Cuba: Suppressing an “Arab Spring” · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“General Raúl Castro will not permit an Arab Spring in Cuba,” explains Iván García, adding: “Those who publicly oppose the Castros, whether through a blog, web, opposition party or shouting in the streets…are not enemies.  The enemies are the corrupt procreated by the regime itself and the clans that emerged during 52 years in totalitarian power.”


UK, Germany new Covid-19 vaccine to be tested on humans - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
April 23, 2020
The first clinical trials for a new Covid-19 vaccine will go ahead on humans at Oxford University from Thursday and in Langen, Germany.
Britain’s Secretary of State for Health  Matt Hancock confirmed this in briefing that clinical trials for a new Covid-19 vaccine will go ahead on humans in Oxford from today, Thursday.
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE secured approval for Germany’s first human clinical trials of a possible coronavirus vaccine, entering a global race to develop a defense against the pandemic.
Regulators gave the green light to test the companies’ proposed vaccine on 200 healthy people aged 18 to 55 years in a first stage, and on additional high-risk candidates in a second stage, according to a statement Wednesday. Shares of Mainz-based BioNTech rose as much as 63% in Frankfurt.


Syria: Razan Ghazzawi and Female Colleagues Freed · Global Voices
Hisham Almiraat

This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/2012.
Syrian Blogger and Freedom of Speech advocate Razan Ghazzawi was released on Saturday along with her female colleagues. The news came via Razan's sister, who tweeted earlier this evening:
@NadineGhazzawi: Sister is home :) but she can't leave the country anymore…they won't allow her.
Free Razan poster used by supporters to call for her released and that of her colleagues
At the time these lines are being written, Razan's male colleagues remain in prison, according to Free Razan page on Facebook:
Razan and all the females from the SCM are FREE , Razan is FREE !
Razan was arrested earlier this week along with 13 of her colleagues during a raid on the offices of the Syrian Center for Freedom of Expression in Damascus.
This post is part of our special coverage Syria Protests 2011/2012.


China: difficult to understand china? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Hu Yong, an experienced Mainland Chinese journalist, comments on his blog on an earlier blog post in Bingfeng teahouse: What prevent guys like Nicholas Kristof from understanding China correctly? He puts forward three principles (zh):
“If you want to research China outside China, your research starting point must begin from China, not the West. The meaning of ‘starting point from China’ has three implication: firstly, the focus of the research should be on the internal factors rather than external ones; secondly, the source of historical changes also comes from within; thirdly, to contextualize China issue within Chinese context.”


We Got This celebrates third season mentoring black youth | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Allison Steines
September 1, 2016
For the past three years, Andre Lee Ellis has employed black youth in the garden at N. 9 and W. Ring streets every Saturday morning for a stipend of $20. We Got This provides a meeting place to teach the value of hard work and relationships. Saturday, Aug. 27, marked the end of another season in the garden.
The celebration consisted of a cook out, live music by the band Cigarette Break and inspiring speeches by Andre Lee Ellis, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, State Rep. David Bowen, community member June Perry and countless others.
Keathon Cannon, a young man involved in the program, delivered an emotional speech about his past at the closing ceremony. He said the program changed his life and made him realize “you can do anything if you believe in yourself.”


China: Hurdler Liu Xiang’s Olympic Failure Provokes Fierce Debate · Global Voices
Gloria Wong

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.
No sports star has triggered a more heated discussion in China this Olympics than hurdler Liu Xiang. The former world-record holder of the 110-meter hurdles and 2004 Olympic champion in the same event, dropped out of the London Olympic Games without clearing a single hurdle in the race.
Achilles injury
As the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal in track, Liu instantly became the hero of the entire nation after the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as a recognizable face in various commercials. In a field that is traditionally dominated by sprinters from North America and Europe, the Chinese had finally made their voice heard.
However, after making a splash in 2004, Liu never satisfied Chinese aspirations to win an Olympic gold medal again in track and field. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Liu withdrew from his preliminary heat with Achilles tendon injuries and disappointed a billion Chinese fans.
The 2012 London Olympics for many was supposed to be his time for redemption, yet on Tuesday 7 August, he fell out of the opening heat again because of the same Achilles tendon injury.
Instead of directly exiting as he did four years ago,  this time Liu hopped on one leg along the track and kissed what may be the final hurdle of his Olympic career before being helped into a wheelchair. Below is a YouTube video of Liu Xiang's Olympic game, uploaded by lokjoe2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MqYWqi2fbY
Chinese netizens’ reactions
The incident immediately sparked fierce discussions on Sina Weibo, a major social media platform in China. Some firmly believed Liu was playacting, referring to the scene when Liu crossed back to give the final hurdle a kiss. A news director from Hong Kong wrote in her Weibo [zh] (post since deleted):
@酱缸外的秦枫 四年，一运动员，男性，上海人，成熟了：08年苦肉加悲情，直接退赛了，今年依旧苦肉计，但知道演场戏！
Others showed compassion and support for Liu Xiang. Famous blogger Li Chengpang is sympathetic towards Liu [zh]:
@李承鹏 大多数人一生没踩过塑胶跑道，全国不足五千人练跨栏，很多县城连正经田径场都没有…让刘翔承担13亿人56民族的担子，太累。这跟举国不足万人练足球要国足夺冠一个道理。金牌不是硬道理，普及才是硬道理。哪天奥运吸收麻将为比赛项目，无论裁判怎么坏、外媒怎么黑，我们一定是冠军。刘翔，生活还要继续。
Some blamed Liu’s failure for the endless commercials, media interviews and political positions that may have consumed his energy:
@师北宸 刘翔是拿你我缴税的钱训练；他们拿钱的时候没有征得我们的同意，也没有公开数额；刘翔是全国政协委员。调侃他，批评他，在你们为他“心疼落泪”的时候冷静指出它，还有比这更负责的表现么。
In fact, many netizens hold the view that Liu should assume responsibility for his performance since he received all training free from the taxpayer. On Tianya BBS, netizens also expressed their dismay. For example, 晓枫残月1984 [zh] said:
如果刘翔是靠自己，那他不欠谁的，谁也没权力对他说三道四问题是，他花的是纳税人的钱他一年光吃特供的钱，就能在山区给1000个孩子解决一年的午餐钱这还不算别的，别的更是大头，花的全是纳税人的钱花纳税人的钱，纳税人当然有权力对他要求拿出成绩.
Some pointed out that under the China’s “Juguo tizhi”- literally the ‘whole-nation’ sports system – athletes have been pushed too far in pursuit of gold medals.
@陆天明体育总局的领导你们在干什么？让大家心目中的英雄最后以这样的状态结束运动生命，你们到底怎么想的？我想全国人民一定不会轻饶了你们在这件事上的责任。必须追究这些当官的责任！！把一个运动员使到这个份上，让他出这种丑，举世皆无。残忍之极！！刘翔，你太悲哀了！！！ 在我们的体制下，运动员只是个棋子！！ 我只希望在再被各种各样的身外之力量绑架，真正发挥自己的天才，做一回自己！！
The ‘whole nation’ sports system
After Liu Xiang's withdrawal from the 2008 Beijing Games, concerns over Liu's fitness dominated the news. He had surgery in the United States and returned to the sport in 2010, after changing his technique out of the blocks. He’s been hampered by back and foot complaints in the past month, and although he has taken good medical care, the Achilles injury is still there.
On Thursday 16 August, Liu was sent to a renowned private hospital in London to receive surgery on his right Achilles tendon, which was reportedly very successful. In fact, days before Liu Xiang's crash and burn, on some blogs, people had already noted that Liu was not at his best and were expecting him to fail. Others wondered why his trainer kept hidden the truth about the problems.
The Chinese ‘whole-nation’ sports system has received sweeping criticism from western media. Bloggers linked several scandals related to Chinese Olympians to the country's blinding pursuit of medals at all costs. The young talent, once selected by the provincial or state sports teams, are shut up in closed training schools thereafter and deprived of almost all of their time to learn other life skills.
Despite the criticism, China's officials who rely on the system to produce champions that can puff up national pride, have bristled at the criticism. Xu Guoqi, a professor at the University of Hong Kong and an expert in Chinese sports, pointed out that “as long as the Chinese are not confident enough of themselves in the world, as long as the regime has a legitimacy problem, it will continue its ‘juguo tizhi’.”
This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.


This picture is not a rare photograph of the Chola princess Kundavai - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
November 21, 2022
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that it shows a rare photograph of the Chola princess Kundavai which is housed in the British Museum in Malaysia. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: A rare photograph of the Chola princess Kundavai which is housed in the British Museum in Malaysia.
Fact: The woman in the photo is not Chola princess Kundavai. The photo was taken in the 19 century CE whereas Chola princess Kundavai reportedly lived during the 10-11 century CE. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When the photo was run through Google Reverse Image Search, the same picture was found to be uploaded on multiple websites. The ‘Alamy’ stock photos website has the same photo on its website with the following description – “Portrait of a seated girl wearing jewellery, from Madras (c. 1872)”. So, the photo was taken in the 19th century CE whereas the Chola Princess Kundavai reportedly lived during the 10th-11th century CE.
Also, the same photo can be seen on the ‘British Library’ website with a similar description that the photo is related to the 19 century CE.
To sum it up, portrait of an unrelated girl wearing jewellery is shared as a rare photograph of Chola princess Kundavai housed in the British Museum in Malaysia.


Sub-Saharan Africa: Ubuntu Linux · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Emeka Okafor, of Timbuktu Chronicles, reports on the launch of a Linux operating system by the Ubuntu community, which believes that “software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.”


Nigeria: China and military aid · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Africabeat reports on a Nigerian news article that claims Nigeria is seeking military assistance from China to help deal with the situation in the Niger Delta.


Latvia: Urlas · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

All About Latvia writes about a dying breed – the urlas or small businessmen of the early 1990s.


Indigenous lore and the fire knowledge we ignore - 360
Christine Eriksen
Published on January 17, 2022
As long as fire strategy prioritises suppression, the valuable knowledge of Indigenous people will continue to be sidelined.
The hazy outline of the Sutter Buttes lingers on the horizon on the drive along Highway 32 connecting the Sierra Nevada Mountains with California’s Sacramento Valley. Volcanic in geology, the Buttes are, according to the Plains Miwok creation story, the source of the ﬁre that burnt the world over. The small mountain range teaches a lesson from a time when people had to learn to use ﬁre as a tool or live in fear of the destruction described in the ancient story.
Fire has played a key role in the land management practices of Indigenous peoples for millennia. This includes Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans who share many similarities in ﬁre knowledge.
At the core of Indigenous approaches to fire is Traditional law and lore. Indigenous law is coded in the lore, the stories that define culture. Both lore and law are rooted in the landscape. According to lore, the landscape will convey its need for burning based on factors such as the accumulation of dead plant material or the decline in resource conditions. These stories may also convey the penalties for not following the laws of the land, as the Buttes do, or as depicted in Aboriginal fire paintings.
Early white settlers noted that in the autumn or at the onset of the rainy season, Indigenous people would burn to ‘clean up’ landscape to remove accumulated woody fuels on the ground and facilitate the growth of luxuriant grasses and herbs. This knowledge shapes how a culture interacts with fire and more specifically how, what, where, when, and why burning occurs for cultural and environmental reasons.
Indigenous fire knowledge is fluid, changing with changing conditions, and the ability to read the landscape comes with proper training. The concept of ‘proper training’, however, arguably plays out differently today from Indigenous fire knowledge of the past due to the impact of history and politics. After millennia of Indigenous cultural burning, colonisation introduced a new kind of law.
Colonisers in both Australia and the USA disrupted Indigenous use of fire through the removal of people from their lands and policy prohibition. Colonial attitudes to fire, forged in the forests of Europe, focused on suppression. Indigenous use of fire, whether for resource harvesting, hunting, vegetation and soil regeneration or maintenance of communal areas, were instead seen as an environmentally degrading practice. Such fires threatened both the property and the social hierarchies of rigidly ordered colonial societies.
To this day, in many parts of Australia and the US, colonisation and 20th Century fire suppression policies are continuing to act against Traditional laws.
Researchers, policymakers and practitioners still have a tendency to dismiss or ignore fire knowledge that is alive today among Indigenous elders and cultural land stewards. This is despite the growing acceptance of Indigenous knowledge of cultivation systems and wildfire protection.
The consequences of the continual dominance of Western environmental narratives over Indigenous land management practices in many fire-prone regions are burning that is illegal under Indigenous law, and catastrophic fires resulting in ecological and economic damage to land and property.
Fire knowledge and memories are retained by Indigenous elders, cultural practitioners, and land stewards. There is far more at stake than just managing the risk of wildfire. Burning and fire knowledge can maintain culture by linking people with natural resources for food and other cultural practices. Patterns of land use and occupancy that have been weakened by changing ecosystems, climate change, and urban expansion, can be re-established. Engaging with Indigenous knowledge through fire allows Indigenous peoples in Australia and the US to re-engage as caretakers of their native lands.
For example, while burns for basket-making resources have been conducted by US fire agencies in California in coordination with weavers from different tribal areas, they are done on agency time with agency rules. More than just burning to stimulate the right grasses, the fires have a cultural tradition attached to them and fire agency burns often do not achieve the desired cultural outcome. Few Tribal leaders are able to guide the burn, given the certification standards required to be on the front line of the fire, and cultural knowledge may at times not be permitted to be shared outside the Tribal laws and traditions.
While we cannot reverse the history of colonisation, the retention, revival and integration of Indigenous fire knowledge with federal fire agencies can inform ongoing debates on how to coexist with fire today. A more cooperative path would, for example, introduce cultural sensitivity training for firefighters as well as awareness of the impacts of not having such training and policies in place. State and federal agencies stand to gain from the knowledge of the Indigenous cultures, which have shaped landscapes since time immemorial. When Indigenous people have not actively asserted customary law and applied fire to care for country, the laws of nature play out through wildfires. Indigenous leaders have recognised the land ‘speaking’ its needs through wildfire.
Current struggles to manage the growing frequency and intensity of devastating wildfires will benefit from a greater recognition of this traditional understanding of the environment, if it is acknowledged by, and incorporated into, the practices of fire management agencies.
Dr Christine Eriksen is a Senior Researcher with the Center for Security Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology (ETH Zurich). She is the author of 2 books and over 75 articles and book chapters that examine social dimensions of disasters in the context of environmental history, cultural norms, and political agendas. Follow her on Twitter: @DrCEriksen.
This article has been republished for a Special Report on Indigenous lessons. It was first published on January 17, 2022.


USA: Do Mormons Want Internet Filtering? · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

News For the Mormon Legal Community posts a discussion on the Mormon church's position (or lack thereof) on Internet filtering.


Slovenia: Election 2008 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Lots of info on the Slovenian electoral system and the upcoming election – at Sleeping With Pengovsky.


European Union Publishes Comprehensive Survey of Violence Against Women · Global Voices
Lourdes Sada

FRA unveils its report on violence against women in the EU. Photo from the Facebook page of Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), used with permission.
On March 5, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published the results of a survey on violence against women [pdf], the most comprehensive of its kind ever conducted. Undertaken simultaneously throughout the region, it is the first time comparative data has been available by country on the kinds of violence women suffer in their families, at work, in public and on the Internet as well as the effect it has on their lives and the way in which victims respond to aggression.
The report is based on direct interviews with 42,000 female residents of the EU aged 18 to 74, and it reveals some staggering numbers. According to one of the videos presented along with the report, “the results show the scale of violence against women in the EU is vast, and simply cannot be ignored.”  In the words of the FRA Director Morten Kjaerum:
La enormidad del problema prueba que la violencia contra las mujeres no afecta solo a unas pocas: tiene impacto en la sociedad todos los días. Por tanto, políticos, sociedad civil y trabajadores de primera línea tienen que evaluar medidas que traten cualquier forma de violencia contra la mujer, donde sea que se produzca.
The enormity of the problem is proof that violence against women does not just impact a few women only – it impacts on society every day. Therefore, policy makers, civil society and frontline workers need to review measures to tackle all forms of violence against women no matter where it takes place. [sic]
Morten Kjaerum, Director of the FRA, speaking to the audience that attended the presentation of the report. Poto from the FRA website used with permission.
Some of the conclusions of the survey include:
Surprisingly the countries with the highest percentage of victims of violence against women are in northern Europe: Denmark (52%), Finland (47%) and Sweden (46%), while Hungary (21%), Austria (20%) and Poland (19%) have much lower rates. Spain, at 22%, is well below average:
Percentage of women, by EU member country, who say they have suffered “physical or sexual violence at the hands of their partner or non-partner since the age of 15.” Image courtesy of the Fundamental Rights Agency, used with permission.
It seems counter intuitive that Scandinavian countries, which have higher rates of gender equality should also have higher rates of violence against women. Blanca Tapia, spokesperson for the FRA, explains in El diario [es] newspaper this apparent contradiction:
En países como Finlandia, Dinamarca, Suecia o Francia es más aceptable culturalmente hablar de violencia de género y, por lo tanto, las mujeres la declaran más. Las mujeres de los países nórdicos tienen mucha conciencia de género, saben que son iguales en derechos a los hombres y tienen claro que no tienen que aguantar ciertas cosas. No pasan ni una.
In countries like Finland, Denmark, Sweden or France, it is culturally more acceptable to talk about violence against women, so women are more likely to denounce it. Women in northern countries have greater gender awareness; they know they have the same rights as men and it is clear to them that there are certain things they do not have to put up with. They don't let things get by them.
The report has generated controversy among Europeans. Many doubt the veracity of the numbers and question what is really considered aggression. The user DENUNCIAR left the following comment on the website of diario 20 minutos [es]:
ya sabemos como hacen las encuestas estas feministas, si se pelean por el mando de la tele se considera violencia machista
nada nuevo bajo el sol
otra noticia para manipular nuestras mentes en el siglo dorado del feminazismo
We already know how these feminist surveys work, if you argue over the TV remote it's considered macho violence
nothing new under the sun
another headline designed to manipulate our minds during this golden age of feminazis
In the Público newspaper, chochialimmoomuelte commented:
¿¿Una de cada cinco mujeres no sabe que si la violan tiene que ir a la policía??
¿¿Decir “no te quiero” a alguien es violencia machista??
¿¿Los abrazos son acoso??
¿¿ La “violencia contra las mujeres” se da “todos los días en todas partes”??
Desde luego, cada vez os cuesta más justificar las subvenciones al chiringuito feminazi.
Las mujeres inteligentes deberían indignarse ante esta basura que se publica en las que se las trata como si fueran imbéciles
One out of every five women doesn't know they have to report a rape to the police??
Saying “I don't love you” is macho violence??
Hugs are harassment??
“Violence against women” occurs “everywhere every day”??
Of course, it gets harder and harder to justify subsidizing your feminazi soap box.
Intelligent women should be offended by this crap that is published and that treats them like they were idiots.
Madame X responded this way to the skeptics on the same webpage:
Por supuesto que un piropo grosero es una agresión. Es humillante que te digan una grosería y la humillación es una forma de maltrato. Cualquier tío se ofendería si otro le dice una grosería a su novia, a su madre o a su hermana, ¿o me lo vais a negar? Entonces si eso os ofende o molesta cuando va dirigido a una mujer de vuestro entorno afectivo, ¿cómo algunos tenéis la cara dura de cuestionar que eso sea una agresión a la afectada?
Of course a crude comment is a form of aggression. It is humiliating to have something crude said to you, and humiliation is a form of mistreatment. Any guy would be offended if another said something disgusting to their girlfriend, mother or sister—are you going to deny that? So if it offends or bothers you went it is directed at a woman you care about, how can some of you actually have the nerve to question whether the woman feels harassed?
On Twitter, Lau published an image that explains in graphic detail the different kinds of violence committed against women:
Y no sólo me refiero a que nos revienten la cara con un guantazo o nos violen. La violencia machista tiene pilares pic.twitter.com/SKNIcY0L9r
— Lau (@mcmihail) March 5, 2014
And I am not just referring to those of us who are slapped in the face or raped. Macho violence has a framework.
[The pyramid describes a progression from subtle forms such as sexist advertising and simply ignoring women to more explicit forms such as insults, abuse and even murder.]
Don Mitxel Erregea questions the role of religions:
me pregunto si la violencia machista tendrá algo que ver con el fomento de religiones que asocian la mujer al Mal.
— Don Mitxel Erregea (@DonMitxel666) March 6, 2014
I wonder if macho violence has something to do with encouraging religions that associate women with Evil.
In Spain, cuts made by the current government affect public programs that protect women [es]:
[La Ley de Tasas] elimina la falta por “vejaciones injustas” que suele ser el primer paso en los casos de maltrato, se sugiere la mediación en los casos de violencia de género. Esto pondría en riesgo a la víctima y se solicita que la condena del agresor sea una multa
[The law regarding court fees] eliminates the “unfair treatment” offense that is usually the first step in cases of abuse; mediation is suggested in cases of violence against women. This would put victims at risk and seeks to impose only a fine on the aggressor.
In Spain, 48 victims of violence against women died in 2013.  So far in 2014, 14 women have been killed by their partners.


Chile: Reforesting Patagonia through Social Media · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Reforest Patagonia has managed to plant 100,000 native-species trees thanks to its creative social media donation campaign, ”Create Your Own Forest.” […] Reforest Patagonia’s main campaigning tool is its online platform, i.e. its virtual forest, which lets individuals and companies plant trees in Patagonia thanks to a small contribution.
Anna Heim from The Next Web writes about Reforest Patagonia, “a non-profit public-private partnership to replant trees all across the region.” Follow Reforest Patagonia on Twitter and Facebook.


India: November 2010 Killings in Assam  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Aruni Kashyap discusses about the recent killings by the Bodo militants in Assam.


Podcast: China’s Leftover Women  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

Sinica Podcast invites Leta Hong Fincher, author of “Leftover Women“, a book about the state of women's rights and gender equality in modern China.
The podcast discusses hidden problems and obstacles that Chinese women are facing in society including domestic violence and the “leftover women” issue.
It's worth noting that according to the author, state media's propaganda, family-driven values and legal customs in things like the housing market “all effectively conspire to roll back much of the progress on gender equality China has made over the last twenty years.”


Nigeria: Solar-powered fish project · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A fishing village in Nigeria uses solar powered driers to dry their fish, reports Black Looks: “Bishop Kodji, a small fishing and canoe carving island in the Atlantic Ocean off Nigeria’s sprawling commercial hub of Lagos, has become the first village to be electrified under the Lagos State government’s pilot solar energy project. Before setting up the project, the village, with a population of 5,000, had not known electricity since its existence.”


Palestine: “I do not want my kids to see me torn into pieces” · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

How does it feel to be unable to protect your children? In this roundup of blogs from Gaza we hear from a mother who is wracked with guilt at seeing her children's terror: “Was I mistaken to have kids in the first place? Do I not have the right to be a mother?”
Palestinian photojournalist Sameh Habeeb blogs at Gaza Strip, The Untold Story:
Most of the Gaza Strip plunges into deep darkness since the start of this war. I find several hardships to send out this report due to power problem. Today, a rocket targeted my uncle's house. My house got several splinters and rocket shrapnel. Thanks to God, we all safe but I don't know what will happen next. I live east of Gaza, Toffah area, were artillery shells rained down every single moment.
Natalie Abou Shakra, a Lebanese activist, writes at the group blog Moments of Gaza. In her post she translates two leaflets dropped by the Israeli military asking the citizens of Gaza to provide information on the whereabouts of Hamas fighters. Natalie comments:
What really shocked me is the username they chose for their email. “Helpgaza2008″ ?!
I think this e-mail of theirs deserves to be bombed with the right kind of messages!
Nirmeen Kharma Elsarraj writes at the group blog Lamentations-Gaza:
There are things that are not well reported in the news, feelings!! I have three children, a daughter Nour who is 14, a son Adam who is 9 and another son Ali who is 3. We live in an area in Gaza city that used to be described ‘safe’. Nowhere is safe anymore. My children cannot sleep and I cannot help them. The feelings of helplessness and guilt (which always accompanies your inability to protect or at least comfort your children) are stronger than those of fear and horror. My daughter was telling a journalist on the phone yesterday that she had never got the real support she sought from me whenever there was a shelling. I was shocked!! I felt so guilty because my daughter felt my fears. But is it not normal to be scared after all?! Adam is asthmatic and he uses a ventilator. Due to the stress and the pollution resulting from rubbles, he is getting more frequent asthma attacks and there is no electricity for his ventilator. Each time he has an attack, we have to put the generator on for him and then put it off. There is no enough fuel to keep the generator on and we have no idea till when this is going to continue. Ali has no idea what this is all about. All what he does is scream in fear whenever there is a bombing and when it is over, he uses his imagination to tell stories about ‘qasef – bombing’. The kids do not sleep. We spend our days and nights in one single room with my sister in law and her daughter. You feel the stress and fear. You can see it on everyone's face.
Last night I was thinking about all this. I do not want anyone of my family to get hurt and I thought if anything should happen, I pray it happens to me and not my kids. Then I thought I do not want my kids to see me torn into pieces. The scenes on tv of people killed are so terrifying and I know what it means for children to see such thing. What I really want is for all this to end and for me and my kids to live just like anyone else in the world. I want to get rid of the feeling of guilt towards my kids. Was I mistaken to have kids in the first place? Do I not have the right to be a mother? But am I really doing a good mother's ‘job’ in being the source of comfort for my kids. I know it is not my fault but I knew also that I live in Gaza and Gaza has never been a healthy environment to raise children. Was I that selfish to think about my own feeling to want to be a mother and ignoring my expected failure to protect my kids?
Australian activist Sharyn Lock writes at Tales to Tell:
So, Thursday: the Red Cross co-ordinated evacuation into Zaytoun. Doctor Said would look good on a Red Cross poster – black sweater, shaved head, muscles enough to keep that Red Cross flag held above his head for the two hours we were behind army lines. You’d definitely invite him in for coffee to ask for his opinion on the state of the world. His colleague has more of an accountant look about him, but his job is to keep us alive – he is armed with a walkie-talkie and is negotiating our path constantly with the army as we move. With May, a small, quick woman who is the Engineer for the Red Crescent, supervising all the vehicles etc, I carry a stretcher and water. About 8 intrepid Red Crescent paramedics join us, wearing weighty bullet proof vests or not dependent on their preference for possible death or certain backache.
When I was a kid, I was very aware of war zones, but I always understood they happened in places different from my home. I would like to tell you about what I am seeing right now as I walk. I am seeing flowering vines. Bright curtains in windows. Chickens running about. This is your home, you know. This is the garden where your children play. This is your house with obscene holes blown in it, with Israeli snipers lurking in the shadows of its roof, with a dead resistance fighter sitting with his back to your wall.
Across the Arab world bloggers have been posting a song called We will not go down (Song for Gaza) by Michael Heart. Adham Khalil from Jabaliya Camp, who blogs at Free Free Palestine, is one of them:


Russia: Bloggers and Watchers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

A Good Treaty translates a “friends and enemies” Russian LJ blogger list allegedly posted by a pro-Kremlin activist. The Kremlin Stooge rates the Russia watchers Anglophone blogging “pack.” Siberian Light posts the latest Weekly Russia Blog Roundup.


Trinidad & Tobago: Voting Process · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

As the Trinidad and Tobago electorate go to the polls, Jeremy Taylor wonders “about the legitimacy of conventional voting”.


FG Moves To Train 250,000 Persons On Data Privacy, Protection - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
February 1, 2023
National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, NDPB Vincent Olatunji, made this known during a capacity building workshop for data protection officers in the public sector, in Abuja.
He said that there is need for data protection officers operating in the public sector to understand the difference between data security and data privacy as they carry out their duties.
On his part, the Head, Legal Enforcement and Regulations, NDPB, Babatunde Bamigboye, explained that the training is part of its activities to commemorate this year’s Data Privacy Day, celebrated yearly on January 28.


9/7/13 Aerial photos of Michigan vs. Notre Dame | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Adam Carr
May 17, 2018


Ecuador: Hip-Hop Artist Equis · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Ecuadorian hip-hop artist Equis recently performed in Guayaquil [es], and Princesa Quil was impressed the performance.


China: Death metal opera · Global Voices
John Kennedy

Frances at Supernaut describes the choreographing process in preparation for her co-produced death metal Cantonese opera set to show this weekend:
“I'm working in a way that is far more satisfying choreographically, and profoundly more interesting and involving as a performer and as an audience, but quite inimical to the idea of temporal, procedural and mechanical choreography. So there is a barely-conscious, long-term attempt to actually choreograph, that is, to make concatenations of movement using specific vocabularies in a way that has this pre-historic ballet intellectualisation of body-as-(Baroque)-machine, and do it in a way that owes more to present-day methods of doing things, that is to say, executing code.


Russia: Life With Autism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

At OpenDemocracy.net, Dmitry Golubovsky and Svetlana Reiter write about the lives of autistic people in Russia.


This Giving Tuesday, Donate to Global Voices · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

This Giving Tuesday, donate to Global Voices: https://globalvoices.org/donate/
What a year 2020 has been—and it’s not over yet.
In the midst of it all, we at Global Voices have continued to publish nuanced stories from the four corners of the globe, bringing our readers unique global perspectives on issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the movement for racial justice, protests in countries such as Belarus and Thailand, and much, much more.
The Global Voices community of bloggers, authors, journalists and digital rights activists have been working for the past 16 years to build bridges across countries and languages and to defend the independence of the media, the openness of the Internet, and the right of everyone, everywhere, to free expression.
Our work and our international community of contributors is proof that human connections across lines of difference can change how people understand the world.
Please donate today to help us continue this important work.


Twitter Community in Vietnam · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

There is a growing Twitter community in Vietnam. They even have a Facebook account.


Olatunji-Bello moves to reconcile ASUU LASU factions | EduCeleb
12th October 2021
The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU) has set up a committee to reconcile the two warring factions of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the university.
In a statement on Tuesday night by the Coordinator, Centre for Information Press and Public Relations (CIPPR) Mr Ademola Adekoya, the reconciliation committee is headed by Professor Dapo Asaju.
The statement read, “The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, in recognition of the role of healthy staff unions in the advancement of the objectives of the university as well as the welfare of staff, has constituted a committee for the reconciliation of the different groups within the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Lagos State University Chapter (ASUU-LASU).
“The membership of the Committee are as follows: Prof. Dapo Folorunsho Ashaju, Department of Religions & Peace Studies,
Chairman, Prof. Joseph Abayomi Olagunju, Dean, Postgraduate School, member, Prof. Comfort Adejoke Ibidapo, Department of Zoology & Environmental Biology, member,
Prof. Tayo Julius Ajayi, Dean, Faculty of Arts, member, and Mr. Musliu Olakunle Ahmed
Senior Assistant Registrar (Registrar’s Office), as the secretary.
“The terms of reference of the Committee are:To mediate between members of ASUU-LASU led by Dr. I. Oyewunmi and that led by Prof. A.O. Bakare, to find possible ways of resolving the impasse between the two sets of members of ASUU-LASU in order to ensure the unity of the union; and to make any other recommendations as appropriate on the matter.
“Pursuant to the above, the committee hereby calls for submission of memoranda from interested members of the union and generality of the university community on how to resolve the issue. The memorandum should be submitted either in hard and soft copies. While hard copies should be submitted to the Secretary in the Registrar’s Office, 5th floor, Babajide Raji Fashola Senate Building, the soft copies should be forwarded to asuu [email protected].
“Deadline for submission is two (2) weeks from the date of publication, that is, Monday, 25th October, 2021.
“Sequel to the reception of submitted memoranda, the Committee will consider all submissions at its subsequent meetings and thereafter, invite stakeholders for interactions.
“There shall be two venues for the interactive sessions; Lagos State University, Ojo Campus and Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja respectively. Interested stakeholders shall have the privilege to choose between any of the venues for the interactive sessions and communicate same to the Committee at the appropriate time.
“The Committee hereby solicit for prayer, cooperation and support from all members of the University Community in ensuring a successful delivery of its mandate.”
Recall that some leaders of the union were dismissed from the service of the university during the tenure of the immediate past VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN.
They were accused of official misconduct and the national leadership of the union took up arm against the university management over the matter and refused to recognise the new leadership put in place at the university level.
The dismissal of the union leaders is being challenged in court and the new move could mean the litigation be withdrawn.


Data: More than 60% of Captive Elephants in India are in Private Custody
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 1, 2024
After the government recently notified the Captive Elephant Transfer rules, there is a renewed discussion & focus on the well-being of elephants. As per data shared by the government in 2019, there were around 2675 captive elephants in India of which more than 60% were in private custody.
The Indian Elephant is a subspecies of Asian elephants native to the Indian subcontinent. These are highly intelligent creatures and exhibit remarkable emotional intelligence. Female elephants form close-knit family units led by elderly matriarchs, while males typically lead solitary lives. Physically, Indian elephants share resemblances with other Asian elephant subspecies like the Sumatran and Sri Lankan elephants but can be distinguished by their smaller, more rounded ears and bodies. They are migratory animals with extensive home ranges, playing a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance by dispersing seeds and creating clearings that facilitate vegetation growth.
Despite their importance as keystone species, Indian elephants face significant threats such as habitat loss, poaching, and conflicts with humans. They are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Additionally, they are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, regardless of whether elephants occur in the wild or in captivity.
Human elephant conflicts are on a rise in India
Shrinking habitats, agricultural expansion, and competing needs have led to increased human-elephant encounters, resulting in conflict situations. This trend is particularly concerning given the significance and vulnerability of elephants in the country. Previously, the statistics related to human deaths due to elephant attacks were discussed in Factly’s story. However, elephants are also affected by human actions. In this story, we examine elephant deaths due to unnatural causes primarily involving humans, such as poaching, poisoning, electrocution, and train accidents.
Likewise, it is essential to also address the challenges faced by elephants in captivity. Captive elephants, though not directly exposed to these specific causes of unnatural deaths, often experience physical and psychological challenges due to confinement, inadequate living conditions, and unnatural behaviours, highlighting the broader conservation and welfare issues surrounding elephants in both wild and captive settings.
Unnatural causes have claimed the lives of more than 500 elephants in the last 7 years
India is home to the largest population of wild Asian elephants, estimated at around 30,000 and accounting for nearly 60% of the species’ total population. However, in the last 7 years, about 2% of these died due to unnatural causes with electrocution and train accidents being the most common causes.
Electrocution is a tragic cause of elephant deaths that occurs when elephants come into contact with electric fences, power lines, or illegally electrified fences set up by farmers to deter wildlife from their crops. A total of 460 elephant lives were lost due to electrocution in the last seven years. Odisha, Assam, and Tamil Nadu reported 50% of such deaths. From 57 in 2015-16, the number peaked to 81 in 2018-19 and has dropped since then.
Train accidents claimed lives of more than 100 elephants
Elephant deaths in train accidents pose a significant threat to India’s elephant population. These accidents occur when elephants, often while crossing railway tracks, are hit by speeding trains. Between 2015-16 and 2021-22, a total of 110 elephants reportedly lost their lives in train accidents. Assam reported the highest (40) followed by West Bengal (21).
Kerala reported highest elephant deaths due to poaching
Poaching of elephants in India remains a serious concern despite conservation efforts. Elephants are primarily targeted for their tusks, which are highly sought after in illegal ivory trade markets. Poaching claimed the lives of 85 elephants from 2015-16 to 2021-22. Kerala recorded the highest number of poaching incidents at 20 during this period, followed by Meghalaya and Odisha with 14 each, and Karnataka with 11. Other states such as Nagaland and Tamil Nadu reported 7 poaching-related elephant deaths each, while Assam reported 6 such incidents.
Further, poisoning has led to the death of 32 elephants between 2015-16 and 2021-22. A total of 24 out of these were reported from Assam alone while Kerala and Jharkhand reported 2 each. One each was reported from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Odisha.
20% of the global captive elephant population is in India
India also boasts the third-highest number of captive elephants, with nearly 2,700 representing 20% of the global captive elephant population. These captive elephants in India are kept in elephant camps and rescue centres managed by the Forest Department, in zoos, temples, circuses and owned by private individuals.
Captive elephants in India are primarily used for tourism and entertainment purposes, including elephant rides, performances, and interactions with tourists. They also play a significant role in religious and cultural events, often paraded, and adorned during festivals. Some are employed for labour-intensive tasks like logging and carrying heavy loads, while others are part of conservation breeding programs and scientific research initiatives. Kumki elephants are trained elephants used for various conservation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation purposes.
63% of the captive elephants are in private custody
There are a total of 2675 captive elephants in the country as of January 2019 of which 63% are in private custody. About 25% of the elephant population remains in the custody of the Forest Department. Another 3% are housed in zoos and rehabilitation centres.
These captive elephants are found in 26 states and union territories, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, and Puducherry. Most of these elephants were located in the northeastern states. Assam reported the highest with 905 captive elephants, followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 109. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, and Meghalaya accounted for more than 41% of the captive elephants.
Nearly 32% were in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala had a maximum of 518 captive elephants, followed by 184 in Karnataka and 138 in Tamil Nadu.
Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal had more than 100 elephants each.
Captive elephants are vulnerable to physical and psychological health issues
Captive elephants are vulnerable to physical and psychological challenges without proper care, leading to abnormal behaviours and reduced lifespan. They can also exhibit abnormal behaviours due to confinement and lack of stimulation. Social isolation is another significant issue, as elephants are highly social animals that require appropriate social interactions. In 2010, an Elephant Task Force report recommended a total ban on elephant ownership in the long run.  It also called for the strict implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act’s provisions.
New rules have laxed and made transportation of captive elephant easier
Recently, the Central government notified Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules, 2024. These new rules have relaxed provisions for transportation of the captive elephants and have been criticized by experts. The updated rules for transferring captive elephants allow for easier transfers under specific circumstances, such as when the current owner is unable to maintain the elephant or when better upkeep is deemed necessary by the Chief Wildlife Warden. These rules also streamline the process for interstate transfers by requiring permissions only from the originating and recipient states, along with certification of the elephant’s health and suitability of habitats. This is contrary to the recommendations of the 2010 report.
To sum up, the situation of elephants in India is complex and multifaceted, encompassing challenges in both wild and captive settings. While Indian elephants play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance, they face significant threats such as habitat loss, poaching, human-wildlife conflicts, and other challenges in captivity. Amidst the global efforts to protect wildlife, the recent updates in rules regarding the transfer of captive elephants have raised concerns among experts. Efforts are required to prioritize the conservation and welfare of elephants, including stricter implementation of wildlife protection laws, promoting coexistence with humans, and ensuring humane care for captive elephants.


· Global Voices
Jens Wilkinson

In a new blog, Neojaponisme, W. David Marx reports on suppressed reports of pedophilia against a well-known Japanese producer, Johnny Kitagawa. It's a good read on the state of the media in Japan.


Media misreports, politicians outrage on IAS officer's sarcastic tweet on Gandhi - Alt News
Alt News Desk
4th June 2019 / 4:15 pm
IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari has triggered a massive row ever since her tweet on Mahatma Gandhi went viral. Congress and AAP leaders expressed shock, NCP leader, Jitendra Awhad called for her immediate suspension and Sharad Pawar wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister demanding ‘exemplary action’ against her. She has been issued a show-cause notice as well as transferred. Choudhari had tweeted, “What an exceptional celebration of 150th birth anniversary year is going on. High time we remove his face from our currency, his statues from across the world, rename institutions, roads named after him! That would be a real tribute from all of us. Thank you Godse for 30-1-1948.” The tweet has now been deleted.
Chaudhary had posted her controversial tweet on May 17, one day after BJP MP, Pragya Thakur called Gandhi’s assassin, Godse, a “desh bhakt” (patriot). As per Choudhari’s clarification, her tweet was sarcastic and misunderstood by people. “I bow before him [Gandhi] with deepest regard & will do till last breath,” she wrote.
I have deleted my tweet of 17.05.2019 w.r.t. GandhiJi because some people misunderstood it
If only they had followed my timeline since 2011 they would’ve understood that I would NEVER even dream of insulting GandhiJi
I bow before him with deepest regard & will do till last breath pic.twitter.com/CSjaKHF9BJ
— Nidhi Choudhari🕉☪✝☸ (@nidhichoudhari) May 31, 2019
If one were to read through the complete thread, it is evident that Choudhari’s tweet was indeed sarcastic.
Choudhari’s Twitter timeline is also a testament to the fact she is a devout follower of Gandhi.
In April, she had tweeted about Gandhi’s ‘My Experiments with Truth’ being one of her favourite books. In another tweet from 2018, she thanked Gandhi for giving meaning to the principles of truth and non-violence.
I have known no distinction between relatives & strangers, countrymen & foreigners, white & coloured, Hindus & Indians of other faiths, whether Mussalmans, Paris, Christians or Jews
I may say that my heart is incapable of making any such distinctions#GandhiJi#TuesdayMorning pic.twitter.com/SDzEFEtBKh
— Nidhi Choudhari🕉☪✝☸ (@nidhichoudhari) April 9, 2019
ThankU Mahatma for giving truth & non-violence a meaning that no dictionary can actually explain
ThankU for enriching the spiritual fabric of India & her millions of people
Bless us with a heart full of love, forgiveness & peace#Gandhiji #BapuAt150 #MahatmaGandhi #GandhiJayanti pic.twitter.com/Fpbmc6OqXh
— Nidhi Choudhari🕉☪✝☸ (@nidhichoudhari) October 2, 2018
In several other tweets, the IAS officer had posted Gandhi’s quotes. “Gandhi Ji inspires me daily and I keep posting his quotes very regularly… His tweets are needed more today than any other time,” was her reply to a person who asked her why she was sharing so many of his quotes.
GandhiJi inspires me daily and I keep posting his quotes very regularly…
His values are needed more today than any other time..
— Nidhi Choudhari🕉☪✝☸ (@nidhichoudhari) April 9, 2019
In conversation with Alt News, Choudhari reiterated that her tweet was sarcastic in nature. “I have been dragged into this controversy unnecessarily because my tweet on Gandhiji posted on May 17 was pure sarcasm and written with deep grief as clear from the weeping emoji in the tweet. It has been misinterpreted as an insult because some people didn’t understand the real meaning. I have deleted that tweet once I realised that people are reading it wrong. I, however, have explained in great detail on Twitter that I post about Gandhiji very frequently and have never insulted The Mahatma. In fact, I am deeply saddened by the unfolding of events.”
However, the mainstream media has either ignored Choudhari’s clarification or only mentioned it briefly, keeping the focus on her misinterpreted tweet and the reactions it generated.
ANI reported Awhad’s statement demanding action against Nidhi Chaudhary for her “derogatory” tweet without carrying her clarification.
NCP leader Jitendra Awhad in Mumbai: We demand immediate suspension of IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari for her derogatory tweet against Mahatma Gandhi. She gloried Nathuram Godse, this should not be tolerated. (pic of tweet by IAS Nidhi Choudhari on May17,she later deleted the tweet) pic.twitter.com/Ir2lMldQmW
— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2019
Several media outlets added to the outrage by headlines like “woman IAS officer insults Gandhi, hails Godse, wants Bapu pictures from notes”. Many others carried her clarification deep into the reports, with the titles misleading worded with terms such as “anti-Gandhi” and “derogatory”.
The misleading reportage was also picked up politicians like Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia and Congress MLA Randeep Surjewala.
The incident highlights the perils of social media, where statements can often be taken out of context. Nidhi Choudhari’s tweet was taken at face value as there was no way for a reader to comprehend that it was meant to be sarcastic without going through her timeline to understand her actual views on Gandhi. The outrage has unfortunately continued even after her clarification, with the media helping little to clear the doubts.
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Headmaster arrested for raping 10 year old pupil ‘multiple times’ | EduCeleb
13th February 2020
A 35-year-old headmaster at Alhazawa Primary School, Danja, in the Danja Local Government Area of Katsina State, Kabiru Husaini, has been remanded at a correctional centre for allegedly raping a minor in his school.
Mr Husaini, a resident of Sabon Gari Quarters, Zaria, Kaduna State, allegedly raped his victim several times.
According to Katsina Post, the victim’s father found out about the nefarious act on 26th January, 2020.
Husaini will be in the correctional facility till 14th April 14, 2020, when his case comes up for mention before Hajiya Fadile Dikko of a Katsina senior magistrate’s court.
The police alleged that Husaini sexually violated the 10-year-old girl ‘about five times’ inside one of the classrooms in the school.
The victim’s father, Ibrahim Sani, reported the incident on 27th January 27 at the Danja Police Station, leading to Husaini’s arrest.
According to the police, Sani observed that the victim was walking abnormally on January 26, which prompted him to query her.
The victim reportedly revealed that Husaini “who is the headmaster at Alhazawa Primary School, deceived and lured her into the said school classroom and about five times had unlawful carnal knowledge of her.”
Husaini is facing a charge for the offence of rape in line with Section 254 of the Katsina State Penal Code Law of 2019.
The presiding magistrate directed that he should be remanded.


China: forced closure of migrant school · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chen Peijin in Shanghaiist has summaried local reports on the forced closure of migrant school in Shanghai:  In January 5th, 300 policemen closed down. One report from the Chinese media says that the school was “unsafe” and that was the reason why it was closed.


Tajikistan: Dushanbe Transport · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Elizabeth explains the role of the marshrutka (route taxi) in Dushanbe's public transportation and reports on tremendously bad legislation that puts the vehicles at risk.


Breaking News: - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
March 11, 2019
INEC declares Kano governorship election inconclusive


Morocco: French Weekly Banned · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

A Moro in America reports that L'Express International, a popular French weekly magazine, has been banned in Morocco following alleged “blasphemy against Islam's prophet.”


Malaysia: Blogger who wrote about sex scandal arrested · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

uppercaise reported that popular blogger Mohd Nur Hanief Abdul Jalil from Malaysia was arrested and questioned under the Sedition Act. The blogger recently wrote about a sex scandal involving the Sultan of Selangor and a celebrity model


BOBs: Global Videobloggers Compete for Award Part 2 · Global Voices
Juliana Rincón Parra

Earlier this week we visited the videoblogs of some of the nominees for the BOBs, Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs awards. On this second part, we'll see which other videobloggers from all over the globe are nominated and what your choices will be when you decide to vote for your favorite one!
Gina Tost is Ginantonic, a Spanish videoblogger, blogger and podcaster. She posts about her travels, life, has interviews with celebrities, and has been posting since 2004, when she started her blog in Catalan, a dialect spoken in Barcelona. On “Mi Primer Bicing” she records her first experience being part of the Barcelona Bicycle Network.Videoblog do Trajano is a soccer blog by sports journalist José Trajano from Brazil, where he makes his personal opinions better known.
From France, we have a poetic and artsy videoblog by Loiez Deniel, Poésie des désirs en désordre.  C'est la cri$e has an unnerving effect, showing dogs reacting to the filming visitor at the other side of the cage's bars, some cheerfully barking and wagging their tails, others pacing and growling inside small kennel cages at what could possibly be an animal shelter.
Also from France, Films 7 curates online video according to specific topics. For example, they currently have a section on Actresses Facing the Camera, where they have requested for other vloggers to send in their videos of women reading classic texts in front of a camera. In the following example, olivia_gotanegre reads a text:
The final nominee in the VideoBlog category for the BOBs is Marlene Duffy from Germany for Bottleplot, a website where she uploads her wine tasting videos and teaches a bit about the wine culture.
To vote for your favorite video blog, please head over to the BOB website.
By the way, we are happy to announce that Rising Voices, one of the spinnoff projects at Global Voices has also been nominated for the BOB in Best Weblog category. Please check it out and we hope you give us your vote!


Russia: Travel Photos · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Photos from St. Petersburg, Vyborg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kazan and Ulyanovsk – at Eagle and the Bear.


Shifts in Bangladeshi Wedding Culture Bring a Change to the Menu · Global Voices
পান্থ রহমান রেজা (Pantha)

Bride and groom, posing at a wedding. Photography by Sanim Haque. Used with permission
Everyone loves a wedding, and if you're a food lover you don't want to miss a chance to attend a Bangladeshi wedding. Considering the love Bengalis have for their cuisine, it comes as no surprise that they go the extra mile for their wedding celebrations.
The wedding season in Bangladesh usually runs from December to January, when the temperature is cooler. A typical wedding menu consists of food items such as Pulau, Biryani, Chicken roast, Korma, Kebab, Rezala and Borhani among others. The sweet desserts include sweetened yogurts, Payesh, Jorda and different kinds of sweetmeats. When the groom arrives at the wedding, he is welcomed with sorbet and sweets.
Until a few decades ago, weddings used to be arranged inside the premises of the home or the neighborhood and was served by family and friends. Nowadays, the venue has shifted to community centers and other halls where professional catering services and chefs deal with the food. Novelist and journalist Iraj Ahmed reminisces about his childhood:
গলির মুখে লাল, সাদা আর সবুজ মেশানো কাপড়ের গেট। চনমনে রোদের মধ্যে হয়তো বাড়ির ভেতরের উঠানে বিরিয়ানির হাঁড়ি চড়েছে ইটের চুলার ওপর, লাকড়ির ধোঁয়ায় চারদিক অন্ধকার। ছাদে টানানো ত্রিপল অথবা সামিয়ানার নিচে ভাঁজ খুলে বসানো হয়েছে হালকা খয়ের রঙের চেয়ার, টেবিল। অনেক মানুষের ব্যস্ত ছোটাছুটি, কিছু মানুষ দুপুরের রোদে উদোরপূর্তি শেষে কাপড়ে ঝোলের দাগ মেখে বের হয়ে গলির মোড়ের দোকানে গলায় ঢালছে সেভেন আপ অথবা চিবাচ্ছে পান। বাতাসে ভাসছে কেমন এক আনন্দের সুর। বলছি অনেক বছর আগে এই ঢাকা শহরে বিয়ের অনুষ্ঠানের কথা।
There was a huge gate wrapped in red, white and green clothes standing where the lane started (welcoming the guests). In the scorching sunlight, huge pots filled with Biryani would be sitting on the makeshift burners of bricks. The area would be filled with the smoke of the firewood of the burners. On the rooftop, light grey chairs and tables would be assembled beneath the tarpaulin. You could see people running errands like busy bees. And some were seen coming out of that scene after filling their stomachs with curry marks on their festive clothes. They would inadvertently walk ahead to buy a Seven Up (drink) or a paan at the local store. The air would be filled with joy. This was the scene of a typical wedding in Dhaka many years ago.
In those days, people would say that it's bad manners to serve guests catered food; however, now people seem to be catching up with the reality of the times. Siddhratha Mukhopaddhay from West Bengal, India writes about the changes in Bengali weddings:
এখন অবশ্য নিজেদের ক্ষমতা মত গৃহকর্তা ক্যাটারারের হাতে এই সব দায়িত্ব সঁপে দিয়ে নিশ্চিন্তে থাকতে চান৷ আসুন বসুন বলে খাওয়ানোর মানসিকতা বদলেছে ৷ আগে তো বাড়ি এসে নিমন্ত্রণ না করলে অনেকে আসতেনই না৷ কর্মব্যস্ততার কথা মাথায় রেখে এখন তো ফোন অথবা ফেসবুক- হোয়ার্টস অ্যাপ মারফতও নিমন্ত্রণ গ্রহণ করা হচ্ছে।
Now the hosts want to be sure about the hospitality by giving all the responsibility to the caterers. The tendency to serve the guests personally has changed. Earlier the guests would not come to the weddings if they were not invited in person by visiting their homes. Now, it's sometimes via phone calls and people are even accepting wedding invitations via Facebook or Whatsapp!
Along with the changes in wedding culture, there has been a shift in the wedding food items in Bangladeshi cuisine. Earlier, simple dishes like Pulau with chicken roast, spicy mutton rezala (curry), fried beef, Tikia (mutton mince patty), salad with tomato and cucumber and borhani, and desserts such as jorda or rice pudding used to be served. Now, more complex and lavish dishes like Biryani, a Mughal cuisine, is being increasingly chosen for menus.
There is even a special arrangement for the groom. For wealthy families, the norm is to serve him and his entourage a whole lamb roast.
The groom is being welcomed with sweets. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
The groom has been served. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
This popular main dish used to be served at almost all Bengali weddings. Plain pulau is made of fragrant rice (Basmati, chinigura etc.) with onions, green chilies, peas, ghee and sometimes other additions. It is served with roast and curry (separate dishes).
Plain Pulau – a simple spicy rice dish. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Serving Biryani, a South Asian mixed rice dish, is now becoming a norm. Spices, fragrance rice, meat (chicken, mutton, beef, or fish), Ghee (clarified butter) and other condiments are layered and cooked together to make Biryani. Unlike Pulau (which is eaten with roast and curry dishes), Biryani is a complete dish with meat and spices (and vegetables) inside.
A post shared by PaThaN swrov (@imfoysalpathan) on
Mutton Rezala is a curry dish originating in Bengal that is prepared from mutton and vegetables. It is served typically with Pulau or rice.
Rezala means soft mutton on gravies. You will remember its taste for a long time. This is one of the common figures on menus at Bangladeshi weddings. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Another common dish at a Bangladeshi wedding is chicken roast. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Tikia is usually taken with Pulau or Biryani. So it is a natural choice for the wedding menu.
Tikia, a common dish at weddings. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Borhani is a yogurt drink blended with mint leaves, pepper, green chilies and water. It helps digest the rich food served at weddings.
A post shared by Maisur (@abumaisur) on
Jorda rice is known as a typical sweet dessert at weddings.
Jorda rice is made of rice, ghee, sugar, saffron color or orange juice among other condiments. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Paan is a preparation combining betel leaf with areca nut, tobacco leaf and other spices.
Serving paans after eating food is a very old wedding tradition. Image by Sanim Haque. Used with permission.
Although the dishes served at Bangladeshi weddings have started to change, one thing always remains the same — they are delicious.


It’s Music Freedom Day on March 3! · Global Voices
Solana Larsen

19 musicians killed, and 7 abducted. 18 music creators imprisoned. These are just some of the reported cases of injustice against musicians recorded by the human rights organization Freemuse in 2013. On March 3, the annual Music Freedom Day will draw attention to the rights to free expression of musicians everywhere. The program is expanding daily on Musicfreedomday.org with concerts of exiled musicians, radio broadcasts, and much more in at least 17 countries.


Landmark decision: Supreme Court of India rejects same-sex marriage · Global Voices
Kanav Narayan Sahgal

Activist protesting against supreme court in India to establish LGBT rights. Image by Suvajit Mukherjee. Used under a standard iStock license via Vidhi Center for Legal Policy. Used with permission.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India has ruled against legalizing same-sex marriage in a unanimous verdict. On October 17, 2023, the Court released four separate judgments that decided the fate of 21 petitions by same-sex couples seeking the legal recognition of marriage. All five judges of the bench refused to either strike down or read into the Special Marriage Act of 1954 provisions that would allow same-sex marriages, stating that it was the responsibility of the parliament to frame such laws. The justices went on to state that there was no fundamental right to marry in the Constitution and that the Court could not enter the legislative domain by filling a void that the petitioners claimed infringed upon their rights.
Indian legal news outlet Live Law tweeted:
Final Outcome in #SameSexMariage Case :
#SupremeCourt refuses to recognise same-sex marriage, says it is for the legislature to do.
#SupremeCourt records the statement of the Union that it will constitute a Committee to examine the rights and benefits which can be given to… pic.twitter.com/aOMq3ymN9p
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) October 17, 2023
This judgment has already sparked concern among LGBTQ+ activists, as they expected the Court to proactively protect and uphold their fundamental rights. This expectation arose from the fact that some of the petitioners, including same-sex couples, emphasized how their rights were violated when they were denied the right to marry solely based on their sexual orientation.
Asia Democracy Chronicle highlighted the reaction of an LGBTQ+ student named Midi:
Midi, 28, LGBT student in New Delhi, On the rejection by the Supreme Court in India of an appeal to legalize same-sex marriage in the country pic.twitter.com/6aSSVpkPLr
— Asia Democracy Chronicles (@demchronicles) October 19, 2023
In 2009, a Delhi High Court decriminalised homosexuality in India by striking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a remnant of an 1860 British colonial-era law. This ruling was welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community and human rights advocates, though it faced intense opposition from religious leaders. However, in December 2013, the Supreme Court of India reversed the Delhi High Court's judgment and reinstated Section 377 — a move that many activists deemed undemocratic and a violation of human rights.
In July 2014, a remark by Harsh Vardhan, the Health Minister of the then-recently elected Modi government, stating that gay people are entitled to human rights just like anyone else, rekindled hope within India's LGBTQ+ community. Subsequently, in September 2018, the Indian Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, struck down parts of Section 377 insofar as it criminalized consensual acts between same-sex adults. The decision brought joy to the LGBTQ+ community and activists, recognizing the many years of activism dedicated to decriminalizing same-sex relationships.
In a July 2020 interview with Global Voices, Supreme Court Advocate Saurabh Kirpal, one of the lawyers representing the petitioners in the case that resulted in the decriminalization of homosexuality, highlighted that the most significant outcome of the verdict was the shift of discussions on sexuality and queerness into the public sphere, free from fear of reprisal by the authorities.
In spite of these developments, public opinion on same-sex marriage remained negative in India. Furthermore, in September 2020, the right-wing Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) led central government opposed a plea that same-sex marriages should be recognised under the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) and Special Marriage Act (SMA). These Acts govern the legal aspects of Hindu marriages and inter-faith marriages in India, respectively. Tushar Mehta, the solicitor general, told the Delhi High Court that same-sex marriage “would not be permissible” under the Hindu Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act because it went “against our laws, our legal system, our society and our values.”
The majority bench noted that while the right to marry or have a legally recognised marriage is only statutory (which means that this right is based on statutes or laws enacted by the government), it acknowledged a different fundamental right. This fundamental right pertains to the ability to cohabit and live in a relationship within the privacy of one's home. Unlike the right to marry, the fundamental right to cohabit and live in a relationship is not dependent on the state's recognition of the relationship or the status of being “married.” Instead, it is a right enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of whether the state officially recognizes their relationship or not, and this right extends to the LGBTQ+ community.
In essence, the majority emphasized that individuals have the right to live together in a relationship, irrespective of the state's formal recognition of their marital status. However, the majority's ruling fell short of granting such relationships the status of marriage or imposing a duty or obligation on the State to create a framework for civil unions, registered partnerships, or marriages for LGBTQ+ individuals or abiding cohabitational relationships.
In addition to refusing to declare marriage as a fundamental right or granting same-sex couples the legal right to form civil unions, the majority also held that same-sex couples do not have the right to adopt under the existing adoption regime. They held that the current regime was enacted to grant adoption rights to either married couples or single persons, keeping the “best interest of the child” in mind. Given the absence of any legal recognition of same-sex marriages, the majority acknowledged that same-sex couples cannot adopt children as a couple, only as individuals. Until a legal framework for marriage for same-sex couples is established, which would require legislative deliberation, it would be impermissible for the majority to modify the adoption regime.
Overall, the majority judgment granted no additional rights to the LGBTQ+ community, except for acknowledging the discrimination and stigma they face in society. The right for LGBTQ+ individuals to cohabitate and form meaningful relationships based on individual choice, dignity, and privacy was emphasized, but these rights were already granted by the Court in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India in 2018. Therefore, the judgment is of limited impact and merely reiterates the status quo that has been in place since 2018.
It is unfortunate that after 21 petitions, ten days of live hearings, months of deliberations, and four separate judgments, the LGBTQ+ community finds itself in the same position as it did five years ago.


Slovenia: October Snow · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belatedly, a post and photos of October snow in Slovenia at The Glory of Carniola.


Morocco blocks access to YouTube · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Yesterday, May 25, 2007, it has been reported by numerous Moroccan blogger that Morocco has blocked access to YouTube video sharing website. There have been many ongoing speculations that the ban followed the broadcasting of material critical of the country's king and pro-Western Sahara. This is the third major sites blocked  by the Moroccan filtering regime after Google Earth and Livejournal.


Nepal: Texting During Dashain · Global Voices
Rezwan

XNepali blog informs that there was a huge surge in SMS greetings in Nepal during the Dashain festival.


Post from Community: City of Milwaukee, Habitat for Humanity working to build new housing in Harambee neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
City of Milwaukee Department of City Development
December 2, 2021
The City of Milwaukee and Habitat for Humanity are continuing their strong partnership to build new homes in the Harambee neighborhood. With the support and leadership of Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderwoman Milele Coggs, the Milwaukee Common Council has approved a resolution allowing the Department of City Development (DCD) to sell 41 vacant lots to Habitat for $1 per lot.
This is part of Milwaukee Habitat’s plans to construct 80 homes over four years in the Harambee neighborhood. Bader Philanthropies provided $1 million to fund this project that will boost homeownership in Milwaukee and strengthen the neighborhood.
“This housing revitalization effort is delivering significant results for the Harambee neighborhood and its residents,” said Mayor Tom Barrett. “Maintaining and increasing homeownership has long been a top priority for me. I am proud of the City’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Bader Philanthropies on this project. Together, we are building a stronger Milwaukee.”
“As the cost of housing continues to rise, Habitat makes homeownership affordable for families earning below Milwaukee’s median income,” said Brian Sonderman, Executive Director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. “This partnership with the City of Milwaukee and Bader Philanthropies is crucial to breaking down the barriers that all too many families face when trying to afford a safe, stable place to call home. By breaking down these barriers, local families will build stability and equity in homes they can truly call their own.”
“This effort is community collaboration at its finest,” said Alderwoman Milele Coggs. “With this partnership between the City of Milwaukee, Habitat for Humanity, and Bader Philanthropies, we are strengthening the Harambee neighborhood and helping more residents become first-time homeowners. I am proud to support this project that is moving the community forward.”
“Our work with the Community Development Alliance identified that homeownership has decreased in Milwaukee over the years, disproportionately impacting majority Black neighborhoods like Harambee. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and take action to make the dream of homeownership a reality for more residents and families in our community,” said DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump. “Our partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Bader Philanthropies is a win for Milwaukee that will help advance racial equity in homeownership, generate new tax revenue for the City, and provide affordable housing opportunities for Milwaukeeans.”
“Bader Philanthropies is excited to see conversations turn into commitments and concrete action,” said President/CEO Daniel J. Bader. “Today’s announcement is an example of what is possible when we bring people together, talk about what is possible and take a stand for something bigger than ourselves. We look forward to seeing vacant lots become homes for individuals who want to be a part of the Harambee neighborhood for years and decades to come.”
Since 1984, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 600 homes in partnership with Milwaukee families. After several years of concentrating their work in the Washington Park, Walnut Hill and Midtown neighborhoods, Habitat began building new homes and renovating existing homes in the Harambee neighborhood in 2021.
The construction of these single-family, owner-occupied homes will begin in spring 2022. Each home will be approximately 1,100-1,400 square feet, and will include 3-4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Once completed, the homes will be sold to first-time homebuyers for approximately $85,000 to $90,000.


Kenya: Nairobi bomb explosion: God blinked · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

“If there is a god then the speck of dust on his eye that is Nairobi must have gotten too big. This morning he blinked.
A product of the nineties, my fondest memories of my childhood include sneaking out of home to watch Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude van Damme movies at the neighbors. We were enchanted by violence.
Today, as news of this morning's bombing in the central business district unravels, though alarmingly inaccurate, I find I no longer have a stomach for violence. I feel like I’ve been trying to drink the sea. It is simply too much,” KenyaImagine writing about yesterday's bomb explosion in Nairobi.


Post from Community: MATC to host free summer camps for teens in June and July | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Area Technical College
May 11, 2021
Editor’s note: Our Posts from the Community feature is a platform for community announcements and event postings. If you have a post to be considered, send it to<EMAIL_ADDRESS>or submit it directly.
Milwaukee Area Technical College will host four free weeklong summer camps for teens in June and July. Camps will focus on cybersecurity, robotics/coding, Lean Process Improvement and electronics. Students entering the 8th through 12th grades and 2021 high school graduates are eligible.
Most courses will meet Monday-Thursday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. virtually. On Fridays, students will be offered the opportunity for a one-and-a-half hour visit to a lab at MATC’s Oak Creek Campus, 6665 S. Howell Ave.; or West Allis Campus, 1200 S. 71st St. The coding/robotics course will meet Monday-Wednesday virtually, and hold the campus visit on Thursday. Lab experiences will include appropriate health and safety protocols.
Camps include:
Introduction to Cybersecurity, June 7-11
Monday- Thursday, virtual; Friday: Oak Creek Campus lab visit, room A124
Introduces students to basic networking and cybersecurity with review of common operating systems such as Windows and Linux; review of Internet Protocol IP addressing and becoming familiar with IPv4 and IPv6; basic review of network devices such as routers, switches and firewalls. Students will be introduced to cybersecurity troubleshooting, scanning, analysis and security penetration testing tools such as Netstat, Ping, Traceroute, Nmap, Wireshark and Metasploit. During the camp, students will have access and experiment with several hands-on online cybersecurity labs.
Introduction to Robotics/Coding, June 14-17 (Please note this camp is four days, rather than five, because the college is closed June 18 for Juneteenth Day.)
Monday-Wednesday virtual; Thursday Oak Creek Campus lab visit, room A124
Introduces students to basic concepts of robotics and coding. MATC faculty will use several online tools and interactive resources to engage students in activities.
Introduction to Lean: Learn to Do Everything Better, June 21-25
Monday-Thursday, virtual, Friday Oak Creek Campus lab visit, room A124
This camp introduces students to the concepts of Lean Process Improvement. Lean tools reduce waste and increase speed and efficiency in everyday activities. More than 50% of Fortune 500 companies use Lean to improve work processes. The camp activities allow students to learn these hands-on techniques to problem solve and think critically to make any process better and faster, using games, videos and other tools.
Introduction to Electronics, July 12-16
Monday-Thursday virtual, Friday; West Allis Campus lab visit room 319
Introduction to electronics and electronic components, introduction to Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC), introduction to programming embedded systems and digital logic, overview of Arduino or Texas Instruments MSP-430 applications, introduction to electronic test and measurement tools, and lab measurement practices.
Space is limited to 16 students per class. Students will be split into two groups of eight students for campus visits.
For more information or to register, visit http://www.matc.edu/camps/
or write<EMAIL_ADDRESS>Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 150 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.


First Global Voices Meetup in Accra, Ghana · Global Voices
Kofi Yeboah

Following a successful round of gatherings in six cities around the world in 2013 and other gatherings in 2014, members of the Global Voices community in Ghana are pleased to announce that the first Global Voices Meetup in Ghana is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, in Accra.
The meetup will be hosted by Global Voices community member Kofi Yeboah (@Kofiemeritus), with the support of two other GVers: Mac-Jordan Degadjor (@MacJordan) and Abena Annan (@MsAbenaAnnan), in connection with iSpace at Anumansa, Lokko Streets, 146 East X’Borg Estates, OSU. The event will begin at 5:00pm GMT. Registration is required (see below for more information).
The Meetup will be an opportunity for students, bloggers, and others working in the field of citizen media to share experiences and learn about each other's work. In addition, the event will focus on:
If you are interested in taking part, please fill out the following registration form. You will receive a confirmation email regarding your participation. The event is free to attend, but space is limited. You can also send an email to: rising [at] globalvoicesonline [dot] org for more information.
Please follow the hashtag #GVMeetup for this and other meetups from around the world.


Brazil: Blogs Blog this! · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Wagner [pt] recommends a new “joined ownership” blogging platform for blogs in Portuguese. “BlogueIsso! Blogs is a “condominium” of blogs, a network currently made up by 18 of them, covering various subjects in many different styles and points of view of the world”.


Lebanon: Media reporting on Gaza · Global Voices
Moussa Bashir

“So now the headline is that there is ‘unrest’ in the Gaza strip. Last week, I felt unrestful: I didn't know whether to take chicken taouk or shwarma – but I didn't kill five children in the process…” Burghol commenting on how the media reports about Gaza.


Bahrain: Ferrari Fans Rejoice as Alonso Wins Bahrain Grand Prix · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The first race of the 2010 Formula One season is over and the dust may have settled on the Bahrain International Circuit in the Sakhir desert but the buzz continues online.
The three-day car racing extravaganza culminated with Ferrari driver Spaniard Fernando Alonso clinching first place, followed by his team mate Brazilian Felipe Massa. Briton Lewis Hamilton, in a McLaren-Mercedes, came in third position, to the thrill of a Ferrari-supporting crowd.
A tweetphoto by Mahmood Al Yousif from the Bahrain International Circuit
Before the race weekend started, Bahraini blogger @Mahmood Al Yousif complains:
oh, my wife and I are the only people actually PAYING for our tickets, everyone else we know's got a freebie! Last time we'll buy BIC tkts:(
And then he goes on to religiously ‘tweet’ the weekend. On the first day, he writes:
BIC are you listening? Ban smoking on stands for goodness sake. We can't breath and it's bloody annoying and filthy.
On the second day of the race, @Mahmood tweets from the stands:
Sitting between 3 ladies fanning themselves and I'm getting the benefit. Is this the life of emperors? Not bad. I like!!
And on Alonso's win, @Mahmood quips:
It's appropriate that the king of Spain is here, he must be very chuffed! Well done Alonso!! Congrats Bahrain too.
Bahrain's own Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Khalifa was also on Twitter, registering his thoughts on the weekend's proceedings.
Earlier today, he posted a tweetphoto showing traffic line ups on the way to the circuit:
Traffic line up to the circuit by Khalid Al Khalifa
He also notes:
On my way to F1 race .. Horrendous traffic towards circuit
And at the end of the race, Shaikh Khalid tweets:
With @richardquest .. Almost falling off the tower at the race ! Congrats to Alonso, Spain and Ferrari  http://tweetphoto.com/14383101
Meanwhile, CNN's Richard Quest was also in Bahrain, attending F1 and posts the following tweet at the start of the race:
Race underway. loud.  view good, n o idea who is winning without looking at TV  #F1 #cnn
Before that, he stumbles upon the King of Spain and…
I was wearing shorts in Royal Tower and had to hide when King of Spain passed by ! Faux Pas indeed.
Bahrain makes it as a Trending Topic on Twitter
And Salman Al Abbasi predicted Alonso's win and tweets:
For the first time my predictions turn right Alonso 1 #Bahrain #F1 :D
As for Internet junkies, the excitement was running high as Bahrain became a trending topic on Twitter. Esra'a Al Shafei tweets her excitement:
Amazing, my little country is internationally trending for the first time ever! Take that, Dubai!
She then adds:
Come on #Bahrain I wanna screenshot this country being FIRST on the international trending list (to show my grandkids, duh)
Her excitement is shattered when #Bahrain fell off the list. She explains:
Everyone using #BahrainGP instead of just #Bahrain ruined it for us. We're never gonna beat the mothers now.


Waxal: First African Blog Award for Journalists · Global Voices
Norbert Bousigue

The first Waxal Blogging Africa Awards have been just launched! All African bloggers who work as journalists can submit their blogs. The deadline is the 7th of December 2008. The individual winners – one for an English blog, one for a French blog – and one for a blogging organization, will be rewarded with a cash prize, and all the best blogs will be promoted by the organizers through various channels.
Panos Institute of West Africa [fr], one of eight institutes of the global Panos network, an independent institution that promotes new media and communication in developing countries, took this initiative, in partnership with Highway Africa, Rhodes University and SABC – and Global Voices.
Here is the call for nominations to the awards:
WAXAL (pronounced WA-HAL) means “speak” in Wolof (Senegalese language) and the word captures the essence of the evolution of the worldwide web as a platform for conversation and for the raising of marginalized voices.
For this first edition, the WAXAL Awards will seek to recognize the production of blogs by people working as journalists (from all kind of media: print, online, radio, TV) and by African organizations working to favour the production of alternative information and citizen expression.
To this end the awards are in the following category:
1.  Best French-speaking Journalist Blog
2.  Best English-speaking Journalist Blog
3.  Best Citizen Journalist Blog produced by an African Organization
The first and second categories will recognize individual journalist blogs, whereas the third category will reward  individual organization's blogs. For this last category, the blog content can be in French or English. It’s envisaged to include other languages, notably African languages, in next editions of the blog contest. Apart from promoting blogs, this contest will help understand, among others, issues related to journalists’ use of blog in Africa. Internet users can vote online for the 5 Best Blogs in each category. A bilingual panel of judges composed of media professionals will select the winners.
Who can participate?
For the first two categories, the WAXAL Awards is open to any African citizen who owns his own blog, but works as journalist in any kind of media organ, online or conventional (print media, radio, TV) or who works as freelance journalist. The blog submitted should be the journalist own blog, instead of the blog of the media organ for which he/she works.
For the third category, blogs should have been produced by African organization, with the aim to produce alternative, citizen information, raise marginalized communities voices. Blogs just reporting on an organization’s activities are excluded.


Abducted a Year Ago, Sombath Somphone Case Highlights Human Rights Abuses in Laos · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Sombath Somphone, a development economist and educator from Laos, was abducted by unidentified men exactly a year ago a few moments after he was stopped by a police car. His disappearance was captured by a CCTV footage. Today, his family and friends from around the world are asking the Laos government to undertake more decisive actions to help find Sombath.
Protest in front of Laos embassy in Bangkok. Photo from Facebook page of Joey Oliveros Dimaandal.
Dec 15 marks 1 year since #Sombath Somphone was abducted in public view caught on CCTV camera. Why has the Lao govt no news for us till now?
— Shalmali Guttal (@commonmolly) December 12, 2013
CCTV showed police stopped him but govt has refused to acknowledge any role in his disappearance despite intl pressure #sombath #laos
— Thin (@thinink) December 11, 2013
The Solidarity for Asian Peoples’ Advocacy Working Group on ASEAN is accusing the Laos government of hiding something about the case:
We hold the government of Lao accountable for his enforced disappearance. The inconsistencies in the Lao government's policy pronouncements over his case prove our point that it has something to do with what happened to Sombath Somphone. We challenge Lao officials to, once and for all, provide a credible action and resolution on his case. It must prosecute individuals and institutions responsible for his enforced disappearance.
The Laos government has denied that it was involved in the disappearance of Sombath.
Nalaka Gunawardene clarified that Sombath is not an activist:
Sombath isn’t a politician. Nor is he an activist, although some have given him that label. The Sombath I know is a sensitive thinker who pauses to reflect on where his country and the world are headed. He is also a teacher and mentor who has helped thousands of young Lao nationals to improve skills and find their own voice.
In a Facebook note, Anne-Sophie promised Sombath that his friends will keep alive the advocacy until he is found:
Someone said that “the one who has been killed dies once, the disappeared dies again everyday”. We refuse to let this happen. This is why we are starting this discussion with you today. And this discussion will continue, everyday, to keep you alive. Your engagement has been a lot about giving voice to the people. It is time for others to give you a voice. Silence will not prevail. Because we will never forget. Because we keep hoping.
Return #Sombath #Somphone rally at #Laos embassy pic.twitter.com/QcuQ1H3NG9
— Debbie Stothard (@DebbieStot) December 15, 2013
One year after the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone pic.twitter.com/zH9TcQAYb4
— Pablo Solon (@pablosolon) December 15, 2013
Meanwhile, 62 NGOs in the Asia-Pacific signed a statement urging the Laos government to form a new body to investigate Sombath’s disappearance:
Establish a new commission tasked with carrying out a prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into Sombath’s enforced disappearance and return him safely to his family.
Extend an invitation for a country visit by the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances
Sombath’s whereabouts remain unknown and there has been no progress in the investigation into the circumstances of his enforced disappearance. In addition, the authorities have rejected offers of technical assistance to analyze the CCTV footage.
M Rajaretnam hopes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN will demand more answers from the Laos government:
After a year of silence, the disclosure should be treated as an opportunity to seek redress for Mr Sombath. If Sombath Somphone can disappear in broad daylight, it can happen to anyone. Asean governments and their stakeholders, in the name of human decency, have the right to clear answers from the Lao leadership.


China: Karate Kid movie censored · Global Voices
John Kennedy

In the latest Karate Kid movie, does Will Smith's kid kick Chinese butt or is he actually the one getting bullied? That depends where you watch it, writes the Shandongxifu blogger.


Vietnam: Learning from Bangkok · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

The blogger at Antidote to Burnout looks at Bangkok as a model for urban development for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).


African Nations Cup Anthem Celebrates Peace · Global Voices
Abdoulaye Bah

On Afrik.com, Mansour Loum discusses “Sela Sela”, the song that was selected as the official anthem of the 29th edition of the 2013 African Nations Cup. The cup took place in South Africa, from January 19 to February 10, 2013. Loum explained that [fr]:
With lyrics in English and Bantu, “Sela Sela” is a song about the celebration and joy shared by all peoples, breaking the barriers that present an obstacle to peace and unity.


Nigeria: audio comments about election results · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Greenlight Nigeria collects audio comments about state elections in Nigeria: “I posted this idea – of people using Evoca and this site to respond to the election result, to a few of the Nigerian sites worldwide – early this morning. And here’s our first message”


Trinidad & Tobago, U.S.A.: Michelle Did Well  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Trinidadian blogger Afrobella is a “great admirer of Michelle Obama” and thinks she nailed her speech at the Democratic National Convention, calling it “poignant and resonant”.