Stories about English from October, 2013
An Overview of Volgograd Bombing Anglophone Blogging
Misinformation disseminated online about the Volgograd bus bombing (which left at least six people dead on October 21) has raised the suspicions of Russia bloggers both Russophone and Anglophone.
Construction of 1 Billion Euro Resort Begins in Montenegro
Luštica Bay, near Tivat on the Montenegrin coast, is being developed by Swiss Orascom Development into a large-scale resort bay and marina. The resort is a colossal undertaking in the small Adriatic country and will spread across a 6.8 million square meter coastal area. The total value of the project...
Serbia: Jovanka Broz, Widow of Tito, Dies Isolated and Forgotten
Jovanka Broz, widow of Tito, died in Belgrade on October 20, aged 88. In the decades since her husband's death, she led a reclusive life in Belgrade, forgotten and isolated.
Opposition MPs Suspect Foul Play as Croatia Airlines Prepares for Privatization
Some members of the Croatian parliament, all of different opposition parties, have voiced their concern in past days regarding safety issues that Croatia Airlines has had in recent weeks and, in particular, the unusual media attention these incidents have received. Croatia Airlines is currently being prepared for a long-awaited privatization...
On the Kingdoms of Spain
Overnight, Catalan politics changed. Hundreds of towns in the Catalan countryside preemptively declared independence. Catalonia's Parliament passed a declaration of sovereignty. But nothing changed in Spain.
Everyone Suffers in Manila Traffic
Filipino journalist Iris Cecilia Gonzales writes about how people suffer from Manila's notorious street traffic: When one is stuck in traffic in Manila's streets, there's no escape. Everyone suffers — whether you're driving a sleek Rolls Royce or a moving piece of junk; whether it's with a red plate or...
Is Cambodia a One-Party State?
Anirudh Bhati rejects the position by some analysts that Cambodia has become a one-party state after the main opposition party boycotted the inaugural session of the National Assembly: …it would be erroneous to assume that Cambodia has relapsed into a one-party state simply based on the premise that the current...
Legendary Indian Playback Singer Manna Dey Dies
Dey recorded more than 4,000 songs between 1942 and 2013, and was famous for his playback work recording songs for hundreds of movies for actors to lip sync to.
Council of Europe Condemns Deterioration of Human Rights in Spain
The Council of Europe denounces the serious situation of human rights in Spain, largely as a result of social spending cuts, and disproportionate police violence.
Mapping Recent Reports Of Dengue Fever In India
Vidyut at Aam Janata blog has created a map of the Dengue outbreak in India from various reports published in print media in the last couple of months.
Hungarian Student Bloggers Win Lawsuit Against University
Bloggers of Átlátszó Oktatás (Transparent Education) sued the largest Hungarian university ELTE's Law Faculty in winter 2012, in order to obtain documents on how state scholarships and bonus payments were distributed by the members of the faculty's student union. Because the university is entirely state-funded, the students demanded through a...
The Codefather
The world's first Internet search engine has Caribbean roots.
Journalists Fear Japan's Proposed Secret Information Protection Act
The cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a bill [ja] on October 25, 2013 to impose tougher penalties on civil servants, lawmakers and others who leak national secrets and harm national security. The so-called Secret Information Protection Act has been unpopular among Japanese press, human rights advocates, and citizens...
VIDEO: “No Woman, No Drive” Stuns Saudi Arabia
Today, October 26, was the day Saudi activists chose to protest against the driving ban on women in the Kingdom. As social networks were buzzing under increasing number of reports of women driving across the country, a brilliant a capella remake of Bob Marley's “No Woman, No Cry” spread at...
High Voter Turnout Reframes Trinidad Election Story
First reports indicated low voter turnout for Local Government Elections, but the reality was the total opposite, confirming some netizens' suspicions that the electorate is anything but apathetic.
VIDEO: The Human Cost of Development in India
A proposed steel plant is threatening the homes and livelihoods of residents in Jagatsinghapur, India. Activists are fighting an uphill battle against the governments and company behind the project.
Grenada: Remembering the Revolution
Thirty years ago this month, former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed by a firing squad. It was the beginning of the end of the People's Revolutionary Government in Grenada.
Singapore Rejects Proposal to Define Poverty Line
Singapore "is known for defining everything" including "the exact number of people that constitutes an unlawful assembly." But surprisingly, the richest country in the world has not yet defined poverty
A Muslim Schoolgirl and the Volgograd Suicide Bombing
In the wake of the Volgograd bus bombing, a Muslim girl wrote a letter to the anonymous blogger hardingush. We chose to translate it in its entirety.
Tipaimukh Dam -A Threat To Nature And Native Culture
The Tipaimukh Dam in the Indian state of Manipur, has been planned for flood control and hydroelectric power production. However, In Search For Greener Partures blog reports that this dam will lead to severe changes in climate condition, affecting the livelihoods of over 20 million people in the lower riparian...
How Women Can Stay Safe In India
The crimes against women are on the rise in India. Writer and blogger Shilpa Garg provides some tips on how women can stay alert and safe.
