Stories from 17 December 2012
Gujarat Polls 2012 – An Analysis
Offstumped posts an analysis on the recently concluded phase 1 of the assembly elections in the Indian state of Gujarat.
#FastforBassel Campaign Launched for Syrian Netizen Facing Military Trial
Bassel Khartabil, also known as Bassel Safadi, is on military trial in Syria, where he is denied a lawyer. The open source software engineer and Creative Commons volunteer has been in jail since March. Supporters around the world have just launched a #FastforBassel campaign on Twitter to raise awareness about his case.
International Crimes Tribunals Bangladesh: Justice In Perspective
E-Bangladesh reports on a discussion and presentation programme on the ongoing International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh which took place in London, UK recently. The event highlighted different aspects of the...
Reserved Seats For Women, Good Or Bad?
Salman Latif exposes the flawed arguments in favor of reserved seats for women in the Pakistan National Assembly.
China's Media Mute on Local School Tragedy
On Dec 14, 2012, 20 children were killed in a gun shooting in Connecticut, US. The sad news was immediately all over China’s CCTV and made the headlines of major newspapers in China. On the same day, another school tragedy took place in central China: a man stabbed and injured 22 children. However, there was not a single mention of the domestic tragedy in Chinese mainstream media. The only news was through Weibo, China’s twitter.
Catalonia: Independence from Spain to Do What?
It appears that Catalonia is now set to hold a referendum on its ties to the rest of Spain. Could an independent Catalonia lead to the break-up of the establishment dynamics that have dominated Spain since the late-1970s? The optimists believe so.
Bahrainis Protest on National Day
December 16 and 17 are official holidays in Bahrain. The first day is National Day and the second is to celebrate the accession of King Hamad. Unofficially, December 17 is also Martyrs' Day - a day to remember the scores of victims who have lost their lives over the years as Bahrainis continue to struggle for their political rights. While many celebrated, others took to the streets to protest as turmoil continues to rock this restive Arab state.
Offshore Oil Leak Threatens Protected Lagoon in South West Gabon
NGO H2O Gabon reported that an oil leak [fr] off the shore of Gabon have polluted the Fernan Vaz Lagoon. Oil Company Perenco later confirmed the leak but it claims...
Ecuador Creates Electoral ‘Code of Conduct’ for Social Media
The National Electoral Council of Ecuador unveiled a new Code of Conduct for social networks and digital media. Aimed at political stakeholders and ordinary citizens, the goal is to promote an environment of mutual respect and ideological tolerance.
Iran: Khamenei Has His Own Facebook Page
Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has launched his own Facebook page. The news was announced in his Twitter account. Both Facebook and Twitter are filtered in Iran.
Immigrants March for Equal Rights in Brazil
On December 2, a protest organised by foreigners residing in São Paulo took to the streets demanding full access to basic rights like health, security and decent work. The participants were Latin Americans and Africans who live in the city, and are fighting for their rights to be recognised by the Brazilian state.
100,000 March for Rights to Marry for All in France
Hundred thousands people marched in France in support of marriage rights [fr] for all on December 16.
In Egypt, the Silent Majority is Still Silent
Egyptians went to the polls to vote on a new constitution, being pushed for and supported by president Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice Party. The first round shows that about 57 per cent of the voters are in support of the constitution, despite concerns from civil society and the opposition that the new constitution, shaped by Islamists, aims to limit freedoms, cement the role of the military, and the further the Islamisation of Egypt. The second round of this two-stage referendum takes place on Saturday.
Chinese Youth Association of France Sues Magazine for Racial Defamation
We are flabbergasted that the (French magazine) Le Point would stigmatize in such manner a category of the French population in the article “The intriguing success of Chinese people in...
Sri Lanka needs a National Media Commission
Shenali Waduge opines that Sri Lanka needs a National Media Commission to steer Journalistic Ethics. The blogger adds: “in the absence of self-regulation by mass media and communication channels there...
Snow Emergency in Western Ukraine
On Sunday, hundreds of vehicles were trapped on the roads of western Ukraine due to severe snowstorms. According to various mainstream and citizen media reports, the situation was critical, as many of those stuck inside their cars were running out of food, water and gasoline, while the weather was not getting better.
Korea: Tracking North Korean Satellite
North Korea Tech blog wrote a detailed post on the North Korean satellite which many news reports claim to have been put into space successfully. The blogger explains how to verify...
