Ukraine: authorities accused online of election fraud

Ukraine: authorities accused online of election fraud

The Ukrainian government had equipped the 34,000 polling offices around the country with web cams to ensure Sunday’s parliamentary elections were credible and transparent, allowing online real time monitoring of voting. But the initiative failed to allay public concern over mass electoral fraud.

Several local NGOs like the Opora group had sent out networks of volunteer observers. The organization had set up an interactive map on which voters could report any suspected irregularities via the Internet or by telephone.

And countless Ukrainian web users took to social networks claiming to have witnessed cases of electoral fraud. These amateur pictures for example are said to be proof of ballot stuffing in Donetsk and are thought to show a close up of several voting slips being folded together as one before being inserted into the box.

This other video was reportedly filmed in the city of Odessa. We see how the ink from the pens given to voters in polling booths appears to disappear when it comes into contact with heat.

And bloggers have been denouncing cases of vote buying; sometimes very flagrant cases. On this public group on social network Vkontakte; we see young people with obviously little interest in politics, putting their vote up for sale for around 300 hryvnias, which is less than 30 euros.

USA: celebrities show their support for Obama as election nears

The two main US presidential candidates may be neck and neck in the polls, but as far as celebrity support is concerned, the current occupant of the White House is streets ahead of his opponent. And with the November 6 election just days away, these well-known faces are pulling out all the stops to convince the people of America to vote for Barack Obama.

The latest initiative is this song performed by a group of artists including Ne-Yo and Herbie Hancock. It’s called “Forward” in reference to the Democrat candidate’s slogan and urges Americans to vote for Obama so he can continue the work begun during his first term in office. The clip is strongly reminiscent of Will.I.Am’s famous 2008 campaign song “Yes, we can”, which was a huge viral hit four years ago and soon became the campaign anthem for the man who was to become the 44th president of the USA.

Another celeb recently to have reiterated support for the Democrat candidate: actress Lena Dunham, star of TV series “Girls”; she features in this campaign video specifically targeting young female voters. Dunham compares first time voting to “the first time” and say you have to really think about who you can trust.

And the stars are really busy in swing states, as we can see in this video for example, geared towards undecided voters in Wisconsin. Half a dozen well known faces from small and silver screen emphasize the important role residents will play in the upcoming election. They remind viewers they can actually cast their ballot before voting day, but that it is absolutely essential everyone makes their voice heard between now and November 6.

The Grand Canyon is coming to Google Street View

The Grand Canyon is coming to Google Street View. The American giant has announced its sending members of its mapping team to the magnificent natural wonder, armed with a new trekker camera system that captures 360 ° panoramas. So web users will soon be able to marvel at the breathtaking landscapes from the comfort of their own home.

Now trending on social networks

Scores of web users have been going bald for Justin Bieber… after a group of pranksters came up with a rather sensational online hoax, making out the famous Canadian singer was suffering from cancer and the best way for fans to support him in his battle against the illness was to shave their heads. A joke in somewhat dubious taste that proves that before taking action it’s sometimes best to check the rumours that circulate on social networks are actually true.

Video of the day

The Ohio State Marching band recently paid tribute to the world of video games at their American football team’s halftime show, and last weekend they pulled off another stunning performance during a match against Purdue. This time, little green men were the stars of the show, and you can check out the amazing routine and impressively timed moves in this video currently doing the rounds on sharing sites.