Sexual Abuse of Children in Tourism in Southeast Asia · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Project Childhood Prevention Pillar, an initiative of the Australian government, has released a study about the prevalence of sexual abuse of children in the Southeast Asian region. It cited social factors such as “poverty and marginalisation, as well as lack of family support, education, opportunity, and protective factors” for the continuing harm done to children. It also identified how travel and tourism “comprised another risk factor contributing to children’s vulnerability.” The study covered Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.


First UNN SUG president, BIC Ijomah dies at 83 | EduCeleb
15th March 2020
The pioneer Students’ Union Government president of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) Benedict Ijomah is dead.
Ijomah was a renowned professor of political sociology, who hailed from Aboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
He died on Friday, 13th March at age 83.
The late activist headed the  Students’ Union at UNN between 1960 and 1961.
He was also the pioneer National Vice-President of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NUNS) and was also the first President of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association.
In acknowledgement of his outstanding contributions to the academia, the UNN named the Centre for Policy Studies and Research after him because of his numerous contributions to the institution.
Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has expressed deep sadness on the demise of the author, scholar, academician, and elder statesman.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika in Asaba, Okowa commiserated with the people of Ndokwa East, Aboh community in particular and the UNN over the passing of the renowned scholar and elder statesman.
He described late Prof. Ijomah as a “thoroughbred researcher”, academician, refined politician, prolific author, orator and a man of the people and assured that his government would continue to promote scholarship and excellence which the renowned professor epitomized in his lifetime.
According to him, the deceased was a well respected scholar and an incurable quantitative researcher in Sociology, whose work on Coastal Erosion in Nigeria successfully predicted the instability of the ocean in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The governor assured that his government would continue to build on the Stronger Delta legacies, visionary foresight and solid foundations laid by the founding fathers of the state which Prof Ijomah was part of.
“The news of his death came to me as a shock and I send my heartfelt condolences to the family, the people of Ndokwa East, Aboh community in particular and the University of Nigeria over the passing of the renowned elder statesman and Professor of Political Sociology.
“As a bastion of knowledge and inspiration, a man of great political depth and insight, a leader of leaders, he contributed immensely to the development of our state and country in the several capacities he served.
“As a government, we acknowledge his role and efforts as one of the founding fathers of Delta as well as his efforts in pioneering the South-South People’s Conference (SSOPEC), which no doubt gave vent to a South- South President in 2011.
“As a scholar, Professor B.I.C Ijomah authored 10 books and over 100 published articles. His work on Coastal Erosion in Nigeria, which successfully predicted the instability of the ocean in Victoria Island, Lagos remain an indelible contribution to the academic world.”
“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I mourn the exit of a great elder statesman, Professor Benedict Imeagwu Chukwumah Ijomah, whose fountain of knowledge has remained an inspiration to many.
“He will be sorely missed by all whose lives he impacted positively in his numerous writings and it’s my prayer that God will grant his soul repose and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.” Okowa said.


How India’s Porn Ban Backfired And “Brought the Entire Nation Together” · Global Voices
Subhashish Panigrahi

“Sex with assistance,”
Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India. Photo by Kaiban via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Indian social media networks have been on fire this week, after someone leaked a copy of the Department of Telecommunication's secret order to ban 857 websites thought to contain pornographic content.
The order was issued to Internet service providers, who duly complied, but this didn't last long. Many criticised the government for act, calling it “talibanisation” or extreme censorship. Others pointed out that some of the sites blocked didn't contain pornography at all — humor and file-sharing sites were also swept up in the ban. The department soon announced that the ban was temporary, and would be permanently applied only to sites that contained child abuse or pornography.
Commentary online ranged from those criticising the government's actions as censorship and a violation of individual rights, to those supporting the ban on the grounds that it protects citizens from private videos going public. Several posts also mocked the outcomes of the move.
The most dangerous time for a govt is not when it is attacked but when it is laughed at #PornBan
— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) August 4, 2015
Among those who praised the ban was activist and lawyer Kamlesh Vaswani, who once made an abortive appeal in the Indian Supreme Court to have pornographic sites blocked:
“Under Prime Minister Modi’s good governance and the good faith with which this government has been working,” Mr. Vaswani said in an interview, “they have been instrumental in blocking the 857 websites that I have been looking to get blocked.”
- Kamlesh Vaswani
Others such as Twitter users Sudhir Chaudhary and Reddit India pointed out the ironies behind the move and had some fun at the government's expense:
It's interesting how #PornBan has brought the entire nation together.Issues like poverty,terrorism,unemployment could never unite INDIA..
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) August 6, 2015
For those without access due to #PornBan, some vintage, desi stuff. Old thread on Reddit: http://t.co/6QycQmQlU0 pic.twitter.com/L2LPXIfM96
— Reddit India (@redditindia) August 2, 2015
Indian member of Parliament Baijayant Jay Panda shared a map of the world showing devices connected to the Internet which highlighted India's poor connectivity, and quipped:
Maybe this was bcz of the #PornBan? Let's see if this part of the world lights up tomorrow or over the next 5 yrs 😎 https://t.co/igCtrM5EIn — Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) August 4, 2015
And Twitter user Tinu Cherian joked that the ban in fact had the unintended effect of giving porn sites more attention than usual:
#PornBan but the entire list of 800+ websites is public. Ban is now lifted. Thank you GOI for educating the public with a big list.
— Tinu Cherian Abraham (@tinucherian) August 4, 2015
Others pointed out that after the US, UK and Canada, India is the world's fourth largest consumer of online pornography. In the previous week, when the news of the ban was ramping up, news sites and social media users shared workarounds and hacks that would allow users to access porn sites via proxy servers:
Thanks me later :-) #pornban pic.twitter.com/STcRG5fbPb
— shailesh kumar (@sheeludon) August 4, 2015
Pranesh Prakash, lawyer and Policy Director at the Bengaluru-based Centre for Internet and Society, first shared the list of blocked sites and asked a tough question concerning child pornography:
Question to fellow lawyers: Wouldn't an ISP official viewing child porn before blocking it be culpable under s67B IT Act?
— Pranesh Prakash (@pranesh_prakash) August 5, 2015
Not all of the ISPs who blocked the 857 sites have unblocked all of them. Nikhil Pawa of MediaNama pointed at the dilemma now faced by the ISPs:
[..]if child porn is found on any of the unblocked sites in the list, the ISPs will be held liable for the content under Section 79(3)(b). Now, how exactly are the ISPs expected to determine whether any of the 857 sites have child pornography or not? Can they be expected to watch each and every video, and determine whether someone in the porn video is above or below the age of 18?
The blocking of websites in India is not new. In the past, the government has ordered ISPs to block as many as 32 websites, including the code repository Github, video streaming sites Vimeo and Dailymotion, and the Internet Archive, which was reversed after heavy criticism.
The never-ending debate continues, with some arguing that adult citizens should be given freedom of choice, while others argue that the objectionable adult content on these web sites is having an adverse impact on Indian society and culture.
According to Sandip Roy of First Post, there is no happy ending to the porn ban:
Online pornography might not be as pressing an issue for the national economy as the Land Bill or GST but by rushing into without thinking it through and then doing a wishy-washy half U-turn with a “lift” that’s not quite a “lift”, the government has ensured that this porn story will not have a happy ending for anyone.


2023 Hajj: First Batch of FCT Pilgrims Return To Nigeria - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
July 9, 2023
The director of FCT pilgrims welfare board malam abubakar adamu evuti disclosed this while addressing FCT pilgrims at mecca. Evuti said all arrangements have been completed by the board for their airlift back home after the completion of the hajj exercise. He said the board has commenced the distribution of 32kg bags to the pilgrims to enable them pack their belongings in preparation for the home return journey.
He further stated that every pilgrim is entitled to 2 bags, 32kg check in luggage and 8kg hand luggage. he advised those with excess luggage to patronize companies approved by the national hajj commission to handle their luggage.
He urged the pilgrims to maximize the advantage of being in the holy land to perform and complete their ibada while waiting for their turn to return home.


Bangladesh: Climate Change  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Anirvan Chatterjee  at Year Of No Flying lists six things you need to know about Bangladesh regarding climate change.


Kenya: My Take on Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Autobiography · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Njeri Wangari reviews Ngugi Wa Thiongo's new autobiography: “Dreams in a Time of War… let you get an understanding of Ngugi that you probably have never before. We all to tend to think that Ngugi a radical who is too pragmatic about use of his mothertongue only drawing his characters from his rural setting…”


Afghanistan: The country’s relations with China · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

Nasim Fekratْ looks into the historic background and current state of Afghan-Chinese political, trade and economic relationships.


Taxed by COVID, Community Centres Rally to Help Low-Income Clients - New Canadian Media
Rochelle Pangilinan
April 23, 2021
Taxation during the pandemic can bring many new challenges—especially to people with low incomes. To help them, community services have stepped up to continue to offer free virtual tax clinics.
Despite the challenges of operating during a pandemic, community services have stepped up to continue offering free tax clinics to people with low incomes.
COVID-19 health protocols have shut down some free tax clinics. The few that are operating have moved to WhatsApp or Zoom, and provide help over the phone instead of the usual in-person service.
The 519, a prominent LGBTQ2S+ community centre in downtown Toronto, is one of the few free tax clinics still operating during the pandemic. It has a pool of 24 volunteers helping taxpayers who earn less than $40,000 a year.
Despite stay-at-home orders and emergency brake restrictions, The 519 is better prepared to help their clients this tax season following their experience with the pandemic last year.
“After building capacity and reimagining what our services would look like during the pandemic, we have assisted 656 clients virtually as of April 8,” said Rafael Glass Machado, a volunteer engagement coordinator at The 519. “We anticipate being able to support many more.”
The number of clients this year has so far surpassed the 500 clients that The 519 had been helping annually since they started offering clinics 11 years ago.
It was not an easy transition. In the first week of March 2020, just before the pandemic was declared, The 519 opened their clinic as a usual drop-in with a team of 30 volunteers signed up to help approximately 200 clients.
By mid-March, due to the restrictions, The 519 suspended in-person tax clinics along with other programs. The centre eventually transformed and relaunched essential services virtually, including the tax clinic, with the help of staff and a team of 10 volunteers.
The 519 was able to assist a total of 170 clients via online platforms, bringing the total number of clients served to 375. Staff also published several online tax resources to help people looking for information. This year, The 519 has assisted close to 700 clients.
They have to adapt; their services are needed by the community. The other option can cost low-income taxpayers at least $69 for services from professional tax firms.
“I have been homeless for five years. The money [tax credit] will help me get back on my feet and out of the shelter system,” said one homeless client of the 519 who requested anonymity to maintain his privacy.
In the west end, the Jane Finch Community and Family Centre, has continued to serve clients during the 2021 tax season.
Lucia Tanya Raso Loor, a financial empowerment worker with the community centre, said moving to online services was trial and error when the pandemic hit. Despite the hurdles, the centre persisted.
“This year has gone significantly more smoothly,” Loor said, adding that they are likely to exceed last year’s number of 1,700 clients served.
There are many reasons why some people find it difficult to embrace online tax clinics.
“Personal safety is a major concern among many clients, including trans community members who might be going through transition, folks who [are not] out to others, refugee claimants, or protected persons,” said Sharon Graham, a tax clinic team lead at The 519.
“A session with a volunteer is just as confidential as one might expect with a session with a lawyer or doctor. Filing taxes for folks, in fact, helps folks get the credits, benefits, and refunds they qualify for and are entitled to receiving,” said Graham.
For Loor’s clients, accessibility is an issue as some don’t have smartphones, computers or internet access. For these clients, the Jane Finch Community Centre offers a secure mailbox for clients to drop off their documents.
Community centres providing virtual tax assistance ensure all client information is stored securely by implementing measures like VPN and creating passwords for accessing documents.
“About 50 per cent of our clients still request to drop off their documents,” Loor said. But she added that there has been a significant number of clients who are comfortable with online consultations.
Susy Glass, a volunteer coordinator with the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, said the number of clients they have this year has so far exceeded last year’s. Their tax clinic served 100 clients in 2019, 65 in 2020, and 87 so far in 2021.
“We have a very low rate of missed appointments for the remote clinic whereas the in-person clinics often had clients who did not show up for their appointments.”
Glass said she dealt with missed appointments on nearly every shift.
But offering remote tax advice for clients is more arduous. Glass says staff at Ralph Thornton were doing four returns per day compared to six before COVID-19 hit.
After the pandemic is over, tax clinic operators say there will be a return to face-to-face assistance, but some services will remain online.
___________________________________________________________
Rochelle C. Pangilinan is a freelance writer and a full-time administrative coordinator. She has completed a Certificate of Business Communications from University of Toronto's School of Continuing Studies. Pangilinan volunteers for the Toronto Humane Society, High Park Stewards, and the Regent Park Film Festival.


Malaria: Experts Say Disease Kills 4,500 Pregnant Women In Nigeria Annually - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
March 9, 2020
Some Health Experts say about 4,500 pregnant women die from malaria annually in the country, adding that the number accounts for 11 per cent of the maternal mortality rate in the country.
TheExperts made the known in Abuja, at the donation of 5,000 doses of SulfadoxinePyrimethamine, SPLIT Maldox tablets to the Intermittent Preventive Treatmentfor Pregnant Women project by Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries.
BrightOrji one of the experts said Nigeria contributes about 25 per cent of malariacases in the world , adding that every year about  9.8 million women get pregnant out of which 14 per cent  would likely have malaria parasitein their blood system. He added that the disease causes still birth and deathin pregnant women.
Onhis part, Chief Executive officer of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries StellaOkoli said many people were in need of malaria interventions and enjoinedNigerians to assist in protecting more people from malaria.
TheMinister of State for Health, Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora applauded Emzor forthe donation and assured of the commitment of the present administration inprotecting Nigerians from malaria as well as providing enabling enablingenvironment to enable Nigerian companies grow.


Qatar 2022: Nigeria Gets World Cup Calendar - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
July 16, 2020
The Federation of International Football, FIFA says the 2022 World Cup will take place between November 21 and December 18.
The FIFA World Cup will be hosted in the Middle-East for the first time, and it’s also the first that would not be played in the summer period.
While still two years away, FIFA announced the schedule with the final set to take place just seven days before Christmas, the opening match, will involve host, Qatar, will be played at Al-Bayt Stadium on November 21, 2022.
The world’s football governing body also said the group stage matches would be played within 12 days with four games slated for each day.
Nigeria will be hoping to be among the 32 countries that will be competing for the football tournamentFIFA, FIFA WORLD CUP,


Armenia: Eurovision Potentials · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

With Armenia set to participate in future Eurovision contests, Harmick of Blogrel offers up a sample of a potential entry.


Myanmar: Prison term for Facebook defamation · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Francis Wade of the Democratic Voice of Burma learned that Facebook users in Myanmar found guilty of defamation could end up in prison under the Electronic Transactions Act


Myanmar: Pictures during Full Moon Day  · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

dawn_1o9 from Myanmar posts pictures during Full Moon Day of Pyar Tho. Full Moon Days are Sabbath Days when people go to monastery and pagodas.


Cuba: Castro Steps Down  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Cuban bloggers are abuzz with news of Fidel Castro's retirement: Babalu Blog: “My emotions are in turmoil”; Child of the Revolution: “I know that when it comes to Castro, nothing ever is what it seems”; Review of Cuban-American Blogs: “Nothing has changed for him or Cuba”; 1Click2 Cuba: “Monarchs excepted, Castro was the world's longest ruling head of state.”


Mexico: International Book Fair in Guadalajara · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Hache writes about the events featured at the International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico [es].


Russia-Georgia: Tblisi selling out energy supply · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

FP Passport notes that Georgia is selling part of a hydroelectric plant – supplying nearly half the country's energy – to Russia, amidst the gas crisis between Moscow and Kiev.


Rehabilitation: Northern Governors’ Wives Renovate Centre In Niger - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
September 18, 2019
Wives of NorthernGovernors have renovated a Social Rehabilitation Centre in Minna as part ofefforts to provide conducive environment for children undergoingrehabilitation.
Chairperson of theNorthern Governors Wives Forum, Amina Bello, said this during a courtesy visitto Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger in Minna.
She explained that thewives would ensure that every state in northern Nigeria renovate its drugrehabilitation centre to address the menance.
Bello noted that therehabilitation intervention programmes would support states to achieve theirgoals of economic empowerment and development.
Responding, Bellodescribed social vices as a major challenge facing women and youths in thenorthern states.
He noted that drugabuse was linked to criminal activities in the state, adding that drugscontrol, empowerment and social rehabilitation was key in addressing socialvices.


Mauritius and Reunion Island Brace for Cyclone Dumile Impact  · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Rain falls hard in Mauritius as Cyclone Dumile makes landfall via lexpress.mu -Public Domain
Lexpress.mu reports that Mauritius is on high alert [fr] as cyclone Dumile makes landfall on the island. Agaléga island was hit hard [fr] and was in blackout for 24h. Réunion island is also on high alert [fr].


Africa: The 2nd Africa Enterprising Blog Carnival · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The 2nd Africa Enterprising Blog Carnival addresses issues of foreign aid, trade, business and entrepreneurship, ” Readers will also find assorted topics on business concepts and ideas under the Universal Business Tenet category.”


Tajik Official Calls His President ‘the Sun’ · Global Voices
Censored Voice

Rahmon has Tajikistan under his heel. Demotix ID: 968180. A photo from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's speeches at a conference. Taken by Riccardo Valsecchi.
For his political dependents, Tajikistan's president is the great ball of burning gas around which lesser stars must gratefully rotate.
The head of the State Religion Committee of Tajikistan, Abdurahim Kholiqzoda, recently epitomised this consensus  by calling Tajik President Emomali Rahmon ‘the sun’ and ‘the star of happiness’ in his article in a government-owned newspaper. Praising Rahmon as ‘the glory of the nation,’ and ‘the founder of the modern Tajik state’, Kholiqzoda believes that appreciating Rahmon means appreciating Tajikistan.
Listing the president's achievements, Kholiqzoda mentioned that Rahmon had brought the Tajik nation back into world politics after more than a millennium of obscurity, rescued people from the turmoil of the post-independence civil war, amnestied criminals, brought back refugees and united the population as part of a prospering state. The author concluded that the decision of the Members of Parliament to choose Emomali Rahmon as the country's leader during those dark days had been vindicated.
Not satisfied with galactic comparisons, Kholiqzoda likened Rahmon's reform efforts to those of Martin Luther, Oliver Cromwell, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi.
Curiously, Kholiqzoda, who will most likely leave his post for a seat in the parliament in March, gave special attention to the importance of a law restricting excessive spending on weddings and other ceremonies signed by Rahmon in 2007. Those belt-tightening measures did not apply to Rahmon's son's wedding, which took place that very year and was rather lavish.
The article created much discussion in  the comments under RFE/RL’s Tajik Service, Ozodi. Generally commenters condemned Rahmon's growing personality cult in Tajikistan.
Mahmud wrote:
Таклидро мо точикон хеле ва хеле дуст медорем. Ин кадар бардор бардориро ба мисли рохбарони Кореяи шимоли нарасонед. Худо аз варианти Корея нигах дорад Точикистонро.
We, Tajiks, love to imitate. Do not make a personality cult like there is in North Korea. God forbid Tajikistan from becoming North Korea.
Mehrob, another commenter, echoed the narrative that dominates among the political elite in Tajikistan, whereby Rahmon is forgiven everything simply because Tajikistan is no longer at war with itself:
Бародари беном! солеки чанг буд оё нонро ба сери медидед? солеки ноором буд оё бе парво дар ними шаб ба кучахо баромада метавонистед? оё агар ин мамлакатеки бесарусомонихо буд дар як мухлати кутох аз соли саюз ободтару зеботар гардид ин бас нест? хай чи кунем боз бар зидди давлат чанг кунем? боз модаронро бе бача, фарзандонро бе падар ва занхоро беваю фохиша карда дар кучахо сар дихем????????????
Did you have enough bread when we experienced civil war? Could you go outside at night during that time? Is it not enough that our country that was destroyed has now become better than it was during Soviet times? Should we again fight against the government? Should we again leave our mothers without their children, making our children orphans and turn our wives into widows and prostitutes living on the streets?
Haydar, however, ridiculed the new levels of sycophancy Kholiqzoda had stooped to in his article, and linked it to a recent story on Tajik state television wherein a man that allegedly declared himself ‘the last prophet’ was detained on polygamy and land-grabbing charges:
э кандата зан раиси кумитаи дин. ва боз ба фикрам фаромуш кардаи илова куни ки чаноби оли хамон махдии охири замон ва пайгамбари бархак аст…….
худо хохад 2 даври дигар раиси кумитаи дин мешави
Good job, Mr head of religion committee. I think you forgot to add that His Highness (referring to President Rahmon) is the last and true prophet…You would then be head of the religion committee for another couple of rounds.


Israel: Desiring the Druze · Global Voices
Ayesha Saldanha

Anglo-Arab blogger Doshka has decided that Druze men are ‘hot': “In Israel, they are quite possibly all first cousins because they can neither marry out of the sect, nor can outsiders convert to the Druze faith – meaning they have a very, very narrow gene pool. It's a very, very good looking gene pool.”


Pakistan: Music Improves Relations · Global Voices
Rezwan

Habib R. Sulemani thinks that Pashtu music can improve Afghan-US-Pakistani relations.


FCT Minister Lauds Members Of BOBA For Contributions To National Development - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
April 7, 2022
Malam Bello who gave the commendation when he received a delegation of the Association, led by the patron of its FCT Chapter,  Malam Abubakar Mamu, on a courtesy visit to the FCTA, said that members of BOBA from across the country have distinguished themselves in various endeavours and have continued to provide policy guidance to the country.
In his words: “I want to also use this opportunity to thank our elder statesmen here and all other BOBA members in Abuja and across the nation for being in the forefront of providing policy guidance in Nigeria and also providing needed community support as well as their varied experiences whenever called upon”.
While thanking his guests for the visit, the Minister assured them of the support of the FCT Administration for their activities aimed at the growth and development of the FCT.
He said, “I feel highly honoured because I see elder statesmen, retired professors, members of the business community, retired military officers, retired ambassadors and so on. So, BOBA has produced so many people and also the Abuja branch of the Association is reputed to be one of the most vibrant in Nigeria and it is our collective duty to make sure that it continues to be so, simply because of the unique position of Abuja as the Federal Capital City of Nigeria”.
Earlier, Malam Abubakar Mamu had solicited the support of the Honourable Minister, as a member of the association, to make the Abuja branch of BOBA more vibrant and equipped to continue to contribute its quota to the development of the society.


US-Russia: Rewinding the Russia reset · Global Voices
Vilhelm Konnander

Peace and sovereignty, democracy and human rights. Those were some of the issues at stake as US and Russian presidents Obama and Medvedev sat down in Moscow earlier this week to address the agenda of a troubled world, against the backdrop of global recession and climate change.
Even though expectations for a breakthrough in US-Russian relations had been downplayed ahead of Obama's meetings with President Medvedev – and Premier Putin – one would imagine that the very real issues at hand – nuclear disarmament, Afghanistan, Iran, sovereignty, democracy etc. – were to be widely debated in the blogosphere. Instead, reactions to the 6-8 July Moscow summit from the Russian blogosphere form a climate of anticlimax.
Barack Obama: Speech at the New Economic School – by Drugoi
Starting off from the Moscow horizon, the overall impression is exactly that Obama's visit was rendered a lukewarm reception by the Russian blogosphere, on either side of the political spectrum. As LJ user taranoff points out [RUS], in general, most people took little notice of the visit:
[…] If someone like Putin arrives in some town, then this town is sure to be scrubbed clean, shaped up, painted and polished. [—] And still, as Obama yesterday arrived in Moscow, it was as if – holey-moley – nothing could be noticed. […]
LJ user lamerkhav continues [RUS] along the same line:
[…] It is still not long ago that America was dearly loved in Russia. Behaviour towards the USA was like that of a young girl to her idol. The “cool States” was the ideal. Now times have changed. The attitude I've come across in media and blogs reminds me of a sour, lonely and old suitor, abandoned by everyone. I won't try to gather why it's like that. Apparently, not out of unanswered love, but generally because mentality is like that. […]
Characterizing the essence of the summit, LJ user Nevzlin addresses [RUS] renewed Cold War sentiments – disarmament and Human Rights – and perceives differences in Obama's attitude towards Medvedev and Putin:
[…] Generally, it was like colder times at the conference table – the fate of political prisoners and arms control. [—] From the outset, Obama typically split up Medvedev and Putin: Some praise and some critique. He said that Medvedev pulls ahead and Putin holds back. […]
LJ user Yakushev continues with [RUS] the domestic political ramifications of the summit, speculating on a US-inspired Medvedev-Putin division into liberal and conservative camps:
[…] What was the essence of Obama's visit to Moscow? I imagine it as if Obama signalled to the liberal part of the Russian élite to go on the offensive. As it appears, Obama came to engage himself into Russian domestic politics. Already before the American president's visit, he made it clear who the USA supports in Russia, having promised Putin not to disturb his and Medvedev's progress. As no official reply was given to this ordinary American insolence, one can conclude that the Kremlin agrees with Obama. […]
Not even when it comes to President Obama's meeting with Russian opposition representatives, it seems to please Russian bloggers. Thus, LJ user v milov – an opposition supporter – writes [RUS]:
[…] Obama's meeting with the opposition turned into true comedy. It's great that Nemtsov and Kasparov were invited from our side – but that's also all the good news there were. Further on the list were Mitrokhin, Gozman and Zyuganov. The State Department stands with one foot in the past. :) But seriously, a meeting with such a gathering is a flat puncture for those on the American side who prepared the visit. In such meetings, the real opposition must take part and not hopeless figures from the past. […]
Turning to the very real issues agreed upon by Medvedev and Obama within the sphere of security policy – as e.g. nuclear arms’ reduction and Afghanistan – LJ user malkolms writes [RUS]:
[…] How is it possible to sign anything with the USA (especially concerning such important issues as the START-agreement) when the USA demonstratively [XXX] Russia in the [XXX]. In my view, it is simply degrading to start any dialogue with the USA without lifting the Jackson-Vanik amendment. And especially if signing such documents is unfavourable to Russia. The USA once again “sinks” us as was always the case during Yeltsin and Clinton. […]
What about the Russian reset then? LJ user optimist presents his views on the credibility of Washington's policy towards Moscow:
[…] In my view, the word reset doesn't mean anything in real political terms. It is a word of deception, the usual soap bubble [—]. It appears on all our screens and means nothing new, but a return to the past, to business as usual. And previously, our relations with the Americans were either one of confrontation or domination – on their part, by the way. So, what will we be returning to after a “reset”? [—] Aren't they just fooling us as usual… […]
What stands out, from these and similar comments, is how little significance is given to the outcome of the US-Russian summit. It is like simply going through the motions, whereas the real issues at hand seem to be of little consequence.  So, judging from Russian blogger reactions, the Moscow 2009 Obama-Medvedev summit could hardly be seen as a reset in US-Russian relations. The question is: Was it even rapproachement?
Pictures, if not otherwise indicated, from america.gov/ru.


NBTE introduces top-up programme for HND conversion to BSc | EduCeleb
14th August 2023
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has unveiled an online top-up programme for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders to convert their certification to Bachelor’s Degree.
This programme which is domiciled online is expected to run for one year for the HND holder in collaboration with accredited foreign universities.
The board disclosed this in a statement made available to EduCeleb.com in Abuja on Monday by its Head of Media Unit, Mrs Fatima Abubakar.
NBTE is Nigeria’s official regulatory body for monotechnic and polytechnic education.
Abubakar said this was also to facilitate the progression of HND holders to higher degrees.
“Attempts in the past to get the National Universities Commission to approve a two-year Master of Technology for HND holders in some polytechnics did not see the light of the day.
“Many times, HND Holders are forced to go for a one-year Postgraduate Diploma before they could be admitted into the Master’s Program in Universities.
”The disadvantage of the PGD is that holders who continue to do PhD and wish to migrate to a Nigerian University will always be queried to produce their first degree, even when they have doctorates.
”To end this unwarranted prejudice, NBTE has now created this progression pathway for HND holders. This can be accessed at https://topup.nbte.gov.ng,” she said.
Abubakar added that another challenge facing many polytechnic HND graduates was mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps.
According to her, many are admitted into non-accredited programmes and after the HND, they are not mobilised for the NYSC.
”NBTE has now created a HND admission portal for use by all polytechnics. Only accredited programmes shall be visible on the portal and NYSC shall have viewing rights to know admitted candidates to be mobilised.
”This will hopefully bring an end to illegal HND admissions of unaccredited programmes and at the same time ensure carrying capacities are adhered to for quality assurance.
”Finally, the board wishes to appeal to Mr President to please sign the bill removing the HND-BSc Dichotomy in the public service as passed by the last National Assembly.
”This is to end the unjust and undeserved discrimination against graduates of the polytechnic system,” she said.
She further said that the absence of legal backing necessitated the board to find ways of enhancing the standing of HND holders.
Abubakar said that this must be done because the HND holders in reality hold the key to Nigeria’s industrialisation and key skills for delivery of needed infrastructure in the country.


Palestine: Saudi Artist in Europe · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Amal A from Palestine posts a picture of a Saudi make up artist and her models at a Europe show here.


Syria: Michael Jackson in Pictures  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian Hosam Akras [ar] marks the death of King of Pop Michael Jackson by posting his photographs in this post.


Vietnam: Free Thuy-Nhan-Nghien Campaign · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Viet Tan is spearheading a campaign to demand the immediate freedom of Vietnamese democracy activists and women bloggers Tran Khai Thanh Thuy, Le Thi Cong Nhan and Pham Thanh Nghien.


Trinidad & Tobago: Do The Right Thing  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“Are our leaders more focused on pappyshowing for an international audience than doing the right thing by us here at home?”: Trinidad and Tobago's gspottt contends that “on the question of sexual orientation and human rights, that certainly seems to be the case.”


Travels in the Kurdish Blogosphere · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

New in Kurdish cyberspace is the announcement of a new Kurdish news agency called Firat News, while there is some critism from some Kurds, as it is currently published in Turkish, it still is an exciting venture for those in Northern Kurdistan (Southeast Turkey). Plans for news in Kurdish are underway for the site. Also  Kurdish Lily has posted an announcement of a new Kurdish forum called the Kurdish Youth Center.
Massoud Barzani, President of the Kurdistan regional government of Iraq, recently visited President Bush and  wrote a column for the Washington Post, in which he supported the recent U.S.-led operation in Iraq on behalf of the Kurdish and Iraqi peoples. Kurdish reaction has been uniformedly a  time-will-tell type attitude. However, in Barzani's meeting with President Bush, the president  referred to Northern Iraq as Kurdistan which many Kurds see as a small victory.
Even while the positive press from the Barzani meeting has pleased Kurds, there is still an alarming amount of mis-information about the situation(s) in Kurdistan. Recently the Washington Post was critisized for  publishing articles with an anti-Kurd bias. Hiwa from Hiwa Hopes posted a letter that he wrote to  a University professor who had published an article on a University webpage that was unfair in its protrayal of the Kurds, accusing them of having a “visceral hatred” for Arabs. Other items in the news that Kurdish supporters have been trying to illustrate the misinformation within are: a Russian researcher stating that there is no oppression of Kurds in Syria,  and elaborating on further unrest in Iranian Kurdistan; which have been provided to us from Vladimir of From Holland to Kurdistan. Also there has been some statements made recently from the Arab League that  they have never understood Kurdish aspirations of sovereignty, which to those that follow not only the politics of the Arab League but also of the Kurdish peoples comes as no surprise.
Despite the political concerns of the Kurdish peoples that have graced the headlines recently, nothing is more moving than the stories that come from the Kurds themselves. Piling of the Kurdistan Bloggers Union recently posted a personal account of displaced Kurds within Turkey.
“This husband of mine who doesn’t speak anymore was arrested and tortured several times. I don’t know what the charges were. There is always something. Soon after his last arrest, the soldiers came to the village. They brought us all together in the village yard. They asked whether we would finally agree to become guards. We said no. So they burnt down all our houses and forced us to leave. We went from village to village, from one kinsmen’s house to the other. No one took us for more than a couple of days. We came here. Look at the barren walls, the barren rooms. There is nothing. We have nothing. We are nothing. And my husband can’t speak, nor work, nor go out. Possibly, because of torture. “
Displacement of Kurds within Turkey is a serious problem and there is an estimated 4000 villages that have been destroyed within the last decade as part of the Turkish government's policy of “relocation”. Since the Kurds are displaced internally there is not an international law mechanism for institutions like the United Nations to intervene.
There has also been a new addition to the Kurdish blogs this week, a blog entitled Pearls of Iraq, which is written by a woman named Miriam who is working on various non-profit infrastructure programs in the Northern Iraq/Southern Kurdistan region. This blog will be an interesting one to follow in the coming months.


Puerto Rico: Gli Gli Sails Again  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Voice of the Taino People is excited about The Gli-Gli (or Carib Canoe) sailing expedition in celebration of the 10th anniversary of its first voyage to relink the indigenous Carib communities of the region.


Kenya: Comparing the Kenyan first lady to Wangu Wa Makeri · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A Nairobian Perspective compares the Kenyan first lady to a woman from a Kikuyu folklore:”There is a famous kikuyu folklore customed around a Kikuyu woman chief named Wangu Wa Makeri who headed Weithaga location in the early 20th century.She is said to have been very authoritative,ruthless and fear inspiring that she made men carry her on their back.”


Al-Bashir Ouster: South Sudan Frets Over Whether Sudan Coup Could Derail Fragile Peace Deal - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
April 12, 2019
The military coup in Sudan has sparked anxiety inneighboring South Sudan that the toppling of longtime President Omar al-Bashircould scupper a fragile peace deal that ended South Sudan’s five-year civilwar.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and former rebelleader Riek Machar signed a peace deal last year that calls on them to form aunity government on May 12th. But key requirements including integrating theirforces have not been met.
The deal was guaranteed by Sudan and the ouster ofBashir transfers much more responsibility for the success of the agreement toformer archenemies Kiir and Machar, said Alan Boswell, a senior analyst withBrussels-based think tank International Crisis Group.
In Sudan, Defense Minister Awad Mohamed Ahmed IbnAuf announced the end of Bashir’s rule saying the country would enter atwo-year period of military rule to be followed by presidential elections. Boththe South Sudanese government and former rebels expressed alarm over the coup.


FG agrees to exclude ASUU from IPPIS, increases earned allowance | EduCeleb
20th November 2020
There appears to be hopes that the eight month old strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would end soon.
After a seven-hour meeting on Friday, the Federal Government of Nigeria has agreed to exclude members of the ASUU from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Reading out the communique at the end of the negotiation with ASUU members in Abuja, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Chris Ngige, said the government also agreed to ASUU’s demand to pay their members ’salary arrears from February to June through the old salary payment platform, Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System.
The government also offered to raise the Earned Allowances to university staff from N30 bn to N35 bn and the revitalization fund from N 20 bn to N 25 bn .
The government also offered the ASUU leadership representing university teachers N35 billion for Earned Academic Allowance and N25 billion for revitalisation.
In place of the IPPIS, lecturers would be temporarily paid through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System) until ASUU’s University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) was ready for usage.
These are some of the agreements reached at the resumed meeting between the leadership of ASUU and the federal government team on Friday.
Ngige told reporters that the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) has offered to release N40 billion or in the alternative, N35 billion to be shared by all the registered Trade Unions in the universities after providing necessary evidence of having earned the allowance.
“The FG reiterated that her offer of N40 billion or 35 billion whichever is accepted by ASUU was for all the universities unions: ASUU had proposed that N40 billion be paid immediately for all unions,” the Minister said.
Ngige said all vice-chancellors are to submit details of the EAA/EA to the National Universities Commission (NUC) on or before November 30.
Speaking on the issue of withheld salaries, Ngige said the Federal Ministry of Labour and Federal Ministry of Education will review the issue of “no work, no pay” as stipulated in Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap T8 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004 with a view to getting approval for the withheld salaries to be paid.


Kyrgyzstan: Gazprom targets Kyrgyzgaz? · Global Voices
Adil Nurmakov

CXW considers the plausibility of sensationalistic headlines about the alleged intentions of the Russian giant monopoly Gazprom to enter energy market in Kyrgyzstan.


25 out of 33 Patanjali ads found violating ASCI Code
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 7, 2017
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) found more than 500 instances of advertisements in electronic media that were making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. ASCI also found that 25 out of 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved violated the ASCI code.
Misleading advertisements are a common thing these days in both print & electronic media. Even the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India has information on a large number of instances of misleading advertisements in various media. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a voluntary self-regulatory body of Advertisement Industry has been appointed by the government as their executive arm to process complaints received about misleading advertisements. As per information shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, between 2013 and 2016, ASCI found more than 500 instances of advertisements in electronic media that were making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. Between April 2015 and July 2016, complaints have been received against 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved Limited out of which 25 were found to be violating the ASCI code.
How are Misleading Advertisements dealt?
Section 2 (1) (r) of the existing Consumer Protection Act 1986 states that the practice of making any statement, whether orally or in writing or by visible representation which falsely represents that the goods are of a particular standard, quality, quantity, grade, composition style or model; falsely represents that the services are of a particular standard, quality or grade, falls under unfair trade practices.
A consumer can make a complaint against unfair trade practice in a Consumer Forum established under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. If the complaint is upheld by a Consumer Forum, it can order for removal of the defect pointed out, replacing the goods with new goods free from any defect, issuance of corrective advertisement to neutralize the effect of misleading advertisement at the cost of the party responsible for issuing such misleading advertisement, etc.
The DoCA has recently launched a portal to enable consumers to register Grievances Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA). After preliminary scrutiny of the grievances registered on the portal, the grievances are forwarded to the State Government concerned or the respective Central Regulator based on the subject matter.   Between March 2015 and March 2016, 1046 complaints have been received through the GAMA portal.
What is ASCI then?
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is a voluntary self-regulatory body of Advertisement Industry. It self-regulates advertising content to monitor and decide on complaints against advertisements making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims. Rule 7(9) of the Advertising Code  states that no Advertisement which violate the code for self-regulation in advertising as adopted by ASCI , shall be carried in the cable service. In 2015, the government appointed ASCI as its executive arm to process complaints received on the GAMA portal about misleading advertisements. ASCI also receives direct complaints from citizens.
Between 2013 and 2016, a total of 525 advertisements in electronic media were found to be making misleading, false and unsubstantiated claims by ASCI.
25 advertisements of Patanjali were found to be violating ASCI code
As per data shared by the government in the Lok Sabha, complaints have been received against 33 advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved Limited during April 2015 and July 2016, appearing in various media such as TV, Print and Product packaging and in various sectors such as Food and Beverages, Personal care, Health care etc.
A total 17 advertisements out of 21 advertisements complained against, were found to be in violation of ASCI code for self-regulation of advertising content while the remaining four product packaging claims were not found to be in violation of ASCI Code.
Six (6) product packaging communications out of 8 complaints were considered to be in violation of ASCI code. Two (2) TV advertisements out of 4 complaints were considered to be in violation of ASCI code. In all, 25 out of the 33 advertisements were found to be violating ASCI code.
For instance, one of the advertisements about Patanjali Dant Kanti was found to be misleading since there was no scientific data to prove the claims.
The advertisements of various other companies like Vodafone, Idea, Airtel, Hero Motocorp, Tata Motors, Uber, Loreal, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustan Unilever etc were also found to be violating the ASCI code. As per ASCI data, more than 80% of the advertisers have either withdrawn or modified their ad accordingly after directions from ASCI.
Featured Image: Ads violating ASCI Code


Argentina Prepares to Remember the Victims of the Falklands War · Global Voices
Laura Schneider

[All links lead to Spanish sites unless otherwise stated.]
Malvinas Day is celebrated each year in Argentina on April 2, and with each anniversary the desire to recover what was lost in 1982 resurfaces. And this year will not go unnoticed; after the various statements [en] made by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner regarding the diplomatic conflict with the United Kingdom, nationalist attitudes are reemerging in Argentine society.
ArturoDiazF‘s blog briefly sums up the national sentiment:
Personalmente creo que la apelación al nacionalismo siempre ha sido la excusa perfecta para cohesionar a una nación. Reavivar el asunto de Las Malvinas es el caballito de batalla para distraer a la opinión pública sobre la situación económica en Argentina
Various events have taken place in the last few weeks: President Cristina Fernández's visit to Chile, Unasur's rejection of hydrocarbon exploration in the Falkland Islands, and the possible recommencement of flights from Argentina to the Islands. But what do the Falkland Islanders think about the situation?
Replica of the Malvinas Cemetary, photo by Alejandro Gómez (CC BY 2.0)
John Fowler [en], editor of Penguin News, a newspaper produced on the Islands, sums up the attitudes of the Kelpers [en] (inhabitants of the Falklands):
I think we would like to see the “sovereignty umbrella” hoisted again so that issues of shared concern like fish stocks and hydrocarbon exploration can be discussed to our mutual benefit without prejudice and we would also really like the Argentine government, as they once promised, to stop using the name Puerto Argentino to identify our capital, Stanley.  Unlike Malvinas which is a name with historical authenticity, used in a more or less neutral sense throughout the Spanish-speaking world, Puerto Argentino remains as an unpleasant reminder of an even more unpleasant time and its continued use thirty years later is an insult.
On the other hand the Peruvian government announced its decision to cancel the previously agreed routine visit of a British frigate, according to Telam, the Argentine national news agency:
Esta decisión ha sido adoptada en el espíritu de los compromisos de solidaridad latinoamericana asumidos en el marco de la Unasur respecto de los legítimos derechos de la República Argentina en la disputa de soberanía sobre las islas Malvinas, Georgias del Sur y Sandwich del Sur y los espacios marítimos circundantes”, explicó el canciller, Rafael Roncagliolo, en una breve declaración a la agencia noticiosa estatal Andina
The British government's swift response was one of disappointment, according to the newspaper La Nación:
El Gobierno británico lamentó hoy la decisión de Perú de solidarizarse con Argentina en la disputa de las islas Malvinas y cancelar la visita prevista al puerto del Callao de la fragata “HMS Montrose” del Reino Unido.
As April 2 approaches, the “Malvinas” or “Falklands” question will have both national and international impact, with many opposing views. Diego Vera (@dverasm), from Chile, tweets:
Me cuesta entender el apoyo de nuestro Presidente @sebastianpinera a las demagógicas pretensiones argentinas sobre las #falklands.
In turn, the Islanders also shared their opinions regarding the recommencement of flights from Argentina to the Islands. Falkland Islands (@falklands_utd) [en] said on Twitter:
We would rather swim than have flights controlled by you! Leave us alone! @CFKArgentina http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews… #falklands #british #freedom
Seba Zurutuza (@sebaZ3), a legislative consultant, also commented on Twitter about the U.S.'s stance on the Falklands issue:
Cuanta ingenuidad (?) en la dirigencia oficial y opositora: siguen pensando q EEUU va a ayudar
In a reader's letter to the editor of the newspaper Informador Público, Luis E. Luchía-Puig suggests a strategy of seduction towards the Falklands issue:
Todavía hará falta mucho tiempo para que se cicatricen las heridas de una guerra inútil que ocurrió hace tres décadas. Pero el sentido común señala que, para lograr ese objetivo, es mejor seducir que hostigar. Promover políticas de pacífica convivencia y facilitar las oportunidades de contacto. Si en el futuro los isleños perciben que vivir en un territorio gobernado por nuestro país, es más confiable y ventajoso que depender de una metrópoli a una distancia de 15.000 kilómetros, no pondrían objeciones al cambio de soberanía y volveríamos a ver flamear la celeste y blanca en esa patria todavía irredenta.
In between approaches, solutions, opinions and disagreements, perhaps a proposal could serve as a common base so that the parties involved could come to a solution. Or maybe, as @DVDinsaurralde suggests, an agreement could be reached through sport:
I believe the future of #Malvinas#Falkland should be decided in a football match
Meanwhile, the April 2 is getting ever closer; a day not only to remember the past, but also to analyse the current situation in the Falklands.


Barbados: Cyberbullying · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Barbados’ Keltruth Corp. is “deeply saddened by the personal attacks made on Johan Bjerkhamn after the most tragic death of his son” and advocates for a cessation of the cyberbullying.


Peru: Mayoral Candidates, Twitter and an Intercepted Phone Call · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

During the evening of Thursday September 15 the word “Lourdes” became a Trending Topic on Twitter for a couple of hours, but unlike other times when Peruvian Twitter users tried to make a word or phrase a Trending Topic without success, this time they did it practically unintentionally. In fact, almost no one was proud of it and there were doubts about it. The blog Plan H explains [es]:
¿Un logro peruano? … Obviamente no somos los únicos que hemos conseguido que se convierta en trending topic, alguien màs en el algún lugar del mundo ha usado la palabra Lourdes … ¿Por que? Porque … tuvimos la suerte, por así decirlo, de usar esa palabra todos los limeños twitteros a la vez mientras alguien en otro lado también lo hacía.
But why where Twitter users from the capital Lima using the word “Lourdes” so much? The explanation lies in the realm of politics and in the context of the current campaign for mayor of Lima. Lourdes Flores is the candidate that up to a few days ago had the best chances to win the elections, but a recent poll [es] placed her second. These ups and downs in politics are not unusual, but what was unpredictable was the release during a TV show hosted by Jaime Baylyn [es] of an audio segment where Lourdes shows her anger about the poll's results using unguarded language. Sergio Fernández (@SerchAndGo) wonders [es] on Twitter:
lourdes flores: “metanse la alcaldia al poto” omg. sera un audio trucado?? sera ella quien lo dice??? LA CAGADA                    11:29 PM Sep 15th vía TweetDeck
Reactions were numerous and varied given such a phrase. Journalist Ronny Isla gathered what he considered were the best tweets on the subject. These two come from his selection [es], showing that Twitter users didn't limit themselves to repeating the phrase in a mocking tone, but that they tried to go beyond that and analyze the situation:
@angelpaezs Ahora cualquier delincuente cuelga un audio de una conversación “chuponeada” y cambia la agenda de los medios. Porca prensa.                 11:31 PM Sep 15th vía web                                   Retwitteado por 5 personas
@orbisa35 El fondo del asunto es que hay una mano que está meciendo la cuna para el lado que quiere. Y hacia allá nos está empujando.                 11:29 PM Sep 15th vía web                                   Retwitteado por 3 personas
However, the legality of the intercepted call and the obscure interests that lie behind its disclosure to the public are not the only issues Peruvians are worried about. There is also the fact that during the intercepted conversation they mention the possibility of going to the polling agency to “move the numbers a little bit” in favor of Lourdes Flores. This casts shadows on the veracity of this and other polls, and although Director de Apoyo, the polling agency, has declared [es] that “There was no attempt to tamper with the [numbers],” the doubt persists.
During the 2000 presidential elections, the re-reelection of Alberto Fujimori, the power circle of Alberto Fujimori and the head of Peru's intelligence agency, Vladimiro Montesinos (what is now known as the “mafia fuji-montesinista,”), used questionable tactics to bring down candidates. Peruvians were reminded of these thanks to the release of the audio this week. Edson Baldeón, from the blog with the same name, asks a series of questions and offers his thoughts on the issue in the post “On the “butt-audio” by Lourdes Flores [es].” He wonders how the audio reached Bayly, what this shows about Lourdes’ personality, and he also comments on the explanation given [es] by Lourdes:
8. ¿Prácticas montesinistas?? Sin duda,  pero el tema de que el asesor y amigo de Lourdes Flores, Xavier Barrón,  proponga presionar al director de una encuestadora –Alfredo Torres- y  que Lourdes acepte se vea involucrada en esto no es un tema menor.  Seamos claros SON TAMBIÉN PRÁCTICAS MONTESINISTAS.  Aquí la candidata  del PPC tiene que dar las explicaciones del caso. No parece coherente  condenar las prácticas montesinistas y a la vez practicarlas cuando les  convengan.
10. ¿Qué fundamento se tiene cuando se acusa al  fujimontesinismo de este audio??? En mi opinión, los antecedentes son  suficientes para sospechar de esta gente y que lo hace para favorecer la  candidatura de Keiko Fujimori.
The release of something similar to this audio brought down Fujimori's third term in office: the vladivideos [es]. The “valdivideos” were a set of videos which show Vladimiro Montesinos bribing political, business and media leaders to cooperate with the government of Alberto Fujimori.  Jacqueline Fowks from the blog Notas desde Lenovo remembers this, but also wonders [es] about Bayly's motives in making the audio public:
1) Bayly está en un canal que tiene dueño y que permite y aprueba dichos contenidos.  2) La productora de El Francotirador trabajó con Carlos Raffo en los mitines de Chino, chino, chino! 3) Bayly trata con favoritismo la candidatura de Keiko Fujimori y 4)  Ofreció al ex candidato Kouri tiempo que parecía ‘espacio político  contratado’, fue una entrevista en la que le dio largo tiempo para  contar chistes y mostrarse doliente por la muerte del padre.
Finally in the blog Mate Pastor, Juan Sheput says that “We are doing worst than in the decade of the Fujimontesinismo [es]” and after mentioning several points to back his opinion, he reflects on the quality of Peruvian journalism and concludes that:
Se utiliza la máscara de la democracia para justificar una falsa  libertad de prensa, con un falso periodismo encargado de demoler  candidaturas que no son cómodas para los intereses que defienden. Se ha pasado de la geisha al sicario mediático, ambos cobran por sus favores, usan métodos distintos, pero igual se ponen al servicio de quien los  convoca, por miles de verdes razones.
All this took place before an election debate between the 9 candidates for mayor of Lima. Although in the audio Lourdes threatened to quit, she did not do it. Instead, she participated in the debate, saying [es] the attacks on her candidacy will not break her and presenting her plans for the administration of Lima. Everything seems to indicate that the impasse is over, but whether she gets over her decrease in the polls is still to be seen. This video [es] shows the segment during Jaime Baylyn's show where the audio was released.


President Obama’s Visit to Jamaica Wasn’t All ‘Irie’ · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

President Obama in at Keehi Lagoon Beach Park in 2008. Photo by Justin Sloan, used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.
United States President Barack Obama was in Jamaica last week to meet with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government to discuss pressing bilateral issues — including crime and security — prior to his attendance at the Seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama City. It was the first visit to the Caribbean island by a sitting U.S. president since Ronald Reagan over 30 years ago.
Falling oil prices and the fallout from the 2009 global economic crisis have left many regional economies, including Jamaica's, flailing — and therefore dependent on the economic might of other superpowers like China and vulnerable to oil alliances like the Venezuela-led PetroCaribe. Caribbean outreach is a strategic move for the United States as it seeks support in the face of threats from extremist groups around the world.
The Jamaican blogosphere could not contain its excitement in the prelude to Obama's arrival, with bloggers lauding the U.S. president's positive example and the Jamaican media extensively covering the visit.
Other netizens, however, criticized authorities for making last-minute repairs — such as conducting road work at night — ahead of his visit. On Twitter, users suggested that the whole thing was superficial window dressing:
No matter what happens the night before, I'm betting @JamaicaGleaner‘s front page WILL MENTION NO CRIME on the day #Obama lands in #Jamaica.
— Miserable Jamaican (@cross_angry) April 7, 2015
You know when yu havin a family/foreign visitor comin to your home and you fix up the place… that's how it is right now in #Jamaica #Obama
— Yaardie (@Yaardie876) April 7, 2015
If only #Obama could visit #Jamaica every year, the country would be first class, move out the way vision 2030. Ppl worshipping a mere man
— Kayon Brown (@KayCamz) April 7, 2015
The sentiment was echoed in a meme on Jamaican Jokes’ Facebook page:
Blogger Emily Crooks mused about issues that Jamaica was grappling with — controversial topics like gay rights, for instance — and suggested that the manner in which government officials were falling over themselves to make Jamaica Obama-ready while they ignored such concerns was an insult to the citizenry:
In the debates leading up to the 2011 general elections, Portia Simpson Miller in her bid to appease the gay community, promised that she would bring the provisions under the Offences Against the Person Act which criminalize sex between consenting adults of the same sex to the parliament for a conscience vote. […]
The Prime Minister demonstrated her intention not to move on her promise when confronted by gay rights activist[s] in New York. […] I hope for the sake of minorities the world over that the gay rights activists refuse to back down. I hope they picket every and any venue in which the Prime Minister or any other person who has made an unfulfilled promise to the electorate speaks. I hope they are not prepared to resile from their positions especially since the electorate in Jamaica has long lost its fire.
Jamaica has an international reputation for homophobia.
Cucumber Juice penned a letter to the U.S. president in which she drew attention to all the hardships Jamaicans regularly face, noting that Obama would witness none of them:
The visible preparations for your visit began about 3 weeks ago when Prime Minister Simpson-Miller appeared in Parliament to make the announcement. I must admit it was strange to see her there as around the same time a large fire was ripping through our main garbage dump (despite many announcements and pronouncements we do not have a landfill) turning the air for almost 50% of the island’s population living in three parishes into a toxic smoky soup, and she’d been strangely mum about it. […]
Your view from Air Force One and Marine One as you arrive and move about should be breathtaking. Jamaica is a verdant, hilly, paradise. Often I worry that we do not take its unique and breathtaking landscape seriously…we don’t care for it as we should. We have not quite gotten around to declaring national parks (and meaning it) and enjoying them or holding steady about our endangered and protected areas but, you know, we trudge along to the IMF tune. […]
Unfortunately you won’t be able to nip over for crab or roasted corn or roasted yam when you visit National Heroes Park. The crab vendors usually do snappy business, especially on Friday nights. Although Friday night crab business should be roaring and lively with tales of who saw President Obama visit National Heroes Park, that is doubtful because the crab and other vendors’ stalls are gone; they say it is temporary…I have learned to mark deeds not words.
Other blog entries, like this one from Active Voice, offered a more humourous take on the president's visit:
Who knew how much Jamaicans love Barack Obama? I didn’t until he arrived yesterday and the country went into full One Love mode. […] Others noted that POTUS’s arrival had displaced the live draw of Cashpot, a national lottery, that never yields its airtime not even for the Olympics. Obama has managed to stop Cashpot and NOTHING stops Cashpot tweeted @jomariemalcolm in awe while Alison Stuart said: What! He stopped Cashpot!!!!! He mus really be a powerful man!!!!!!!
Regional bloggers contributed to the humour in the form of memes. This post, by satirical blog The Late O'Clock News, invented a story about Obama going missing in the company of a young man called “Steppa”, who asked the president about the United States’ policy on the decriminalisation of marijuana:
Steppa explained the incident to our reporters:
‘I and I had to show di president how di real Jamaican experience is. He tell me how stressful it is managing a big and powerful country like the U.S., and how dem Republicans ah give ‘im nuff fight down. So dat is when me say ‘Me have just the right thing to ease di stress’. After some deep meditation, we went looking fuh some ital to satisfy the cravings.’
Before falling into a deep sleep on the couch at his hotel room, the President of the United States had this to say:
‘I am humbled and thankful for this experience. I realise now that I am the leader of a wicked, Babylon system but not for much longer. I am a child of Africa, like my father Haile Selassie and…and…wait, what was I saying again?’
Obama was warmly welcomed in the Caribbean, humour and all, but there were still some that were sceptical of his motives for the visit. Barbados Underground posted a blog entry that suggested Obama cannot be trusted:
A few days ago he came bearing gifts. A paltry Trojan horse to the Jamaican people. Today he is being quoted in the media as promising not to interfere in the internal affairs of countries in South & Central America and the Caribbean. […]
This is the same sneaky fellow who, less than weeks ago, believed he had reason to designate The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela as an existential threat to the United Stated. Of course, he has since backed off so as not to create the type of isolation he faced at his last meeting with this regional grouping. […]
We are encouraged that countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Cuba and Bolivia will form a vanguard against American hegemony, presented under any guise. Unfortunately, sycophantic countries like Barbados and Jamaica will always revel in the notion that a titular Black man, as president of the United States, means less viciousness, is one of us.


Russia: The Temple’s “Online Feeder” Nearly Wrecked by Bloggers · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

While looking for information on LiveJournal's recent blackout, I ran into this unrelated item (RUS) by Anton Nossik (LJ user dolboeb), one of the people in charge of Sup, the Russian online media company running the “Russian-speaking” segment of LiveJournal in partnership with Six Apart:
The Temple's Money Changers Have Hidden Away the Price Tags
The price list for commercial services rendered at [Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior], which had been dug out by the dogged bloggers […], didn't stay there to delight our eyes for too long. It hasn't even been a week yet, and the price list has been quietly taken out of the Internet users’ sight. But it appears that the commercial department of the God's Temple did manage to overcome the pressure from the bosses embarrassed by the leak and prevented the final bankruptcy of its online feeder.
As a result, we have something extremely strange. The price list page is now empty, and the only way to learn about the prices is by reading bloggers’ accounts, or by looking into Google's cache. At the same time, the rest of the advertising pages have been left intact and are promoting different kinds of the Temple's money changers’ activities. Here, for instance, is an advertisement of services for those who'd like to rent conference halls of [the Cathedral] (with pictures). And here's an ad of the underground garage where some God-fearing Russian oligarchs are hiding their Maybachs, Lamborghinis and Maseratis from the wrath and envy of fellow citizens (the price list for this service is also empty now, but there's a phone number that one can call to specify the prices).
There's even a dry cleaning service at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral.
LJ user breqwas offers an explanation (RUS) of why so much commerce is taking place inside Russia's main church:
You see, [Christ the Savior Cathedral] does not belong to [the Russian Orthodox Church]. It belongs to the city and is managed by the Christ the Savior Cathedral's Fund, through which they were raising funds for its construction at one point. It was not given over to [the Russian Orthodox Church] allegedly because it costs a lot to maintain such a huge thing, and our Church is poor. And this is why this Fund is raising money the way it can. Why are they doing it like this? First, because it's a free country, and second, because it's Russia. […]


A.W.E. youth display design concepts for public art | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Sharon McGowan
March 24, 2017
Young people participating in A.W.E.’s 5×3 Artist-in-Residence program displayed their design concepts for public art at a recent exhibit at RedLine Milwaukee, 1422 N. 4th St.
The A.W.E. program, which began in 2016, allows youth to experience the process of creating public art in five target neighborhoods over a three-year period. The target neighborhoods are Clarke Square, Harambee, Layton Boulevard West, Lindsay Heights and Washington Park.
Students from a variety of schools and nonprofit organizations worked with a professional artist on their projects. Lead artists included George Jones, Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, Gabrielle Tesfaye, Mikal Floyd-Pruitt and Jenie Gao.
The youths spent two months selecting a site, theme and artist for a public art project that will be created and installed during the next three months.
Participating organizations included: Our Next Generation, La Luz Del Mundo Family Services, Escuela Verde High School, COA Holton Center, and NEU-Life Community Development. Neighborhood and community partners included Safe & Sound, the Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative and Layton Boulevard West Neighbors.


Russia: Putin · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

On the eve of the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg, Edward Lucas, the Central and East European correspondent of The Economist, writes a lengthy critique of Vladimir Putin and the country he is turning Russia into: “Putin is trying to recreate an empire reminiscent of the Soviet Union – feared by its own people, its neighbours and the West in equal measure. And the tragedy is that we in the West are letting it happen.”


The European Union continues to stall visa liberalization for Kosovo · Global Voices
Ardi Pulaj

Newborn monument in Prishtina. Photo by John Worth, CC BY 2.0, also available via Wikimedia Commons.
This article was first published by Faktoje.al, a fact-checking organization in Albania, as part of the regional initiative Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub. An edited version is republished by the Global Voices, with their permission.
Leaders of the Western Balkans countries and the European Union met on June 23 to discuss the European Union (EU) enlargement process. Yet, after the meeting, there was no movement on the decision to grant visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Kosovo's citizens.
Citizens of Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Western Balkans have been enjoying visa-free travel in the Schengen area for years. Even Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia do not need visas for their citizens to travel.
The visa liberalization process for Kosovo started on February 19, 2012. It took six year, but, in 2018, the European Commission and the European Parliament agreed that Kosovo had met the last two visa liberalization requirements. In the four years since then, the European Council has not approved the visa waiver. The main obstacle remains the opposition of France and the Netherlands, among others, as the governments of both countries fear that there could be an influx of migrants from Kosovo once visa liberalization takes place.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi declared on June 27, after the EU–Western Balkans summit, that a new roadmap is needed for visa-liberalized Kosovo:
We are ready to help Kosovo, together with the member states, establish a roadmap for addressing specific concerns. The authorities of the member countries, law and order agencies, police forces need to engage in the field to help Kosovo. From our side, we are ready to give Kosovo all the financial, technical and political assistance for this process.”
But the European Commission quickly reacted through its spokeswoman, Ana Pisonero by guaranteeing that there are no new guidelines and that Kosovo has met the conditions for visa liberalization:
“The Commission continues to stand behind the assessment from July 2018, that Kosovo has fulfilled all the criteria from the visa liberalization roadmap of 2012… The decision to lift visas for citizens of Kosovo is a long overdue decision, which is pending in the Council.”
The delay in visa liberalization has contributed to the spread of much speculation, which, when taken at face value, often amounts to disinformation. Some such unsubstantiated explanations fit within pre-existing conspiracy theories that are already part of the political folklore in the Balkans, reinforcing narratives that portray the West as insincere and having hidden agendas.
From left to right: President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, president of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, president of the European Council Charles Michel and president of France Emmanuel Macron. Photo by European Union Newsroom, for public use.
The European Council in fact reconfirmed that tangible progress must be urgently achieved regarding unresolved issues and regional disputes, especially between Belgrade and Pristina, where, through dialogue, the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo can be achieved.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and continues to claim it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. At first there was no contact at all between the two; however, in the following years there has been increased dialogue and cooperation between the two sides.
Gazmir Raci, an analyst from Kosovo, says to Faktoje that the EU has already made visa liberalization conditional on Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, because only the dialogue and the importance for progress were mentioned in the conclusions of the summit.
“The only condition is dialogue, as the German chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Belgrade and Pristina that the EU will not accept states that have not known each other, or states with problems between them. We have to solve the problems between us, get the visa liberalization and then the candidate status. But this is not right, because we have never had dialogue as a condition for the visa liberalization.”
Another argument articulated mainly by commentators on social media, but not only by them, is that Kosovo is not getting the visa liberalization because it has a majority Muslim population. This theory is rejected by Raci, who says:
“Even though this has also been talked about, I do not believe in the thesis that visas are not liberalized for Kosovo because it is a country with a Muslim majority. It is an argument that does not hold, because Bosnia and Herzegovina also has a Muslim population, but it has benefited from visa liberalization.”


Guyana: Music video kudos · Global Voices
Georgia Popplewell

MediaCritic is impressed with two of the latest music videos produced in Guyana, and offers some tips to low-budget videomakers.


China: Iphonegirl a planned beauty? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Local media yweekend did an investigative report on the Iphone Girl issue and it is yet a mystery whether the story is a public relation plan. ESWN has translated the local report.


Floods in Romania Take Nine Lives, Thousands Evacuated · Global Voices
Tamara Gocmanac

Nine people are known to have lost their lives in flash floods that swept the area around the Danube port of Galati in eastern Romania. Floodwater has affected 21 localities so far and has destroyed hundreds of hectares of crops, also washing away a lengthy portion of railway tracks and causing the derailment of several empty passenger coaches.
The floods have forced thousands to flee their homes in eastern Romania in the last four days. Torrential downpours caused the water level to rise rapidly on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Among those who died was an eight-year-old girl swept away from her father's arms.
Rescuers and locals push through the floodwater in Eastern Romania; photo courtesy of Balkan Inside, used under Creative Commons license.
Eugen Chirita, an emergency services spokesman for the Galati region, said: “The toll since Thursday is nine dead, 6,900 evacuated and 1,735 homes flooded.”
EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva tweeted:
#Romania #floods 9 victims & much damage. Auths have mobilised 1K+ personnel. W/ more heavy rain forecast we stand ready to help if needed
— Kristalina Georgieva (@KGeorgievaEU) September 13, 2013
Another Twitter user, @FauziPewarisPG, wonders if this is a result of climate change:
@KGeorgievaEU #flood #Romania The frequency & ferocity of floods in #Europe are on the upbeat. All are signs of #ClimateChange onset.
— PAO TZE★PG All BLUE★ (@FauziPewarisPG) September 13, 2013
Jim Bedient, a weather watcher and astronomer, tweeted from Ukraine:
Floods – Galati, Romania: FLOOD (INFORMATION) http://t.co/ltwCPimsc1
— Jim Bedient (@airDX) September 13, 2013
In the meantime, thousands of rescuers, soldiers and police are at work, while Romainian Prime Minister Victor Ponta is said to be gathering more information about the situation on the ground. The video below shows the level of damage and amount of floodwater on the first evening of the floods, as rescuers and locals salvage villagers and livestock.


Pakistan: Citizen Journalist Suspended for Revealing Forgery  · Global Voices
Rezwan

Sukhmani at Instablogs informs: “After revealing an instance of fake research at the National Center of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, research associate Abdul Karim Khan (also a citizen journalist) has been suspended from his post and also sued for defamation”


Post From Community: Free! Youth Mental Health & Wellness Summit | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Widge Liccione
August 30, 2022
Editor’s note: Posts from the Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
Neighborhood House of Milwaukee (NH) and Survivor’s Journey to Peace present its inaugural Youth Mental Health & Wellness Summit:
“COME ALIVE! A Day of Inspiration, Laughter, Education & Hope!”
The summit will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Neighborhood House 2819 W. Richardson Place, Milwaukee WI 53208.
The event will include inspirational speakers, breakout sessions for both youth and parents, a panel for youth voices, art therapy, drawings, door prizes and shared community resources to support Milwaukee County youth mental health. A light lunch and refreshments will be served.
“There is rightful concern and emphasis about making access to mental health service a priority”, event Coordinator Sandy Smith said. “We want this to offer wellness opportunities and experiences before someone is suffering”.
Admissions is FREE but advance registration is required. Registrations are accepted only via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/369374909297.
About Neighborhood House
Founded in 1945, Neighborhood House of Milwaukee helps strengthen children and families help improve self-sufficiency and empower youth and families in some of the city’s most under-served neighborhoods.
Since then, Neighborhood House evolved into a reliable institution trusted by families that operates under the mission: To inspire discovery in children and families of all backgrounds in our community. Complementing NH’s mission is its organizational vision to be the educational, civic cornerstone that strengthens families and builds connections across communities.
The agency has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children, youth and adults for 76+ years. It operates highly regarded, award-winning programs that serve infants & toddlers, school-age and teen youth, adults and families, refugees and immigrants. More at www.nh-milw.org.


Advocates Look to New Government to Bring in Rare Disease Strategy - New Canadian Media
Kyle Duggan
November 10, 2015
The new minister of health can expect a flood of petitions on her desk on the topic of implementing a rare disease strategy for Canada.
Durhane Wong-Rieger, president of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, told a crowd of health experts and industry stakeholders at an event put on by the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa Monday that if they’re not writing letters to the new health minister and prime minister, they’re not doing their jobs.
“This strategy is long overdue,” she said. “We are way behind other countries.”
Her organization has been championing its plan for a national strategy since May, but sees an opportunity in the new federal government.
“I see it as low hanging fruit … a quick win for the party and the government if they were to bring this forward and implement it.”
The strategy calls for improving early detection of rare diseases, improving quality of care for patients and introducing a policy framework for “orphan” drugs — those developed specifically for rare diseases. It also suggests measures aimed at creating a better information network for rare diseases, including a possible registry.
Monday’s event heard from Jonathan Pitre of Russell, Ontario, often called the “butterfly boy.” Pitre has an incurable skin condition called Epidermolysis bullosa (EB). He’s one of about 5,000 people with some form of EB in Canada, which causes his skin to blister and burn.
“For most common conditions or diseases it’s a little bit easier, there’s more knowing about them … resources dedicated to them.”
He told the crowd about the prolonged frustration of waiting for doctors to properly diagnose his condition, about the lack of appropriate adult care centres for those with rare diseases and the prohibitive cost of his medication.
“For most common conditions or diseases it’s a little bit easier, there’s more knowing about them … resources dedicated to them,” he said. “For rare diseases … it’s a bit tougher for us.”
There’s no treatment for EB in Canada – a bone-marrow transplant would cost $2.5 million, on top of the cost of travelling to and staying in the U.S. for an extended period of time.
“I think you guys noticed that’s not pocket change,” he said. “That’s unreal.”
“That’s the truth of it. Just to get that treatment that may help us … I may not live to 20. Just to be able to keep fighting we need that much money and that much resources … We can do definitely better.”
Former Alberta health minister Fred Horne said a Canadian rare disease strategy could help deal with cases like Pitre’s in the future, and pointed to a rare drug framework as something the new government could move on quickly.
“Instead of worrying about whose jurisdiction it is, let’s look at what are the opportunities to really work together and make something happen.”
“Rare disease coverage for patients, where it exists, it’s very sporadic across the country. Some provinces have a specialized program off to the side where they can provide some assistance, but there’s no really coherent, rational approach to this. It’s a public health issue, it affects three million Canadians – that’s the call to action.”
He said a catastrophic drug coverage plan for rare diseases is critical, adding that from his experience it’s “pretty hard in a smaller budget to provide reimbursement for these drugs” because some cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
Setting national standards and pooling financial resources, he said, “could do better for Canadians than we’re currently doing.
“Instead of worrying about whose jurisdiction it is, let’s look at what are the opportunities to really work together and make something happen.”
Wong-Rieger also spoke about the need to get more Canadians with rare diseases into clinical trials.
“That’s your lifeline, that’s your hope,” she said. Missing out on clinical trials can be a “major, major tragedy,” she said.
Her organization estimates that about three million Canadians – about eight per cent of the population – has a rare disease.
Published in partnership with iPolitics.ca.


Minimum Wage: Association Cautions Traders Against Hiking Prices Of Commodities - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
May 11, 2019
The National Association of NigerianTraders, NANTS has cautioned traders against commodities price increase due toimplementation of the minimum wage.
The President of the Association KenUkaoha gave the advice at a one-day training workshop for NANTS leadership ontracking commitment of political actors to farmers and Traders Charter ofdemand in Katsina.
He said that it was unnecessary andimmoral for traders to increase their commodities price due to minimum wageincrease.
The President says no trader dealson all items of need and once a trader raises the prices of his or hercommodity, others will jerk up the price of their commodities. He said that thefarmers and traders had made arrangements with the political actors in thecountry before the 2019 General Elections.
Earlier, the Katsina StateCoordinator of Association Ibrahim Suleiman, urged members to be proactivetowards monitoring the agreements made with political actors.


Algeria: The Status of Fouad Ajami · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Algerian blogger Nouri  sums up his opinion on whether John Hopkins professor Fouad Ajami is more of a Shia or a nationalist when it comes to discussing the developments in Iraq.


Jamaica, Cuba: Poetry in Motion · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp blogs about MiPOesias Magazine's newly released issue, which he says “showcases the work of poets of Cuban descent who live in the U.S…no matter the subject, these poems blend the romance and sorrows of the past with a crisp view of daily life.”


China: Sexy Girl on Government Website · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Joe from ChinaSMACK translates report about the hacking of Jingzhou City Bureau of Commerce's websites and the netizens’ comments.


Trado Sports Bayelsa Wins First Gold In Ayo - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
August 31, 2022
Report says that Aiyedun won all the four games in the male single category in day one of the competition played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Aiyedun defeated Pave Andoka of Edo in the first game 3-0. He beat Richard Ben of Akwa Ibom 3-0 in the second.
He defeated Monday Samuel of FCT in the third game 3-0 and finally defeated Julius Femi of Delta 3-1 in the fourth game.
Speaking to Newsmen Aiyedun said he was happy that he won the gold medal.
Richard Ben of Akwa Ibom finished second to win silver while Pave Andoka finished third to win bronze medal.
In the female category, Blessing Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom finished first to win gold medal. Faith Okwudihu from Delta took second position to win silver.


Shaping the future of marketing: industry leaders rally for inclusivity at hackathon - New Canadian Media
Shilpashree Jagannathan
April 26, 2024
It is not uncommon for a newcomer to often hear the term “Canadian mosaic” when they move to Canada. This mosaic translated into reality on a sunny Thursday evening at George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus, as Toronto’s marketing and advertising professionals participated in a hackathon titled ‘Beyond Tropes, Tokenism and Talk’.
This event marked a step in the pursuit of inclusivity within marketing strategies. Organized by Account Planning Group (APG) and People Of Colour in Advertising and Marketing (POCAM), both not-for-profits, this event focused on enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the marketing and strategy spaces.
Amidst good food and drinks, attendees focused on reimagining everything from creative briefs to media strategies, aiming to inspire systemic change and foster more inclusive practices to mirror Canada’s dynamically changing demographic landscape.
Jessica Borges, Group VP Business Lead for Visionnaire, set the tone, saying, “Canada is the most diverse country in the world. I like to actually call ourselves a world within a country.” The idea that ‘DEI is not an afterthought’ became a recurring theme.
Michelle Lee, executive board member of APG, offered insight into how the hackathon came about. A few months back, APG and POCAM conceived an event focused on DEI. “To make a substantial impact, one must scrutinize the foundational tools of advertising development.”
The problem, as Lee indicated, often begins at the casting call. The goal of the competition was to move the discussions ‘upstream’, to ‘hack’ into the processes that happen before the casting call, in-line with Canada’s evolving demographics, where one in five people are born overseas and visible minorities are expected to represent up to 30% of the population by 2036, according to Statistics Canada.
The event was marked by a competition among four teams, consisting of advertising and media professionals, who were given a brief to reimagine what a more inclusive framework would look like. They were guided by clear goals: to identify what is broken, to envision the ideal, and to assess the implications for the brief. The four teams presented their briefs to the audience and a panel of judges.
By ensuring that diverse perspectives are not merely present but influential in the strategic discussions, “marketing to Canadians could be customized more genuinely, moving past surface-level tokenism to substantial representation,” said one of the presenters.
Besides calling for inclusivity at the strategy level, the participants also highlighted it for the creative process too, calling for a reinvention. Throughout the event, the participants created the “sense of urgency and a shared understanding that the shift towards an inclusive and representative marketing strategy is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic one.”
As Canada continues to evolve into a more ethnically diverse nation, the insights and frameworks developed from events like this could very well dictate the success of future marketing endeavours. “The hope is that the conversations started here will reverberate, leading to measurable progress and an industry that not only acknowledges but celebrates the multiplicity of Canadian identity,” said Justin Senior, co-founder of POCAM.
Shilpashree Jagannathan is a journalist from India. She now lives in Toronto and has worked as a business reporter for leading newspapers in India. She has tracked telecom, infrastructure, and real estate news developments and has produced podcast series. She currently focuses on human rights, feminist movements, and other related issues in Canada and  India. Her weekends are spent bird watching in one of the Toronto birding hotspots; she loves trails, biking, and a lot of sun.


Slovenia: A Sunday in Radovljica · Global Voices
Elia Varela Serra

Camille Acey of Adventures in Wheelville posted several pictures of a Sunday in Radovljica, a town in the Slovenian alpine region, including some of a medieval art fair.