Stories from 2 April 2013
When Russians Don't Love Their Children
In the last year, the wellbeing of children in Russia has again found itself at the center of political debate. In just the last week, two figures commonly identified with the liberal opposition movement have attracted intense negative attention for comments that supposedly reveal their ill will toward children.
Australia: Whistleblower Fires Coal Seam Gas Debate
A whistleblower has added fire to ongoing arguments about the environmental impact of the coal seam gas industry in Australia with revelations on ABCTV's 4 Corners program.
Racism in Costa Rican Football
José Medrano in Carepicha Blog [es] speaks out against racism in football games and in society in general. I think that racist insults should be punished with a high fine or with community work, along with the obligation to attend courses where they are taught about history and ethics, everything...
‘Tribewanted’ Creates, Connects Eco-Villages
Renewable energy, permaculture and green building, along with local traditions and eco-tourism: welcome to Tribewanted – an online community launched in 2006 based on the idea of “global citizenship” and harnessing the energy of social media to meaningfully connect and practice positive behavior change. Thanks to crowdfunding strategies, the project plans...
Chechen Leader's Tone-deaf Instagram Post
On April 1, 2013, the 20 year anniversary of Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper critical of the government and known for its investigative reporting, Head of the Chechen Republic (formerly President) Ramzan Kadyrov took to his Instagram [ru], as he often does these days, to publicly express respect for the...
Report: Attacks on Argentinian Press Spiked in 2012
The Argentinian Journalism Forum released its 2012 edition of the Freedom of Expression Monitor, which reported a 41 percent rise in the number of attacks against the press. Political power represents the greatest danger for Argentinian journalists.
Century-Old Trees Face the Axe in Brazil
Residents in host city Porto Alegre are threatening to climb and occupy century-old trees in Southern Brazil to save them from being axed for an expansion project in preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
Foreign Investment Sidelines East Timorese
Olavio Quintas, from the eastern tip of Timor, expresses his frustration with “development” in his country to Radio Liberdade Dili. He says “Timorese people have become observers to foreigners’ investments” lamenting the lack of employment for young people, as investors and government do not trust Timorese to do the smallest tasks.
Chinese Teen Calls for Weibo Censorship
A 13-year-old girl, who was put on stage in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and criticized by netizens because of the “voice-over” arrangement, has seemingly come out in favor of more censorship on the popular Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo. Her micro-blog has triggered a lot of...
Hong Kong: International Pillow Fight 2013
Hongwrong.com is going to hold its third international pillow fight in Hong Kong on April 6, 2013.
Girls Are Told Not to Leave Kyrgyzstan
The Kyrgyz parliament might soon ban girls under 23 years of age from leaving the country without parental consent. The bill which is aimed at preventing female migrants from becoming 'sexual slaves' has come under fierce criticism from human rights groups and some internet users.
What do we do at Global Voices Catalonia?
On 27 February, the Global Voices international community of bloggers presented its Catalan edition in Barcelona. In this post we explain who we are, what we do and how to collaborate with us. Do you dare to widen your horizons?
The Islamic Caliphate of North Korea
A tweet [ko] directing people to this fake blog post received quite some attention on April Fools’ day. Looking like a legit news article, the post says that North Korea announced that it is now an Islamic state and it includes detailed claims such as: Kim Jong-un ‘asserted ‘every previous leader of North...
