Global Voices: Daily Digest—July 7-8, 2011

South Korea: Marine's Shooting Spree Reveals Collective Bullying Tradition
In South Korea on June 4, 2011, a marine opened fire at several of his fellow soldiers, killing four and injuring two. As the days have passed, accusations have begun to fall on the leadership of the Marine Corps camp involved, where a tradition of collective bullying is believed to have contributed to several deaths. read>>

India: Health Minister Stirs up Gay Sex Controversy
India's Health Minister, Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, has stirred up controversy and angered the gay community and gay rights activists with his recent comments at a HIV/AIDS conference in New Delhi. Mr. Azad was widely quoted in both national and international mainstream media as having referred to homosexuality as "unnatural" and a "disease" that had come from the West and was unfortunately spreading fast in the country. read>>

The Disputed Reputation of Portugal's Former Political Police Chief
Major Silva Pais, the last director of Portugal's repressive PIDE police force - operative during the country's "New State" period - has been implicated in a play, in the 1965 assassination of democratic opposition politician General Humberto Delgado. read>>

China: Exploding Watermelon Is Safe?
A few months ago, local state media exposed that farmers in China's Jiangsu province were affected by the problem of "exploding watermelons" due to the overuse of chemicals. On 5 July, 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture asserted [zh] that the chemical growth enhancer for watermelon is safe as the toxic residue level is low. read>>

Egypt: Why July 8?
Egyptians are back in full force in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of their revolution, once again today. But why are they still demonstrating now that their revolution is over, Mubarak is not in power any more, and many pillars of his regime are behind bars? Well, it's not that simple, and many bloggers elaborated on why the millions who went to Tahrir in January should return to the streets. read>>

More posts on Global Voices today...
Mexico: Reactions Following Elections in the State of Mexico
Malaysia: Online Reactions to Bersih 2.0 Rally
Puerto Rico: Resident Sends Message to Mayor Through Blog
Zambia: Who Do We Believe Online?

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