Stories from 24 April 2012
Sri Lanka: Monks Demand Demolition of a Mosque
Last Friday around 2,000 Buddhist monks and local residents staged a violent protest in Dambulla town in Sri Lanka demanding that a mosque along with a Hindu temple situated in an area designated as a Buddhist sacred zone be demolished.
Turkey: Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Istanbul
April 24 marks the 97th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of around 1.5 million Armenians living in the then Ottoman Empire. An emotive issue for many Armenians and Turks, the anniversary was also commemorated in Istanbul.
Ecuador: Refugee Women and Girls Turning to Sex Work
A video documentary examines the situation with Colombian women who had to migrate across the border into Ecuador due to violence. In many cases, without being able to gain legal employment, the women and their underage daughters find themselves turning to sex-work to make a living.
Sri Lanka: Death Of Witness In Police Custody
Serendipity reports that Chandraisiri Dassanayake (42), a main witness in a human rights violation case against the Wadduwa Police, was arrested for possession of Ganja on April 15th 2012 and...
Ecuador: Local Creative Commons Chapter to Hold Event on World Intellectual Property Day
Creative Commons Ecuador [es] is holding a free event on April 26 to discuss the impact of technology on copyright. Participants will also talk about other related topics, like free...
Zambia: Former VP's Death Highlights State of Local Hospitals
Immediate past Vice President of the former ruling MMD government George Kunda died on 16 April 2012 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in the capital, Lusaka. Despite mourning his death, netizens seized the opportunity to criticize the current status of health care in Zambia and highlight the need for reform.
Botswana: Botswana Forerunner for MDG7
Edmund Smith-Asante observes that Botswana is the only African country most likely to approach the MDG7 (achieving universal access to water by 2015): “Botswana currently experiences 89 under-five sanitation-related deaths...
Italy: Tragic Death of Piermario Morosini Shocks the Soccer World
Since April 14, Italian radio stations, Twitter, Facebook, as well as blogs from across the world have been discussing the sudden, on-field death Piermario Morosini, a 25-year-old soccer player, who was playing for a Serie B team of the Italian football league system.
Trinidad & Tobago: Gas Revenues
Accountant/Consultant Derren Joseph shares the contents of an email he received which is concerned with the level of Trinidad & Tobago's gas revenue: “This gas is the property of EVERY...
Malaysia: Occupy Dataran Merdeka and Education Protests
The April 28 Bersih 3.0 sit-down protest is expected to be the major political event of the month in Malaysia but students and Occupy activists have already put forward their demands ahead of time. Students marched in the streets against the 'anti-poor' student loan program while activists launched the Occupy Dataran movement to 'reclaim' democracy in the country
Mexico: Journalists Speak Up in Documentary ‘Forced Silence’
Artículo 19, an organization that defends the right to freedom of expression, launched the documentary "Forced Silence, the State Accomplice to Violence against Journalists." The documentary recounts testimonies from journalists, as well as relatives of journalists who have been assassinated or have disappeared.
Brazil: Journalist and Blogger Executed in São Luís, Maranhão
On the night of April 23, Brazilian journalist and blogger Décio Sá was shot dead in a bar in the most crowded avenue of the city of São Luis, in the northeastern state of Maranhão. He had ties with political figures of Maranhão and his blog was the most accessed in the state.
Portugal: Citizens Prepare Peaceful Protests for April 25
Though peaceful protests are scheduled for April 25 throughout Portugal (a national holiday that marks the end of dictatorship in 1974), mainstream media reported [pt] that “police prepares zero tolerance”. For...
Slovakia: Protest Against Construction Near Bratislava Castle
On April 18, 200-250 [sk] people attended a protest against illegal construction near Bratislava Castle, organized by Bratislava Openly [sk]. The west side of a new white house (a continuation...
Egypt: Time for Televised Presidential Debates?
As the time approaches for the Egyptian presidential election, there have been calls not only in Egypt but also around the Arab world for televised presidential debates.
Kazakhstan: Borat credited with tourism increase
RFE/RL's Transmission blog says that despite once protesting how ‘Borat’ depicted the country, Kazakhstan is now crediting the 2006 film with increasing ten-fold the number of tourists visiting the country.
Georgia: Concerns over Lazika development
Writing on The PIK.TV blog, the channel's English-language editor, Tbilisi-based Nicholas Alan Clayton, comments on plans to construct a new city in Georgia. With little transparency in planning the Lazika...
Malaysia Prepares for Bersih 3.0 Sit-Down Protest
The Malaysia election reform movement Bersih (Clean) has organized a Bersih 3.0 Duduk Bantah (sit-in protest) on April 28 at Dataran Merdeka. It's the same group which gathered more than 50,000 people in Kuala Lumpur last year in protest against the 'undemocratic' electoral exercise in the country
