Stories about English from May, 2012
Bhutan: Learning About A Stone Bath
Sabrina from USA continues her adventure in Bhutan and learns about a stone bath.
Sri Lanka: Cast As A Mother
One year ago – 13 Sri Lankan women of the Stage were invited to look at their experiences of motherhood, through the lens of theatre and write about them. At...
Lesotho: Peaceful Elections You Did Not Hear About
Lesotho, a tiny landlocked country in Southern Africa, held peaceful parliamentary elections on Sunday, but the polls drew very little mainstream media attention.
Greece: Citizens Protest Against Major TV Station
Greek netizens via Twitter and other social media organized a protest on May 17 before the MEGA TV station in Athens, under hashtag #oloimega (All to Mega). The station has been...
Ethiopia: EPRDF’s Anniversary: What is There to Celebrate?
The Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Front (EPRDF) celebrated its 21st anniversary on 28 May. Some Ethiopians consider the day a ‘National Day’ while others see it as a day when one oppressive regime replaced another one. Netizens have taken to blogs and Facebook to reflect on EPRDF anniversary.
Zambia: Mixed Feelings Greet Big Brother Eviction
The eviction of Zambia’s representative, musician popularly known as Mampi, from the on-going Big Brother Africa, has been received with mixed feelings from netizens. Big Brother Africa: StarGame is the seventh series of Africa's most popular reality television series.
Why Are Governments in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan Afraid of ‘The Dictator'?
Tomyris explains why the authorities in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have banned The Dictator, Sacha Baron Cohen‘s latest spoof blockbuster, and writes about Western media's reaction to the ban.
Syria: Ambassadors Expelled in Protest at Houla Massacre
The brutal massacre committed in the district of Houla has prompted a wave of horrified reactions around the world. A number of governments have taken the decision to expel Syrian ambassadors and diplomats in protest at the escalation of violence.
India: Kolkata Joins the SlutWalk Movement
on 24th May, 2012, Kolkata formally joined the global SlutWalk movement, with over a hundred young men and women marching for the cause in the sweltering heat of summer. On the web, netizens bring the event alive through discussions, photos and videos.
Philippines: Budget Transparency Portal
The Philippine government has recently launched the Budget ng Bayan website to promote transparency and good governance in the country. Budget documents and state expenditures are uploaded in the site.
Singapore: Food Bloggers’ Portal
Opinioneated is an “interactive map of where to eat in Singapore, based on the reviews of popular food bloggers.”
Malaysia: Petition for Free and Fair Access to Media
Bersih, an election reform movement in Malaysia, identifies key reforms that the government can implement to ensure free and fair access to media during elections
Honduras: US State Department Releases Human Rights Report
Honduras Culture and Politics looks closely at the United States State Department report on human rights: “There's been a blind eye to certain kinds of human rights abuses in Honduras...
Argentina: Football Fans Call for “Stop” to Violence
Football, the sport that is most watched and played in Argentina, has been witnessing a series of episodes of violence perpetrated by so-called "barras bravas" of various sports clubs. Football fans express their rejection of this violence through social networks.
Qatar: Deadly Blaze in Shopping Mall
On May 28 a fire broke out at Doha's Villaggio Mall, leaving 19 dead, 13 of whom were children. The children were trapped in a nursery within the mall, and they and four teachers died of smoke inhalation. Two firefighters died as they attempted to rescue them.
China: Chinese Local Official Rapes “Nearly One Hundred” Young Girls Before Capture
David Wertime from the Tea Leaf Nation blogs about a serial rape crime committed by a local official in Henan province who had raped “nearly one hundred” young girls. So...
China: Netizens Want Confucius to Return Home
A new visa policy was announced on May 17, 2012 by the U.S State Department which put the Confucius Institute under the spotlight in the Chinese blogosphere. Chinese netizens take the opportunity to ask Confucius to return home and teach the poor Chinese kids instead.
Kazakhstan: Parliament a “Weird, Expensive and Absolutely Useless Toy”
Blogger Gulnara Bazhkenova explains [ru] why MPs in Kazakhstan are rarely taken seriously by the general public. In her words, the country's rubber-stamp parliament is widely seen as a “weird,...
Belarus, Russia: An Online Charity Auction with People for Sale
The idea of auctions as a fundraising tool is not a new one in the charity world. Sometimes, there is even a market for people: dinners with celebrities and business-breakfasts are sold under the hammer, too. Now, Belorussian and Russian projects are putting this logic to use online today.
Syria: Houla Massacre Creates International Outcry
On May 25, anti-government protestors in Houla, northwest of Homs, took to the streets at midday, little expecting that their demonstration would be eventually answered by a massacre of unprecedented savagery. At least 116 people were killed by pro-government forces.
UAE: Some Savoury Questions
Krista, from the collective blog Muslimah Media Watch, shares her family's passion for “ridiculous and tacky” salt and pepper shakers. Their latest acquisition, a gift bought in Dubai, has raised...
