak Kazakh. The story has caused a stir on social media. Blogger Pivovar offers [ru] the most interesting and most widely shared Twitter posts on this incident, such as the one below: Казахстан-2013: бить...
Kyrgyzstan: “It is Impossible to Propagandize Homosexuality”
Prominent Kyrgyzstani blogger Bektour Iskander reflects [ru] on on the recent law banning gay ‘propaganda’ in Russia and speculations that some Kyrgyz human-rights NGOs are engaged in such propaganda: It is impossible to propagandize homosexuality. Because a heterosexual cannot turn into a gay, even if she/he communicates with hundreds of...
Praise and Criticism for Uruguay's Proposed Media Law
The bill, which has received the praise of several journalism and freedom of expression organizations, is not as controversial as the one recently approved in Ecuador or as contentious as the one currently in the hands of Argentina’s Supreme Court. However, it is not without its critics. While it has been lauded for its intention to set...
“Fetishization of Somoni” Continues in Tajikistan
As Tajikistan's president unveils yet another statue of national icon Ismoil Somoni, blogger Tomiris criticizes [ru] monument monoculture in the country: Don't we have other historical figures to erect statues to? Was Somoni really the only one of its kind? I understand that this fetishization of Somoni is a political...
Busting Myths about Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is not part of the Middle East; Kazakhs do not have Chinese blood in their veins; and not everything about Kazakhstan is bad. Blogger busts (part 1, part 2) [ru] common myths about the oil-rich Central Asian nation.
Podcast: China's Big Internet Crackdown
Sinica podcast discusses China's recent crackdown on Big-Vs on Sina Weibo and poses questions about whether Sino Weibo will continue to be popular and if online discussions are already moving away from Sina Weibo towards mobile services like WeChat.
Europe Warns French Minister over Statement Regarding Roma Community
Les derniers propos du Ministre français de l'Intérieur, Manuel Valls ont relancé la polémique au niveau des rapports houleux entre la France et les Roms, en France et en Europe.
Why Laos Has High Maternal And Infant Mortality Rates
Dee Harlow cites several factors that explain why Laos has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Southeast Asia: Many factors contribute to the inaccessibility of the care expectant mothers need including, geographic remoteness, lack of infrastructure and seasonal limitations for travel on rough roads, lack of transport or...
Vietnamese Blogger Speaks Out Against Government Repression
Nguyen Bac Truyen gave a testimony in a human rights event in Geneva about the repression suffered by bloggers and activists in Vietnam: Since Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang came back from a visit to President Obama in the United States at the end of July, government repression has entered...
India: Rape? Its Womens’ Fault
The media attention on rape in India and the public notion that women are responsible for most rapes have lead comedy podcast All India Bak**** (AIB), brainchild of comedians Tanmay Bhat, Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya and Gursimran Khamba, to protest by posting a satirical video on Youtube “It's your fault”...
What We Watch: YouTube Video Popularity Comparison
A new data visualization tool from the Center for Civic Media in the United States helps illustrate how popular videos spread online and between countries. Looking at the most popular videos in 61 countries, What We Watch shows which countries have the biggest overlaps in interest. Civic Media Center Director,...
South Korea: ‘The Man Must Buy the House’
Although South Korea is still a male-dominated society that ranks toward the bottom of polls in gender equality, more men seem to feel they are losing ground. It is partly true when it comes to marriage where social pressure for young men to provide a house for their brides is enormous,...
