Stories from 28 October 2012
Mauritania: A glimpse on Nouakchott's 7th Short Film Festival
Organized by the House of Mauritanian Filmmakers, Nouakchott's 7th short film festival kicked off, on the 23rd of October 2012. Ahmed Jeddou compiled some of the reactions to the event.
Ukraine: Election Monitors’ Websites Under DDoS Attack
Ukrainian domestic election monitoring organizations and projects using crowdsourcing for mapping election violations (see GV post) reported [uk] being DDoS-ed on the day of the vote: […] web-sites of election monitoring organizations are experiencing DDos attacks. Maidan, OPORA, ElectUa.
Nepal: The Minimum Wages vs Productivity
Chandan Sapkota informs that as per trade unions demand the wages have gone up in Nepal to the highest minimum wage in South Asia, but the productivity has not increased due to several factors.
Confusion over Agreement with OIC to Establish Office in Myanmar
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has proposed the establishment of an office in Myanmar to help the Muslim minority in the country. The government initially agreed but changed its decision after protests erupted in many parts of the country.
USA: Commissioner David Stern Set to Exit NBA in 2014
One of sport's longest serving administrators, Commissioner David Stern, has announced he will be leaving his job as head of the world's most popular basketball league, the NBA (National Basketball Association). The announcement comes just a few days before the 2012-13 season start, on 31 October, 2012.
Indonesia: ‘Jokowi’ Phenomenon in Jakarta
Meet Jakarta’s new governor: Joko Widodo or Jokowi. His recent electoral victory surprised many people who now regard him as Indonesia’s most charismatic leader. His phenomenal political achievement and soaring popularity is seen by many analysts as a positive development for Indonesian democracy
Sri Lanka: Tales Of Police Torture
Chitrangi posts news of police brutality on a 20 years old unmarried youth from Rabavava, Ihala Puliyankulama, Puttalam and many more in her blog.
Caribbean: Hurricane Sandy's Wake
As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the east coast of the United States, bloggers in the Caribbean who have already experienced the storm share their experiences.
Discussing New Forms of Journalism
What distinguishes citizen media from traditional media? Is it even still possible do draw the line? Global Voices author Débora Medeiros shares her notes from a discussion on new forms of journalism, which took place during a barcamp session at the Berlin Colloquium for Internet and Society, on October 26,...
Puerto Rico: Another Way to Look Up
Puerto Rican street artist and photographer Enrique Arce, known as Aslan, has been posting photographs of airplanes on his Instagram account for over six months now as part of his "#parriba" (upwards) series. Global Voices author Alfredo Richner presents his favorite #parriba airplane photographs.
Guinea-Bissau: Suspected Coup Leader Pansau N'Tchama Captured
Zenaida Machado posted on her twitter feed: “@zenaidamz: #GuineaBissau: Pansau N´Tchama, the man who allegedly plotted Sunday attack to army barracks which killed six, has been captured”
Entrepreneurship, Culture and Solidarity in Africa
Despite strong economic growth, the African continent is still struggling to develop a class of local entrepreneurs to manage strategic industries. Many African scholars and researchers try to better understand the influence of cultural habits on entrepreneurship on the continent.
Gambia: Dramatic Increase in Executions
Nine prisoners were put to death on one day in August 2012. The sudden increase in capital punishment over the last few months as well as confusing declarations from President Jammeh have worried citizens of Gambia as well as those in neighbouring countries. The death penalty was abolished in 1993 but reinstated by Yahya Jammeh one year after the coup of July 1994.
Central Asians Treated ‘Like Crap’ at Moscow Airport
I realized that once you find yourself at [the Moscow airport] Domodedovo, you start feeling like you are [crap]. And you feel so not because you are actually [crap], but because the personnel at the airport treat you this way.
Ukraine: Election Votes for Sale Via Social Network
Odessablog draws attention [en] to a VKontakte page [ru] used by those who are willing to sell their Oct. 28 election votes. Roma Lexikov, one of the very few users who posted on the page to protest the practice, wrote:
Spain: The Minister of Education's Many Gaffes
The Minister of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain, José Ignacio Wert, has sparked controversy after controversy since taking up his position less than a year ago. Netizens have not turned a blind eye.
Slovakia: Protesting SOZA's Newest Copyright Fees
SOZA's general manager Vladimír Repčík addressed Slovak high school seniors via his blog on October 22, urging them to register with his agency and pay €15 for their traditional graduation parties. Tibor Blazko reports on the controversy.
Colombia: Kien&Ke's Director Resigns After Journalist's Dismissal
Maria Elvira Bonilla, director of online portal Kien & Ke, resigned after acknowledging her error in firing journalist Daniel Pardo for his column about the influence exercised by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio [es]-a case that sparked outrage among Colombians.