Stories from September, 2012
Turkey: Prime Minister Signals Negotiations with Kurdish Rebels
The Prime Minister of Turkey has signaled that he will negotiate with Kurdish rebels after months of deadly violence. In the past Turkey has been unwilling to do so despite calls from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.
Mexico: Missing Activist Aleph Jiménez Found Alive
Missing Mexican activist Aleph Jiménez was found alive and claims to have gone in hiding due to safety concerns. Netizens have mixed reactions to the news.
Mexicans Mourn the Death of Senator Alonso Lujambio
Mexicans from the political sphere and from the public in general mourn the passing of Senator Alonso Lujambio due to illness. Some of the tributes that have been shared on Twitter are collected here.
Australia: Social Media’s Search for Missing Woman
This week Melbourne has seen what is perhaps its biggest and its saddest social media campaign following the disappearance and alleged rape and murder of Jill Meagher.
New Caledonia: Political Tension Grows Over Rights to Nickel Mines
Claudine WERY writes [fr] that political tension grows between independentist and non-indenpendentist political parties in New Caledonia over the exploitation of Nickel mines. Non-independentists accuse the other party to strike deals with China and South Korea that they are not authorized to pursue. A referendum on gaining independence from France is scheduled...
Cape Verde: Blogging for Soul Healing, Facebook as a Catwalk
Capeverdean blogger Jorge from Diário de um Thug notes [pt] that the country's blogs are dying everyday. Should Facebook be blamed? for the ones who enjoy writing, that problem is not an issue. Writing is an act of mourning and of memory healing; a soul cure has many more advantages...
Spain: Creative Alternatives to an Economy in Crisis
Since the start of the crisis that continues to embroil Spain's economy, many Spaniards have opted out of that economic model and instead created viable alternatives to their economy in crisis, such as networks for sharing goods and services or new systems and currencies that promote responsible consumption.
Africa: Arranged Corporate Marriages
Bankelele points out corporate marriages of note in Africa: Barclays of UK and South Africa’s Absa Group are in talks to merge their African operations – but this is not really new as the plan was set in motion six years ago.
The Gloomy Years of Colombian Television
Since last May [es], ‘pink sauce’ from popular gossip website La Fiscalía has been posting a series on “the gloomy years of Colombian television” [es], where he reviews, tongue-in-cheek and year by year between 1992 and 2012, the most popular mainstream medium in the country. Readers share their memories of...
Zambia's “Imaginary” Terror Plot
Zambia appears to be on the brink of ethnic conflict after a separatist group from Southern Province claimed to have killed members of the President’s tribe. However, many Zambians regard the threat posed by the Tongas Under Oath as the latest attempt by the government to discredit opposition parties.
Pakistan: Taking Off Hijab
The blogger of Kiss My Roti takes off her hijab and provides the reason for it.
Russia: The Kostin Report & the Trojan Horse of American ICT
Earlier this week, the media got a sneak peek at a new report on the foreign penetration of the RuNet and the potential manipulation of the country's future elections. The Internet's growing popularity is transforming it into a political weapon: a weapon that is increasingly guarded by American, albeit private, media firms.
China's Digital Publishing Market
Laurence Harris from DANWEI looks into the market potentials and copyrights challenges of the Chinese digital publishing market.
China: A New Breed of Sino-foreign Film Co-productions
China Hearsay republished an article from Agenda Magazine about various “tricks” to get into the China film market by making use of the system of Sino-foreign film co-productions. The issue at stake is, if there is two versions of the same film catering the China and western market, can we...
Czech Republic: Roma Resist Evictions in Ostrava
This summer, Přednádraží, a small neighborhood in Ostrava, has been the site of an intense struggle against unlawful evictions of the predominantly Roma residents. Daniela Kantorova reports on the history of the area and ongoing struggle of its residents.
Jordan: Inkitab Group to Hold Second Used Book Fair
After the success of their first event, the Inkitab Group which works to promote reading, will hold their second used book fair in the Jordanian capital Amman on October 1, 2012.
Armenia: A New Response to Hate Crime?
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on news of an attack on transsexual sex workers in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The blog notes that not only did the victims report the crime, but that the police formerly accepted it as such while also using ‘acceptable non-discriminatory wording.’ The blog implies that if...
Iran: President Ahmadinejad's Men in Trouble
As President Ahmadinejad addressed the UN General Assembly on September 26, a foreign ministry spokesperson was attacked by protesters in New York and a government press adviser was arrested in Iran.
Spain: Proposed Changes for Abortion Law
The 28th of September is the celebration of the Campaign for the Legalization of Abortion, which has taken place for years in Latin America and the Caribbean and this year will be celebrated all around the world for the first time. The group known as“Feminismos 15M”[es] has chosen this date...
Puerto Rico: Plagiarism Revealed Through the Net
Janet Marilyn Hernández, a Venezuelan blogger and public relations professional, discovered that her thesis was plagiarized in a newspaper article and blog post written by professor Ivan Ríos of the University of Puerto Rico. Using email, posts, Twitter and Facebook she brought the situation to the attention of the University and the mainstream press. The professor has since resigned.
