Stories from 2 May 2013
Game Over: Pakistan's Young and Rich Head to the Polls
A new online game packs humorous punches at Pakistan's new batch of young and rich voters who say they will bravely dodge bombs to take part in Pakistan's upcoming historic elections. The weeks leading up to the May 11 elections have been rigged with violence.
President Barack Obama visits Mexico and Costa Rica
U.S. President Barack Obama began his trip through Mexico and Costa Rica with the intention of addressing vitally important themes for the region that include the expansion of commerce and economic and energy cooperation, as well as issues of security, immigration, government and control of illegal drug trafficking.
The Kremlin Defeated the Russian Opposition?
“Do you really have the feeling that the old system collapsed after the December 2011 protests? The system defeated the opposition. It’s a fact.” Vladislav Surkov delivered this line earlier today to a crowd of reporters and students in London. Russian netizens were not happy.
Saudi Authorities Continue Crackdown on Human Rights Activists
Saudi Arabian authorities detained yet another member of the country's defiant leading human rights organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA). Umar Al-Saeed is the seventh ACPRA member to be detained since the kingdom initiated a crackdown on human rights activists in 2012.
Peru: A Little Girl's Sacrifice
The website Regionlimaaldia.com [es] shares the story [es] of 9-year old Tatiana, who: […] didn't hesitate and got her long hair chopped and sold it in order to buy medicines for her mother, who suffers of hypertiroidism that has caused her a tumor located on her neck. In spite of...
Bermuda: Bag Tax or Bad Tax?
Local charities are lobbying the Bermudian Government to institute a bag tax to encourage people to shop with reusable bags and reduce waste – but Vexed Bermoothes insists that “it’s nice to think that you can tax people into living or acting better; it rarely works out that way.”
Australia: National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding At Last
The funding of a National Disability Insurance Scheme has been a political football in Australia after legislation for the NDIS passed with unanimous support in Australia earlier in 2013. Both sides of politics had argued that it should be funded from general revenue.
PHOTOS: Thousands of Workers March for Rights across Southeast Asia
Global Voices reviews the May 1 Labor Day protests in Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore. The rallies, which were organized to echo the various demands of workers and advocacy groups, were relatively peaceful across the region.
Science Fiction in China
Alec Ash from LARB talks with Chinese science fiction writer Fei Dao about science fiction in China.
Teargas and Water Cannons for Istanbul's Labor Day Protesters
After three years of peaceful Labor Day celebrations at Taksim square, Turkey's largest city Istanbul was visited by the ghosts of its violent past with the events of May 1st, 2013. Limited by the ongoing construction on site and overzealous measures by the local authorities, protesters and police turned the 15 million strong metropolis into a war zone leaving behind destroyed property and many injured people.
No Taxis for the Blind in Singapore?
A visually impaired lady from Singapore wrote about the lack of public awareness on the helpfulness of guide dogs as a taxi driver refused to let in her guide dog saying “Dogs are not allowed” on taxis. Would Singaporeans only accept blind people with their guide dogs when there is a protective...
Blaming the Blind Dog: Hungarian Politician's Domestic Violence Case
József Balogh, a Hungarian ruling party politician, has allegedly beaten his partner so badly that she had to be treated at a hospital. He claimed she had tripped over the family's blind dog, while she said the politician had hit her. Marietta Le reviews the memes and serious discussions that this incident has produced.
