Stories from 12 July 2013
Caring For The Migrant Workers in Maldives
Amira at Mindblur comments: The population of the Maldives is a little over 300,000 people and we employee over 100,000 expatriate workers mainly in menial jobs in the construction industry, as housemaids, cleaners, helpers in various places, etc. This high proportion of the population would mean the Government should put...
Gulnara Karimova: Mocked Abroad, Loved (and Feared) in Uzbekistan
Gulnara Karimova, the upwardly mobile daughter of Uzbekistan's aging "President for Life" Islam Karimov, celebrated her 41st birthday in typically decadent style on July 8. But as she enters mid-life, there are still few clues as to what job titles lie on the horizon for the woman known as Guli, Googoosha, Dr. Karimova, and The Dictator's Daughter.
New Internet Law in The Gambia Puts Gag on Government Criticism
Parliamentarians in the tiny West African state of the Gambia have ratified and passed a new law that seeks to tighten laws on Internet freedom. The law seeks to punish “instigating violence against the government or public officials”, and also targets individuals who “caricature or make derogatory statements against officials” or “impersonate public officials”.
New Sugar Cane Farming Bill in Brazil Threatens Amazon
Brazil has passed a law authorizing the cultivation of sugar cane for the first time in areas of the Amazon forest and surrounding wetlands and savanna, causing concern among environmentalists.
The Bahamas: Life Begins at 40?
The Bahamas marked its 40th anniversary of independence from Great Britain this week. A few bloggers shared their thoughts about the milestone…
The State of the Internet in Bolivia
In Bolivia we have 1.4 million Internet connections. […] 82.5% of Internet connections are concentrated in the ‘axis’ departments (La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). Global Voices contributor Pablo Andrés Rivero worked with blogger and Internet activist Mario Durán Chuquimia [es] on a report regarding the state of the Internet...
Caribbean: Encouraging Innovators?
How innovative is the Caribbean? Using the criteria of The Global Innovation Index, ICT Pulse takes a look.
Should Foreign Reporters Learn Bahasa?
DC Guy observes that most foreign correspondents in Indonesia have little knowledge of the local situation: They can't understand the TV. They can't understand the radio. They can't read local blogs, websites, or newspapers. All they have is the English language sources. It's why the Western wires were obsessed with...
Outcry Over Hush-Hush Nuclear Plans in Southern China
A complex of nuclear fuel facilities has been quietly planned in Heshan in China's southern Guangdong province, unleashing a wave of anger among Web users over the hush-hush nature of the project once local media brought the plan to light.
Is WeChat the Next Sina Weibo in China?
There’s a battle brewing in Chinese social media between text and voicemail service WeChat and microblogging website Sina Weibo.