Stories from 4 January 2013
“Why Do I Feel So Much Pain, Violeta Parra?”
Patricio Zamorano writes a poetic piece for UK-based blog Chileno on the Chilean film about the life of Violeta Parra: how to assess the Chilean film “Violeta [Parra] went to heaven” on opening night in Washington DC. After listing many reasons why Chile hurts, the author ends addressing Violeta Parra...
Iran: Police Looks For ‘Smart Control’ over Social Networking Sites
Iran's police Commander in Chief, Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam says police is looking for ‘smart control’ over social networking websites. He believes this ‘smart control’ is better than a full blocking and people may use their ‘useful parts’.
Nepali Citizen Arrested in the UK for Alleged War Crimes
The UK Police has used Universal jurisdiction law to arrest a Nepali army colonel residing in the in East Sussex town of the UK. He has been accused of torturing during the decade-long (1996-2006) civil war in Nepal.
Chinese Journalists Demand Resignation of Provincial Propaganda Chief
In reaction to the brutal censorship of a new year editorial greeting by the newspaper Southern Weekly, a group of journalists issued an open letter demanding that the chief of the Guangdong propaganda department resign.
Vladimir Pozner & Russia's Own Political Correctness
Late last month, Vladimir Pozner—one of Russia's best known journalists—spoke out on his television show against the “Dima Yakovlev” law. He criticized the need for such legislation, condemning it as an unnecessary and improper retaliation against the American “Magnitsky Act.” In what caught Russian headlines and sent the RuNet buzzing, Pozner also took an uncharacteristically harsh shot at the federal parliament, quipping that it is a house of fools
Uganda in 2012: 50 Years of Independence and Africa's Youngest MP
2012 was one of the happiest years in Uganda's history. Sweet memories of 2012 range from Ugandans electing Africa's youngest Member of Parliament to 50 year independence celebrations.
Website of a Liberal Political Journal Shut Down in China
The website of Yanhuang Chunqiu magazine, a liberal publication that published a bold piece titled “The Constitution is a Consensus for Political Reform,” was shut down on Jan 4, 2013. The magazine’s official account on Sina Weibo[zh] said they received text messages and emails from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on December 31,...
Ivorian Bloggers Under Arrest for Allegedly Interfering with Disaster Recovery While Trying to Help
“@diabyMohamed: #drameplateau I have just been arrested by the police for our citizen action to provide helping hand to victims in cote d'ivoire… with @cyriacgbogou who spent the night at the police crime unit of plateau Humanitarian bloggers Mohamed Diaby and Cyriac Gbogou wrote on twitter that they were put...
Row over 3rd Generation Contraceptive Pills in France
The “new” pills are not without risks. The risk of phlebitis or pulmonary embolism is increased two fold, from 2 to 4 accidents per 10,000 users. This increase might seem low in terms of public health but it is significant at the individual level considering the fact that other satisfactory alternatives are...
“Some Hope for a Solution in Syria” – Michel Kilo
Michel Kilo is one of Syria’s famous dissidents, a political opponent of President Bashar al Assad. He rose to prominence inthe Damascus Spring, a brief flourishing of political freedom and expression in 2000. Kilo left Syria eight months into the revolution and now lives in Paris with his family. He answered questions from Syria Deeply via Skype.
An Alawite Outcast: How One Syrian Girl Lost Her Mother
Loubna Mrie paid a steep price for her place in Syria’s revolution. As an Alawite who took a stand against President Bashar Al Assad, she pitted herself against her community; many Alawites have remained staunchly behind Assad, as the leader of their sect and the protector of their privileged position of power.
A New Year of Syria’s Turmoil
As the world celebrated the dawn of 2013, in Syria, the regime and the rebels were fighting for the suburbs of Damascus. On Twitter, netizens spell out their anxiousness and hopes for the year ahead.
Chinese Leaders’ Apparent Thriftiness Fails to Resonate
The 'Four Dishes, One Soup' anti-corruption catchphrase originally coined by China’s first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, has re-emerged centuries later. State media recently used the term to describe a simple dinner Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping had in China’s Northern Hebei province. But netizens are not impressed by this apparent thriftiness.
Secret Money, Hacks, and Politics of Russian Web
While suspicions about money and sponsorship plague all Russian politics, the RuNet is a particularly contentious battleground. The rift between the oppositionist and pro-government camps is a hotbed of accusations about illicit funding, with each side desperately professing its own honesty and insisting on the other's deception.
Myanmar: 2012, the Year of Protests
Aung San Suu Kyi’s election victory, the reported persecution of the Rohingya people and President Barack Obama’s state visit were probably what the international community remembered about Myanmar in 2012. But reviewing the stories which we published in the past year, we can also declare that 2012 was a breakthrough year of protests in Myanmar.
