Stories from 3 December 2012
Social Media Unites To Stand Up For Saving Colombo's Trees
In the last week of November a number of century old trees across Reid Avenue in Colombo were cut by the authorities. Caring citizens created a Facebook page titled “Stand Up For Colombo's Trees”, using which they created awareness and mobilized a silent protest in the city to save trees.
Russian LiveJournal Announces Grant Program
LiveJournal, owned and managed by Russian company SUP Media, just announced [ru] a grant program that will target the development of “interesting, but less well known blogs.” The grant funds could be used by a starting blogger to promote their blog through various paid “promo” services run by the company.
Curuguaty's Deadly Clashes Continue to Resonate Across Paraguay
Public opinion continues to be polarized about the Curuguaty police raid that ended in the death of six police officers and eleven farm workers. The investigation of the raid, which aimed to remove illegal residents from a forest reserve, is ongoing and has yet to produce any solid evidence about who is at fault.
São Tomé & Príncipe Accedes to the New York Convention
In February 2013, São Tomé and Príncipe will become the fourth Portuguese language country undersigning the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, announced the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. Last June, Law Professor at the University of Macau, Fernando Simões, recommended the...
14 Mexican Women are Murdered Each Day
Fourteen Mexican women [die] each day as a result of violence according to a report published [es] by the Fundación Origen women’s’ rights group. Erwin C. highlights this report in a post about violence against women in Mexico in the blog The Latin Americanist. Erwin also looks at the record...
Kenya: Deadly Violence Threatens to Polarize Country
A recent outbreak of deadly violence pitting police officers and soldiers against civilians has claimed the lives of dozens of Kenyans and sparked debate over the increasing insecurity in the region.
Portugal: Digital TV Controversy
A PhD thesis on the process of implementing Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Portugal presented evidence that the National Communications Authority, ANACOM, favoured private company Portugal Telecom (PT) in the tender. In response, PT and ANACOM have announced that they will take the researcher to court for defamation.
Brazilian Immigration Policy Faces New Challenges
Whereas the subject has long been debated in Europe and the USA, the issue of immigration has only recently gained prominence in Brazil. This new Brazilian reality throws up a series of new challenges both for Brazilian society and the government.
China: Netizens Call for Abolition of the “Black Jail” System
Ordinary citizens in China will choose to take the path of petition visit or Shangfang to voice out their grievance. In response, many local government officials would hire agents to detain the petitioners from their home provinces in “black jails” before they have a chance to complain to the Beijing...
Chinese News Podcast
For those who are interested in alternative news and commentary related to China, Sinica podcast runs a series of English podcasts focusing on Chinese politics, economics, international relations and how it all relates to China.
Signature Campaign Against the Revival of Oligarchic Politics in South Korea
South Korean NGO, National Association of Professors for Democracy (NAPD), initiated a signature campaign calling for the support of academics in Asia against the revival of oligarchic politics in South Korea and other Asian countries in times of economic crisis and regional political instabilities. The statement is in reaction to...
Message from Hong Kong to Tibet
A group of young activists from Hong Kong made a video to express their concern about Tibetan‘s struggle for autonomy.
