Stories about LANGUAGES from December, 2015
What to Expect From Russia's State Censor in 2016
The head of Russia's state censor discusses the normalcy of media restrictions, the efficacy of blocking online resources, tackling messenger apps, and much more to come in 2016.
Ringing in the New Year in Japan With Fresh Fish
Fish and seafood is an important part of New Year's celebrations in Japan. Here are some photos of shopping for fish.
Trinidad & Tobago Greets 2016 With Austerity
"The government spent the last four months doing diagnosis and triage. Tonight, the wound was bandaged and antibiotics applied."
Why Millions of Chinese Are Victimized by the Blooming Peer-to-Peer Lending Business
"We trusted China Central Television and have engaged in legal investments. We trusted the government and the deposit should be protected."
Latin American Journalism and Advocacy Groups Recognized by Index on Censorship's Freedom of Expression Awards
Méxicoleaks and Fundamedios from Ecuador are among the Latin American candidates for the Index on Censorship’s 2016 Freedom of Expression Awards which includes 100 individuals and groups from 53 countries.
2015 Was A Breakthrough Year For Sexual Diversity
Marriage equality scored major triumphs this year in Ireland, Chile, Colombia and the US, though for many on the sexual diversity spectrum the fight continues.
Ecuador Government Seizes TV Channel's Equipment, Leaving It Off the Air
The owner of a popular Ecuadorian TV station that went off the air after the seizure of equipment by the police says the action was motivated by the station's reporting.
The Tragic Rise of Child Abduction as a Business in Madagascar in 2015
"I would not wish such a nightmare on my worst enemy. The Malagasy population feels completely helpless in the face of this wave of children kidnapping."
In Spanish, Inclusive Language Can Be at Odds With Grammar Rules
"Being contained and invisible within masculine nouns forces women to ask themselves the same question thousands of times throughout their lives: 'Are they speaking about me?'"
Strangest Twitter Moment of 2015? Elijah Wood Wades into the Gollum-Erdogan Spat
"You shut up. I skip all the scenes you are in anyway. You can't walk properly. You can't even throw the ring properly... indecent."
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's Absence and Other Curiosities Surrounding Argentina's Presidential Inauguration
"'The time for dialogue is now' and they file a precautionary measure to stop Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner attending the ceremony."
Is It Not Democracy If Voters in Rwanda Want a ‘Life President'?
After 98% of Rwandans voted to change the constitution to allow President Kagama to run for a third term in 2017, some hit back at Western criticism of the results.
Finding the Cultural Bridges of the Middle East in Literary Istanbul
Conversations with literary masters in Istanbul lead Arash Azizi to ponder the cultural disconnect, especially in terms of literature, between the countries of the Middle East.
Russian Blogger Gets Five-Year Prison Term for ‘Inciting Hate’ Online
Vadim Tyumentsev, a Russian blogger from Tomsk, has been charged with hate speech and calls to extremism online and has received a five-year sentence for videos on YouTube and VKontakte.
South Australians Queue for the Pungent Corpse Flower
Thousands of people have queued to see and smell a corpse flower in bloom at South Australia's Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
One of 2015's Biggest Political Scandals Ends in the Indonesian House Speaker's Resignation
"Indonesia’s public was able to witness, in fascinating and nauseating detail, the mechanics of rent seeking at the highest level."
Ethiopia Censors Satellite TV Channels as Student Protests Draw Global Media Attention
"If the regime thinks it can cut our audience off from receiving OMN news and programs, they are too dumb to understand what we are made of."
Millions of Indians Slam Facebook's ‘Free Basics’ App
With two weeks of public advertisements, Facebook would have got the maximum opposition in India so far in rolling a free access to its products called Free Basics.
Activists Seek to Dispel Abortion Stigma Fueled by the Macedonian Government's Policies
"Because it's about me, the decision whether to abort or not must remain my and only my right."
The Gambia Turns Talk Into Action, Passes Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Bill
After President Jammeh announced an executive ban on the practice hardly a month ago, lawmakers made good on the sentiment.
How the Soviet Union Sent Its First Man to the Internet in 1982
This is the story of a Soviet scientist who, in 1982, accidentally found himself among the first citizens of the USSR who were able to connect to the Internet.
