22 February 2013

Stories from 22 February 2013

Lone Saudi Protester Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison

When a Day of Rage was called for in Saudi Arabia back on March 11, 2011, only a handful of protesters challenged the heavy police presence and protested. Khaled al-Johani was the only one of them on tape. He was arrested on the same day and was held until 25 July, 2012. Many thought that he received a pardon. However, last Monday, the Riyadh Criminal Court held a session to issue the verdict in his case.

22 February 2013

Bolivia's President to Seek a Second (or Third?) Term

After Bolivia's ruling party announced that President Evo Morales will seek re-election in the next president contest scheduled for December 2014, debate ensued over whether his current term counts as his first or second, and whether the country's four-year-old constitution would allow him to run again.

22 February 2013

Journalists Under Pressure in the Gambia Turn to Blogs

The hostile media landscape in the Gambia, marred by aggressive laws and regulatory measures that have almost crippled mainstream outlets, has some journalists in the country turning to blogs to report the news. Here is a guide to some of the most active and popular blogs.

22 February 2013

Evacuate the Children of Fukushima

Parents, residents and lawyers are taking to the streets demanding that their children by evacuated from Japan's Fukushima region, where they claim radiation levels continue to be high.

22 February 2013

Ecuador's Political Future After Correa's Reelection

On February 17 Rafael Correa was re-elected as the president of Ecuador. According to the quick count, the ruling party also obtained at least 96 of the 137 seats in the new National Assembly. Bloggers were quick to analyze the political future of Ecuador under a new Correa mandate and a new political force in the role of the opposition.

22 February 2013

A First for Africa: Ex-Dictator to be Judged on the Continent

A new court system, the Extraordinary African Chambers has recently been set up to allow the first ever trial of one of its own dictators on the continent. The tribunal to judge Hissène Habré, former president of Chad, opened in Senegal on February 8, 2013. Human Rights Watch has been working since 1999 with victims of the ex-dictator, currently in exile in Senegal, in order to bring him to justice.

22 February 2013

A Timeline of Colombian Peace Talks

Adam Isacson has been updating a timeline on the peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The timeline includes relevant links with more...

22 February 2013

Yoani Sánchez Divides Opinions on a Visit to Brazil

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was received in Brazil by pro-Cuban government protesters, who accuse her of receiving money from the United States' government and of being a CIA agent. The ones that support the dissident's actions accuse the Brazilian government of collaborating with the Cuban government's repression.

22 February 2013

Taiwan Politician Tries, Quits Sina Weibo

Frank Hsieh, former presidential nominee of Taiwan’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), opened an account on Sina Weibo on February 19, 2013. However, the account was deleted less than 24...

22 February 2013

Will High Speed Rail Improve Singapore-Malaysia Ties?

The Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore announced a high speed train project which will provide a mere 90 minute link between the two countries. The rail link is expected to improve economic and social ties between the two neighbors which used to be part of a single federation.

22 February 2013

Is Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Spread Racist?

Mitch Blatt from China Hush takes a look at debate over the appropriateness of Sports Illustrated magazine's set of photos for its swimsuit edition that feature ethnic minorities in China. While...

22 February 2013

Hope on Horizon for Gays in China

Chengdu Living looks into the mindset of young people who, surprisingly, demonstrated an open attitude toward homosexuality despite their Chinese cultural background.

22 February 2013

Haiti: The Politics of Identity

Tande blogs about “the relationship between cultural identity and belonging” and recommends a Haitian musician whose work goes beyond the identity politics and “offers a compelling example of how some...

22 February 2013