Stories about North America from December, 2012
International Fast Food Chains Involved in China's Chicken Scandal
A number of international fast-food chains are involved in the latest food safety scandal to hit China. Nationalistic voices are reacting by calling for foreign brands to be kicked out of China, while some believe that the government is to blame for the lack of food safety control.
Africa's Tainted Global Media Coverage
The #Kony2012 campaign contained quite a few over-simplifications about Africa. African media itself is not immune from this sort of criticism either. Here is a summary of the gems, errors and other inaccuracies in media coverage of Africa.
Iranian-Americans Seek Heros to Save a Life
Nasim, a young woman from Northern California of Iranian decent is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Several Iranian celebrities have stepped up to help spread the word to save her. They are using social media to find a hero to give a bone marrow donation.
Xi Jinping: a hardline nationalist in control of China?
South Sea Conversations looks into the new Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping's political speech, in particular his talk about “the great revival of the Chinese nation”'s implication to foreign policy. To me it seems equally possible that Xi Jinping’s “nationalist” rhetoric, backed up by already-conspicuous action against corruption, will...
A Comparison of China's and America's Richest People
Liz Carter from the Tea Leaf Nation translated an info-graphic by CN politics [zh], which compares the character of China's and America's richest people.
United States: Occupy Sandy Stands Up to Destruction
Occupy Sandy has proved to be a great help in alleviating the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Organized by the group InterOccupy, Occupy Sandy was created as a part of the Occupy movement whose methodology was to organize general assemblies, attracting individuals and groups working to promote mutual communication. As stipulated in its mission, the movement seeks to respond to the needs of the 99 percent.
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.
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.
Latin America: Top 5 News Stories from 2012
In World Policy Blog, Global Voices contributor Robert Valencia highlights five “top stories from 2012 that will have an impact in 2013 and beyond”: the war on drugs, Hugo Chávez's re-election, the Colombia-Nicaragua dispute over the San Andrés Archipelago, the Colombian peace process, and Brazil's booming economy.
Chinese-American Children Left Behind in China
Left-behind children is a term to describe a special group of children who are left in rural areas while their parents work as migrant workers in big cities in China. However, in Fujian province in Southern China, there are about 10,000 left-behind foreign children whose parents are illegal immigrants to other...
Fighting Deportation in the U.S.
The national "We Belong Together" campaign is compiling testimonies in response to the passing of new immigration laws in the U.S. and addressing the prejudices they perpetuate.
Journalism and Technology Scholarships for U.S. Students
The Online News Association is accepting applications for the AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship, which awards six $20,000 scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year to undergrad and grad students doing great work in digital news. Deadline to apply is February 8, 2013.
Australia: Plain Cigarette Packaging a World First
Australia’s new plain cigarette packaging law, which began on December 1, 2012, was greeted with pleasure by most onliners. Meanwhile, the tobacco industry has argued that plain packaging will increase illegal trade and smuggling.
Brazilian Immigration Policy Faces New Challenges
Whereas the subject has long been debated in Europe and the USA, the issue of immigration has only recently gained prominence in Brazil. This new Brazilian reality throws up a series of new challenges both for Brazilian society and the government.
