Stories from 9 May 2013
Bahamas: Too Free on Facebook?
Facebook is free for all, but it doesn’t mean that we are liberated to slander others with impunity – or to make vile threats…without consequences. POLITICAL BAHAMAS BLOG discusses “potentially criminal Facebook behavior.”
Schools Close in Panama Due to Energy Crisis
The severe drought that is affecting Panama has motivated the government to take several measures, including suspending classes in public and private schools.
Fight Against Ritual Killings Gears Up in Gabon
The discovery of a young girl's mutilated body on a beach in Gabon's capital city of Libreville has renewed the fight in the Central African country against the superstitious practice of ritual killings.
A Sad Story of a Nepali Migrant Worker
Ujjwal Acharya tells a sad story of a Nepali migrant worker who was denied to board onwards by Air Arabia at Delhi airport because she did not have a return ticket. They did not offer any food or accommodation for 72 hours until she managed her fare back home from...
Conservative Pundit Sues South Korea's Saturday Night Live TV Show
Political satire in South Korea is having a rough go of it these days. The country's version of American comedy show Saturday Night Live faces a lawsuit filed by a conservative pundit who was lampooned on the program. And earlier this year, the wildly popular sketch-comedy show Gag Concert was reprimanded by authorities for addressing the South Korean president in too casual a manner.
Watchdog Social Media Monitor Pakistan's Historic Elections
As Pakistan nears its first democratic transition of power with the country's historic elections only days away, social media is empowering Pakistanis to take a more active role in the vote. We take a look at two new platforms that are monitoring elections and raising awareness through social media: Pak Votes and Pak Voter.
Northern Brazil Peace Rally Pushes Back Against Rising Violence
With posters and banners crying out for peace, and much criticism for the violence threatening the neighborhood youth, hundreds of people - students, teachers, community leaders, artists and supporters - occupied the streets of Canindezinho in Fortaleza for a peace rally.
‘Malaysian Tsunami’ Protests Election Irregularities
Tens of thousands in Malaysia gathered in Kelana Jaya stadium near the country’s capital last May 8 to protest the final vote tally of the 13th General Elections. The government warned that some of the speakers in the rally could be charged for sedition. The Opposition announced that more rallies will take place in the coming days.
Young Woman's Suspicious Death Triggers Rare Protests in Beijing
Thousands of people took to the streets in Beijing yesterday, May 8, 2013, in response the suspicious death of a young migrant worker named Yuan Liya.
Drug Trafficking on the Rise in Timor Leste
The East Timor Law and Justice Bulletin features the worsening drug trafficking problem in Timor Leste. It quoted a government report which recognized that the country is being used as a “transit zone for criminals smuggling drugs into both Indonesia and Australia.”
Timor Leste's Bid to Join ASEAN
Julio Gil da Silva Guterres writes about Timor Leste's application to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN. He warns that “ASEAN without Timor Leste is the same as a state without sovereignty.”
