Stories from 26 November 2012
Are Japan's Upcoming Elections Unconstitutional?
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house of the Japanese parliament on November 16, 2012 and set general elections for December 16, 2012. However, according to a group of lawyers, the value of one vote varies in constituencies and because of this vote value disparity, these planned elections are actually unconstitutional.
Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh Raises Questions of Worker Exploitation
The recent tragic fire at a clothing factory building in Ashulia, near Bangladesh Capital Dhaka, that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Bangladeshis are expressing their anger on poor working conditions and exploitation of workers.
Documenting New Bike Lanes in Macedonian Capital Skopje
Na tochak (On a Bycicle), a group of cyclists organizing the Critical Mass movement, used video and photos to document the experience of riding in the bike lanes of several Skopje boulevards, reconstructed and widened ahead of the local elections scheduled for March 2013.
Waving Banners “Help Us Please,” Russian Prisoners Revolt
Over the weekend at a prison in Kopeysk, roughly 250 inmates began a protest on the roof of a prison building, waving banners that begged "help us please," while complaining of torture and extortion.
Chris Moya, SpainRevolt and Cyberactivism
In this interview with Juan Arellano, Chris Moya, software developer, Spanish cyberactivist and Global Voices collaborator, talks about the protests in Spain, his website SpainRevolt, and cyberactivism.
Mauritanians Protest French Interference
The coordination of Mauritanian Opposition held a massive rally on Wednesday [November 21] asking France to stop interfering in the country's politics. The protesters also reiterated their demands to end the military regime in Mauritania.
Yemen: Ashoura Celebration in Sanaa Attacked
November 24th is Ashoura Day, and it is a day that is commemorated in the Muslim world by both the Sunni and Shite sects. However in Yemen, it was a tragic day as four people were killed and more than a dozen were wounded in an explosion that targeted a Shiite Ashoura Celebration in the capital Sanaa. This was the first sectarian bombing to occur in Sanaa, an alarming development with the clear aim to fuel sectarianism in Yemen.
Mauritania: “Knowledge for All” Campaign to Collect 30,000 Books
A group of Mauritanian activists initiated a Facebook campaign entitled “Knowledge for all” [ar], which aiming to gather 30,000 books before Mauritania's Independence day [Nov 28] and hand them to the National Library. The campaign was met by great enthusiasm from Mauritanian intellectuals and figures, who praised the campaign and and donated many books. Hussein Ould...
Israelis React to Barak's Retirement from Politics
Israel's Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, who previously served as Israel's Prime Minister (1999-2001) and IDF Chief of Staff (1991-1995), made a surprise announcement in a press conference today, saying he will be retiring from politics as we wants to spend more time with his family. Israeli netizens react to his resignation.
India: Wither Glass Bangles?
“Bangles are considered auspicious, and at one time, it was considered inauspicious for a woman not to wear bangles,” writes Anuradha Shankar at ‘A Wandering Mind’. She notes that glass bangles for daily wear are becoming less popular in megacities like Mumbai, but are still adored in small towns or...
A Traveling Exhibition to Expose Police Violence in Greece
A small team of Greeks in Zurich decided to expose Greek police brutality with a traveling photo exhibition in various European capitals. @Ypopto_mousi tweets a link to a poster in his blog, [el] which gives more information on his friends’ effort to bring this project to life, as well as...
Trinidad & Tobago: Alternate Highway Proposal
Environmental activist Wayne Kublalsingh, who is currently on a hunger strike, explains the alternate proposal for the Debe to Mon Desir section of the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway in a new video.
Scenes from Malaysia’s ‘Green Walk’
Malaysia’s ‘Green Walk’ started with 70 participants on November 13. After two weeks, the march ended in the country’s capital which was participated and supported by more than 15,000 people. The ‘long march’ was organized by the Himpunan Hijau group to protest the construction of a rare earth refinery in the country
Top Russian Journalist, Oleg Kashin, Fired from Print Newspaper, Moves to Online Journal
Earlier today, Kommersant newspaper announced that it has fired columnist Oleg Kashin, one of Russia's best known journalists. In comments to Lenta.ru, Kommersant's chief editor, Mikhail Mikhailin, explained [ru] that Kashin's output has slipped in previous months, becoming too little to sustain his employment. Other sources indicate that Kashin's decision to...
Ivorian and Russian Bloggers Make Light of the Electoral Fiasco for the Presidency of the French Conservative Party
Ivorians should abstain from bombing the Head Quarters of the UMP (The main Conservative Party) in France and help them move forward with the recount. Notre Vision in Côte d'Ivoire draws a humourous parallel [fr] between the fiasco during the latest election [fr] to select the new leader of the UMP party...
Legal Framework in Madagascar Not Adequate for Size of New Gold Mines
Total Bemolanga Watch reports that [fr] awyers in Madagascar estimated that the legal framework of the mining code was not conceived to apply to the shear size of the new gold mining exploitations [mg] that have been developping in Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar. The World Bank and the IMF have just implemented a new fund...
“8 out of 10 Earthquakes Prefer Chile”
Whenever I feel a quake in Chile, one of the first things I do is go on twitter … mainly to laugh. Yes, that is how used to them we are. Rob from the blog South America writes about the recent “swarm of quakes” in Chile and how netizens react...
Indigenous Organization Denounces Brazil at the UN
The Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) denounces [pt] human rights abuses against the indigenous populations in an open-letter [pt] to the United Nations. Among several issues, APIB calls the attention to the Guarani-Kaiowa genocide, the mining projects on indigenous lands and the illegal constructions in the Amazon rainforest...
Mumbai Terrorist Executed in India, But Will it Bring Peace?
On November 21, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba militant and the only terrorist to be captured alive following the 2008 attack on Mumbai, was executed. His hanging rekindled the debate about the death penalty in India and whether it was likely to deter future terrorist attacks.
The Plights Of The Stateless Chakmas of Arunachal Pradesh
Paritosh Chakma recently visited Chakma villages in Papumpare district of the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh and wrote about their plights. Thousands of Chakma refugees were transferred to the Chakma Settlement Areas in this region during 1964-69 and most of them still remain stateless.
Korean Pop Singer PSY to Perform in China
Mainland Chinese will be soon to see the first performance of Korean pop star PSY in China, which will be hosted by Hunan T.V. Beijing Cream has the story.
