24 April 2013

Stories from 24 April 2013

Bill Gates’ Handshake Irks South Koreans

  24 April 2013

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has sparked controversy for his single-handed handshake when meeting with the South Korean president. Gates’ left hand was jammed into his pants pocket during the handshake, which is considered disrespectful in South Korea. An extensive photo compilation of Gates’ handshake [ko] was viewed more than 76,000 times in...

Saudi Judge Bars Women from Trial of Human Rights Activist

  24 April 2013

Just ten days after the first Saudi woman was granted a lawyer's license, a judge prohibited women from attending the public trial of activist Dr. Abdualkareem al-Khudar, founding member of the Kingdom's defiant leading human rights organisation, the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association (ACPRA).

Diaper Ad Hit for ‘Twisting’ Philippine History

  24 April 2013

A popular diaper manufacturer has been ordered to stop airing a TV advertisement that parodies an episode in Philippine history. An online petition was also initiated which criticized the ad for “insulting the Filipino people.”

Social Media’s Role in the Sichuan Earthquake

  24 April 2013

ChinaFile and TeaLeafNation analyzed the important role social media has played in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake that has killed 208 people. Social media's instant reactions to the quake has made a difference when compared to the coverage of the 2008 earthquake dominated by China's state media.

What Do Mozambique's Artists Need?

  24 April 2013

April 2013's “Open Terrace” will focus on Artists and ‘Houses of Culture’ [pt] from the Northern province of Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. The initiative takes place every month, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to debate public issues. On December 2012, Global Voices reported on an Open Terrace dedicated to transparency...

Visiting World's ‘Most Dangerous Country’

  24 April 2013

Every day I wake up, shivering with fear, hoping I’ll make it to see the light of another day here in Honduras. I live behind doors enforced with triple bolt locks and I barely dare to go out on the street. […] If that’s what you want to hear, there...

Cheap Gold Puts China in a Frenzy

  24 April 2013

Mainland Chinese tourists tempted by the plunging price of gold emptied Hong Kong's local banks and jewelry shops over the weekend of the precious metal.

Tokyo Joins NASA's App Challenge

  24 April 2013

Japan participated in NASA's International Space Apps Challenge 2013 with a hackathon in Tokyo on April 21 and 22, 2013. Eighteen project teams developed apps with the aim of improving life on Earth and in space, including an app to create dishes in a shape of celestial bodies [ja] such as...

India Suffers from Bad Governance

  24 April 2013

Big government leads to corruption. Corruption leads to bad governance. Bad governance gives rise to mass poverty. Atanu Dey argues that India is not doomed to be poor due to factors outside its control. It needs good governance.