Stories about English from December, 2013
PHOTOS: Humans of Portugal
Meet some of the faces and stories of humans who live in Portugal - or happen to be passing by.
Rebuilding Schools in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyuan in Bantaya, Philippines
Young Pioneer Disaster Response (YPDR) is a small NGO whose goal is to rebuild schools and help residents of the small island of Bantayan in the area of Santa Fe recover in the aftermath of typhoon Haiyuan. A volunteer tells his experience with YPDR on his blog. There is more...
PHOTOS: Humans of Comoros, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands
Humans of New York has inspired photographers all over the world. The Mascarene region also has plenty of great portraits to offer.
The Islamic Caliphate Car Number Plates Come to Syria
Zaid Benjamin shares on Twitter a photograph of the first car in Syria with the Islamic Caliphate state registration plates: The first car in #Syria registered under Caliphate State #ISIS pic.twitter.com/HdUsrxtacy — Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) December 28, 2013 The number plates are operated by the Islamic State of Syria and...
Lebanon: Don't Drink and Drive
Lebanon's traffic authorities have launched a don't drink and drive campaign ahead of New Year's eve celebrations. On Twitter, the traffic department shares this photograph:
Six Killed in Lebanon Blast Targeting ex-Minister
At least six people died, and many more were wounded, in a blast that targeted former Lebanese Finance Minister Mohamed Chatah in downtown Beirut.
Syrian Photographer Hamid Khatib Evades Death to Capture Life
“There is no Hamid the photographer without the revolution. Hopefully there will still be one when the revolution ends.”
Celebrating Christmas (Bara Din) in Bangladesh
Karim at Amader Kotha writes about how Christmas is celebrated in Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country: The Christian community in Bangladesh may be a minority when compared to the number of people following other religious pathways in the country, nevertheless Christmas in Bangladesh, which is a public holiday, is celebrated...
7 Good News Stories From Yemen You Probably Haven't Heard
Amidst all the sad and violent news coming out of Yemen, we managed to dig out a few news items that you might have missed.
PHOTOS: Humans Of South Asia
"It reminds me to love and respect everybody-- something many people here tend to have forgotten."
Pakistan Idol Makes Some Music Dreams Come True, Crushes Others
Pakistan now has its own version of the popular Idol singing competition. The first episode of Pakistan Idol was broadcast on December 6, 2013.
Cambodia’s Garment Workers Hold Nationwide Strike for Pay Hike
Thousands of Cambodian garment workers have joined a nationwide strike to press for a pay hike. Many workers also joined a protest rally organized by the opposition
South Korean Election Scandal Brings Three Religions Together
Opposition against the current administration's election manipulation scandal grows stronger every day, even enough to inspire conservative Protestant Christian groups to join the protest movement [ko] following the trails of Catholic leaders and Buddhist monks. On Christmas, this rare scene took place: in front of a Christmas tree which stood in...
IMF Silent on Corruption in Cambodia?
Jessica Evans of the Human Rights Watch criticized International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde for being silent about Cambodian's corruption problem when the IMF leader visited the country early this month: Lagarde missed a major opportunity in Cambodia to highlight governance problems, but she can right this by speaking out...
GV Face: The News Cycle is Broken. Can Solutions Journalism Fix it?
What if the news could inspire and empower us to become more active citizens, to actually have an impact on the world?
Wishing You a Free Christmas from Hong Kong
There are a number of e-Christmas cards that carry political message circulated on social media in Hong Kong. Below are two examples:
Dishing on Sino-American Relations
Chinese food culture constitutes a significant part in the Chinese language. Below is a part of an online fictional story on a conversation between Obama and Xi Jinping on Sino American relation explained and translated by Mary Ann O'Donnell: With respect to the importance of Sino-American relations, we will eat...
Accenting the Positive on the Russian Internet
BestPozitiv.ru, also known as “Tol'ko Pozitiv” (Only the Positive), is a Russian website that promises to “fill you with positivity every day” by bringing its viewers “the most interesting” videos, GIFs, photographs, lists, and other multimedia “that the Internet has to offer.” The site aggregates everything, from memes of cute...
Indonesia's Haunting Tsunami Memorials Foreshadow Our Future
On the anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Ivan Sigal visits memorials of the disaster in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, and finds prophesies of our future.
Haze and Haiyan: Southeast Asia’s Deadly Disasters of 2013
Global Voices coverage of the transboundary haze pollution in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and the deadly impact of super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013
Chinese Challenge State Media's Rosy Take on Mao Zedong's Legacy
"Mao’s biggest crimes were the rectification movement expansion, which killed countless innocent intellectuals; the Great Leap Forward, which led millions of innocent people to starve; and the cruel Cultural Revolution..."
