18 December 2012

Stories from 18 December 2012

Hungarian Students Call for Nationwide Strike

  18 December 2012

Hungarian high school and college students, who are demanding that the government set university admission quotas to a reasonable level and help those from lower income households to access higher education, are calling for a nationwide strike on Wednesday.

Independent Turkmen Website Hacked

  18 December 2012

Chronicles of Turkmenistan (www.chrono-tm.org), the website run by Turkmen human rights activists in exile, has been hacked [ru] for the third time this year and remains down. Catherine Fitzpatrick on Different Stans blog suggests that the “way too important” website was hacked by “Turkmen Secret Police”. She also lists alternative social media where the...

Delhi Gang Rape Case Evokes Rage Across India

  18 December 2012

A recent gang-rape of a 23 year-old woman on a Delhi bus has stirred shock and outrage in India. This incident has raised a lot of questions regarding public safety in the Indian capital and criticized the approach of the society towards taboo subjects such as sex and rape.

United States: Occupy Sandy Stands Up to Destruction

  18 December 2012

Occupy Sandy has proved to be a great help in alleviating the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Organized by the group InterOccupy, Occupy Sandy was created as a part of the Occupy movement whose methodology was to organize general assemblies, attracting individuals and groups working to promote mutual communication. As stipulated in its mission, the movement seeks to respond to the needs of the 99 percent.

The Elusive Quest for Peace with the M23 in the DRC

  18 December 2012

The current conflict in the Kivu Region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) threatens to linger on despite an international effort to broker a truce between the M23 rebellion and the Congolese government. The conflict is difficult to grasp, because the M23 rebellion has been a shifting movement, both geographically and politically.

Colombia: Where's the Indignation?

  18 December 2012

Blogger Miguel from Mike's Bogota Blog lists some situations that make people feel indignation and wonders: So, why is it that all kinds of vehicles and industry can poison us, day in and day out, in plain sight, and almost nobody does anything? He also shares pictures and concludes his...

People's Daily: The Internet is Not Outside the Law

  18 December 2012

On Dec 18, China's state media, People's Daily published a piece titled “The Internet is Not Outside the Law,” which serves as a reminder of government control over internet and social media in China. China Media Project translated the whole piece.

Infographic: Ten Ways of Torture in China's Black Jail

  18 December 2012

Tencent News recently published an infographic introducing how prisoners have been tortured in the black jail in Chongqing, China. The black jail was set up by Bo Xilai and the controversial infographic triggered many comments from netizens. Offbeat China provides more details with the translation of the inforgraphic.  

Hong Kong: Grandma's Wallet

  18 December 2012

In Hong Kong, many old people are living in poverty despite the fact that the society is very prosperous as a whole. The video taken by Wu Hoi Ching shows how her grandma manages her living by squeezing her daily expenses.

Japan: Signature Campaign Calling for the Release of Anti-Nuclear Scholar

  18 December 2012

An online signature campaign has been launched to call for the release of Masaki Shimoji, Associate Professor of Economy at Hannan University, who has been arrested by Osaka police on December 9 for his campaign to oppose city plans to incinerate imported earthquake debris contaminated by nuclear leak in Fukishima.

Football: Who Holds the Record, Argentina's Messi or Zambia's Chitalu?

  18 December 2012

Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi has broken most footballing records including the number of goals scored in a season, or has he? An unlikely challenger to Messi's record, who is a marvel to watch when he turns up for his Spanish la Liga team FC Barcelona, has emerged in Zambia - in the form of a footballer who died nearly 20 years ago.

Censorship Lift for “V for Vendetta” Shocks China

  18 December 2012

V for Vendetta, a film produced in 2005 about a near-future dystopian society, previously censored in China, was aired on China Central Television Station (CCTV) Channel Six on December 14, 2012. The screening has caught many people by surprise.