29 January 2013

Stories from 29 January 2013

“The Un-European Union”

GV Author Filip Stojanovski, on his blog Razvigor, has translated into English a mock story [sr] by Njuz.net, “the Serbian equivalent to The Onion,” about the UK striving to join...

29 January 2013

North Korea: A Sign of Change or the Same-Old Rhetoric?

Kim Jong-un’s New Year message emphasized, among other issues, the importance of inter-Korean relations. While many observers read this as a signal that North Korea plans to open-up in 2013, others say it contained the same old rhetoric of the past half century.

29 January 2013

Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land

Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl them from their homeland, which was returned to them 14 years ago. On December 6, 2012, the justice department in Mato Grosso ordered the delivery of subpoenas for the removal of illegal occupants of these ancestral lands. A month and a half later the process has almost been finalized.

29 January 2013

Critical Mass: Cycling Through Brazil's Salvador City

In our attempt to discover the route of Brazilian Critical Masses, we spoke with two organizers of the Salvador Critical Mass (also known as “Bicicletada”), Roque Júnior and Rosa Ribeiro. Here's the second part of the interview, in which we get to know a little more about the city’s urban mobility policies.

29 January 2013

China: Land collapses in Guangzhou

A 300 sq metres piece of land sank suddenly in Guangzhou Kangwang Road on 28 of January, dragging surrounding buildings underground. The 9 meters deep is near a subway construction...

29 January 2013

Chinese apologize to Tibetans

A Facebook Page: Chinese Apologize to Tibetans has been set up by a group of overseas Chinese activists to collect information about the human right situation in Tibet.

29 January 2013

Tibetans Outraged by Chinese TV Drama on Tibet

A recent TV drama, Tibet's Secret, has outraged many Tibetans who criticize that the director Liu Depin for distorting Tibetan culture and religion. As the drama was broadcasted in the state-run China Central Television (CCTV), the conflict is inevitably political in nature.

29 January 2013

The Big Wet: Northern Australia in Grip of Floods

As uncontrolled bushfires continue in Victoria, major flooding is happening in Queensland and northern New South Wales in Australia. Nick Evershed sums up the national feeling about the latest weather and the climate implications: "Australia: if it's not on fire, it's probably underwater."

29 January 2013