Stories about LANGUAGES from April, 2014
Kyrgyz Parliament Considers Anti-Gay Law
The parliament of Kyrgyzstan is considering a bill that criminalizes any activity seen as promoting “a positive attitude toward non-traditional sexual relations”. Very similar to Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, the...
Bektau-Ata, Kazakhstan's “Kingdom of Unearthly Beauty”
A group of Kazakhstani bloggers recently returned from a trip to Bektau-Ata mountain tract which has been described as “a kingdom of unearthly beauty, full of grandeur and freedom”. One of...
Army Drafters “Do Not Give a Damn About the President” in Tajikistan
In mid-February 2014, the president of Tajikistan ordered [ru] that recruitment offices stop using “illegal practices” in drafting young men into the army. Blogger Rustam Gulov who has written much...
Trinidad & Tobago: The Implications of Style
When you see your reflection, are you seeing you or an amalgamation of your racial, historical and social complications? Tillah Willah blogs about the “self-schism that exists [and the] ways...
‘I Saw You On The Train': Falling in Love on Portugal's Public Transport
A Facebook page called Vi-te No Comboio [pt] (I Saw You On The Train) aims to gather and share the stories of anonymous people who meet on the train and take an...
Puerto Rican feminist organization Taller Salud Celebrates 35 years
The feminist grassroots organization Taller Salud [es] (@tsalud), which focuses on education and prevention in the areas of sexual and reproductive rights in Puerto Rico, is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Thirty-five years...
Does Kyrgyzstan Need A Putin?
There is only one Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, but does a fledgling democracy like Kyrgyzstan need its own version?
When Will Impunity End for Slave Traders in Mauritania ?
A protest coordinated by several Mauritanian civil society organizations and political parties was held on April 29, 2014 in Nouakchott. The protest was initiatied by members of Haratin tribe who...
Does the Caribbean Sanction Violence against Children?
A blog that discusses issues of violence, sexual assault and child abuse is infuriated at Caribbean governments' response to recent allegations of child exploitation in some state institutions.
Robert Antoni Wins 2014 Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Jamaican diaspora litblogger Geoffrey Philp reports that Robert Antoni, author of “As Flies to Whatless Boys”, has won the 2014 One Caribbean Media Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, while Repeating...
The Subway: The Arteries of New York City
Bringing together art, culture, and urban legends, New York City's subway system inspires mixed feelings in its customers.
VIDEO: Serbian Child Prodigy's Drawings Stun the Art World
Dušan Krtolica is an 11-year-old artist from Belgrade that has taken the local and regional art world by storm with his exquisitely detailed pen and pencil drawings of complex animals,...
The Kremlin’s Internet Annexation
For some reason, lawmakers in Russia today continue to add new powers to the state’s censorship utility-belt, as though the current panoply of Internet controls weren’t enough.
Fans in Skopje Gather to Exchange Football Stickers
Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday afternoon in a downtown park in Skopje to exchange stickers of the official Football FIFA World Cup album on April 28, 2014. In Macedonia,...
China: Party Mouthpiece Urges Not to Use Non-Chinese Words
The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily has been advocating the public to stop the direct use of non-Chinese words such as “iPhone” and “Wi-fi” in the Chinese language. Anthony...
Some See a Success Story. Others See a ‘Thieving’ Undocumented Immigrant
Betty Wong was smuggled into Hong Kong from mainland China in 2003 when she was 8. Her story, from undocumented immigrant to medical student, was met with online attacks.
Spare the Rod, 10 Tips From a Peaceful Parent
After people applauded the discipline in a viral video of a mother hitting her child in Trinidad, our Caribbean editor felt compelled to share her thoughts on peaceful parenting.
A ‘Stressful’ Taxicab System in Cameroon
Ghanaian blogger Kuukuwa writes about her experience with the taxicab system in Cameroon: There are no taxi stations, so taxi drivers move around town all day looking for passengers. And,...
Activists Battle Religion, Tradition in Gambia's Female Genital Mutilation Fight
Aja Babung Sidibeh followed cultural tradition and became a female genital mutilation (FGM) practitioner after the death of her parents years ago in her native Janjangbureh in the Central River Region...
South Koreans Accuse Government of Botching Ferry Response
It's been 14 days since the Sewol ferry capsized, and 205 people are confirmed dead. Politicians taking advantage of the calamity and media inaccuracy have fueled anger in South Korea.
MH370: Australian Prime Minister Talks Up Hunt for Missing Airliner
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott talks up the hunt for the missing Malaysian airliner MH370.
