Argentina: What Happened at PersonalFest? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Fabio.com.ar [es] and Jorge Gobbi of Vida Vacia 4.1 [es] write about the occurrences at PersonalFest, the two-day music festival in Buenos Aires.  According to some witnesses, there were reports of stampedes and people who were attacked with knives.   All of this was ignored by the mainstream media according to Fabio.


Social Media Slams India’s Judgmental Journalist · Global Voices
Sohini Chatterjee

Screenshot of Interview of Sunny Leone by Bhupendra Chaubey of CNN-IBN
Indo-Canadian Bollywood actor, model and former porn star Sunny Leone has been subject to a number of controversies in her career, but the latest one — even though it revolves around her — is hardly about her. Instead, it questions the standard of journalism in India.
When the Bollywood star agreed to be interviewed by Bhupendra Chaubey, a journalist with the Indian TV channel CNN-IBN, who approached the conversation with the expression of mock seriousness and a little defiance on his face, little did she realize it would raise a series of questions about Chaubey's journalistic ethics.
Leone started her career as an adult entertainer before entering Bollywood in 2012, a fact that the actor has had no qualms about admitting. She has since worked in a number of Hindi movies, following her first stint in Bollywood with the commercially successful Jism 2. Leone has become a household name, but not always for the right reasons — she is the most searched Indian person on Google, a position she held for three consecutive years — 2013, 2014 and 2015. Paromita Zohra at Youth Ki Awaaz explained:
The number of fans of her various Facebook pages total nearly 15 million. Yet, while images and videos earn plenty of likes, there are hardly any comments on posts. The media compounds this by constantly reporting on her with reference to her past work as a porn star (or, as she prefers to call it, adult entertainment professional), thus providing no fresh persona – a Sunny Leone of the Hindi films, distinct from her earlier avatar.
Journalist Chaubey proved he is no exception. During the interview, which aired on Indian television on January 15, 2016, Chaubey asked Leone a string of uncomfortable questions — which often had a misogynistic ring to them — revolving around the actor’s former involvement in the adult entertainment industry.
He began by saying, “Tell me one thing you regret.” When this could not make Leone express remorse about her past, Chaubey kept bringing it up, almost like an interrogation. Several other questions in the same moralistic vein were raised by the journalist, who came across to many viewers to be a little too judgmental for his job. Chaubey even made this sweeping statement: “There are some who believe that if Sunny Leone is becoming a brand ambassador of sorts for this new India, then it is a very dangerous trend to have.”
Leone maintained a brave face throughout the interview, answering every uncomfortable question with disarming humility. She made it clear, both to the journalist and to the audience, that she did not see herself as the victim of her past. “I don’t have any horror stories, I wasn’t abused, I wasn’t beaten, I wasn’t molested, and I wasn’t raped.” She was happy to acknowledge that every situation has had a role in brining her to her successful present.
It wasn't long before the interview went viral. Many Twitter users came out in strong defense of Leone, criticizing Chaubey's journalistic ethics and calling him out on his blatant sexism and the puritanical manner in which he conducted the interview.
As a broadcaster and as a viewer, I'm depressed and disgusted by the behaviour of a senior journalist like Bhupendra Chaubey #SayYoureSorry
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) January 19, 2016
Always cared about you @SunnyLeone. But @bhupendrachaube has made me respect you🙏 https://t.co/qqASJt8yeZ
— Priya Gupta (@priyagupta999) January 19, 2016
Several netizens addressed Chaubey's chauvinism:
Sad that @bhupendrachaube , a ‘seasoned’ journalist, should conduct such a foolish, patronising, sexist interview. https://t.co/YCDAE1snyf
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 19, 2016
This is how you handle misogyny. @SunnyLeone handles @bhupendrachaube with grace, a word he’s unfamiliar with. https://t.co/mjkt4eIKpx
— Danish Aslam (@dan1shaslam) January 18, 2016
Your interview with Sunny Leone also reflected prejudices and biases which still exist within our society. No doubt pic.twitter.com/MxEjfas18o
— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) January 19, 2016
Some defended Chaubey's skepticism:
If leone is a role model, then we hav really progressed as a society, even surpassed USA. If not, then chaubey has right to his scepticism.
— Dahi Bara (@NitiBakya) January 20, 2016
Many, including writer Shobhaa De, also came out in support of Leone, calling Chaubey a “TV bully”.
Sunny Leone gets India's vote of approval. Good for you, Sunny!!! Boo to that chauvinistic, TV bully.
— Shobhaa De (@DeShobhaa) January 20, 2016
Just watched the much hyped #SunnyLeone interview. Respect for this woman who remains unfazed and poised thru all the grilling!
— Suman Kher (@Suman_Kher) January 22, 2016
@bhupendrachaube it doesn't hurt to be a little more sensitive towards a person who hasn't had a very privileged past. #stupidInterview
— Anand Tyagi (@andynrkri) January 22, 2016
At one stage of the interview, Chaubey asked Leone if she thought that an actor as successful and widely popular as Aamir Khan would ever consider working with her. Leone responded with a “probably not” — but five days after the interview aired, Khan tweeted his admiration for Leone's grace and dignity in the face of unthinkable humiliation.
I think Sunny conductd herself wid a lot of grace & dignity.I wish I cud hav said the same abt the interviewer (1/2) https://t.co/TDDHOlbOUL
— Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) January 20, 2016
Sunny,I wil b happy 2 wrk wid u.I hav absolutely no problems wid ur “past”, as the interviewer puts it.Stay https://t.co/jX4V3wULJ8.a.2/2
— Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) January 20, 2016
Many other Bollywood personalities have come out in support of Leone:
Opinions in the garb of questions. Credit to @SunnyLeone she spoke from the heart despite his mind games. https://t.co/Tl6ji2Adee
— Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) January 20, 2016
That was literally NOT an interview.. Just hyper opinionated statements with a question mark at the end!!! No Grace? Chivalry? Ridiculous!
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) January 19, 2016
He asks the same question for 20minutes. Because she doesn't satisfy him with the response he's looking for.#Respect https://t.co/RkG4B0C5d2
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) January 19, 2016
Inundated by online criticism, the journalist tried to provide an explanation in the form of an open letter which did little to repair the damage done. He stated:
We aren’t really going to the cinemas to watch her because she is a star. And I might just add here that I haven’t seen any of her Bollywood films. Because I have kids at my place, so I cant watch any of her films in her earlier avatar even if I wanted to. Sunny Leone is a newsmaker in her own right because of what was going on in her past, the circumstances she operates in today and the manner in which she deals with criticism which is bound to come her way.
Rohini Chatterji at the First Post reacted by saying:
In his defense too, he fails to understand that being a porn star, as perceived by many, cannot be considered immoral.
But the Twitteratti was in no mood to forgive Chaubey for his unkindness, misplaced moral uprightness, insensitivity and lack of willingness to make amends:
@bhupendrachaube btw ur open letter does not justify ur obnoxious questions.
— Debarchana Roy (@Debbie1009) January 19, 2016
@bhupendrachaube ur open letter is as shallow as your interview. The only good thing about the interview though was that it had @SunnyLeone
— Shaby (@AajKiBasanti) January 19, 2016
If journalism is primarily about news gathering, the purpose of this crucial job seems to have been lost on Chaubey in his mission to shame Leone for her past. His stance came across as nothing less than shameful to the many Internet users who made it clear, through their support for Leone and their unabashed criticism for Chaubey, that today's India has no space for prejudice.


El-Rufai gives parents, guardians July deadline to take kids off the streets | EduCeleb
12th June 2018
The Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai has issued a July 31st ultimatum to parents, guardians and care givers to take young children off the streets.
In directive given through the state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Aisha Mohammed Baba to commemorate the World Day Against Child Labour on Tuesday, the government restated its dedication to serving the people.
reports that the government had earlier in its inception employed street beggars as street sweepers to deter them from begging while carrying out other reforms in empowering others through skill acquisition.
The World Day Against Child Labour has been marked on every 12th June since 2002 based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) global observance to focus attention on the extent of child labour and call people to action in efforts needed to eliminate it.
On the day each year, governments, business owners, and other stakeholders are engaged to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
Mrs Baba said in a series of tweets that the state government was committed to such efforts in its stride to ensure “a safe and healthy generation”.
“@contactkdsg is intent on focusing attention on these actions & efforts to ensure a safe and healthy generation.”
“@HafsatMohBaba &
@KDMWASD have gone a step further in taking actions.”
“The deadline for Parents, Guardians & Caregivers to take their wards & children off the streets is 31st July, 2018. KDSG will mop up the remainder afterwards.”
While the government did not state the punishment for whoever had his children on the streets after the deadline, pundits believe that it is a step in the right direction.
In another development, the Kaduna State government is set to prosecute 50 street urchins popularly known as Yan Shara or Sarasuk soon. It said that they have been terrorising parts of Kaduna State for some time.
According to the spokesperson of Governor El-Rufai, Samuel Aruwan, the suspects who were arrested last weekend by security agents in different locations within the metropolis, are to be arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court at the conclusion of investigation by relevant agencies.
Their arrest followed last week’s urban hooliganism in parts of the capital.
“His Excellency has directed security agencies to deal decisively with the menace of urban hoodlums,” he said.
Mr Aruwan noted that El-Rufai had been briefed by security agents leading to this latest crackdown on the gangsters.
“Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has received briefings from security agencies on the outrage by urban gangsters, notoriously known as Yan Shara or Sarasuka. He has also visited Abakpa community where he interacted with some members of the community and condemned the activities of the gangsters.”
In addition, “Security agencies have updated the governor on the arrest of over 50 suspects. The governor has ordered the police and the Ministry of Justice to ensure prompt investigation and diligent prosecution of whoever is indicted.”
“The governor also urged the police to ensure that the fleeing suspects do not escape justice, declaring that all government agencies must work collectively to end the menace.”
The governor’s mouthpiece further clarified the position of the government on the proliferation of vigilance groups in the state.
“The Kaduna State government has made it clear that only the Kaduna State Vigilance Service is empowered by law to regulate the activities of vigilantes.
“Any community that wishes to make contribution to security and intelligence gathering should forward the affected persons to the Kaduna State Vigilance Service and security agencies for thorough screening,” he added.
“This is to ensure they such persons have no criminal records or tendencies that could compromise the security and well-being of the citizenry.
“By this clarification, communities should liaise with the Kaduna State Vigilance Service to make arrangements for their enhanced security,” he concluded.


Nigeria: state of emergency to be declared? · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Will the state of emergency be declared in Nigeria?: “So just like I wasn’t surprised with the handling of the (s)elections last weekend, I will not be staggered in the slightest if a STATE OF EMERGENCY is declared.
But lets get one thing straight…It will be the beginning of the end.”


Iran:Kianoosh Sanjari still in jail · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to Sos-Sanjari, Kianoosh Sanjari,23 years old jailed blogger met with his mother.Sos-Sanjari blog writes, according to Sanjari's mother, his son has lost weight and he is in a very bad condition.


Brunei: Angel Investment Workshop · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

AnakBrunei attends and blogs about an Angel Investment workshop.


Ecuador: Cofiec Banking Loan Irregularities Unleash Outrage · Global Voices
Belén Quezada

Antonio Buñay, former executive chief of Cofiec Bank – a state owned bank- and the alleged responsible person for the Cofiec case, which is causing stir in the Ecuador legal system and among citizens, appeared before the prosecutor's office on October 16, 2012. The #CofiecCase [es], as Ecuadorian Twitter users have named it, was uncovered after irregularities were found in a Cofiec banking loan for US$800,000 granted to the Argentinian investor Gastón Duzac [es].
The loan given to Duzac on December 2011 expired on August this year. However, the loan was granted although Duzac didn't meet [es] the respective requirements. As a result of this failure to comply with the Ecuadorian State, some civil servants, who authorized the loan, are being investigated.
Cofiec [es] (Ecuadorian Financial Corporation) was founded in the 70s by Antonio Correa Escobar in order to create a financial corporation. In those days, Cofiec Bank had the ability to loan money, as well as the authorization to take part in venture capital. After the Ecuadorian banking crisis in 1999, Cofiec Bank passed to Banco Progreso's owner, and it was later financed by the State through Ecuador's Deposit Insurance Agency (AGD), an autonomous entity led by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Buñay has been accused of granting the loan to Duzac with warranty in sales of goods belonging to AGD owned companies [es]. Rumours are surrounding Pedro Delgado [es], the president of the Central Bank and cousin of the current president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Delgado reportedly put pressure on Buñay [es] to grant the loan to an “alleged group of Argentinian investors” represented by Duzac.
Carolina Martínez (@scaromartinez) [es] reacts with the following comment:
@scaromartinez: Dicen que #Duzac es inversionista … Q diablos vino a hacer a Ecu. Préstamo de dinero y Garantías de Estado. #PaisDeManuelito
@scaromartinez: It is said that #Duzac is an investor… What the hell is he doing in Ecuador? Money loan and State guarantees. #PaisDeManuelito
Monica Mier Vielma (@monicamier) [es] states:
@monicamier: Las preguntas que realiza Dalo Bucaram [asambleísta del Partido Roldosista Ecuatoriano (PRE)] en #CasoCofiec envidencian que las versiones de PDelgado en CNN y ABuñay en Comisión, se contradicen.
@monicamier: The questions asked by Dalo Bucaram [assembly member of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party (PRE)] in #CofiecCase make clear that the statements made by Pedro Delgado on CNN and Abuñay in the Commission are contradictory.
Janet Hinostroza (@janethinostroza) [es] highlights the weakness of Buñay's statements:
@janethinostroza: “@elcomerciocom: Buñay dice que debía darse el crédito a Duzac siempre y cuando se completara la documentación/y xk lo autorizo? #casoCofiec
@janethinostroza: “@elcomerciocom: Buñay says that the loan should have been granted to Duzac only if all the documents were submitted. Why was he granted the loan then? #casoCofiec
@basoledispa [es] remarks how Buñay avoids to answer:
@basoledispa: #CasoCofiec Ahora todas las respuestas de Buñay son “desconozco” Vía @sanayalas //Se veía venir q por ahí era la cosa…ahora no sabe nada!
@basoledispa: #CasoCofiec Now all he says is: “I don't know” via @sanayalas// We could see that coming…now he knows nothing!
The external influence for granting the loan is still in doubt, as Edmundo Vera R. (@edverar) [es] points out:
@edverar: Y se presentó a declarar #Bunay sobre su actuación en el crédito a#Duzac. Algo que Sí le creo es que el Directorio le ordenó aprobarlo.
@edverar: #Bunay was summoned to declare about his involvement on the loan to #Duzac. I DO believe that the board of directors made him approve it.
Fernando Rosero (@FernandoRoseroR) [es] writes the following:
@FernandoRoseroR: Al fin alguien dijo lo que nadie se atrevia: “El credito a #duzaces vinculado y su otorgamiento configura el delito de PECULADO BANCARIO”.
@FernandoRoseroR: Finally someone said what nobody dared to: #duzac‘s credit is binding and its granting means EMBEZZLEMENT.
However, Nataly Morillo (@titamorillo) [es] put this statement out:
@titamorillo: #Buñay asegura que no tuvo presiones para otorgar préstamo a#Cofiec
@titamorillo: #Buñay assures that he wasn't pressured in order to authorize the loan to #Cofiec
Ecuadorians are struck by the fact that Duzac was given the loan so easily, while Hundreds of farmers have to wait months to be granted credits. Martha Roldós (@martharoldos) [es] and Galo Lara Y. (@GaloLaraY) [es] state:
@martharoldos: En Yaguachi se quejaba dueño d una piladora d q estuvo como 1 año tras d un crédito d US$10,000 poniendola como garantia y nada. #Duzac
@martharoldos: The owner of a rice warehouse in Yaguachi complained that, after a year, he was denied a US$10,000 loan, although he left the warehouse as guarantee. #Duzac
@GaloLaraY: A #Duzac le dieron 800mil dolares sin presentar garantias? cuánto le prestan a los ecuatorianos la banca estatal….
@GaloLaraY: US$800,00O dollars for #Duzac without a guarantee? How much does the state bank lend to Ecuadorians?
Some Twitter users, like Carlos Vera (@CarlosVerareal) [es], shared links to recordings obtained through some national newspapers:
@CarlosVerareal: AUDIO de Grabación de APROBACIÓN de CREDITO a #Duzachttp://bit.ly/AUDIODuzac Vía @elcomerciocom //Y ahora? Yo no fui?
@CarlosVerareal:RECORDING AUDIO of LOAN APPROVAL #Duzac http://bit.ly/AUDIODuzac Vía @elcomerciocom//What now? It wasn't me?
Finally, the well-known reporter Janeth Hirostronza (@janethinostroza) [es] stated:
@janethinostroza: Las cosas caen por su propio peso…#casoCofiec
@janethinostroza: Sooner or later, the truth will be revealed #casoCofiec
This case, which is under investigation as of writing this post, will follow its due course in the Assembly's Audit Commission.


China: freedom and liberal · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Li Yinhe comments that the word “自由” (liberal and freedom) is too negative in China because of various political campaign agains “liberalism”. She hopes people can slowly make it a positive term (zh).


The Turkish Lira continues to lose value at a breakneck pace · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

‘Spiral Of Turkish Lira’ by jeffdjevdet, on Flikr (CC BY 2.0)
“Türkiye is the breakout star of the global economic system that is being restructured with the pandemic,” declared Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on December 8. A week later, the lira (TRY), the country's national currency — which was already spinning out of control — tumbled past 17 versus the US dollar. The most recent decline followed the Turkish central bank's fourth interest rate cut in four months.
After the central bank's move, and in what is believed to be an attempt to boost support from his voter base, Erdoğan announced a 50 percent hike in the minimum wage. The monthly net minimum salary will be TRY 4,250 (USD 275) as of 2022. The current minimum wage is TRY 2,826, a figure that converted to USD 380 at the start of the year but has fallen to USD 186, with the lira’s 51 percent depreciation, as reported by online newspaper Gazete Duvar English. On December 17, the minimum wage decreased by another USD 10 according to Gazete Duvar English.
In an interview with The Guardian, Gunay Akil, an Istanbul resident said, “Everything is expensive right now, we barely make ends meet. My family has moved in with my father-in-law to avoid paying rent.”
Financial analysts say, that due to the steep inflation increase, which recently passed 21 percent, the new minimum wage will hardly accommodate rising costs for basic goods and products. Economists are predicting that the inflation rate will jump to near 30 percent next year because of increasing import prices.
Marek Drimal at Societe Generale said in an interview with Reuters that the increase “will fuel inflation pressures further, together with the cumulative impact of the lira's weakness.”
On December 17, “Turkey’s benchmark Borsa Istanbul 100 index sank 8.5% Friday in its worst day since March, triggering two circuit breakers that halted trades,” according to the Wall Street Journal. The same day, the lira plunged past 17 to one US dollar, the lowest point ever.
On December 18, Turkey's largest business group, TUSIAD urged Erdoğan's government “to abandon a monetary policy based on low rates that has prompted a crash in the lira,” and called for “a return to rules of economic science.” The group added:
As a result of the instability we have been experiencing in recent times, it has become clear that goals under this economic programme that [are] being attempted will not be achieved.
On Sunday, December 19, President Erdoğan responded to the letter as an “attack on the government,” adding, “our government's economic policy is advancing exactly as we determined, apart from temporary volatility in exchange rates.”
Seeing their national currency lose value so drastically, some Turks took their frustrations to Twitter, where dark humor eased some pressure.
Turkish Lira right now #dolar15 #Dolar16TL #asgariucret #ÖğretmenedeYüzde50zam #faizkararı pic.twitter.com/6tRqfyNXZR
— Mohammed Sekouty (@MohammedSekouty) December 16, 2021
Turkish Central Bank ⬇ pic.twitter.com/NPxE0hpfyA
— Can Okar (@canokar) December 17, 2021
On December 19, in a televised comment, President Erdoğan pledged to continue lowering interest rates as required by nas, an Arabic word for Islamic teachings. “We're lowering interest rates. Don't expect anything else from me. As a Muslim, whatever (Islamic teaching) requires I will continue to do that,” he said vowing to lower the inflation rate back to 4 percent. Currently, the inflation rate is hovering around 21 percent and economic analysis predict it will reach 30 percent next year.


Thailand’s Junta Leader Wants Citizens to Answer Four Leading Questions About Elections · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Photo from Prachatai website.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging citizens to visit government centers and answer four election questions that could determine the country’s future.
Prayut was the army chief who led the coup in 2014. He vowed that the military would restore civilian rule once political and electoral reforms were implemented. A constitution was approved in 2016 which laid the groundwork for the holding of elections but it was strongly criticized because it contained provisions that gave the military broad powers in the bureaucracy.
Below are the four questions listed by Prayut:
1. Will elections bring good governance?
2. What then, if elections do not bring good governance?
3. Is it right to only focus on elections, at the expense of the country’s future and other issues?
4. Should bad politicians be given a chance to run for office, and if conflicts return, who will solve them and by what means?
About 1,000 centers across the country were opened to receive responses from the people. The government is also thinking of doing the survey in malls in order to reach out to more people.
Leaders of political parties expressed concern about the real motives of Prayut in launching the unusual survey of public opinion. They are worried that Prayut could be softening the public towards the idea of extended military rule in the country. But Prayut supporters insisted that the junta leader is simply interested to learn the views of ordinary citizens, rather than paying attention to the loud voices of opposition politicians.
Thai PM Gen. Prayut drew flak for floating 4 leading questions on his weekly TV address that some see as finding a pretext to stay in power
— Saksith Saiyasombut (@SaksithCNA) May 29, 2017
Sunai Phasuk, Asia’s senior researcher of Human Rights Watch, is doubtful about the reliability of the survey:
Few will be brave enough to say they oppose prolonged military rule, repudiation of election results, strong-man rule, or even another military coup. Why? Because they understand expression of dissenting opinion is punishable under the orders of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
NCPO is the name of the government established by the junta.
In the past three years, the junta has strictly regulated the media. It also used the Lese Majeste (anti-Royal Insult) law to arrest and prosecute individuals for criticizing the military dictatorship.
Independent news website Prachatai asked some activist groups to list their own leading questions for Prayut to answer. The New E-saan Movement reminded Prayut that coups undermine democracy:
Are you aware that coup d’etats violate democratic and human rights principles?
If in the future, Thailand experiences another coup d’etat, will it be charged as a crime against the state?
Unionist Sriprai Nonsee urged Prayut and the military to return power to the people:
Coup d’etats to seize power from the people are unlawful. How, then, can a junta meet standards of good governance? When will you return power to the people, by restoring the right to vote and by revising the constitution—which should come from the people genuinely?
Journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk tweeted four questions for Prayut:
I also have 4 questions for Prayuth. #Juntaland #Thailand #Prayuth #NCPO #coup #pressfreedom pic.twitter.com/TycuU3ppxO
— Pravit Rojanaphruk (@PravitR) May 29, 2017


AMCON Recovers N1tr From Debtors - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
March 30, 2022
He spoke during a visit by the Leadership of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria to him in Abuja.
Kuru said the corporation has resolved over 5,000 business relationships.
According to him, “AMCON was created to buy non-performing loans, resuscitate the non-performing loans even though some of these loans had been with the banks for more than 15 years before being transferred to AMCON.
He said AMCON is open to collaborations that would be positively impactful to the economy of the federal republic of Nigeria to which we all owe our allegiance.


NDDC Finance Director Died Of Covid-19 - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
June 3, 2020
The Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission has said its late Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Ibanga Etang, died of COVID-19.
Etang passed away in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, 2020.
In a statement issued by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the NDDC, Charles Odili, the commission said the family had authorised it to announce that the late executive director tested positive to COVID-19.
The Rivers State Ministry of Health had written to the NDDC to also confirm the cause of death.


Caribbean: Blogging About Climate Change  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

October 15 is Blog Action Day 2009 and Caribbean bloggers are adding their voices to the global conversation about climate change.
Jamaican diaspora blogger Geoffrey Phlip puts the topic in perspective by starting off his post this way:
One of the persistent myths that should have been shattered by the discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, and Darwin is that humans have a special place in the universe and that we were somehow separate from the rest of life on the planet. Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, our knowledge about the cosmic accident that created an evolutionary niche for mammals to flourish should have made us more appreciative of the fragility of life and the beauty that surrounds us–especially those of us from island nations like Jamaica.
He goes on to lament “the sad fact…that sometimes we don’t act as if we live in a place of beauty”:
The implications of the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are the resultant climate change are grave…
Now while the problem of global climate change may seem insurmountable, I’ve always believed in the words of Margaret Mead: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.’
Fellow Jamaican Labrish says:
Two stories have really stuck with me this year about how climate change is affecting the marine environment: (1) the enormous infestation of invasive lionfish into the Atlantic and the Caribbean (2) the worldwide explosion of jellyfish swarms. Welcome to the seas that are biting back.
She explains:
Lionfish are endemic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans…with venomous spines and voracious appetites, sadly, they are now eating their way through the reefs of the Caribbean and the Atlantic. Researchers state it is ‘one of the most rapid marine invasions in history. Like a plague of locusts.’
Of the jellyfish explosion, she says:
The rise in large swarms of jellyfish in many areas across the globe may be linked to ocean acidity and the heating of the oceans caused by global warming. They survive and thrive in ocean dead zones and are an indication of an ecosystem that is out of balance.
The jellyfish and lionfish infestations are just more symptoms of the serious imbalance in the marine environment. Let’s hope the United Nations Meeting on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December will result in an ambitious agenda to reduce carbon emissions and set us toward a right path.
From Barbados, Sun Rain Or… faces a predicament:
Living on a small island in the Caribbean I swing lazily, like a hammock between coconut trees, between being concerned about Climate Change on the good days and feeling indignant about having to bother about it at all on the bad ones.
She explains her conundrum of being an artist who prefers to work with natural local materials:
How the hell I supposed to make authentic local creative products if I can’t use what’s in my own backyard? And, so who tell everybody use up all the wood and t’ings in the first place!?! Now people look at you like you’re a criminal if you use the same very things they’ve been using up so likrishly for so long. How is me uh?
I tired of all those powerhungrypoliticiansandwannabefamouspeople always making a fuss to look like they care and like they know what’s really going on, telling ME I have to change my ways or my front step will meet up with Atlantis. Yeah right, we can’t even tell if it’s going to rain this afternoon.
She sums up:
And the hammock comes to rest and I reluctantly accept I know one thing for sure; I don’t know how big a role we play in climate change, no-one is absolutely certain about that, but without a doubt, unless I poke out my eye to spite myself, I can’t help but see everyday and everywhere that what you and you and you…….and I do affects the place we all live in.
So just as every piece of garbage I drop makes a home for a mosquito or suffocates a turtle, every piece I pick up, dispose of properly, or best yet, stop from existing in the first place, removes the same problem. And just as all the little eddies and flows of the natural breezes and seas add up to our planet’s climate, so, it seems to me, all our little actions add up too.
Finally, from Trinidad and Tobago, A Caribbean Garden remembers that as a child growing up in the West Indies, “almost everyone had a kitchen garden and exchanged what they grew with neighbors and family. Almost every backyard had fruit trees. People bought their supplemental fresh fruits and vegetables from roadside stands and the Sunday farmers market. Farmers from different islands would also take or send their produce on boats to sell in the Sunday market.”
These farmers markets, the blogger concludes, hold tremendous value for environmental well-being:
While farmers markets have always been around in the Caribbean, I hope the Caribbean islanders take notes and expand their offerings. I also hope more people buy directly from local farmers.  Apart from supporting local farmers and having fresher healthier and tastier food, farmers markets means less fuel is used in transportation, less pollution to the environment. And if it’s organic produce, even better.  You certainly can't get fresh like this when its trucked/flown or shipped thousands of miles…
In the words of Geoffrey Philp, “Blog Action Day is only a first step. For if we do occupy a special place in the universe, it is because of our self-consciousness—the awareness of our mortality. This alone should propel us because it is only by our collective action that InI will save ourselves.”


India: Living with HIV · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Lives in Focus has a feature on a woman who worries for her daughter who is HIV positive.


Oyo govt manipulative, higher education staff unions allege | EduCeleb
23rd April 2021
Staff members of tertiary institutions in Oyo State have alleged that the Seyi Makinde-led administration was being manipulative in addressing their welfare.
They made this allegation in a statement on Thursday signed by the General Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic, Alexander Gbenga.
According to him, while the leadership of their union has never left any stone unturned to ensure a peaceful coexistence and understanding, the government is both inconsistent and insensitive to the yearnings of people working in tertiary intitutions.
“This update becomes imperative because of Government inconsistencies with the terms of the meeting of JAC and Government of Monday, 19th April, 2021 that lasted over five hours where the concerned parties had an understanding on how to resolve all matters that relate with the existence of the ongoing industrial actions all over the Oyo State owned tertiary institutions.
“Consequently, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was to be signed on Tuesday, 20th April, 2021 but government functionaries involved were not available to append their signatures to the said agreement and JAC representatives had to return to the State Secretariat yesterday, Wednesday, 21st April, 2021.
“Surprisingly, however, it was discovered that, the government had a different game plan as the MoU presented for signing by the Director of Higher Education was, totally, at variance to the agreed agreement of Monday and JAC representatives declined signing the eventual MoU.
“Therefore, in line with JAC directive, all concerned institutions have been directed to suspend intending Congresses and, also remarked that, NO institution suspends strike until further directive by JAC.”


Barbados, Haiti: Survival  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“One of the things that has stuck out for most of us as we look on at the struggle in Haiti after the quake is that people have to go so long without food, water, basic amenities”: From Barbados, Sun, Rain Or… blogs about “what can we do to make ourselves less reliant on the things we take for granted and able to survive if we suffer a major disaster.”


El Salvador: Funes’ Acceptance Speech · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Salvapress [es] publishes the text of Salvadoran president-elect Mauricio Funes victory speech.


Lebanon: The Ridiculous Increase in Wages  · Global Voices
Layal Al Khatib

Lebanese blogger Rami thinks the increase which the cabinet agreed to issue to the wages in Lebanon is ridiculous and unfair. He explains why in his latest post.


Stoney Creek Developer Appeals to OMB for Four Storey Development at 261 King Street East – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

February 16, 2018
J.A.N. Group Inc filed an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board on their application for a four storey residential building at 261 King Street East in Stoney Creek. The site is located west of Green Road.
Kevin Warner of Hamilton Community News wrote on the project in 2016, reporting the initial plan was to develop 48-units, and that Ward 10 Councillor Maria Pearson was supportive of the concept.
Pearson tells The Public Record the developer was working productively with City staff making changes to their application; including decreasing the density of the proposal and addressing traffic concerns.
Pearson says she will be mailing residents who attended the public engagements on the proposal to inform them of the appeal, and assist them with being heard during the OMB process.
This development, along with many others, appealed to the OMB for non-decision in advance of significant legislation changes to the OMB. The soon to be implemented Local Planning Appeal Tribunal system will be weighted towards municipal council decision making, whereas the present OMB is seen as weighted towards developers.
Residents and other interested parties will be able to seek participant status at the OMB pre-hearing, it is at the OMB’s discretion to allow or disallow participants.
The Ontario Municipal Board has assigned case number PL171383 to the appeal. The first pre-hearing date has not yet been set.
The application was first submitted to the City of Hamilton on October 24, 2016, deemed complete by the City’s Planning Division on November 4, 2016, and under the Planning Act, the City had 180 days to make a decision.
After April 22, 2017, Medallion had the option of appealing to the OMB for non-decision.
The Public Record will report when the pre-hearing date is set, subscribe to our newsletter below to get the story delivered to your inbox.


Cambodia: BarCamp Phnom Penh September 2008 · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Khmer Software Initiative reminds us about the BarCamp Phnom Penh 2008 which will take place on September 20


Central America: Upcoming “Camps” for Young Cyber-Activists  · Global Voices
Silvia Viñas

Rising Voices is partnering with Hivos and Dialogía in two “camps” for young people using digital media for social change. The workshops, called “Activistmo” [es], will be held in Nicaragua and Guatemala during September and October. Young people from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala between the ages of 18-25 can apply [es] until August 31.


Diaspora Dialogues Gives Emerging Writers a Voice - New Canadian Media

July 5, 2016
New writers are using mentorship opportunities to create and share more diverse and inclusive stories about Toronto’s history and culture.
“What we want to do is to create a living history of Toronto through literature [and] make it as diverse as the city itself,” says Helen Walsh, the president of Diaspora Dialogues  – a charitable society made up of writers, artists and performers.
“I’m not surprised that there are at least 50 to 60 countries represented through Diaspora Dialogues – lots of voices from Asia, Africa and Northern Europe,” Walsh adds. “Often, people write about their own cultural background and we want to bring Toronto to life through literature.”
Toronto’s iconic Old City Hall, a national historic site, was the stage for Diaspora Dialogues during Doors Open Toronto, an event that offers access to buildings with historical significance across the city.
“Often, people write about their own cultural background and we want to bring Toronto to life through literature.”
Jamaican-born and Ottawa-raised emerging writer Dianah Smith is one of 12 writers who presented their work at Old City Hall. As a teacher and arts educator, Smith joined Diaspora Dialogues in 2014 for its mentoring program, in which she paired-up with Jamaican-Canadian writer and media professional Martin Mordecai.
“For about six months, he helped me to get into [a] schedule of my draft and first novel, finalizing some of the scenes of my manuscript to get it ready for publication,” Smith says about her experience as a mentee.
“It’s a story about a seven-year-old girl, Jemela Campbell, and her experience in immigrating from Jamaica to Canada and her first year in Canada,” Smith explains.
The excerpt she reads is from the novel, with a working title The Promise of Foreign, which explores some of the challenges newcomer parents face in Canada such as finding work and keeping jobs.
“As a racialized person of colour, as an immigrant, you don’t really feel represented in the publishing world.”
“As a racialized person of colour, as an immigrant, you don’t really feel represented in the publishing world,” Smith explains. “You have names like Margaret Atwood, mainly white and middle-class people.”
She says that while Diaspora Dialogues does not restrict white writers from participating, it also tries “to have alternative voices to give immigrants and indigenous people the opportunity to share their stories.”
Author Mia Herrera adds that working in the Canadian publishing and writing industry is precarious.
“A writer who publishes regularly makes a salary of about $12,000 a year. You can’t make a living on that,” she says.
Born to Filipino parents, Herrera now lives in Bradford, Ont. She works in communications and marketing and says she continues to write because it is her passion.
Smith says she is still in the process of finding an interested publisher for her novel. While her mentorship program ended last fall, she continues to participate in other programs led by Diaspora Dialogues such as Lunch and Learn events, workshops about pitching to agents, as well as mentee book readings such as the one at Old City Hall.
“These questions arise regularly for her, particularly as she lives in such a racially-charged town as Georgina.”
After working with her mentor, writer David Layton, Herrera had her first novel Shade published by an independent feminist publisher, Inanna Publications.
Shade tells the story of a Filipino-Canadian woman named Benni from the small town of Georgina, Ont., and her trip to the Philippines to visit her father.
“Georgina is a town in York region about an hour-and-a-half north of here that is somewhat notorious for racist acts – disputes about flying the Confederate flag in schools and repeated incidents of racially-driven assaults,” Herrera tells the audience at Old City Hall.
Georgina was the site of attacks against Asian Canadian fishermen in 2007, which involved car chases, damaged fishing gear, and anglers of Asian descent being pushed into the water.
The scene Herrera reads is from the beginning of the novel about a breakup between Benni and her long-time Chinese-Canadian boyfriend, Tom. Instead of hearing a proposal, Benni is shocked to learn that Tom has hesitations about their future together because he is concerned about how Benni’s race will affect him and his family’s business.
“As you will find in this scene and throughout my novel, Benni deals with questions of race and what it means to be a visible minority and second-generation immigrant in Canada,” Herrera says. “These questions arise regularly for her, particularly as she lives in such a racially-charged town as Georgina.”
“Her experiences in the Philippines allow her to take the long view of not just her life in Georgina, but of her life in Canada, and what it means to be Canadian,” she adds.
Shan is a photojournalist and event photographer based in Toronto with more than a decade of experience. From Beijing Olympic Games to The Dalai Lama in Exile, she has covered a wide range of editorial assignments.


Kyrgyzstan: Split over PM · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Sean Roberts analyzes whether or not a split in Kyrgyzstan's opposition over the Prime Minister is exactly what it seems to be.


Retirement: Presidency Not Aware Of Oyo-Ita’s Purported Letter - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
August 19, 2019
The Presidency on Monday declared that it was notaware of the purported move of the Head of Service of the Federation, WinifredOyo-Ita, to retire from service.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCChad last week Tuesday grilled Oyo-Ita over alleged 3 billion Naira scam.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity,Mallam Garba Shehu, in a text message said that the Presidency was not inpossession of any letter of intent from Oyo-Ita to retire from service.


Poland, U.K.: “Do you have a return PLan?” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

the POLSKI blog writes that “the Polish government has launched a special site, where Poles living in the UK can get advice regarding moving their lives back to Poland.”


Freedom of the Press Foundation sues the Justice Department for details about its push to block transparency reform
Trevor Timm
December 15, 2015
Freedom of the Press Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Justice Department for all correspondence the agency has had with Congress over proposed FOIA reform bills that died last year in Congress, despite having unanimous support of all its members.
More than a year and a half ago, we received an anonymous tip that the Justice Department was trying to halt the modest and uncontroversial FOIA reform bills of 2014 that were supported by huge majorities in both houses of Congress. We filed a FOIA request for all emails and other communications about the bills between the congressional offices sponsoring the legislation and the Justice Department to uncover what the agency’s true position was.
The anonymous tip we received turned out to be prescient: At the end of last year, despite a remarkable level of support from both parties, the bills did not become law because they were held up at the last minute by then-Speaker of the House John Boehner. The Washington Post later reported that the legislation failed based on objections from a few key federal agencies—most notably the Justice Department.
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What made the Justice Department’s reported actions particularly reprehensible was that the legislation’s language—and even more specifically, the precise part that the Justice Department was reportedly worried about—was based virtually word for word on the Justice Department’s own FOIA policy.
In 2009, when the Obama Administration first promised to be the “most transparent administration ever,” the Justice Department issued guidelines for how all federal agencies should interpret FOIA requests, including:
[T]he Department of Justice will defend a denial of a FOIA request only if (1) the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by one of the statutory exemptions, or (2) disclosure is prohibited by law.
The FOIA Improvement Act of 2014 would’ve made merely this policy the law at the agency level. The disputed section read:
An agency shall withhold information under this section only if a) the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by an exemption described in subsection or other provision of law; or b) disclosure is prohibited by law.
As you can see, the two passages are virtually the same. The similarity raises significant questions, including whether the Justice Department is upholding its own guidelines in the first place, and why the agency would be afraid of its own policies becoming law.
For a year and a half the Justice Department has not sent us a single page of correspondence (virtually all the other agencies we asked sent us emails or other documents within a month or two). Today, we are filing suit to find out why the Obama Administration’s Justice Department is preventing legislation based on its own supposed policy from becoming law.
We’ll keep you updated as the lawsuit progresses.
Special thanks to our amazing legal counsel working on this case, D. Victoria Baranetsky and Marcia Hofmann, who crafted the excellent complaint that you can read in full below.


Accused of the 2018 Varanasi Bridge Collapse were arrested and the case is under trail - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 4, 2022
A social media post accompanying an image showing the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse is being widely circulated with a claim that the Yogi government did not apprehend the contractor responsible for the bridge collapse to date. Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Yogi government did not apprehend the contractor responsible for the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse till date.
Fact: On 15 May 2018, a portion of the under construction Chaukaghat-Lahartara flyover in Varanasi collapsed. As per the update of the case provided by the  Police Commissionerate Varanasi on 28 July 2018, 8 men were arrested in relation the case including seven engineers of the UP State Bridge Corporation and a contractor. This is also evident from the records available on the Varanasi district court website. The case status records show that the accused have filed for a bail, which suggests the accused were arrested. Further, a Supreme court order related to another case involving UPSBC mentioned that Allahabad High court has stayed the case related to the Varanasi bridge on 30 July 2019. All these establish that the accused in the bridge collapse case were arrested and are under trail. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On 15 May 2018, a portion of the under-construction Chaukaghat-Lahartara flyover in Varanasi collapsed, killing 15 persons and injuring 11 persons.
A couple of months later on 28 July 2018, the official Twitter handle of the Police Commissionerate Varanasi shared the details of the ongoing investigation. As per these details, police arrested eight persons including seven engineers of the UP State Bridge Corporation and a contractor in relation to the case.
दिनांक 15.05.2018 को हुए कैण्ट रेलवे स्टेशन के सामने निर्माणाधीन फ्लाईओवर हादसे में चल रही विवेचना मे 08 अभियुक्तों को @varanasipolice द्वारा गिरफ्तार कर जेल भेजा गया है। @adgzonevaranasi @IgRangeVaranasi @dgpup @Uppolice @upcoprahul @Live_Hindustan @DainikBhaskar @JagranNews pic.twitter.com/5uGnoVEq4B
Those arrested included Chief Project Manager SC Tiwari, former Chief Project Manager Gendalal, Project Manager KR Sudan, AE Rajendra Singh, AE Ram Tapasya Yadav, JE Lalchand Singh, JE Rajesh Pal, and contractor Saheb Hussain. News articles which reported these arrests can be read here.
The Lallantop has published a copy of the FIR (FIR NO 272/2018 of Police Station Sigra) registered in relation to the case. With the help of the details provided in the FIR copy published in the news article, we accessed the status and case history (Case Registration Number 312/2018) records on the Varanasi District Court portal. These records show that the above-mentioned accused have filed for bail in 2018. This implies that there have been arrests in relation to the bridge collapse case.
Further, the Supreme Court in an order related to another case that involves UPSBC mentions the status of the Varanasi bridge collapse case. As per this SC order, the Allahabad High court on 30 July 2019 stayed the trial of the Varanasi bridge case. All these establish that contrary to the claims made in the post, there have indeed been arrests regarding the case, and the accused are undergoing trial in the court.
To sum it up, the accused of the 2018 Varanasi bridge collapse were arrested and are under trial.


Panama: Seismic Activity in Chiriquí · Global Voices
David Sasaki

Don Ray has posted an informative translation of an email that quotes seismologist Jaime Toral from the Technological University of Panama about recent seismic activity in the Chiriquí region.


Some South Africans Argue It’s Not Just Their Country’s Credit Rating That’s Junk Status · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A shanty town in Cape Town. Some South Africans argue that investment benefits selected blacks and privileged whites. Creative Photo via Wikipedia by Chell Hill. Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
South Africa's sovereign credit rating has been downgraded to junk status by two rating agencies, S&P Global Ratings and Fitch. The agencies have cited the sacking of respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan by President Jacob Zuma as one of the reasons for the downgrade.
The rating is likely to impact the country's ability to borrow as well as discourage investors. According to Chris Malikane, an associate professor of economics at Wits University, the rating will not affect the average South African in the short-term. However, it will lead to higher interest rates in the longer-term.
Malikane pointed out that the main thing the downgrade would bring is:
[…] an increase in the risk premium‚ meaning lenders increase interest rates because of a perceived greater risk in default. The result is households with capital in investments and assets are going to be mostly affected.
South Africans have responded to the news, blaming President Zuma for the downgrade, questioning the credibility of the rating agencies and pointing out the inequality that exists in the country.
Twitter user Dabesa summarised the potential effects of the downgrade:
Consequences of #junkstatus
1.Inflation will increase
2.Assets will lose value.
3.The rand will weaken more.
4.SA. will lose investors ??
— Dabesa??? (@Ps_Mthimkulu) April 3, 2017
Another user, chloé, mocked President Zuma for the rating:
President Zuma finally accomplished something #junkstatus
— chloé (@heyitsmechloe) April 3, 2017
Former editor at South Africa's Financial Mail, Barney Mthombothi, remarked:
#junkstatus Nothing short of Zuma's immediate recall can save SA
— Barney Mthombothi (@mthombothi) April 3, 2017
Nandi joked:
We're renaming South Africa to Southern Zimbabwe #junkstatus
— Nandi?Cakes (@nandicakes) April 3, 2017
Zimbabwe is currently experiencing severe financial crisis.
“African Snake Doctor” shared a graph showing credit ratings under different post-Apartheid South Africa's presidents:
zuma as you can see our credit was built by your predecessors. It is not a white thing. It's pride u destroy. #ZumaMustFall #junkstatus pic.twitter.com/BZy2R1WImG
— africansnakedoctor (@africansnakedoc) April 8, 2017
Moses Mothebe directed his tweet to Zuma supporters:
Watch Zuma supporters blame whites for #junkstatus
— Moses Mothebe (@moses_mothebe) April 3, 2017
Zuma and the ruling African National Congress supporters are mostly black South Africans. Zuma has on several occasions blamed white South Africans for poverty and inequality in the country.
However, Duncan Wa Muvenda noted:
Blacks had lived a #junkstatus life since 1652! Investment is benefited the selected blacks and privileged whites! Stop this nonsense!
— Duncan Wa Muvenda (@TheeVintage) April 3, 2017
1652 is the year the first European settlement was established by the Dutch in South Africa.
Another user shared a photo of a shanty town with the following observation:
The people living under these conditions can't tell the difference between a AAA economy and #junkstatus – Facts Only ???? pic.twitter.com/z3rDMLYFjM
— African (@ali_naka) April 3, 2017
AAA is the highest possible rating to be assigned to a country by credit rating agencies.
While Phelelani Mpanza doubted the rating agencies:
We must question the credibility of these rating agencies #Junkstatus
— Phelelani Mpanza (@PhelelaniMpanza) April 3, 2017
Another user wondered:
How did Apartheid regime survive for more than 40yrs without these criminal “ratings agencies”
— M||o (@MxolisiBob) April 3, 2017
Mpumelelo Mbatha speculated that the downgrade is an attack on emerging BRICS economies:
The downgrade of RSA to junk status may be a attack on BRICS. Last February Brazil was downgraded to junk status… #junkstatus #downgrade
— Mpumelelo Mbatha (@SkhuluM) April 4, 2017
BRICS is an association of five major emerging national economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
Vuyo Ro echoed Mbatha's sentiments:
Brazil was downgraded so that people can impeach their president with force. South Africans are not stupid. #junkstatus
— Vuyo Ro (@sleam19) April 4, 2017
Last year, BRICS announced that it would set up credit rating agency to rival Fitch and others.


This bullet in the utensil photo is not linked to the Delhi Chalo farmers' protest. - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 26, 2024
Social media is flooded with posts about the Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest of 2024. Reportedly, a man named Shubhkaran Singh lost his life during a police clash. In this context, a post showcasing a picture of a cooking utensil pierced by a bullet is being shared, claiming it to be from the Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest. Let’s verify this claim through this fact-check article.
Claim: This photo of a bullet lodged in a cooking utensil is from the Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest of 2024.
Fact: The viral photo is not related to the 2024 farmers’ protest. Instead, the picture originated from Bangladesh and was taken during a cross-border firing incident at Shahparir Dwip and Saint Martin in Teknaf. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
To check the veracity of the claim, we performed a reverse image search on the viral photo, which led us to several news reports from Bangladesh (here, here and here) containing the same image.
These news reports from February 2024 provided a backdrop of the border districts of Myanmar witnessing a firing incident. Dhaka Mail reported that “Bullets and mortar shells fired from Myanmar often hit the houses across the border. Between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, at least three residential houses on the border were hit by mortar shells.”
A report by ’24onbd’ containing the viral photo added that during a heavy gunfire and shelling incident in ‘Teknaf’ at the Bangladesh border, a bullet struck a cooking utensil. This reveals that the viral photo is unrelated to the Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest. A few more news reports on this border firing can be read here and here.
To sum up, the viral photo of a bullet lodged in a cooking utensil is not from the Delhi Chalo farmers’ protest but from a border conflict incident in Bangladesh.


Journalism: NUJ President Wants More Protection For Practitioners - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
August 16, 2019
The President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ ChrisIziguzo has appealed to the Nigeria Police to protect Journalists as they carryout their legitimate duties across the country.
Iziguzo, in a remark at a Forum for the Adoption ofFramework on Police Media-Relationship and Safety of Journalists in Abuja, saidthat the safety of journalists was crucial to national growth in view of theirrole as watchdogs of the society.
The event was organised by NUJ in collaboration with MediaFoundation for West Africa and other partners.
Iziguzo said that Nigeria should not toy with its newsmenbecause they were the light, conscience and watchdog of the society. Heemphasised the need for journalists and Police to work together, and regrettedthat the role of the newsmen as the oxygen of democracy was under severethreat.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary, Media Foundation forWest Africa, Sulemana Braimah in his speech, said that the relationship betweenthe media and the Police was a crucial one.
The participants were drawn from the Nigeria Police, Mediaand other relevant stakeholders.


Iran: Guards attacking people · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

A video film showing security forces attacked protesters today in Tehran.


Russia: Sochi-2014? · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Inside Krasnodar is “waiting with baited breath” for the July 4 announcement of the winner of the 2014 Winter Olympics bid: “Apparently the city of Sochi is also gearing-up for the announcement by declaring the 4th and 5th of July as holidays and preparing to have a free concert with fireworks.”


USA: Blogger punished for his political remarks over Iraq · Global Voices
Frank Dai

A blogger named Leonard A. Clark, An Arizona National Guardsmen, was punished for his criticism over Iraqi War. He was charged with violating operational security and 11 counts of disobeying orders.


Bahrain: Unpleasant Encounter With Landlord  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahrain-based blogger Bint Battuta  has an unpleasant encounter with her landlord. “Once again I feel totally frustrated at the problems I face just because I am a European woman in this society. It only takes a few idiots to make me feel quite overwhelmed, even though I know the majority of people – men – are very decent, and deal with me normally,” she writes.


Bangladesh: Photo Competition For The Bihari Refugees · Global Voices
Rezwan

Six Oranges reports that a photo competition titled Ummid (hope) has been arranged to mark the second anniversary of the granting of citizenship to stranded Biharis (Pakistanis) by the supreme court of Bangladesh. The competition will bring attention on the problems of the refugees that still remain.


Pakistan: Street Foods in Lahore · Global Voices
Rezwan

Chapati Mystery posts some mouth-watering pictures of street foods in Lahore.


Venzuela: Starting to Dialogue · Global Voices
Iria Puyosa

Responding to recent violations to freedom of speech in government-run media, Venezuelan bloggers have launched a collective weblog, En Diálogo [ES] (In Dialogue).  The blog intends to bring people together from different political backgrounds to discuss the country's problems and put forward solutions.


Post from Community: Alderman Hamilton notes opening of new restaurant in Rufus King Neighborhood | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Ald. Ashanti Hamilton
October 20, 2021
Alderman Ashanti Hamilton invites community members to check out a new family-owned restaurant – Daq Shack at 4191 N. Green Bay Ave. – that is marking its grand opening in the historic Rufus King Neighborhood today.
“The Daq Shack is an awesome addition to the Rufus King Neighborhood, offering a full menu and bar. These are small business owners who persevered through the pandemic to bring a dynamic business to the area, and I welcome them and wish them prosperity and success,” Alderman Hamilton said.
For additional details on the Daq Shack, please scan the attached QR code.
What: Grand Opening of Daq Shack
Where: 4191 N. Green Bay Ave.
When: Open today from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.


A false report about Sania Mirza broadcasted by India TV in 2010 is now an Internet meme - Alt News
Jignesh Patel
2nd February 2019 / 2:49 pm
On January 19, Alt News debunked a viral picture which suggested that while Sania Mirza wears a hijab in Pakistan, she dons modern urban attire in India. Several Facebook pages including Tarek Fateh Fan club and Bharatiya Yuva Shaktee had shared the viral meme, where the image on the left features Sania Mirza in western clothing, while she is donning a hijab in the image on the right. At the time of writing the article, the post by the Facebook pages still exists with a combined share count of nearly 10,000.
Alt News probed the origin of this claim and found a India TV broadcast of June, 2010. According to the report, Sania Mirza’s style of dressing had changed after her marriage to Shoaib Malik in April 2010. In the broadcast, India TV anchor said that after Sania Mirza got married with Shoaib Malik, her dressing style suddenly changed. She further said that Mirza was seen in ‘Pakistani’ clothing and her dressing style is not what it used to be.
Alt News used Google reverse image and found that the photo of Mirza donning a hijab is not from Pakistan. It was clicked during her trip to Saudi Arabia in 2006. An article published by Rediff on November 9, 2006 was titled, “Spotted! Sania Mirza in a hijab”. According to the article, Sania Mirza was clicked during her visit to Mecca for Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage. Hence, India TV‘s claim that the photograph of Sania Mirza wearing a burqa was clicked after marriage with Shoaib Malik and belongs to one of her Pakistan visits is false as her marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik took place in 2010, while the picture is from her Umrah visit is from 2006.
It may be noted that she has been spotted in western clothing, similar to what she would wear in India, on several occasions in Pakistan.
@ayeshaOmer23 with @MirzaSania on the #PSLT20 #HBLPSL
These two more charming & lovely😘😘😘#KarachiKings #Karachi pic.twitter.com/mPga9bwQmm
— Muala Jutt 🇵🇰 (@BeingAtharAli_) February 9, 2016
India TV’s misreport about Sania Mirza’s photograph turned out to be one of the earliest instance, the false claim was propagated on television, which later was converted to a meme on the Internet.
Jignesh is a writer and researcher at Alt News. He has a knack for visual investigation with a major interest in fact-checking videos and images. He has completed his Masters in Journalism from Gujarat University.
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Japan: the First English Teacher · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Peter Payne from Japundit traces the history of the first English Teacher in Japan.


Fact Check: Has Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) reduced its toll and licensing fees? - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
August 3, 2023
Claim: Social media posts showed that there was lack of clarity on whether ZINARA had indeed reduced its toll and licensing fees effective from 1 August 2023.
Source: Social media
Is this true or false? Verdict: It is true that ZINARA has reduced its ZWL Fees
On 31 July 2023, ZINARA announced on their social media platforms that both ZWL toll and vehicle licensing fees have been reduced effective from 1 August 2023 on their social media platforms. The new tariffs are pegged as follows:
Zimbabwe National Roads Administration
FEATURED


Gezi’s Legacy? Biggest Party Humbled in Turkey’s Game-Changing General Election · Global Voices
Global Voices

Kurds march in Berlin against violence in Turkey's election campaign on June 6, 2015. Photo by Thorsten Strasas. Demotix ID: 7791816.
The following post covers Turkey's June 7 general election. Ece Basay, Erkan Saka, Efe Levent, Ahmet Sabanaci and Chris Rickleton contributed updates to this post.
With votes fully counted in a high-stakes general election in Turkey, long-dominant conservative AKP (Justice and Development Party) fell short of a majority in the parliament thanks to the emergence of the pro-Kurdish HDP (People's Democratic Party).
Results left the AKP with around 41% of the vote and unable to form a single party government. HDP, with around 13% of the vote, comfortably crossed the 10% threshold required for parliamentary representation, while the CHP Republican People's Party (25%) and the MHP nationalists (16.3%) also entered the parliament.
It did not take long before Turkish tweeps were calling both the results and an unprecedented uptick in citizen monitoring initiatives a victory for the 2013 Gezi park protests that the AKP government quelled with excessive force:
My take, too. The election monitoring initiative, the pro-Kurdish sentiment, diverse candidates all legacy of Gezi. https://t.co/oBze1mA27z
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) June 7, 2015
While Selahattin Demirtaş, HDP's leader, who ruled out forming a coalition with AKP, dedicated his party's success to both the youth of the Gezi movement, and the Turkish-Syrian border town of Kobane, which overcame the brutal ISIS radical group after over 133 days of intense fighting.
Demirtaş : Bu zafer Gezi'nin ve Kobane'nin kol kola yürüyen gün yüzlü gençlerin bize armağanıdır.
— İzmirliHDPli (@HDPlizmirli) June 7, 2015
This victory is a present of the smiling and shining youth of Gezi and Kobane
Voters also thanked the party's women's organisation for “changing the language” of politics in Turkey:
Siyasetin dilini, yapısını değiştiren @HDPkadin larına çok özel teşekkürler! Sessiz sedasız yürüttüğünüz devrim her yere bulaşsın :)
— Ayşe Gül Altınay (@aysealtinay) June 7, 2015
We specifically thank to @HDPKadin who have changed the language and the structure of politics. Let this silent revolution which you have been leading spread everywhere.
According to the constitution, a potential coalition government should be formed in 45 days. If that is not possible, fresh elections will be called. Analytical website JamesinTurkey.com looked at potential coalitions prior to the vote going ahead.
Voting in Turkey's crucial General Election commences in Istanbul on June 7, 2015. Photo by SADIK GÜLEÇ.  Demotix ID 7795364.
This video produced before the elections by the Taiwan-based TOMO news agency, which covers world events in short animated clips, shows how good news for HDP was bad news for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's bid to shift constitutional powers from the parliament to the president.
Violations
Given the tight margins involved in the vote, it is perhaps not surprising that users following the elections using open source mapping documented a number of violations.
Citizen media group Dokuz8Haber, working with the Seçim Var project that crowdsourced reports from all over the country on election day, noted:
#Secim2015 #Sandıktayım #ENG pic.twitter.com/puNU3BGd2V
— dokuz8 (@dokuz8haber) June 7, 2015
Birgun, a live blog (in Turkish) also kept pace with violations. One key electoral controversy — as predicted in the TOMO video — was electricity failures. Power cuts hit polling stations in Urfa, a mainly Kurdish region where support for the HDP is strong and, more briefly, the Tesvikiye region of Istanbul.
Global Voices contributor Arzu Geybullayeva noted:
There are electricity cuts in tesvikiye. It's been 30min or so. #OyunaSahipCık #Periscope #Secim2015 is it a coincidence? — Arzu Geybulla (@arzugeybulla) June 7, 2015
Another seeming irregularity widely shared on social media was the appearance outside polling stations of cars with no number plates:
Mystery of cars without licence plates around polling stations. Authorities should explain… #TurkeyElections https://t.co/AdMVLAQcQX — Erkan Saka (@sakaerka) June 7, 2015
Some citizens responded to the appearance of the vehicles — assumed to be linked in some way to ballot fraud — by blasting their tires:
Türkiye'nin her yerinde plakasız araçların lastikleri patlatılmaya başladı. Efsane bir seçim… #lastikleripatlat — Volkan Bozaci (@Volkances) June 7, 2015
People have started to blast the tires of the cars without the licence plates. A legendary election #blastthetires
Regional party becomes national and international focus
In the run-up to the vote, HDP offices and rallies were subjected to attacks by unknown assailants.
On June 5, in the key Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir, a party rally suffered a devestating bomb attack that killed two and injured hundreds, triggering anti-government protests among the country's Kurdish minority in the country's east and abroad.
The AKP publicly condemned the attacks, while President Erdoğan called the bomb blast a “provocation”.
As their votes promised to swing the election, the minority was the subject of much international attention:
130 year old Kurdish man voting . Arnt you ashamed Pakistanis for not standing for your rights #TurkeyElections pic.twitter.com/IpaagqGB7h — Maan Imran Khan (@MaanImranKhan) June 7, 2015
Wounded at the twin explosions at #HDP‘s #Diyarbakir rally, that's determination. #bbcturkey15 pic.twitter.com/eEg1ErNATa — Zeynep Erdim (@zeynep_erdim) June 7, 2015
In a far cry from scenes earlier in the week, HDP supporters in Diyarbakir were in a celebratory mood as preliminary results filtered in, ignoring the pleas of co-leader Selahattin Demirtas not to go wild before final totals were known:
Celebrations in Diyarbakir in front of HDP hq. #Turkeyvotes2015 pic.twitter.com/9orkvuteQD
— Humeyra Pamuk (@humeyra_pamuk) June 7, 2015
The AKP-formed government is credited by many with delivering long-run economic growth in the post-millennial era. But the party's perceived arrogance and authoritarian streak, embodied in  Erdoğan's political persona, appear to have alienated large swathes of the electorate.
Media freedom concerns
After the 2013 Gezi protests, the Turkish mainstream media earned themselves the moniker “penguin media” because of their pro-government messaging and skewed portrayal of the protesters.
In 2014, Freedom House explained its decision to change the country's press freedom ranking from free to unfree:
Turkey’s status declined from Partly Free to Not Free as a result of a sharp deterioration in the press freedom environment in 2013. Journalists were harassed and assaulted while attempting to cover the Gezi Park protests that broke out in Istanbul in May, and dozens were fired or forced to resign in response to their reporting on the demonstrations. Throughout the year, other prominent journalists were fired over their coverage of sensitive issues like negotiations between the government and the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) or corruption scandals involving Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his associates that emerged in December. The firings highlighted the close relationship between the government and many media owners, and the formal and informal pressure that this places on journalists.
Build, build build
Turkey's economic growth from the early years of the AKP era was accompanied by a construction boom that has continued apace even as the economy has slowed down, fuelling fears for the environment and the long-term future of the country's uniquely diverse cultural heritage.
For Global Voices posts on the boom see:
Can Istanbul be Saved from Overdevelopment?
Gezi's Echo and the Battle for Public Spaces in Turkey
Watch John Lubbock's ‘Istanbul: the Politics of Architecture‘
The Original Santa Claus is Under Threat from the Turkish Construction Industry. So is Much of Turkey's Unique Heritage
Gender inequality and violence
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the rate of murders of women increased 1400% between 2002 until 2009, and there have been further increases since. While it is difficult to hold AKP directly accountable for the shocking uptick in gender violence during its rule, many Turkish feminists feel that a patriarchal party narrative and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's views on the impossibility of equality between the sexes have not helped matters.
Turkish women's representation in the workforce remains just over half the EU average and there has been little progress on this front in the last five years.
For Global Voices posts on gender-based violence and inequality in Turkey see:
As Turkish Women Struggle for Freedom from Violence, Their President Tells Them: Give up on Equality
‘You Will Do Anything for Ratings': More Outrage over the Wife Killer ‘Star’ of Turkish Daytime TV
Turkey Mourns a Female Student's Brutal Death
What Does Turkey's General Election Promise for Women?
Online tools’ contribution to the election
Global Voices author Erkan Saka has been tracking a number of online tools that have helped citizens follow and understand the electoral process better.
Covering Turkey's General Elections, One Tool at a Time
Data Set Demonstrates Attacks on Turkish Opposition Party's Campaign Offices Are Systematic
Ahead of Turkey's Critical General Election, a Fact-Checking Website Analyses Political Statements


Philippines: If I Were Mayor of Bacolod · Global Voices
Karlo Mongaya

The Loveless Guru suggests 12 changes in the way Bacolod is governed if she was the mayor of the central Philippine city.


India: Civic Sense And Liberty · Global Voices
Rezwan

Prerna at I Love Life.. So I Explore discusses about the phenomenon of the lack of civic sense of Indians inside the country as some make public nuisances completely ignoring the law.


Malawi: Court To Rule On 2019 Presidential Election - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
February 3, 2020
The nation has never had apresidential vote overturned, but the two opposition candidates who teamed upfor a legal challenge are hoping the Constitutional Court will agree with theirallegations of irregularities and order for a new vote.
President Peter Mutharika wasdeclared the narrow winner of the May election, with 38% of votes, followed byLazarus Chakwera, with 35%, and former vice-president Saulos Chilima camethird, with 20%. The four other candidates collectively got nearly 6%.
The five-judge panel has heardarguments that the vote was rigged by the president and Electoral Commission;both have denied it.
Malawi’s electoral commissionacknowledged receiving one-hundred-and-forty-seven reports allegingirregularities, including the use of correction fluid to alter some results.
The two opposition candidatesalleged that the irregularities affected over 1.4 million of the total 5.1million votes cast.


We‘ll need years of warning to deflect an asteroid - 360
Bruce A. Conway
Published on June 30, 2022
Using a spacecraft to knock an asteroid off a collision course is the best planetary defence we have. But it will take complex calculations, and plenty of time.
Astronomers deal with vast distances and spans of time, so on that scale, it was only moments ago the real danger of asteroids and comets came into sharp focus.
In 1994 the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet collided with Jupiter – an event predicted a year in advance and watched in real-time via the Hubble telescope. Humankind had already seen the craters on the Moon, legacy of numerous asteroid impacts, and photos of the asteroid-blasted Tunguska region of Siberia in 1908. When we watched a comet strike the solar system’s largest planet, though, we saw with absolute clarity the threat asteroids and comets pose to Earth. A potential collision is inevitable – the only unknown is how soon it will happen.
If we have enough warning, our planetary defence is most likely to be kinetic impact: sending a spacecraft to collide with the threatening object, slightly changing its momentum and eventually deflecting it from its original path.
We will need years to spare between the spacecraft’s impact with the hazardous object and the object’s close approach to the Earth. The mass of the spacecraft might be 10,000 to 1 million times less than the mass of the object, so even if the spacecraft could travel 10 to 15 kilometres per second, the impact might change the velocity of the object by only 1 centimetre per second – or less.
In the best-case scenario, that means a deflection of about 1 kilometre per day. But the object may need to be deflected by many thousands of kilometres depending on its trajectory – and that easily adds up to several years. We could shorten the time by sending successive spacecraft, each adding to the resulting deflection, as we would probably do in case an individual spacecraft failed in its mission.
Researchers have spent years determining how such a mission might be planned. Finding the optimal solution is not straightforward. As with many engineering problems, there are trade-offs and complications, and many variables to consider.
These include the launch date, the direction of the departure from Earth, the thrust ‘programme’ i.e. the time history of the direction the continuous low-thrust solar-electric engine should point, and finally, the date of impact (which determines the location of the object at impact). This constitutes a large problem in astrodynamics and optimisation for which intuition is almost useless.
Because we need so much time to deflect the asteroid, it’s reasonable to assume the earliest possible launch and impact are best, to allow the longest time for the impact to have an effect. The difficulty is the Earth and the object are both moving around the Sun, so the relative geometry continuously changes. This affects both the time required and the relative velocity at impact (higher is better, but the direction is also critically important).
The trajectory also determines how much fuel the spacecraft will consume. Larger consumption means less spacecraft mass at the time of impact and a reduced deflection effect. All the variables interact in a complicated way, but fortunately, numerical methods can determine the values yielding maximum deflection at the object’s closest approach to the Earth.
NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, launched in late 2021, aims to test the kinetic impact defence. The DART spacecraft’s goal is to collide with a particular small asteroid orbiting a much larger one. If all goes to plan, the small asteroid’s motion will be monitored after the collision to see what effect the impact had. The asteroid’s orbit around a larger asteroid will make its motion easier to track.
DART will not be the first trial of the method. In July 2005, NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft collided with a comet, though for scientific reasons having nothing to do with hazardous-object deflection. But the mission proved a spacecraft could be targeted for such an impact despite the split-second timing required.
We have identified most of the many thousands of space objects in our planetary neighbourhood, particularly the largest and most dangerous. None of them has even a small probability of collision in the next few decades. It is very unlikely that a large, undetected object is on a collision course and that there is not enough time for the kinetic impact mechanism to work.
This doesn’t mean a new, dangerous object won’t be found: several new asteroids are detected every day now we are searching for them in earnest (which wasn’t true even two decades ago).
We can’t be complacent. The Chelyabinsk asteroid impact in 2013 demonstrated that a ‘small’ (20-metre) object can go undetected – all the way into the Earth’s atmosphere. Doing more tests like DART and developing a spacecraft for the kinetic impact mission are cheap insurance against the possibility we will need them.
Bruce A Conway is Professor Emeritus and Research Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana, United States. He is the author of many research papers, book chapters and two books on orbital mechanics and optimisation.
No conflicts of interest were declared in relation to this article.


Macau: A gastronomic tour · Global Voices
Paula Góes

Leocardo [pt] has compiled a list of his favorite places to eat out in Macau, beyond Chinese and Portuguese cuisine.


Typhoon Ketsana’s impact in Thailand · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The typhoon which hit the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos also affected Thailand. Some areas in north Thailand are still vulnerable to flash floods.


India: Bhopal Tragedy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Bhopal Blog posts on a victory for those who have been campaigning on the issue of the Bhopal tragedy. “You: the unyielding anger of compassionate people the world over, burying the government in protest, scorn and shame.”


Barbados: Press pays attention to blogs · Global Voices
Nicholas Laughlin

A leading Barbados newspaper runs an editorial on “The Blogging Phenomenon”; Living in Barbados offers an analysis of the coverage.


China: Property riots · Global Voices
Luisetta Mudie

Shenzhen Ren reports, albeit second-hand, about a group of prospective property buyers in the southern Chinese boomtown who rioted when the developers tried to pull a fast one.


U.S.V.I., Trinidad & Tobago: Best on Self-Knowledge  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

A Nation or Nobody refers to a speech by the late Trinidadian intellectual Lloyd Best, noting that his “most important message is…that locally-based forms of knowledge are what all people should be striving to develop.  Just because the majority of the Caribbean’s people trace their lineage to somewhere else, doesn’t mean political and academic institutions don't need to be homegrown.”


Bahamas: Education Challenges  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit examines the problems facing Bahamian education.


Nigerians using UK schools as shields for money laundering – Report | EduCeleb
30th January 2021
An American foundation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has said that Nigerian political elite is using the British educational system as a money-laundering shield in the guise of seeking better schooling opportunities for their children.
This was contained in a report released in Washington DC on Thursday.
The report written by its non-resident scholar on democracy, conflict and governance, Mathew Page. The report was tilted West African Elites Spending on UK schools: Acloser Look.
According to the report, many West African political elites send their children to boarding schools and universities abroad, especially in the UK. Yet some appear to be using unexplained wealth to pay for it, creating thorny anti-corruption challenges for educators, policymakers, and law enforcement.
The report was commissioned by the UK government.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing said it was motivated by her government’s desire “to better understand the risk to the UK from illicit finance in West Africa. We will now consider the reports finding and take a view on what if any further action is required.”
She said, “Tackling illicit corruption in Nigeria is critical to the country’s prosperity and security, and to addressing poverty and inequality,” adding that “the UK is working in partnership with Nigeria to tackle corruption and illicit finance and has excellent relationships with Nigerian agencies and civil society who are fighting corruption.”
The Carnegie report also mentioned colleges and universities in the United Kingdom are complicit in the process, saying The UK is still “reluctant to acknowledge outside criticism of the sector’s AML [anti-money laundering] shortcomings or to derive lessons learned from recent anticorruption failures” adding that some have even shown willingness “to matriculate students linked to known—and even convicted—kleptocrats.”
The UK government also got knocks from the report for its “policies and programmes seeking to boost the country’s international education sector” which the report said, “lack a much-needed anti-corruption component.”
“The capital flight and greater foreign exchange and currency pressures associated with paying costly school and university fees have harmed these countries’ future development and prevented them from correcting deeper socioeconomic inequalities that compound underdevelopment and can even spark violent conflict.
“As long as PEPs flock into the education sectors of countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States instead of investing in their own sectors, West African countries will continue to suffer a “brain drain” and financial outflows that harm their economies” the report asserted.
Laing said that “The UK has a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and remains committed to tackling it wherever it happens, including in the United Kingdom (UK) education system.”
The traditional argument by many Nigerian political elites that they accumulated vast wealth before entering politics, does not hold water, according to the report based on data, because “very few would be able to show convincing evidence of how they did so.”
Arguing for reforms, the report said a “stronger policy focus on the corruption vulnerabilities of the UK education sector could also support UK international development goals by reducing “educational escapism” by elites who choose to school abroad while neglecting domestic educational institutions.”


Easter Celebration: Federal Government Declares Friday, Monday Next Week Holidays - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Abubakar Abubakar
April 18, 2019
The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 19th and Monday, 22nd, public holidays to mark the 2019 Easter celebration.
The Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau in a statement enjoined all Christians to emulate Jesus Christ’s exemplary attributes of tolerance, sacrificial love, peaceful co-existence, among others.
He urged Nigerians home and abroad to use the occasion to pray for the peace, unity and progress of the country, irrespective of diversity in religious beliefs.
While wishing Nigerians a happy and peaceful Easter celebration, the Minister called on them to support President Buhari’s administration.


A Trip to Omalo · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Caucasus Pictures takes the rough road to Old Omalo, the main village of Georgia's Tusheti region.


Women and men in charge differed in their pandemic message - 360
Supriya Garikipati University of Liverpool
Published on November 29, 2021
By Supriya Garikipati University of Liverpool, and Uma Kambhampati University of Reading
When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold at the start of 2020, citizens the world over looked to their leaders. They watched and listened intently as their heads of state navigated an unprecedented global health emergency. What leaders said reflected how they acted, and how they acted had nation-altering implications.
At key flashpoints in the pandemic response, a trend began to emerge: women who led countries generally responded with more urgency, going into lockdowns earlier and saving more lives in the process. The men in charge tended to take longer to close down their state’s economies. As a result, their countries broadly suffered from higher COVID-19 transmission and more deaths in the early stages of the pandemic. Women leaders not only acted faster, but their speeches showed more focus on saving lives, whereas their male counterparts were perceived as being torn between protecting lives and worrying about the economy.
To illustrate, consider speeches given by three women leading states in the Asia-Pacific: Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Then match these against a male-led country with a similar profile, accounting for a variety of factors such as GDP per capita, population, population density and proportion of elderly.
Lam’s Hong Kong compared with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Singapore, Ardern’s New Zealand against Trudeau’s Canada, and Ing-wen’s Taiwan alongside President Moon Jae-in’s South Korea. Comparing three public speeches per leader made between Feb. 15 and Apr. 15, 2020 delivers an interesting spread – one speech given before lockdown was imposed, one speech announcing lockdown, and one that came post-lockdown announcement.
In the speeches about lockdown, 72 percent of the words in women leaders’ speeches were related to lockdown measures, compared to 36 percent of words in speeches by male leaders. A third of the words in male leaders’ speeches spoke about other government priorities and economic measures, while this was only about 7 percent for the women.
These differences were most apparent in the speech before lockdown. In the speeches announcing lockdown, the gap between the genders narrows: 74 percent of female speeches were about lockdown compared to 65 percent of male speeches. In the speeches made post-lockdown, both sets of leaders spoke mainly about the economic support being provided by the government. Taking a deeper dive into the speeches helps explore these initial results further.
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During the pandemic’s early stages, women leaders focused very closely on issues related to containing transmission and lockdown measures, while male leaders spoke about wider government priorities and gave far more attention to their state’s economic response to the pandemic.
For instance, as early as Feb. 25, Carrie Lam told her people that the Hong Kong government “accorded top priority to the prevention and control of the disease”.
Reinforcing this message, on Mar. 25 she said that the country was facing “a critical moment in the fight against the disease and also a moment for testing the resilience of Hong Kong people in the face of the epidemic.”
The early emphasis on controlling the spread of COVID-19 was mirrored by Tsai Ing-wen in Taiwan. Speaking about the measures her government was taking to reduce transmission on Apr. 1, she said:
“Beginning next Thursday, residents will be able to buy nine adult face masks or 10 childrens’ face masks every 14 days. We have also set regulations for shipping face masks overseas to help keep Taiwanese citizens living overseas safe.”
In New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern was candid about the challenge of containing the virus: on Mar. 21 she said the country “must fight by going hard and going early with new measures to slow the transmission of the virus”.
Ardern also used a lot of direct and emphatic phrasing in her speeches: “If in doubt, don’t go out,” (Mar. 23) and “the best economic response continues to be a strong health response” (Apr. 9 ). Aside from the content of her speeches, Ardern was also one of many women in leadership who went beyond traditional media to speak to her people: her daily briefings on Facebook Live, for instance, was praised as exemplary crisis communication.
While women in charge tended to focus on saving lives, male leaders were attempting to strike a balance between public health and other government priorities, mainly about the economy. Trudeau, for instance, addressed a wide range of concerns in his Mar. 13 speech:
“I know that you’re worried. You’re worried about your health, about your family’s health. About your job, your savings, about paying rent, and the kids not being in school,” Trudeau told his people.
“I know that you’re concerned about uncertainty in the global economy.”
Few other leaders talked about the economy this early in the pandemic.
In Singapore, Lee’s speeches made wide-ranging references to international responses while drawing comparisons to what Singapore was doing.
“In South Korea, the cases spread through the Shincheonji church group,” Lee said in a speech on Mar. 12.
“And several Singaporeans who attended a big international religious gathering, a tabligh gathering, in Kuala Lumpur recently have caught the virus.”
In the same speech, Lee also cited Saudi Arabia’s temporary halt on umrah pilgrimages and the Pope’s decision to live-stream sermons to justify his own state’s pandemic response measures.
This message remained consistent nearly a month later. On Apr. 10, Lee said:
“This has been the experience of countries like China, South Korea, and New Zealand. They all adopted similar tough measures after a surge in infections.”
In South Korea, Moon generally kept his speeches very short and concentrated instead on praising his citizens. Whilst his female counterpart in Taiwan pushed government initiatives to reduce community transition, Moon focused on a different message:
“I cannot help but be left in solemn awe upon hearing the news about Daegu citizens taking care of each other regarding matters that the nation cannot address,” he said on Mar. 4.
The initial stages of the pandemic brought into clear view the differences in the way men and women in leadership reacted to the crisis. The difference in language translated to a difference in policy: women, who tended to emphasise saving lives in their speech, locked down their countries faster on average than men, who seemed more split between the challenge of saving  citizen’s lives and saving the economy. Perhaps contrary to expectations, politicians for once said what they would do and did what they said.
Supriya Garikipati is an Associate Professor in Gender and Development at the University of Liverpool, where she also teaches in this area.
Uma Kambhampati is Professor of Economics at the University of Reading. She is also Head of the School of Politics, Economics and International Relations.
Abhilash Kondragantiis a doctoral researcher and graduate teaching fellow at the University of Liverpool.
The authors declared no conflict of interest in relation to this article.


Uzbekistan: Karimov forever · Global Voices
Ben Paarmann

At Registan.net, Nathan Hamm thinks that Uzbekistan's president Islam Karimov will stay in power beyond his constitutional term.


Colombia: Cauca Indigenous Demand Army and Guerrillas Leave Their Territories · Global Voices
Julián Ortega Martínez

In an open letter [es, fr], the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN), in south western Colombia, demanded that “groups and legal and illegal armies” leave their territories, specifically the town of Toribío, which is routinely attacked by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) [es]. The indigenous destroyed army and police trenches, as well as a FARC camp [es]. President Juan Manuel Santos was booed [es] when he arrived to the town, where a council of ministers is set to be held on Wednesday, July 11.


The person seen in this video is Swami Yogananda not Swami Vivekananda - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
April 13, 2023
A post claiming to be a rare video of Swami Vivekananda is being shared on social media. Let’s fact-check this claim through this article.
Claim: Rare video of Swami Vivekananda when he was alive.
Fact: The person seen walking in traditional dress in this video is Swami Yogananda. This was a video shot when he visited New York City, USA. Hence the claim made in the post is False.
We noticed that the viral video had a watermark that read MIRC@SCEDU and searched about it on the internet using appropriate keywords.
That led to the University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections website. This website contains a collection of archival footage. We observed that the logo similar to the watermark is in a thumbnail on this website. You can see it in the picture below.
We then searched for footage of Swami Vivekananda on it using relevant keywords and found a video containing the footage in the viral video.
The footage in this 48-second video matches the viral video from around 34 seconds. According to the video description, the man seen wearing a traditional dress in this video is Swami Yogananda not Swami Vivekananda. The video description also states that this video was filmed when he visited the New York City, USA, possibly in 1923.
To sum up, archival footage of  Swami Yogananda and his team walking in New York City is falsely attributed to Swami Vivekananda.


Azerbaijan: Roundup · Global Voices
Paul Frankenstein

Registan.net has a great roundup of recent Azerbaijan news.