Stories from 4 February 2013
Human Rights Group Maps Russian Internet Censorship
On February 1, the Russian human rights group Agora released a report [ru] on RuNet censorship in 2012, titled “Russia As a Global Threat to a Free Internet,” documenting various limitations on Internet usage in Russia, including violence, administrative pressure, and other forms of intimidation and punishment used against netizens by...
Dear PSY, Don't Dance with the Prime Minister of Malaysia
Dear our idol, PSY, we love your song and we love how Gangnam Style could rock the party, however, please do not come to Malaysia. […] If you come to Malaysia, you will become the political tool and your performance will be politicized by Barisan Nasional. It is a political party...
Chobi Mela VII: Photographs Connecting People of The World
The 7th Chobi Mela (Photo Fair), a biennial festival of photography, is taking place in Bangladesh capital Dhaka. This international event is perhaps the world’s most demographically inclusive photo festival which creates a visual dialog connecting people of the world.
Stormy Waters? The Maritime Border Disputes between Bolivia, Chile and Peru
The International Court of Justice is due to make a ruling on the longstanding maritime border dispute between Chile and Peru. Pablo Andres Rivero explains why the dispute has not boiled over into conflict and what the final outcome might mean for landlocked Bolivia’s maritime aspirations.
The Mapuche in Modern Chile
After the launching of the book “The Mapuche in Modern Chile” by doctor Joanna Crow, website Chileno presents an interview with the author and notes: In the work, Dr Crow uses a range of sources including Mapuche testimony, academic texts, government documents, music and art, newspapers and parliamentary debate to...
Elmo, Domo and Pikachu Bring Smiles to Japan
“Project: Holding hands” (Teo Tsunago Daisakusen) [ja, en] is an art project that uses iconic children's characters to bring smiles to the people of Japan, especially children following the 2011 earthquake.
India: Not-for-profit vs. For-profit Ventures
In India it is easier to find funding for a not-for-profit handicraft venture than for for-profit. And these funds are sometimes used to keep alive trades that are inefficient and thus give the artisans a false impression that demand actually exists for their produce. Pertinent Observations finds the entire ecosystem...
Saudi Activist Trial Postponed Without Prior Notice
A new trial was supposed to start today [Feb 4, 2013] for Saudi Political and Civil Rights Association (ACPRA) co-founder Dr Abdulkareem al-Khudr. Two of the association's co-founders, Dr Abdullah al-Hamid and Dr Mohammad al-Qahtani, have been already under trial and contentious weekly interrogation for over the previous six months. al-Khudr is the author of several papers making the case for political and civil rights from an Islamic prospective, contradicting the state's official positions.
Japan's Press Freedom Ranking Drops
Japan has dropped from the 22nd spot to 53rd, recording the biggest drop of any Asian country, on the 2013 Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The report highlights lack of transparency and access to information on subjects related to Fukushima: …The continued existence of the discriminatory system of “kisha clubs”, exclusive press clubs...
Palestine: Fighting with the Poem
Amira Abd El-Khalek, an Egyptian blogger who studied English literature and anthropology in Egypt and UK, wrote on the Arabic Literature blog about an evening of Palestinian poets, Asma’a Azaizeh and Marwan Makhoul, which was hosted by Banipal magazine and the Mosaic Rooms in London. During discussions that followed the...
Egypt: Morsi's State
Egyptian writer and journalist, Wael Eskandar, comments on the current Egyptian events.
Trinidad & Tobago: Questionable Résumés
Trinidad and Tobago-based bloggers weigh in on the latest political controversy, in which Hafizool Mohammed, who serves on the Commission of Inquiry into the 1990 attempted coup, had many indiscrepancies on his résumé, but was appointed to his post in spite of them.
An Online Campaign Demands Quality Journalism from La Vanguardia
The Catalan Association for Scientific Communication, the Spanish Association of Scientific Communication and the Society for the Progression of Critical Thinking have started an Internet campaign via online petition platform Change.org asking for scientific accuracy in La Vanguardia, one of the widest circulated Catalan newspapers and part of the Grupo...
“Firsthand” Reporting on Huffington Post
Firsthand is a new distributed reporting project from The Huffington Post that calls on U.S. readers every month to submit text, photos and videos describing how an issue like immigration or the housing crisis affects them.
Brunei has Freest Press in Southeast Asia?
According to the press freedom index for 2013 released by Reporters Without Borders, Brunei ranked highest in Southeast Asia (122). It was followed by Thailand (135), Indonesia (139), and Cambodia (143). Some journalists in the region were surprised with the results, in particular, the high ranking given to Brunei.
Infographic: Where Does Beijing's Air Pollution Come From?
China's Sohu Business recently released an infographic explaining the origin of Beijing’s air pollution. According to the infographic, vehicle emissions are the number one reason for the terrible air. TeaLeafNation translates.
Malaysia's Green Issues in 2013
An increasingly discerning electorate coupled with growing environmental awareness means that governments and corporations can no longer get away with sloppy environmental management. Instead of being defensive, the best way forward for the state and businesses is to engage the public proactively and be transparent about the details of the...
Cambodia: Funeral of King Father Sihanouk
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the way, but in my estimation the crowd was noticeably smaller and thinner crowd showed for the return of the King Father's remains from China 6 months ago. A dress code was fairly strictly enforced by minders and police – white shirt/blouse, black pants/skirt,...
Taiwan: Who Misled Noam Chomsky?
Noam Chomsky's support for an anti-media monopoly campaign in Taiwan has recently been spun into a story of the intentional distortion of Chomsky's position by activists because the placard has a Chinese slogan that criticizes China's manipulation of Taiwanese media.
Digital Monitoring of Kenya Elections 2013
Uchaguzi is a Kenya’s citizen digital crowdsourcing monitoring/mapping effort:”The Kenyan 2013 Elections are just over a month away. If this past weekend’s political nominations are any indication, there will be a rise of people’s voices and stories to share. You may be asking: how can I contribute?”
Ghana: Alternative Medicine Practitioners Invest in New Technologies
Alternative medicine practitioners in Ghana have decided to invest in new technologies, Kofi Domfeh reports:”M.Y. Ventures, a natural healthcare center, has introduced a swap card technology that helps protect the privacy and data confidentiality of patients.”
