Stories about English from June, 2014
How the Philippine President Managed to Anger Film Legend Nora Aunor's Legions of Fans
The Filipina actress who starred in one of the most memorable Asian films has been nominated for the National Artist title. But the Philippine president rejected the nomination.
Two Killed as Egypt's Government Fails to Notice Militant Group's Blatant Bombing Warning Online
Egyptian police came under fire after failing to act on a terror threat posted online, with the location of today's bomb explosions, which killed two officers.
Ukrainian Rebels Worry that Putin Will Repeat Milošević's Mistakes
Eastern Ukraine’s rebel military commander warns that Putin might be repeating Slobodan Milošević’s wartime mistakes, though not in the way you might be thinking.
Attacks Against Muslims Continue In Sri Lanka
It has been two weeks since the violent riots against Muslims in the Sri Lankan coastal cities of Aluthgama and Beruwala. Although the situation has died down after widespread condemnation, sporadic violence against Muslims continues in different parts of Sri Lanka. Blogger Abdul Khaleq tweets about one such recent incident in...
Why Some Taiwanese Activists Are Accusing This Hotel of Caving to Political Pressure from China
Hotel Novotel found itself a target of criticism after management disrupted a protest against the minister of China's Taiwan Affairs Office. Some Taiwanese fear closer ties with their communist neighbor.
Serbian Insurance Company Refuses to Pay Damages to Roma Family
Serbian daily Blic reports on a curious case in which Serbian insurance company Takovo Osiguranje has, in writing, refused to pay damages to the widow and children of a car accident victim, based on his ethnicity. Blic journalists and an attorney representing the victim's family claim that the insurance company...
It's Official: Puerto Rico's First Openly Lesbian Judge Has Been Appointed to the Supreme Court
While some deny that her sexual orientation is relevant, others insist that it plays a fundamental role in what she can bring to the table.
Cameroon's Marc Vivien Foé, ‘One of the Greatest Talents Ever in Football’
More than a decade ago, Marc Vivien Foé collapsed and died at the Stade Gerland in Lyon, France, during the Confederations Cup semi-final game between Cameroon and Columbia.
Srinagar-Leh Highway: An Adventurous Road Trip
The 434-kilometer-long Srinagar-Leh Highway is a spectacular and often scary highway in the Kashmir Valley. This road, which is open for traffic from June to November, is generally muddy, gravely and non-existent at best. The Zoji La mountain pass at 3,528 meters is particularly dangerous with only enough clearance for...
Hong Kong Lawyers Protest in Black Against Chinese Government's White Paper
The protest is in response to the Chinaese government's recent white paper on the practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong.
Russian Team Leaves World Cup
Russians resigned to poor national team performance.
Trinidad and Tobago Parliament Asks Itself For Pay Raise, Says Yes
When two controversial bills are passed swiftly and unanimously by a country’s parliament, the alarm bells go off. The passage, on June 13, 2014, of amendments to two parliamentary acts governing pension payments for legislators and judges in Trinidad and Tobago has been called unconstitutional and a threat to the independence...
TJournal.ru Says Enough With Russian Media's Ukraine Coverage
Responding to a flood of anti-Ukraine propaganda in the Russian mass media, the website TJournal has temporarily halted a service that aggregates news stories trending on the RuNet.
Revenge from the “Disgrace of Gijón” as Algeria and Germany Face Up Again at the World Cup
Algeria and Germany national teams are set to face up on June 30 in Porto Alegre in the knock-out round of the FIFA World Cup. The match will revive plenty of strong emotions from both sides because of their previous game in 1982 at the World Cup in Spain. In their...
Justice Matters for Ethiopian Bloggers
Justice matters is a blog that reports on the trial of detained Zone9 bloggers and journalists in Ethiopia for expressing their opinions: This blog contains the most current information about advocacy efforts, press coverage, and the legal status of the Zone9 bloggers in Ethiopia. It is dedicated to report on...
Western Ukraine Police Using Facebook to Increase Police Accountability
According to a report [uk] by RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe), heads of district police departments in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv have been ordered to set up Facebook profiles. As of June 25, 2014, all of them can be found and contacted through the social network, which the Head...
Meet Xiaobing, the (Fun? Annoying? Creepy?) Chatbot Taking Over China's Weibo
Microsoft's artificial intelligence robot, which is modeled after a 16-year-old girl, has found new life on Twitter-like Sina Weibo after being blocked on messaging app WeChat earlier this month.
Interview with Wife of Laos NGO Leader Sombath Somphone Who Went Missing in 2012
Writing for the Southeast Asia Globe, Kearrin Sims interviewed Shui Meng, wife of the disappeared Laotian development worker Sombath Somphone. Sombath, a prominent NGO leader in Laos, went missing in 2012. Various global groups suspect that local state forces have something to do with his mysterious disappearance. In the interview,...
This Philippine Wedding Video of a Dying Cancer Patient Will Move You to Tears
The groom died 10 hours after marrying his girlfriend. Diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer last month, his dying wish was to marry the mother of his two-year old daughter. The wedding took place in a public hospital in Manila, Philippines. The video instantly became popular in the Internet.
Farmers in China's Guangdong Province Are Buzzing About ‘Delicious’ Locusts
Charles Liu from Nanfang.com highlighted a new type of agriculture among farmers in Guangdong province: raising locusts to serve as a meal. Here is his suggested recipe: 1. Remove their wings; boil them in water to remove their excrement, and then deep fry them. 2. Add hot peppers, scallions and...
Propaganda Wars: Russian Twitter Account Takes on American “Progress” in Iraq
Someone writing in Russian has issued the latest Internet challenge to the US government, launching a Twitter account parodying Washington's "counter-propaganda" feed about events in Ukraine.