Stories from 23 June 2014
Russian Bureaucracy’s Race to Police the Web
"...the most frightening truth may be that Russia’s law enforcement agencies don’t always wait for lawmakers to grant them formal authority when it comes to policing the Internet."
Costa Rica's Pre-Columbian Stone Spheres Declared World Heritage
Four archaeological sites with pre-Columbian stone spheres located in the canton of Osa, Puntarenas, in Costa Rica were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. The decision was announced on Monday, June 23, 2014, during the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha, Qatar. Costa Rican former president Laura...
African Union Moves Towards Gagging Free Speech Online
The 23rd African Union Heads of Government Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea starting on June 26, 2014, might adopt the African Union Convention on Security in Cyberspace and Personal Data Protection. Moses Karanja, in this article in AfricanHadithi, argues that this legislation might be a cover to limit online free speech...
Mexican Bloggers Support Their National Team
Samantha Martínez is blogging on Tarjeta Azul about the day-to-day at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. This time, she shares her passion for her country's national team, Mexico, and sums up the rivalry between this team and the local one, and shows her support for the Mexican crew:...
Global Voices Members Win Knight News Challenge Awards To Strengthen the Internet
Two Global Voices members emerge as winners in the 2014 Knight News Challenge competition, results of which were announced today.
Jonbeel, a Barter Market in the 21st Century
The centuries old Jonbeel Mela, a community fair in the northeast Indian state of Assam, has a unique ritual. Around 10,000 indigenous people from tribes like the Karbi, Khasi, Tiwa, and Jayantia of the northeast come down from the hills to the Jonbeel wetlands with their produce or catch and...
‘Happy’ in Thailand? How the Coup Regime Is Still Suppressing Democracy
Mass media is being censored, Facebook is under fire and even the Hunger Games salute has been outlawed. Are Thais truly "happy" under the military regime?
TV Networks in Africa Squabble Over World Cup Broadcast Rights
Thanks to legal battles and network decisions, some fans on the continent might have a more complicated time tuning in to the World Cup.
Alexander Sodiqov Is Not the First Person to Be Arrested in Tajikistan for Doing His Job
The Tajik government's arrest of Alexander Sodiqov for conducting academic research in Tajikistan's troubled GBAO region echoes the arrest of a BBC journalist in the same country three years ago.
The Inca Road Is a New World Heritage Site
For the first time in the 40 years of World Heritage convention, six countries united to submit a joint application to designate a cultural site as world heritage. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru requested that the Incan Road be included as a cultural heritage site. The announcement was made in...
Twitter's Game of Cat and Mouse in Russia
A pattern is emerging in the relationship between the Kremlin and Twitter, where Moscow makes sweeping demands of the website and then touts the resulting compromise as a victory.
Stop Using Growth as an Excuse to Pollute, African Activists Say
The impact of 2014 World Environment Day on Africa: The need for growth on the continent does not absolve nations from protecting the earth, African advocates say.
People in Hong Kong Have a Legitimate Reason to Freak Out When Facebook Is Down
Denial-of-service attacks in Hong Kong have recently targeted an online referendum on democratic reform and a media outlet critical of Beijing. Some suspect mainland China are behind the attacks.
Australian Shock and Outrage at Egyptian Sentencing of Al Jazeera Journalists
Journalists have led the way on social media in expressing Australians' shock over the prison sentences for the Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt.
Debunking Rumors that Algerian Fans Burned Down a Church in Lyon, France after World Cup Win
On June 22 at the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, Algeria defeated South Korea 4-2 to keep its chance of qualifying to the knock-out round alive. Scenes of joy were numerous in Algeria [fr] but also in France where a dynamic Algerian community resides. The joy was tempered by rumors that...
Hundreds of Thousands of Hong Kongers Are Defying China and Demanding the Right to Nominate Their Next Leader
A total of 700,000 people have already voted in an unofficial referendum on democratic electoral reform, despite condemnation from China and massive DDoS attacks against the website.
5 Places in Brazil Where People Were Protesting, Not Cheering During the World Cup Kick-Off
Not everyone in Brazil was excited to see the World Cup. Groups around the country staged protests against the money spent on the tournament instead of on the people.
Chile Will Build the Biggest Telescope on Earth
In Fotones Valley at Cerro Armazones in the Atacama desert, Chile, the construction for what will become the largest optical telescope in the world, with a diameter of 39 meters, are underway. In 2010, the European Southern Observatory Board chose that location in the Chilean desert for the future E-ELT.2. It will be...
