Stories from 10 October 2012
Lesotho: Defence Force Top Brass Facing Court Charge
Commenting a post on lestimes.com about the the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) top brass facing a court charge after they allegedly ignored a High Court order to accept a junior...
Zambia: MP Suspended for Criticising President's ‘Jokey’ Speech
An opposition MP in Zambia was recently suspended from the House for overly criticising one of President Michael Sata’s official speeches. While addressing parliament, a presidential annual tradition which is supposed to be a solemn occasion, President Sata kept on cracking jokes which made him divert significantly from the prepared speech.
China: ‘Are You Happy?’
During a recent national holiday news story feature broadcast by Chinese state-run television, reporters were filmed asking ordinary people questions including whether or not they were happy. Some the quite literal answers have quickly drawn the attention of netizens.
Peru: Poet Antonio Cisneros Dies
Antonio Cisneros, one of the greats of Peruvian poetry, died on October 6 at age 69. Here we honor his memory and include videos of his poems.
Mexico's Indigenous Languages in Cyberspace
The blog Native Box shares an English translation of an article originally published in Vanguardia [es]: “Indigenous Languages of Mexico: Rescued, Alive, and Facing Challenges in Cyberspace”.
Slovakia: Comparing the Income of Roma and Non-Roma Neighbors
Tibor Blazko translates netizens' comments on some of the issues brought up in a recent World Bank report: unemployment, safety nets and the gap in income between Roma and non-Roma families in Slovakia.
Arab World: The Plight of Syrian Refugee Girls
As the Syrian Revolution continues, its consequences continue to affect refugees who have fled the violence in the country, especially women. Syrian refugee girls in Jordan, Libya, Turkey and Lebanon are subject to the pressures of forced marriages from Syrian or other Arab nationals under the pretext of protecting their virtue.
France: World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg
The first edition of the World Forum for Democracy is currently taking place in Strasbourg, France (5-11 october, 2012). The theme of the forum is “Bridging the map: democracy between...
Uganda Marks 50 Years of Independence
On Tuesday 9 October, 1962, Uganda got its independence from Britain. As the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee recently, Ugandans online have been using Twitter and Facebook to share their opinions about Uganda@50.
