Stories from 18 August 2012
Kuwait: The People Know Better
Kuwaiti netizens are expressing their disdain for an old-age tradition which gives the head of the tribe, or the Shaikh [Sheikh] absolute power. In a break with this tradition, they are tweeting under the hash tag #الشعب_أبخص [ar], which translates to "The People Know Better."
Colombia: 13 Years Since the Assassination of Jaime Garzón
Jaime Garzón, a Colombian journalist, lawyer, and pacifist, was murdered on August 13, 1999. Thirteen years later, the crime against Garzón continues unresolved. Colombians remember Garzón and ask for justice on every anniversary of his assassination.
Turkmenistan's ‘Nepotistic Cleptocracy’
On video blog bloggingheads.tv, Joshua Foust of Registan.net speaks to a Turkmen dissident living in exile about the political situation in Turkmenistan.
India: Government Bans Bulk SMS To Stop Rumors
Medianama reports that the Ministry of Home affairs of India has banned bulk SMS and MMS for a period of 15 days. This directive came after reports revealed that rumors are being spread following violence in Assam, leading to mass exodus of people from the North-East region, from several Indian...
Togo: Is Your Mobile Phone Tapped ?
Syvlio Combey, a human rights activist in Togo, shares tips (via Allain Jules) on how to determine whether your mobile phone is tapped [fr] in Togo. Togolese citizens have been subjected to various forms of Human Rights violations by the police in the past couple of months.
Korean Protester Being Chased and Beaten by Japanese Right Wing Groups and Gangsters
At this year's Korean Independence day, a Korean guy held a one-man protest at the Yasukuni shrine in Japan, a symbolic and controversial place for worshiping war criminals from the Second World War. A net user living in Japan posted photos of how the protester was being chased and beaten...
Madagascar: Neglecting Endemic Medicinal Plants at Its Own Peril
Reflexiums laments that for a country so rich in endemic medicinal plants, Madagascar has yet to fully develop this sector [fr]. “Isn't the whole point of fair trade to take advantage of the knowledge of its endemic natural plants from the local population instead of purchasing costly medications from large pharmaceutical companies...
Peru: Football Player's Airport Joke Triggers Security Alert
A bad joke triggered security alarms at the San Jose International Airport as the Peruvian national football team was about to take the flight back to Lima after a friendly match in Costa Rica. Social networks are abuzz with comments.
Saudi Arabia: The Best Way to Tell your Wife You Married Another Woman
On Twitter, Adel Abdel Ghafar shares a photograph of a “Cover of a #Saudi book titled ‘ the best way to tell your wife that you married another woman.'”
Egypt: Decoding Morsi's Ousting of the Generals
Mohammed Morsi's recent decisions to terminate the jobs of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and Sami Anan as the Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces created mixed reactions. The president also issued a new Constitutional Declaration that give him constitutional power. Morsi was first perceived as weak and torn between the Muslim Brotherhood and the SCAF but the latest decisions have asserted his position and enabled him to rebrand himself.
Yemen: Open letter to president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi
Yemeni-Canadian Doctor and novelist Dr Qais Ghanem addressed a letter to the Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi asking him to sack the officers controlling the armed forces. The full text of the letter is available here [ar].
Cameroon: Contesting Magazine's “Failed States” Report
Francois-Xavier from Cameroon wrote: “Foreign policy in collaboration with the Fund For Peace has issued the eight annual failed states index and a joint photo essay which they titled Postcards from Hell. The report has stirred much controversy and citizens mostly from the countries topping the report have reacted negatively to...
Bulgaria: Syrian and Iraqi Refugees on Hunger Strike
Bulgarian newspaper Dnevnik reports [bg] that 25 asylum seekers (21 Syrians and four Iraqis) went on hunger strike to protest the slowness of the asylum-granting procedures at the detention center for foreigners in the Bulgarian village of Lyubimets. Comments to the Dnevnik article reflect the general indifference to the plight...
Ethiopia: Powerful and Political Church Patriarch Dies
The head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Abune Paulos, has died aged 76. Abune Paulos, spent the last two decades as the sole figure of the popular Ethiopian Orthodox Church leading 40 million Ethiopians (half the country's population.) His death has sparked a debate on religion and politics and re-triggered speculation about the whereabouts of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi.
The South Caucasus at the 2012 Olympics
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics. The three South Caucasus countries have been participating independently in the Olympics since 1996, and they each followed up their records in Beijing this summer in London to walk away with gold, silver and bronze in the...
Where is the flag of the Republic of China?
A number of activists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau landed the Diaoyu island on August 15. While mainland Chinese media gave large coverage to the news as it reasserted China's territorial claim over the disputed island, the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was missing in many of...
What Is A Chinese Orgy Actually Like?
A set of orgy photos leaked out online featuring three pairs of swingers, all are government officials and their wives. Anthony Tao from Beijing Cream picked up the buzz and continued the discussion on the Chinese orgy culture.
