Stories about English from August, 2016
Blue Skies, Fake Tourists and Maximum Security: China Prepares For a Flawless G20 Summit
Whether they like it or not, Hangzhou residents must comply with government efforts to present theirs as the best and safest city in the world.
Unbothered by Tabloid Scandals, Jamaicans Stay Devoted to Superstar Sprinter Usain Bolt
Saucy photos that would possibly force most politicians from office can't dent the love Jamaica feels for iconic sprinter Usain Bolt.
The ‘Russian Quora’ Branches Out
The question-and-answer Russian website “TheQuestion” reportedly completed a second investment round this summer, securing $500,000, and is opening new offices in Berlin and London.
There's Finally a Programming Language in Bengali Script, Thanks to ‘Potaka’
"We have been looking forward to a coding language in Bengali for a long time. Why should our higher learning and computer learning be in a foreign language?"
The Burkini Ban Is Only Skin Deep
By focusing on a law governing what women can and can't wear, we're missing the deeper point of the argument.
Death Penalty Still Looms for Mauritanian Blogger Who Spoke Out Against Caste-Based Discrimination
"This sentence signifies a step backwards in terms of tolerance and shows just how much issues of cast, religion, slavery and therefore democracy are taboos in Mauritania."
Nigeria: Curbing the Tide of Ethnic Hate — Online and Off
Nigeria is the most active African country for political conversations on Twitter. That vibrant digital sphere, however, is fraught with hate speech.
On the Blossoming Pop Careers of Uganda's Security Hardmen
Both the new police grooves and the old army tunes are decidedly patriotic in tone.
Meet the Newly Born Tulu Wikipedia, the 23rd in a South Asian Language!
Tulu is spoken by 3-5 million people in the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, plus a sizeable diaspora living in the US and the Gulf countries.
The Refugee Olympic Team Showed They Have Plenty to Offer, in Spite of Tragic Stories
"It is this determination that they show against all odds. I love the athletes in this team as if they were my own children."
Lawsuit Over Facebook Post Raises Fears of Online Censorship in Bhutan
The suit against Zam revolves a family that is fighting a property dispute against well-connected business man Ap Sonam Phuntsho, who is also father-in-law to the Chief Justice of Bhutan.
How Beijing’s Breach of ‘One Country Two Systems’ Gave Birth to the Hong Kong Independence Movement
"Their main method looks set to be trolling and rattling Beijing: identifying what makes the regime most paranoid, and piling it on."
In Nigeria, You Risk Arrest If Your Dog Has the Same Name as the President
"Anyone that is still in doubt about the political nature of this case should search his inner conscience closely."
Daraya, Symbol of Non-Violent Revolution and Self-Determination, Falls to the Syrian Regime
"The people of Daraya paid a heavy price for their dream of freedom. For four years they defended their autonomy from the Assadist state, and kept going despite the siege."
Africans Have a Laugh at Themselves Imagining ‘If Africa Was a School’
"Madagascar would be the kid no one invites to a party coz they live out of town."
Twenty Years of Russian Political Campaign Ads
RuNet Echo looks back at the most memorable political advertisements in Russia over the past two decades, highlighting some of the strangest, silliest, and scariest videos put out by politicians.
What Monica Puig's Olympic Gold Medal Means for Puerto Ricans
"I think I united a nation."
Earthquake Destroys More Than 200 Ancient Temples in Myanmar
The ancient temples of Bagan are as important as the Angkor Wat of Cambodia and Borobudur of Indonesia.
WikiLeaks: From Collateral Murder to Collateral Recklessness
From rape victims to democratic party donors, WikiLeaks' latest data dumps demonstrate a disturbing trend of publishing the personal information of private individuals.
Where’s the Outrage Over Iran’s Exploited Children?
"I dream every night that my parents and brothers and sisters are looking for me. I wake up every morning crying."
ISIS Left Thousands of Mines in Manbij Before Fleeing. It Hid Them Inside Everything.
"Mines were found inside a garlic and onion basket, a staircase, and even normal-looking rocks across the fields."
