Puffs of Smoke and other News

Should Alcohol be Legalised in Libya? (Global Voices) — I’m totally biased on this question. Yep. It should be. Then, you can control the quality and tax the Hell out of it. And all the good Muslims can look down on the Muslims who drink. And the Catholics in the country can laugh and get drunk like the priests. The Jews can drink wine like the rabbis. And everyone else can just roll their eyes at all of them.

Malaysia

Malaysians Support Army Offensive Against Sabah ‘Terrorists’ (Global Voices)

Mexico

Mexican eco-terrorists declare war on nanotechnology, threaten scientists (Boing Boing)

Moldova

Moldova Without Government: What’s Next – East or West? (Global Voices)

Myanmar

Myanmar’s Exiled Broadcaster to Return Home (Global Voices)

Pakistan

Angry Mob Torches Christian Neighbourhood in Pakistan (Global Voices)

Rome

Election of First Latin American Pope Stuns Analysts (Moderate Voice)

Pope Francis: A New Center of Gravity (Moderate Voice)

The New Pope Speaks to Vatican Crowd (VIDEO) (The Moderate Voice)

New Pope, Jorge Bergoglio, is Argentinian (Global Voices)

Bergoglio, Age 76, A New Pope (The Moderate Voice)

Argentine Pope Elected (The Moderate Voice)

New Pope Elected: Live Blogging (AFP) (Moderate Voice)

Cardinals Poised to Begin Historic Conclave (Moderate Voice)

Breaking the Silence: Secrets of Papal Elections (The Moderate Voice)

As cardinals gather to elect Pope, Catholic officials break into a sweat over news that priests share €23m building with huge gay sauna (The Independent)

Russia

How Using Twitter Can End Your Political Campaign in Russia (Global Voices)

Propaganda & Mystery in Russia’s Browder-Magnitsky Case (Global Voice)

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Court Sentences Reformists to 10 and 11 Years in Prison (Global Voices)

Serbia

“Ten Years Without Zoran Djindjic”: Serbia Honors Slain Politician (Global Voices)

South Korea

South Koreans Rip ‘Chicken Hawk’ Politicians As War Rhetoric Heats Up (Global Voices)

Taiwan

Taiwan Denies Entry to Anti-Nuke Visitor Ahead of Protest (Global Voices)

Tunisia

Self-immolations Continue in Tunisia (Global Voices)

United Kingdom

LibDems leave over support for secret trials; I resign from the party (Boing BOing)

Venezuela

The Curious Case of Hugo Chávez and Peru (Global Voices)

AP: Chavez made “meager” gains, only reduced poverty, didn’t build the world’s tallest building (Boing Boing)

The Curious Case of Hugo Chávez and Peru (Global Voices)

Death of Hugo Chavez a CIA Plot? Views from Venezuela, Bolivia and Russia (The Moderate Voice)

Vietnam

Digitizing the National Library of Vietnam (Global Voices)

Last Raw Deal goin’ down

Feb23

So, the Pope’s retired and the North Korea is doing nuclear tests. We’re just having a banner year already. Put it in your diaries, cousins. You’ll want your grandkids to remember this s**t.

Angola

Video of Brutal Beating of Women Shocks Angola (Global Voices)

Antarctica

Lake-drilling team discovers life under the ice (Nature) — Hey, I already knew about this. I watch X-files… Oh, that’s not a documentary? Who knew?

Australia

Australian Sport: Drugs, Match Fixing Linked to Organised Crime (Global Voices) — Are you shocked? I’m not. Seriously, drugs and match fixing. It’s the basis for a goodly number of enterprises for org. crime.

Bangladesh

#Shahbag Protesters Bid Farewell to Brutally Murdered Blogger (Global Voices)

Videos from #Shahbag, Bangladesh’s Generation Square (Global Voices)

Bangladesh Unites at Shahbag for 42-Year-Old War Crimes (Global Voices)

Bangladeshi Women Join Shahbag Protests in Remarkable Numbers (Global Voices)

In Pictures: The Protesting Crowd In Shahbag (Global Voices)

#Shahbag in a 144 Characters (Global Voices)

Bolivia

Bolivia: Indigenous Communities Battle for Territory (Global Voices)

Brazil

With Corruption All Too Common, Brazil Pushes Back (Global Voices)

‘Follow the Pope’s Lead,’ Brazil Tells Senate President (Global Voices)

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Police Attack Anti-Government Protesters (Global Voices)

Canada

One Phone Call is Not Enough: Court Rules You Have the Right to Google a Lawyer (Michael Geist)

Canadian cops can use electronic surveillance without reporting it (Boing Boing)

Canada’s Internet snooping bill is dead (Boing Boing)

China

Beijing Must Punish Pyongyang, But Never Join Anti-North Alliance (Huanqiu, People’s Republic of China) (Moderate Voice)

Citizens Document Extreme Water Pollution in China (Global Voices)

Chinese Planned to Kill Drug Lord With Drone (Moderate Voice)

Colombia

Colombia: Shots Continue to Ring Out in Medellín (Global Voices) — When I wrote that short story, I never expected it to become *real* in any way.

Ecuador

Ecuador: Central Bank President Resigns Amid Forged Degree Scandal (Global Voices)

Finland

Pirate Bay calls cops on Finnish copyright enforcement thugs that ripped off its website (Boing Boing)

France

Horsemeat Scandal Spreads as French Retailers Pull Foods (Moderate Voice) — So, what’s the bigger deal? The fact that the meat is not as advertised, or that people are actually eating horses?

Germany

From Whispers to Outcry: Sexism in Germany (Global Voices)

Honduras

Honduran President vs. Freedom of the Press (Global Voices)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Activist Jailed for Burning Chinese Flag (Global Voices)

Hungary

Students to Protest Constitutional Amendment (Global Voices)

India

India at the Forefront of One Billion Rising (Global Voices)

Indonesia

Indonesia’s Bill on Mass Organizations (Global Voices)

Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ice cream budget frozen (ontd_political)

Japan

Japan’s Porn Law is Strangling Artists (Global Voices)

Imposed 66 Years Ago, the Time Has Come to Revise Our ‘Pacific Constitution’ (Iwate Nippo Shimbun, Japan) (Moderate Voice)

Japan’s Conservation Groups Fight to Preserve Wetlands (Global Voices)

Okinawans Will No Longer be ‘Pawned Away’ to Curry American Favor (Ryukyu Shimpo Shimbun, Japan) (Moderate Voice)

Kashmir

Fatwa Snowballs, Kashmir’s First All-Girl Band Calls it Quits (Global Voices)

Kenya

Kenya’s Presidential Elections Go High-Tech (Global Voices)

Kuwait

Targeted by Kuwaiti Police, Stateless Video Blogger Calls it Quits (Global Voices)

Libya

A Second Revolution in Libya? (Global Voices)

Malaysia

Australian Senator Deported for ‘Interfering’ in Malaysian Politics (Global Voices)

Mali

The Idleness of African Leadership in Mali (Global Voices)

Mauritania

Mauritanians Protest Tahrir Square Assaults (Global Voices)

Mexico

Rights group faults Mexico over abductions (Al Jazeera)

Myanmar

Myanmar: Media Freedom Still Under Threat (Global Voices)

E-Mails of Reporters in Myanmar Are Hacked (NYT) – Hmmm… a mostly repressive government reading emails, hmmm…

North Korea

North Korea’s blast: China Holds the Cards (Moderate Voice)

North Korea Stokes Global Fury with Nuclear Test (Moderate Voice)

North Korea Conducts 3rd Nuclear Test (Global Voices)

North Korea conducts third nuclear test in DPRK history (Boing Boing) – Okay, so this likely links back to the same story, but it’s got a better picture.

Pakistan

Pakistan’s Hazara Shias Demand Arrests, Protection After Deadly Bombing (Global Voices)

Peru

Peru: Heavy Rains Affect Arequipa (Global Voices)

Rome <– You did remember that this is its own country right? The Pope's actually the leader of a nation, not just a religion?

Pope’s Resignation Echoes in Africa (Global Voices)

Latin America: Pope Resigns – Hope, Humour and Speculation Follow (Global Voices)

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns (UDATE 2 with ROUNDUP) (The Moderate Voice)

Papal Frontrunners Include Two Africans And One Canadian (The Moderate Voice)

Pope’s Brother Knew of Planned Resignation (Moderate Voice) — Well, God forbid the man talk to his *family* rather than the press first. The nerve.

Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation: Live Report (Moderate Voice) – Well, not so live anymore.

How Will the Catholic Church Handle a Living Ex-Pope? (The Moderate Voice) — Well, hopefully, he’ll retire to a monastery with a bunch of other retired priests and live out his life praying and working in the garden.

A Non-European Pope (The Moderate Voice) — I think it would be cool to have an African pope. I mean, it’s not like it’s going to necessarily change anything in terms of the direction of the church – given the power of the Curiate – but a little new blood in the papacy would be welcome.

The Paradoxes of Pope Benedict (The Moderate Voice)

America’s ‘Pulse’ Is Having a Bad Day (The Moderate Voice)

Russia

Incredible details are emerging about Russia’s Chelyabinsk meteor (i09)

A Fistful of Bloggers: Russian MP Pressured to Resign (Global Voices)

Meteor explodes over Russia (Boing BOing)

“Pedophile’s Guide” Lands Russian Blogging Platform on Blacklist (Global Voices) — I’ve an idea. How about leaving it live and spying on it somehow. Like a little malicious script that will let you see who’s reading it.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Hospital Gives HIV, Minister Gives iPad (Global Voices)

Saudi Women Protesters Arrested for “Impairing Development” (Global Voices)

Senegal

Is Senegal’s Government Spokesman Selling Out? (Global Voices)

South Africa

Pistorius sobs as court hears murder charge (Chicago Tribune)

Spain

Spain: lawmakers want bullfighting to be protected as cultural heritage (Boing Boing) — That’s like saying that America should protect dog fighting. No. Just No. That which was acceptable in the past, is not exactly what is acceptable in the future.

Under Pressure, Spain Opens Door to Foreclosure Reform (Global Voices)

Spain: Bail of 8,1 Million Euro for the King’s Son-in-law (Global Voices)

Taiwan

Taiwanese Writer Finds Poetry in Laid-off Workers’ Railway Protest (Global Voices)

Tajikistan

Journalist’s Stabbing a ‘Warning’ for Tajik Opposition (Global Voices)

Turkey

Turkey: Lynch Attempt on Kurdish Members of Parliament in Sinop (Global Voices)

United Kingdom

TESCO attaches tracking armbands to employees (Boing Boing)

UK “forced labor” welfare scheme nailed in court (Boing Boing) — There’s a huge difference between “prove to us your trying to find a job” and “do this unpaid labor for for-profit companies so I get my kickback.”

Guerrilla Benchers replace street furniture removed to discourage homeless people (Boing Boing0

London mayor praises horse meat (Boing Boing)

Venezuela

‘He’s back!’ Chavez in Venezuela after Cancer Surgery (Moderate Voice)

Yemen

Protester Sets Himself on Fire, Yemen Remembers the Revolution (Global Voices)

All the news that’s not fit to print

Feb2

So, this world situation seems to be a little bit more depressing every day. How is that even possible? I’m not exactly an optimist after all and yet the world still manages to disappoint me.

United Nations

Three Portuguese Language States Ignore UN Convention Against Torture (Global Voices)

Afghanistan

An ‘Evolution in Thinking’ in Afghanistan (Global Voices)

Algeria

Naming the Victims of the Algerian Hostage Crisis (Global Voices)

Azerbaijan

Prominent Blogger Detained in Azerbaijan (Global Voices)

Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Missed Call – A Tool For Protest? (Global Voices)

Brazil

Deadly Nightclub Inferno Leaves Brazil in Mourning (The MOderate Voice)

Cicero Guedes, Brazilian Landless Leader is Murdered in Rio (Global Voices)

Brazil: Families Evicted from Pinheirinho Still Without a Proper Home (Global Voices)

Central African Republic

Central African Republic: How Strong Is The Peace Deal? (Global Voices)

Egypt

The Egyptians Want to Overthrow the Regime (Global Voices)

The People Egypt’s Revolution Left Behind (Guest Voice) (The Moderate Voice)

Egypt Protesters Torch Brotherhood Party HQ: AFP (The Moderate Voice)

Germany

Berlin activists create CCTV-smashing street game (Boing Boing)

India

India Sees Push for Police Reform after Rape Outcry (The Moderate Voice)

Italy

Outrage as Berlusconi Praises Mussolini on Holocaust Day (The Moderate Voice)

Mali

U.S. to Provide Aerial Refueling for French Warplanes (Updated) (The Moderate Voice)

French-led Troops in Mali Seize Airport at Islamist Bastion (The Moderate Voice)

U.S. Air Force Transports French Troops to Mali (The Moderate Voice)

Mauritania

Mauritania: Workers March 700km for Justice (Global Voices)

Mauritania: Anger over US Ambassador Statement (Global Voices)

Myanmar

Peace March: ‘Stop Violence in North Myanmar’ (Global Voices)

Mozambique

Mozambique: Citizen mobilization to help flood victims (Global Voices)

Peru

Peru: Violent Anti-Mining Protests in Lambayeque (Global Voices)

Russia

Where Russia’s Honest Ones Go to Die: Dolmatov’s Suicide (Global Voices)

Russian Parliament Confronts Next Threat to Kids: “Homosexual Propaganda” (Global Voices)

Slovakia

Slovak President Butt of Jokes Online Due to Prosecutor General Saga (Global Voices)

Somalia

Twitter suspends account of Somali Islamist militants linked to Al-Qaeda (Boing Boing)

Thailand

Thai Activist Editor Gets 11-Year Jail Term for ‘Insulting’ King (Global Voices)

Tibet

Tibetan teen dies before immolation protest, leaves note for Dalai Lama’s return (Boing Boing)

Turkey

After 15-year Trial in Turkey, Pınar Selek Sentenced for Life (Global Voices)

United Arab Eremites

Blogging for UAE Detainees (Global Voices)

Spinning on our Axis

Jan12

As always these are just the things that have caught my eye.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh: Another Indigenous Girl Raped and Killed (Global Voices)

Belarus

One-armed man arrested in Belarus for clapping (Boing Boing)

Cameroon

Gay Man Lynched in Northern Cameroon (Global Voices)

China

Unaware, China’s Handan City Consumed Toxic Water for Days (Global Voices)

Chinese Journalists Demand Resignation of Provincial Propaganda Chief (Global Voices)

Website of a Liberal Political Journal Shut Down in China (Global Voices)

China’s Propaganda Department Threatens to Dissolve Beijing News (Global Voices)

China’s Blames “Foreign Forces” for Press Freedom Protests (Global Voices)

China Press Freedom Campaign Swells with New Rally (Moderate Voice)

Censorship Meets Rare Defiance as Journalists Strike in China (Boing Boing)

Cote d’Ivoire

Ivorian Blogger Questions Government’s Response to Abidjan Stampede (Global Voices)

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Elusive Quest for Peace with the M23 in the DRC (Global Voices)

Ecuador

Ecuador: President Refuses to Inaugurate Wind Farm (Global Voices)

France

Row over 3rd Generation Contraceptive Pills in France (Global Voices)

Dueling Demonstrations Surround Same-Sex Marriage in France (Global Voices)

India

India Vows Response After ‘Ghastly’ Pakistan Attack (Moderate Voice)

Japan

Japan Scrambles Jets to Head Off China Plane (Moderate Voice)

Kenya

Technology Helps Kenyans Reveal Electoral Registration Fraud (Global Voices)

Kuwait

Kuwaiti Twitter User Jailed for Two Years for Insulting Emir (Global Voices)

New Zealand

Chinese tourists say crooked NZ tour-operator took them to a “buffet” that was really a church soup-kitchen (Boing Boing)

Pakistan

Shot Pakistan Schoolgirl Malala Leaves UK Hospital (Moderate Voice) —YAH!!!!

India Vows Response After ‘Ghastly’ Pakistan Attack (Moderate Voice)

Russia

Vladimir Pozner & Russia’s Own Political Correctness (Global Voices)

Secret Money, Hacks, and Politics of Russian Web (Global Voices)

Saudi Arabia

Public Prosecutor Seeks Flogging for Saudi Women Protesters (Global Voices)

70-year-old man marries 15-year-old in Saudi Arabia (CNN)

Singapore

Delhi Rape Case Sparks Death Penalty Debate in Singapore (Global Voices)

Spain

Twitterer Called to Testify in Spain for Gramsci Quotes (Global Voices)

Spanish locksmiths won’t help banks evict people from their homes (Boing Boing)

South Korea

South Korea: The Secret Agent’s Illegal Electioneering (Global Voices)

Syria

Assad’s Fantasies Fuel Syria’s Tragedy (Moderate Voice)

Nearly 9,000 Syrians Flee to Jordan in Six Days: Govt (Moderate Voice)

Tunisia

Tunisian Army Critic Gets a One-Year Suspended Jail Sentence (Global Voices)

United Kingdom

Nepali Citizen Arrested in the UK for Alleged War Crimes (Global Voices)

Irish town councillor tries to get state-owned piece of art removed from public gallery (Boing Boing)

Zambia

Zambian Ex-President Banda on his 2011 Election Defeat (Global Voices)

The last of last year’s world news

Jan1

As always, these are the stories that caught my eye. Some things will be omitted. And screw the US fiscal cliff. That is not news here.

Also, a note to the gang-raping SOB’s in India – I hope you burn for it.

Afghanistan

Afghan Policewoman Shoots Dead Foreign Adviser (The Moderate Voice) — “oooops!” Does not cover this.

Argentina

Argentine mom rescues hundreds of sex slaves (ontd_political) – Don’t I feel like a slacker.

Bahrain

Bahrain Police “Slap” Video Goes Viral (Global Voices)

No Haven for Citizen Journalists in Bahrain (Global Voices)

Central African Republic

Who Wants to Overthrow Central African Republic President François Bozizé? (Global Voices)

Rebel Attacks on Ndélé and Bria, Central African Republic (Global Voices)

China

China Considers Real Name Registration for All Internet Users (Global Voices)

International Fast Food Chains Involved in China’s Chicken Scandal (Global Voices)

Egypt

Egypt Adopts New Constitution as Opposition Cries Foul (The Moderate Voice)

First Nations

Indigenous ‘Idle No More’ Movement Sweeps Canada (Global Voices)

‘Idle No More’: Hunger-striking Attawapiskat chief vows to ‘die’ for her people as aboriginal protes (Ontd_political)

One Heartbeat: Idle No More Prepares To Drum Across North America (Racialicious)

Ghana

Opposition NPP Takes Ghana Presidential Election Results to Court (Global Voices)

Guatemala

Mayan Priests denied access to Guatemala ceremonial sites (Boing BOing)

India

Delhi Gang Rape Victim’s Death Prompts Vigils Across India (Global Voices)

India Debates Capital Punishment for Rape (Global Voices)

Indian Teen Kills Self After Pressed to Drop Rape Case (The Moderate Voice)

Indian State Plans 65 All-Women Police Stations (The Moderate Voice)

Indian Gang-Rape Victim Dies in Singapor (The Moderate Voice)

Kuwait

Jailed Kuwait Stateless Activist Tweets Torture Ordeal (Global Voices)

Macedonia

Journalists, Opposition Thrown Out of Macedonian Parliament Amid Street Protests (Global Voices)

Mexico

The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Got Its Way in Mexico (NY Times)

Mexico Drug War Leaves 20,000 Missing: Repo (The Moderate Voice)

Mexico: Federal Court Halts Controversial Wind Park (Global Voices)

Nepal

Delhi’s Rape Case Stirs Movement for Justice in Nepal (Global Voices)

Pakistan

Balochistan Gets a Military Operation On Christmas Eve (Global Voices)

Russia

Russia’s Image Smeared By Law Punishing Orphans (Kommersant, Russia) (the Moderate Voice)

This December, Russia’s Kids Aren’t Alright (Global Voices)

Putin Signs Law Banning US Adoptions (The Moderate Voice)

Russian Press ‘Duped’, Ejected, as Bill Halting U.S. Adoptions Goes Ahead (Moskovskij Komsomolets, Russia) (The MOderate Voice)

Saudi Arabia

Massive Police Presence on “Friday for Detainees” in Saudi Arabia (Global Voices)

Saudi Activist Trial Hearing Concludes (Global Voices)

Saudi Writer Arrested for Controversial Tweets (Global Voices)

Singapore

Rohingya Refugees Rejected by Singapore (Global Voices)

South Korea

Former Dictator’s Daughter Elected As President of South Korea (Global Voices)

South Korea elects first female president (Ontd_political)

Sri Lanka

Update on Sri Lanka Judiciary-Executive clash (Law and Other Things)

Swaziland

Swazi police ban ‘rape-provoking’ miniskirts. (TW: sexual assault/rape) (ontd_political)

Syria

UN Envoy’s Vision of Hell in Syria (The Moderate Voice)

United Kingdom

UK Pirate Party drops its Pirate Bay proxy after legal bullying; international Pirate Parties take up the slack (Boing Boing)

Yemen

Yemen’s Long Awaited Army Restructure (Global Voices)

Two US Drone Strikes in Yemen for Christmas (Global Voices)

Yemen’s Second Life March Attacked (Global Voices)

So, that peace on earth thing

Dec26

…not so much.

As always, these are just the stories that caught my eye.

British Royal Hoax – I’m pulling this one out because there’s a lot of places involved and I don’t feel like multiple links. I’m actually torn about including this story. I don’t know that the surviving family members need the pain of the continuing media exposure and reliving the pain of their wife/mother/daughter/sister/cousin/friend’s suicide. So, on second thought, I’m removing all links to this story.

Afghanistan

Breaking: Member of Special Operations Forces Killed in Rescue of American in Afghanistan (Updated) (The Moderate Voice)

Cambodia

Cambodia Bans Internet Cafes Near Schools (Global Voices)

Canada

Canadian Conservative govt guts protections for 99+% of waterways, spare handful of lakes with high-cost cottages (Boing Boing)

Canada upgrades immigration screening with biometrics (The security Director News)

China

Activists say Tibetan teenager has become 8th child to self-immolate to protest Chinese rule (The Washington Post)

Denmark

Jews Warned Not to Wear Religious Symbols in Copenhagen (The Moderate Voice)

Egypt

Morsi Fails to Silence Opposition (The Moderate Voice)

Egypt’s Morsi Overplayed His Hand: Analysts (The Moderate Voice)

Hungary

Hungarian Students Call for Nationwide Strike (Global Voices)

India

Delhi Gang Rape Case Evokes Rage Across India (Global Voices)

Indian Sitar Legend Ravi Shankar Dies, Aged 92 (The Moderate Voice)

Italy

Italy’s Berlusconi Announces Fresh Run for PM (The Moderate Voice)

North Korea

North Korea says it successfully launched satellite into orbit (CBS News)

Pakistan

Karachi polio killings: Vaccination workers shot (BBC)

Pakistan Leader Visits Shot Girl in British Hospital (The Moderate Voice)

Spain

Barcelona: Woman busted with 3 lbs of cocaine in breasts (Digital Journal)

Swedish Probe into Holocaust Victims’ Ashes Painting (The Moderate Voice)

Syria

NBC’s Richard Engel and team freed after 5 days captive in Syria (Boing Boing)

Homemade Syrian rebel-tank with gamepad gun controller (Boing Boing)

Where does Assad’s online army come from? (Boing Boing)

Tibet

Activists say Tibetan teenager has become 8th child to self-immolate to protest Chinese rule (The Washington Post)

United Kingdom

Pret fires longstanding employee who attempted to unionise, asked for the London Living Wage for all employees (Boing Boing)

Britain to Allow Gay Marriages in Churches (The Moderate Voice)

Pret a Manger unionization drive: dispute over dismissal claim (Boing Boing)

Tower Bridge forced to open for 50 foot rubber duck (ITV)

Zambia

Zambian President Orders Killing of “Rebels” No One Can Find (Global Voices)

Up, Down, All Around, World News

Dec10

Why can’t we all just get along?

United Nations

Abbas wins UN ‘birth certificate’ for Palestine state (The Moderate Voice)

US Senate Fails to Ratify UN Treaty on Disabilities (The Moderate Voice) — Hint: B/c they are @#^$%$*(%(@#$ing idiots and the idiots are already putting in a protest to downgrade the bastards to something worse.

UN’s International Telecommunications Union sets out to standardize bulk surveillance of Internet users by oppressive governments (Boing Boing)

Belgium

Protesting dairy farmers hose down EuroParl and cops with milk (Boing Boing)

Brazil

Amazon Launches Brazil Kindle Store (The Passive Voice)

Organized crime, bureaucratized (Boing Boing)

Canada

Canadians: write to Parliament about keeping generic pharma available to poor countries (Boing Boing)

Why copyright trolls will have a hard time shaking down Canadians (Boing Boing)

China

Two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire this month, in protest of Chinese rule (Boing Boing)

Denmark

Danish entrepreneur helps people with autism get jobs that require focus, attention to detail (Boing Boing)

Ecuador

Blogger proves flaws in Ecuadoran security system by hacking president’s identity (Boing Boing)

Egypt

Egypt’s Islamists rally for Morsi as rifts widen (The Moderate Voice)

Panel to vote on new Egypt constitution amid turmoil (The Moderate Voice)

Egypt sentences ‘Innocence of Muslims’ director to death, in absentia (Boing Boing)

Finland

In Finland, piracy fines are orders of magnitude higher than fines for rape, torture and murder (Boing Boing)

Greece

Greek schools ‘fertile ground for neo-Nazis’ (The Moderate Voice)

India

Indian village bans mobile phone use by women (Yahoo News)

India’s ‘Dancing Bears’ Retire in Animal Rights Victory (The Moderate Voice)

India to change hate speech law after Facebook row (The Moderate Voice)

Israel

Israel Settlement Bid a ‘Fatal Blow’ to Peace: Ban (The Moderate Voice)

Italy

Vandals Destroy Prized Brunello di Montalcino Wine (New York Times)

Amazons with a Cause (Boing Boing)

Mexico

Mexico: Calderon’s Legacy of Blood and Busts (Guest Voice) (The Moderate Voice)

Can Mexico’s President-elect Peña Nieto and Obama set a new tone? (The Moderate Voice)

New Zealand

Public interest groups fly to Auckland, NZ to meet with TPP negotiators, are only allowed in the building to give a 15-minute joint presentation
(Boing Boing)
New Zealand give $120M subsidy to Hollywood for local production of The Hobbit, plus a passel of new anti-union and copyright laws — and corrupt police raids (Boing Boing)

North Korea

Covert assassin weapons from North Korea (Boing Boing)

Norway

Norwegian hotel calls cops on man because they got his name wrong and thought he used an assumed name; police arrest him in the nude; hotel charges him for the room (Boing Boing)

Palestine

Israel Settlement Bid a ‘Fatal Blow’ to Peace: Ban (The Moderate Voice)

Arafat’s remains exhumed to rule out murder by radioactive polonium poisoning (Boing Boing)

Abbas wins UN ‘birth certificate’ for Palestine state (The Moderate Voice)

Russia

Ad for freelance Russian bank-robbers (Boing Boing)

Slovenia

Demonstrations in Ljubljana: Carnations, Neo-Nazis and a Water Cannon (Boing Boing)

Syria

Syria Mixing Chemicals for Sarin Gas: US Official (The Moderate Voice) — Because if a tiny terrorist group can do it, why not a country?

Syrian internet blackout continues for second day (Boing Boing)

Tibet

Two dozen Tibetans have set themselves on fire this month, in protest of Chinese rule (Boing Boing)

United Kingdom

UK home secretary says Britain needs more data retention, cites an example where a corrupt cop gave murdered victims’ details to crime boss (Boing Boing)

UK ISPs will unblock The Promo Bay (Boing BOing)

Overblocking of The Pirate Bay in the UK blocks perfectly legal, indie artist promotion site (Boing Boing)

UK record lobby wants Pirate Party to shut down its Pirate Bay proxy (Boing Boing)

Spinning at the Top of the World

Nov28

So, for some reason, unknowable to mortals like myself, news-worthy stuff keeps happening in places that aren’t the US. Crazy right? Important things that affect very real people and sometimes very large groups of people.

United Nations

Act now to stop unaccountable, censor-friendly UN agency from hijacking control of the Internet! (Boing Boing)

Interpol

Interpol Elects Its First Female President, And You Don’t Want to Mess With Her (the Mary Sue)
Taliban

Taliban uses CC instead of BCC, exposes identity of 400+ contacts (Boing Boing)

Africa

Teenage Girls Harness the Power of Urine, Create a Pee-Powered Generator (The Mary Sue)
Afghanistan

Afghan Women Learn Literacy Through Mobile Phones (The Moderate Voice)

EU’s trillion euro budget summit ends in failure (Repost Us)

Canada

Toronto mayor Rob Ford is out (Boing Boing)

Canadian Supreme Court puts Viagra in the public domain because Pfizer wouldn’t disclose enough of its workings (Boing Boing) — This is Schadenfreude pie at its best.

Chile

China Unveils New Leadership With Xi at Helm (The Moderate Voice)

Cosplaying Chilean students protest education cuts (Boing Boing)

China

Barbie crashes and burns in China (Boing Boing)

Firefighters in Tiananmen Square at the ready to douse self-immolators (Boing Boing)

Ecuador

Ecuador officials reject donkey as candidate (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Egypt

Egypt Judges Slam Morsi Over ‘Unprecedented Attack” (The Moderate Voice)

Cairollers: Cairo’s first rollerderby team (Boing Boing)

Morsi meets judges over Egypt power grab dispute (The Moderate Voice)

Finland

Finnish police confiscate 9-y-o’s laptop after she downloads a song from the Pirate Bay (Boing Boing)
France

More than 100,000 March Against Gay Marriage in France (The Moderate Voice)

Gaza Strip

Gaza Death Toll passes 100 as Truce Efforts Build (The Moderate Voice)

Israel PM says Hand Held Out in Peace, Other Holds Sword (The Moderate Voice)

Truce Agreed to End Week of Gaza Bloodshed (The Moderate Voice)

World Powers Denounce Terrorist Israel bus bombing (The Moderate Voice)

Blast on Tel Aviv Bus as Gaza Truce Remains Elusive (The Moderate Voice)

Israeli Gaza Raids Continue, Hitting Media Centre (The Moderate Voice)

Israel air raids kill 10, destroy Hamas HQ in Gaza (The Moderate Voice)

Israel OKs reserve call-up of up to 75,000: TV (The Moderate Voice)

Eight Journalists Wounded After Israeli Missile Strikes Gaza Media Center (the Moderate Voice)

Greece

Hacker steals entire nation’s identity (Boing Boing)

India

Bring Mumbai Masterminds to Justice: Indian Press (The Moderate Voice)

Iran

Iran Minister Confirms Firing at US Drone in Gulf (The Moderate Voice)

Iranian Blogger Who Died In Custody Is Buried (Radio Free Europe Radio Library)

Israel

Israel Presses Gaza Assault as Rocket Panics Tel Aviv (The Moderate Voice)

Rocket defense of Beersheva (Boing Boing)

Israel live-tweets Gaza offensive (Boing Boing)

Israel pushing ahead in medical marijuana industry (USA Today)

Italy

Student Riots in Italy: a dispatch from Jasmina Tesanovic (Boing Boing)

Gay anti-mafia politician breaks mold in Sicily (Reuters)

Mexico

Who is shooting and mutilating dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, and why? (Boing Boing)

Pakistan

Fears blight ‘Malala Day’ in schoolgirl’s hometown (The Moderate Voice) — I don’t blame them for being afraid. Cowards who shoot at children are unpredictable. I applaud the courage that it takes to continue when you’re scared.

Palestine

Arafat Body ‘To be Exhumed Tuesday’ for Poison Tests (The Moderate Voice)
Russia

Meet Sveta, Pussy Riot’s perky, pro-Putin antithesis (Boing Boing)

Russians enraged with bureaucrat motorcades creating massive gridlock on a daily basis (Boing Boing)

A Single, Severed Cable Cut Contact Between Russia and Its Satellites (The Atlantic)

Grandma in Russia kills wolf with bare hands and axe (Metro UK)

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia implements electronic tracking system for women (The Raw Story)

Somalia

Deforestation Risks Turning Somalia to Desert (The Moderate Voice)

Spain

Catalan Leader Seeks ‘Freedom’ in Snap Election (The Moderate Voice)

Thailand

Following a chain of unexplained deaths in Thailand (Boing Boing)

Uganda

Uganda to officially pass ‘Kill The Gays’ bill (ontd-polical)

United Kingdom

Britons! Stop the Snoopers’ Charter, end the government’s spying plan! (Boing Boing)

UK: ex-politician wrongly accused as pedo will sue tweeters who linked him to sex abuse (Boing Boing)

UK man gave cocaine to trick-or-treaters by mistake (Reuters)

Love-rat dad of nine children to eight women who headbutted ex-girlfriend in row over cheese toastie jailed for just 20 days (The Daily Mail)

Twitter and UK libel law (Boing Boing)

I hope you kept the receipt (ontd-Political)
Woman ‘denied a termination’ dies in hospital (Irish Times)

Scottish charity looks to save forgotten forest of wee trees (ontd-political)

ORG needs your money to kill UK copyright trolls (Boing Boing)

Petition for transparency in the selection process for the new BBC boss (Boing Boing)

Apple ordered to pay Samsung’s legal fees in UK after ‘false and misleading’ notice (Boing Boing)

Tower of London intruder walks off with keys (Reuters)

Why the UK’s mandatory opt-out censorware plan is stupid (Boing Boing)

Man ordered not to throw horseshit at Prince Charles (Boing Boing)

UK lawmakers slam Starbucks, Amazon and Google on tax (The Passive Voice)

BBC director general George Entwistle resigns in wake of misreported pedo story (Boing Boing)

Add witty title here – World News

Nov10

With Sandy blowing through, I’m a little behind on everything. Still, I’ve collected some articles and I think they might even be interesting to other people. So here we go.

Africa

An African Election: Rhetoric Around Voting In Close Elections (Racialicious)

Middle East

New respiratory virus identified in the Middle East: What you need to know (Boing Boing)

Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s first female rapper tells the stories that might otherwise be lost (The Guardian)

Canada

Inside Montreal’s Mafia Wars (Guest Voice) (The Moderate Voice)

Canada gets a huge raft of user-rights in copyright (Boing Boing)

Survey: Canadian retailers losing $10.8 million per day to shrink (Security Director News)

U.S., Canada test harmonization of cargo screening at border (Security Director News)

China

China won’t permit human rights monitors in Tibet, because hey, come on, nothing bad is going on there, you guys

What it’s like to be a journalist in China (Boing Boing)

China’s leadership change leaves Obama little respite (Moderate Voice)

Egypt

Egypt Plans to Pull Plug on All Night Shopping (The Moderate Voice)

Greece

In Greece, financial tragedy creates horrific conditions for cancer patients (Boing Boing)

Germany’s Merck halts supply of cancer drug to Greek hospitals (Reuters)

Guatemala

7.4 quake strikes Guatemala; at least 15 dead, 100+ missing (Boing Boing)

Hungary

Man steals phone on subway (Boing Boing)

India

World’s Biggest School Gives Indian Kids Lessons for Life (The Moderate Voice)

Starbucks Launches First Cafe in India (The Moderate Voice)

Israel

Israelis Aim to ‘Fix World’ with Custom Cannabis (The Moderate Voice)

Kebedom Mengistu’s little newspaper gives hope to Africans who’ve fled to Israel (Guest Voice) (The Moderate Voice)

Italy

Manslaughter Verdict For Italian Experts Who Failed To Warn Of Earthquake (The Moderate Voice)

Italian scientists guilty of manslaughter after failing to predict L’Aquila quake; face 6 years in prison (updated) (Boing Boing)

Former Italian PM Berlusconi gets 1-year reduced sentence for fraud (RT News)

Seismologists guilty in Italy: More on the L’Aquila verdict, and what it means for the future of science (Boing Boing)

Collective Intelligence: Science on Trial, Berlusconi sentenced. Dispatch from Italy, by Jasmina Tesanovic (Boing Boing)

Netherlands

Dutch government scraps “weed cards” – foreigners will still be able to smoke weed in Amsterdam’s “coffee shops” (Boing Boing)

New Zealand

New Zealand has Hobbit Coins(I Can Has Cheezburger)

New Zealand record industry flubs its first three-strikes prosecution (Boing Boing)

Mexico

Second to US in Obesity, Mexico Wants Kids to Slim Down (The Moderate Voice)

Kidnapped radio engineers forced to build comms networks for the Zetas, never seen again (Boing Boing)

Pakistan

Pakistan Girl Shot by Taliban Stands Up for First Time (the Moderate Voice)

Pakistan acid attack parents ‘feared dishonour’ (BBC)

Panama

Panama leader tells Germany he wants to adopt euro (Reuters)

Russia

Pussy Riot activists sent to secret harsh labor camps (Boing Boing)

Spain

Spain’s Empty Highways Lead to Bankruptcy (The Moderate Voice)

Spanish Novelist Javier Marias Refuses Spain’s National Narrative Award, 20,000 Euro Prize (Writers Write)

South Africa

South African Police Unit Prosecuted for Fighting Violence with Thuggery (The Moderate Voice)

South Korea

Quack medicine pills made from babies and super bacteria smuggled from China to South Korea (Boing Boing)

Syria

Free/open source programmer and Creative Commons activist Bassel Khartabil faces torture in notorious Syrian prison (Boing Boing)

United Kingdom

English town wins its war against chain coffee (Boing Boing)

UK record industry demands expansion of the Great Firewall of Britain (Boing Boing)

Accidental CC from wedding planner to couple reveals thriving English class snobbery (Boing Boing)

UK surgeon accused of misdiagnosing cancer to perform unnecessary surgeries on women (Boing Boing)

Britain’s free press cringes in anticipation of coming regulation; plutocrats and oligarchs celebrate (Boing Boing)

What a world! What a world!

Oct25

And I don’t even like that movie.

Anyhow, these are the stories that caught my eye recently.

Nobel Prizes

The First Chinese Laureate: Mo Yan Wins the Nobel Prize for Literature (Writer’s Write)

United Nations

Latin American Nations Push UN to Drop Zero Tolerance on Drugs (The Moderate Voice)

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Gillard’s Sexism Speech Sparks Divisive Reaction (The Moderate Voice)

Australian PM lances a sexist boil in Parliament (Boing Boing)

Australian Attorney General says that public scrutiny of spying bill would not be in the public interest (Boing Boing) <– I don't know about you, but when I hear that, the only thing I can think is "what the *Hell* is this man trying to cover up.

Austria

Austrian Daredevil Felix Baumgartner Breaks Sound Barrier in Record Space Jump (The Moderate Voice)

Bhutan

Bhutan Aims to Be First 100% Organic Nation (The Moderate Voice)

Brazil

Brazil to roll out national radio-chip ID/surveillance/logging for all vehicles (BOing Boing)

Bolivia

Kids are at Home, with Parents, in Bolivia Prisons (The Moderate Voice)

Canada

Canadian Teen Who Posted Anti-Bullying Video Commits Suicide (Newsy.com)

What Canada stands to lose in the war on science (Boing Boing)

China

Ai Weiwei guest-edits the New Statesman, which pirates itself to evade the Great Firewall of China (Boing Boing)

France

Climate of Fear Takes Hold in France’s Jewish community (The Moderate Voice)

Germany

German teen sells mum’s jewels for brothel visit (Reuters)

Twitter censors Germans’ access to Neo-Nazi group’s Twitter account (Boing Boing)

Greece

Antifascist Greek protesters say they were tortured by police (Boing Boing)

GreeceWatch: Troika Spat, Cuts Near, Rightist Rage (Guest Voice) (The Moderate Voice)

India

India’s Top Court Orders Toilets for Every School (The Moderate Voice)

India’s 50,000 Missing Children (The Moderate Voice)

India Fights to Protect Traditional Home Remedies (The Moderate Voice)

Lebanon

The Help: Status, Servants and Double Standards in Lebanon (The Global Mail)

Libya

Libya Consulate Was Invaded, Torched by Armed Mob: US (The Moderate Voice)

Attack on U.S. Consulate and Citizens Must Never Be Repeated (Quryna, Libya) (The Moderate Voice)

Netherlands

Dutch government gives itself the right to break into your computer and destroy it (Boing Boing)

Pakistan

To summarize the below: The Taliban are whiney, scared, little boys, who can’t handle the idea that a woman is a person and has the ability to think, learn, and succeed. To prove to their spineless little wonder-worm that they’re better than women, they attacked a little girl. Brilliant, a******les.

All my love, affection, good wishes, and compassion go to Malala Yousafzia

Pakistan Child Rights Activist Shot in Head: Doctors (THe Moderate Voice)

Online diaries of girl who took on Taliban and was shot as punishment (BOing Boing)

Taliban Vow Again to Kill Pakistani Girl (The Moderate Voice)

Shot Pakistani girl shows improvement: military (The Moderate Voice)

Pakistan Child Activist Facing ‘Critical’ 36-48 Hours (The Moderate Voice)

Doctors Hopeful for Pakistani Girl Shot by Taliban (The Moderate Voice)

Why Malala Yousafzia Matters (The Moderate Voice)

Serbia

The Decent People: LGBT pride in the former Yugoslavia (Boing Boing)

Spain

Fury in Spain Boils Over at Mitt Romney’s Debate Remark (Spanish Newspaper Roundup) (The Moderate Voice)