Stories from 9 June 2010
South Africa: World Cup: Feel it, it is here, then shut up
FIFA World Cup 2010 is here, feel it then shut up!:Great confusion reigns about directives issued by someone in the South African Police Services to a number of municipalities not to allow marches for the duration of the 2010 World Cup.
Kenya: Plans to rig the referendum
Kumekucha observes that rigging is being planned for the referendum in Kenya: For those who don’t know the intricacies of how rigging is usually done, I think it would be right to start with a brief appreciation of certain key points.Vote rigging works best when the results are close.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Reflections on conflict and displacement
In a guest post on the blog of Global Voices’ Caucasus editor, The Caucasian Knot [EN/AZ/RU], Zamira Ayan Abassi reflects on life as an ethnic Azeri refugee from Armenia as a result of the conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh as well as her desire for...
Zimbabwe: Women of Zimbabwe making history
The former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, blogs about her recent trip to Zimbabwe: I was in Zimbabwe to attend a ‘High Level Dialogue on Women’s Empowerment in the Political and Economic Arena. The aim of our five day visit was to show solidarity with those working to achieve greater...
Africa: Voice of Africa for sustainable development
Voices of Africa is a sustainable development project initiated by students at the University of Eastern Africa Baraton.
Macau: Amendment of media law
Michelle from interlocals.net translated an article updating the free speech situation in Macau. Professional media workers are calling for media reform while the government wants to amend laws to control the Internet.
China: Tan Zuoren’s Harsh Sentence Upheld by Sichuan High Court
The Sichuan Provincial High People’s Court upheld the judgment of activist and environmentalist Tan Zuoren (谭作人). Tan was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” in February 2010 and sentenced to five years in prison, with an additional three years’ deprivation of political rights, following a trial in August 2009....
South Korea: 3D World Cup Broadcast and the Square
Controversy arose when big corporates have appropriated the public space of the Seoul City Hall Square for World Cup related commercial activities. Some citizens decide to substitute the real life World Cup experience in virtual 3-D theaters.
Colombia: Twitter and Facebook Users Report Possible Election Fraud
Twitter and Facebook were buzzing with images of discrepancies between the forms where votes were manually counted and the reported results for the past Presidential elections. These differences affected the number of votes for each candidate and voting totals, and had the population wondering about possible election fraud, as can...
Ecuador: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Visits Ecuador
U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Ecuador on June 8, where she met with president Rafael Correa to discuss various issues. Twitter users commented on Clinton's visit, reflecting a whole array of sentiments towards the United States and its relationship with Ecuador.
Philippines: Congress Fails to Pass Freedom of Information Bill
The Philippine Congress last session was marked by its failure to pass the Freedom of Information Bill, a landmark measure that will enforce a policy of disclosure to government transactions. Bloggers react
India: Conflict in Meghalaya
Dinesh Wagle pens an in-depth analysis of what he feels are the reasons behind the ever-widening conflict between Khasis and Nepali migrant workers/Gorkhas in the North-Eastern Indian State of Meghalaya.
Pakistan: Seeking sanity
Fatima Ajmal in a post at Teeth Maestro points out the need for greater awareness regarding mental health in Pakistan, removal of social stigmas associated with mental illness, and calls for framing of better mental health policies.
India: The art of swearing
Rimi takes a humorous dig at contemporary use of language and swear words. She writes, pen dripping nostalgia, of days gone by when swearing was a ‘smorgasboard of wit, quick repartee, a talent for coining puns and aphorisms, and of course, analogies’.
