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21 July 2016
Netizen Report: What do Zimbabwe, Kashmir, and Turkey Have in Common? Internet Censorship.
In this edition, we report on #ShutdownZim protests that sparked Zimbabwe to block WhatsApp, the full-on Internet shutdown in Kashmir and ongoing social media censorship in Brazil, Ethiopia and Turkey.
Will Trinidad & Tobago Students Be Last Out of the Gate if the Government Stops Funding Tertiary Education?
As the country faces an economic recession, there are concerns that students have been abusing the government's funding of their tertiary education. Will the programme be discontinued or merely restructured?
Turkey Adds Wikileaks to a Long List of Blocked Websites
Blocking information is second nature to Turkey's government. But Turkish netizens are still questioning the value of the leak itself.
A Protection Ritual to ‘Close the Body’ Links Different Religious Traditions in Brazil
The "closing of the body" is supposed to ward off evil. Followers of the Afro-Brazilian religions of Candomblé and Umbanda as well as some Catholics practice the ritual.
Viral Photos of Fukushima Win Media Attention Abroad, Criticism From Some in Japan
"Not only is what he did illegal, but beyond disrespectful to victims of the disaster who had no choice but to leave their homes."
One Children's Song, Translated Into Australia's Many Local Languages
Australia's children are being invited to translate a song into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages for an internet video competition promoting linguistic diversity.
Chinese Reformist Magazine Shuts Down to Resist Authorities’ Hostile Takeover
"The crackdown on Yanhuang Chunqiu and today's takeover indicates that Xi's government wants to educate its officials into 'fools' like the rest of the society."
20 July 2016
PokéStops or Stopping Poké? Iran Reacts to the Pokémon Go Phenomenon
How has one of the most restricted Internet environments, with censors on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, reacted to Pokémon Go?
‘Avocado Talk’ No Longer So Appetizing for Mexicans
Mexico's economic crisis is forcing the country to think about how much people spend on food, and the rising cost of avocados has become a particularly sore point.
A Golden Age for Cow Urine in India
"We boycott the cow slaughter industry for a year. The saved $ purchases cows. We separate the gold from the cow urine. Hapi economics."
The Murder of Trinidad's Notorious ‘Robocop’ Leaves the Country Worried About What’s Next
As some in Trinidad and Tobago plead to "stop the killing", others wonder whether they should brace themselves for more violence after the murder of an alleged crime lord.
19 July 2016
Iranian Hardliners Want to Stop Blocking Twitter — to Defeat Saudi Propaganda
Iranian hardliners, typically champions of Internet censorship, are calling on the government to stop blocking Twitter in order to counter Saudi Arabian propaganda against Iran.
The Lives of Migrant Workers in Thailand's ‘Little Burma’
“But we have no money and no home; how could we go back and survive?”
In China, a University Degree Isn't Always a Golden Ticket to Employment
"Finding a job is a tough thing because you have to fall down and get up again and again."
18 July 2016
The Week That Was at Global Voices Podcast: Freedom, Not Control
This week we take you to Puerto Rico, Indian-administered Kashmir, Nepal, China and Myanmar.
Russian Artists Reimagine Pokémon Go With Soviet Cartoon Characters
Love Soviet cartoons? These Russian artists reimagined the beloved characters as creatures in the Pokémon Go game. Gotta catch all the Cheburashkas!
‘People Are Getting on Those Boats Because They Want to Live’
The rescue operation Sos Méditerranée publishes accounts of people who have survived journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe on their blog.
Meet the Nicaraguan Feminist Group Fighting Gender-Based Violence in Central America
The civic group La Corriente develops “actions that generate changes [for] equality, […] combining research, education, media, and the creativity of a team of people devoted to the feminist cause."
O Little Town of Danghara: Tajikistan Facebookers Mock Historical ‘Discovery’
"Adam and Eve were also from Danghara!"
17 July 2016
Azerbaijani Women Watch #IAmNotAfraidToSpeak from the Sidelines
"I do not believe there is one woman [in Azerbaijan] who has not faced harassment or violence."