Stories from 11 March 2013
Should Alcohol be Legalised in Libya?
Libyan netizens are debating whether alcohol should be allowed in the country – after more than 50 people have died from drinking methane-tainted home-made alcohol in Tripoli. Another 470-plus people have been taken to hospitals for treatment, prompting a heated discussion on why lifting the alcohol ban would introduce legislation, which will in turn prevent such wide-scale tragedies from happening again.
US Attorney General Praises Saudi Reforms
US Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. is in the Saudi capital Riyadh – where he praised judicial reforms in the kingdom. On Riyadh Bureau, Ahmed Al Omran writes: The day before Holder’s press conference a Saudi court in Riyadh sentenced two prominent human rights activists to long jail terms and...
Omar Banuchi Finds His Niche in the Puerto Rican Web (Part III)
Banuchi's career path can be seen in the transformation that his illustrations have had in the last five years. The technique has been refined, and the topics point towards an increased maturity. Here is the third, and final, part of the interview with Puerto Rican digital artist Omar Banuchi.
Ecuador: One Year Since the Detainment of ‘The 10 from Luluncoto’
It has been a year since "the 10 from Luluncoto" were detained, citizens accused of attempted terrorism. Various demonstrations have taken place outside the Inca women's prison, and they are awaiting the liberation of two of the detainees that have already spent a year in prison: Abigaíl Heras and Cristina Campaña.
Peru: Riding with Grandpa
Peruvian blog Te voy a contar [es], by Elizabeth Lino Cornejo, posts a short story [es] with a mix of humor and nostalgia, where the narrator recalls when he used to go to school every day in his grandfather's car, where he and his siblings rode “very comfortably, lying down...
Of Ginger and Other Delicacies
Ronald Hill, on his blog Sueños del Caribe [es], shares an episode that took place [es] in a restaurant where he saw two traders exchanging opinions about samples of ginger.
Rebels Attack in Central African Republic
RJDH -RCA reports that [fr]: According to multiple NGOs in the region, the cities of Mobaye and Bangassou are under attack by dissident rebels of the Sekela coalition in the Central African Republic. No confirmation has been given yet by the government. Bangassou's phone network is currently cut off.
British Security Firm Profits from Mali War
Ramzy Baroud writes [fr] about the conflict in Mali on Pambazuka: British security firm G4S will rake in enormous profits due to the crisis taking place in Mali, Libya and Algeria. Recognized as the biggest security firm in the world, the group was downgraded at the time of the Olympic Games in London last...
The Right to be Forgotten: Spain and Google Before the European Court
On 26 February, Google and Spain appeared before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the redaction of certain pages yielded in search results that contain the personal information of Spanish citizens. The ECJ, which will weigh the public's right to information against the right to be forgotten will issue its non-binding ruling on 25 June 2013.
Video: Greece Austerity Protests Teargassed
A reportedly peaceful attempt to revive the mass anti-austerity “indignant protests” of 2011 on the evening of March 10 in Syntagma square, Athens, was met with teargas and police brutality, as shown in this video of an arrest, uploaded by Eleftherotypia daily:
Hungarian Bloggers Take Student Union To Court
Students from the Faculty of Law at ELTE University in Hungary sued the faculty's student union after they denied a freedom of information (FOIA) request. The students wanted to know who received bonus payments from the union's monthly budget of around $3,300. They wrote on their blog ÁJK HÖK Figyelő (Faculty of Law Student Union...
Is the ‘China Dream’ Really a ‘Strong Military Dream’ ?
The concept of the "China Dream" is being promoted by a number of state-controlled media organizations, including China Central Television which recently invited Chinese micro-bloggers to join the conversation.
Video: Police Brutality at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Video involving participant Jamie Jackson at the iconic Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on March 2, 2013 has sparked claims of police brutality.
Moldova Without Government: What's Next – East or West?
On March 5, Moldova’s Parliament passed a no-confidence motion, dismissing the country's pro-European three-party coalition government led by Vlad Filat. Just a few weeks earlier, Moldova seemed to be the greatest hope on the European Union’s Eastern borders. Now, it is headed for a serious political crisis. Diana Lungu reports.
Video: Ukrainian Lawmaker Flouts Law, Berates Airport Employee
Vadym Kolesnichenko, a Ukrainian ruling party MP, set off a small-scale online campaign when he lashed out at an airport employee who was just doing her job.
