Stories from March, 2014
Teenage Bloggers in Bangladesh Arrested For ‘Blasphemous’ Facebook Posts
Fellow bloggers accuse an Islamist student organization of distributing false propaganda that rallied a mob against the two bloggers and led to their arrest.
A Schism Over Ukraine in Russian-owned LiveJournal
Igor Bigdan (ibigdan), one of the most popular RuNet bloggers, announced yesterday that he would be leaving his position as Director of LiveJournal Ukraine starting April.
Pakistan Takes Slight from Football Giant Maradona in Stride
Bitter about his falling out with Argentina's football association, Diego Maradona accused his former employers of "understanding as much about football as Pakistan does."
Why Learning Italian Still Makes Sense
As Italian publishing company Alma Edizioni was busy organizing an event about the Italian language in Rome, they received an unexpected letter [it] from someone who defined himself as a “disappointed student”: Why? What's the point of studying Italian today? […] No one wants to study a language that no...
Massive Online Campaign to Free Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera
The international campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is asking people from all over the world to contribute in making the hashtag #freeOscarLopez a trending topic tomorrow, April 1st. Tweets should also include U.S. president Barack Obama's handle @BarackObama. This year, López Rivera will have been...
Manga “1F” Takes You Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plant
A manga by artist going by the name Kazuto Tatsuta takes readers inside the crippled nuclear plant of Fukushima Dai-Ichi, or ichi efu (1F) – as insiders dubbed it – a place he himself worked in 2012, a decision he took in a period of financial struggle. The graphic novel...
Geo-Mapping Tools and Data Analysis Redefine Reporting in Africa
Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism and Land Quest investigate environment and development issues.
Documentaries from 29 Countries Are SIMA 2014 Finalists
These are films we want to watch! 37 powerful documentary films from 29 countries have been selected as finalists for the 2014 Social Impact Media Award (SIMA). The stories are from: South Africa, Switzerland, Zambia, the UK, Russia, India, Israel, Chile, Western Sahara, the US, Lebanon, Cambodia, Syria, Burkina Faso,...
Artists Re-imagine the ‘Woman Who Was Dragged’ and Killed by Brazil's Military Police
Blog Think Olga invited artists to send portraits of Claudia Silva Ferreira, a woman who was killed at the hands of Brazil's military police.
Half a Million Taiwanese Rally to Support #CongressOccupied
Protesters demanded that the Taiwanese government withdraw from a controversial trade agreement with China.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Nuclear Security Summit Protests
Free Tibet protesters were foiled by Chinese security officials, and a protest urging the US to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions was given prime real estate near the summit.
Embattled Opposition Blogger's Insanity Defense?
When attempts to silence Alexey Navalny, Russia's top blogger and anti-corruption activist, don't work quite as planned, it's time to shovel the dirt.
Underpaid Indonesian Workers Producing Global Cosmetic Products
Michael Eko Hardianto writes about the poor conditions of Indonesian workers in factories that produce false eyelashes, hair extensions and other beauty products: …behind every eyelash flutter in the fashion industry and beyond lie the untold stories of invisible low-paid workers. Their financial remuneration for such monotonous work is about...
Roots of Conflict in Southern Thailand
Patrick Jory traces the history of the conflict in southern Thailand and probes the causes and impact of naming it as an Islamic insurgency: The answer can be found in the suppression of official references to the distinct ethnic Malay identity of the population of the border provinces, in favour...
Jamaica: Vybz Kartel's Sentencing
Active Voice reports that Vybz Kartel's sentencing has been postponed to April 3, and that “the Dept. of Correctional Services is to decide whether Kartel will be allowed to record music in prison, and if allowed, whether proceeds should go to the family of the victim Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.”
Haitian-American Filmmakers’ Web Series Invites Women to Live, Laugh, Love (Part 2)
For Part 2 of our post on the soon-to-be-released web series 3L, Global Voices speaks to Melanie Charles, a Haitian-American jazz vocalist who plays the lead role of Gaelle.
Indonesian Candidates Accused of Exposing Children to ‘Indecent’ Campaign Shows
Twerking-like Dangdut dances and cash handouts are among the spectacles watched by children in the ongoing legislative election campaign in Indonesia.
Pandas Steal Spotlight from Taiwan's Endangered Formosan Bears
Some worry Taiwan is promoting pandas, a species native to mainland China, more than the country's own Formosan black bears.
Putin Brings Back Soviet-era Civil Defense Certification
Bringing back "Readiness to Labor and Defense" would "pay homage to [Russia's] national historical traditions."
‘Sleeping Lion’ China Awakened, Says President Xi Jinping
Evoking Napoleon during his visit to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country is an awakened lion that is “peaceful, pleasant and civilized”
South Korea: Royal Gate Restoration, Corruption and Suicide
In recent months, particularly murky allegations over the royal gate restoration have unfolded in South Korea. The project's ‘chief carpenter’ is accused not only of using substandard wood, but stealing donated wood. Moreover, several government officials involved in the project were also indicted on charges of bribery [ko], and a civilian investigator who...
