· June, 2013

Stories about Politics from June, 2013

Egyptians Want to Overthrow the Regime

Egyptians marked the first anniversary of Mohamed Morsi's presidency with huge rallies across Egypt on June 30, calling for him to leave office. Anti-Morsi campaign Tamarrod, whose name translates to rebel, says it has so far gathered more than 22 million signatures from citizens, which call for early presidential elections.

Thailand Cuts Rice Subsidy Price

  30 June 2013

The Thailand government has announced the reduction of rice subsidy price that it gives to four million farmers. The program was meant to improve the savings of farmers. Critics blame the rice pledging program for the huge financial losses in the rice sector.

The Strange Case of Puerto Rico and the Death Penalty

  29 June 2013

During the 5th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, recently held in Madrid, Spain, participants assembled to discuss the status of Puerto Rico, where the death penalty, though abolished in 1929, could still be imposed thanks to its relationship with the United States. Periodismo Ciudadano's Elisa Moreno Gil interviews Puerto Rican attorneys and activists to learn about the island's special situation.

Myanmar's Internet Freedom Forum

  28 June 2013

Faine Greenwood writes about the first Internet freedom forum in Myanmar and the challenges facing the IT community: The event revealed optimism about opportunities for a newly connected society, even as bloggers and observers expressed uncertainty about growing tension between a desire for openness and a need for stability in...

Soldiers Go Online to ‘Fight’ for Monarchy

  28 June 2013

Thai online journal Prachatai features the military unit Rangers Task Force 45 whose members were instructed to go online and promote or defend the monarchy. Soldiers of the unit reportedly left 1.69 million comments on online forums and other social media portals in a period of four months last year....

Ninety Countries Meet for Global Conference Against Death Penalty

  28 June 2013

Representatives of 90 countries participated in the 5th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Madrid, Spain. Some of the key topics discussed were the abolition of the death penalty, along with the related issues of adherence to human rights treaties, the procurement of a moratorium in death penalty convictions, and legal reforms.

China's People's Daily Bashes American Political System

  28 June 2013

Fresh off its “Dishonest Americans" series, which claimed to offer an “objective picture of what real Americans are like”, the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece newspaper, the People's Daily, has shocked again with another attempt to bash the American political system.

Brazil: A Nation Divided Between Protests and Football

  27 June 2013

Brazil won Uruguay in the Mineirão Stadium, on Wednesday 26 June, in the city of Belo Horizonte, securing a place in the Confederation Cup finall. At the same time, 40,000 people gathered outside the Stadium to protest against the social cost of hosting the World Cup 2014 and to demand politial changes in Brazil. Conflicts took place between protesters and police and one died having fallen from a viaduct.

Snowden Asylum, the US and Latin America

  27 June 2013

[…] as Snowden seeks a safe haven in Latin America, attention is drawn to the history of United States policy towards the region and to the growing independence and pro-democracy current throughout the hemisphere. Frederick B. Mills, Senior Research Fellow at the Council On Hemispheric Affairs, analyzes “The hemispheric dimension...

Trinidad & Tobago: E-mails & Integrity

  26 June 2013

In more fallout over what has come to be known as “e-mailgate”, Trinidad and Tobago bloggers are tracking how the political fracas has affected public perception of the country's Integrity Commission.

US Got Snowden's Name Wrong on Extradition Papers, Hong Kong Says

  26 June 2013

Hong Kong's secretary of justice explained othat officials permitted American whistleblower Edward Snowden to fly out of the city because the US failed to respond to their questions in time regarding their case against Snowden as well as address Snowden's allegations that the US hacked Hong Kong.

Jamaica: Working for Women?

  26 June 2013

Jamaica Woman Tongue takes a closer look at an antiquated law that restricts women working at night. “It looks like progress,” she says, “but there’s definitely a downside to freeing up women for night work. It’s not all about emancipation.

Japanese Official Suspended Over Twitter Comment

  26 June 2013

A Japanese reconstruction official in charge of helping victims of the 2011 post-tsunami meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has been taken off duty after sharp-eyed journalists unearthed tweets he wrote insulting area activists.

Southeast Asia: The Great Haze of 2013

  26 June 2013

Since last week, a thick haze has enveloped Singapore and some parts of Malaysia caused by forest fires mainly in Indonesia. The haze brought air pollution levels to a record high in the region. Malaysia placed two districts under state of emergency while Singaporeans were advised to remain indoors.

Hacker Attacks on South and North Korea

  25 June 2013

Hacker collective Anonymous previously announced they will attack North Korean sites on June 25. But it took an unexpected turn as several major South Korean sites, including the website of South Korea's presidential office and those of media organizations, have been temporarily suspended. North Korea Tech explains in detail.