Stories about English from April, 2014
Pakistani Spies, Mir and the Missing People of Balochistan
After Pakistan's top TV newsman was shot, a vicious media war between single-minded nationalists and his TV station ensued leaving the story he was working on in the dark.
So You Need to Get Around Madagascar?
Public transportation can be a challenge in Madagascar. The country's road infrastructure is antiquated and underdeveloped and overcrowded buses and minivans are often the only option.
8 Shocking Quotes from Malaysian Politicians
Balik Cina is a new website which compiles some of the hilarious and notorious quotes made by Malaysian politicians.
China's Revised Environmental Law Toughens Penalties Against Polluters
The new law lends more power to environmental agencies to use punitive powers to rein in powerful polluters and does away with caps on pollution fines.
Mental Health Not a Priority in Cambodia
Writing for Southeast Asia Globe, Denise Hruby reported how the mentally ill in many rural areas of Cambodia are being treated: …the mentally ill are still treated by traditional healers, who aim to drive out bad spirits by burning the skin, or by the untrained staff of one-room health clinics...
Former Malaysian PM Blames Boeing for MH370 Disaster
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad wanted Boeing to take responsibility for the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370. He wrote in his blog: Boeing built this aircraft. Boeing must explain how all these means of tracking the plane can be disabled, can fail. Either Boeing technology is poor...
‘There Was No Palestine'?
A number of Twitter users are challenging the common Israeli discourse that Palestine never existed through the hashtag: #there_was_no_Palestine.
Macedonian Activists Attempt to Break Media Silence on Corruption Scandal
The majority of Macedonian media failed to relay a documented claim by Macedonia's largest opposition party about the prime minister's involvement in a corruption scandal. Social media users stepped in.
Bob Marley – A New God for the Bhutanese Youth?
Bob Marley has suddenly become a god among the already confused generation. The Rastafari Flag, with either Bob himself or with a marijuana leave on it, is all over the place. For someone who died in 1981 to brainwash smart kids of 21st century is so unbelievable. Passang Tshering, a...
Menstruation Is Not a Shameful Secret. Let's Talk Periods.
“Why do women hush themselves when it comes to discussing menstruation?” asks Sourav Kumar Panda at Youth Ki Awaaz and goes on to discuss that in this day and age, keeping periods a ‘hush-hush’ issue is unnecessary – the time has come for us to break the silence and shame...
Raising the Dead to Fight Ukraine
Sokoloff's conclusion at seeing Lobov in uniform at a Ministry of Defense meeting was that the man had come out retirement, which can only mean one thing.
Ukrainian Artists Cage Russians Like Animals
A group of artists in Kiev has opened a new exhibit that many Russians are calling dangerously xenophobic. Yesterday, April 24, 2014, the “Ukrainian Cultural Front” presented four interactive installations intended to criticize Russia for its opposition to the EuroMaidan movement and its interventions in southeastern Ukraine. The most controversial...
Do Not Blame the West for Africa's Woes
Gershom Ndhlovu argues that Africa leaders are making a mistake by blaming the West for Africa's problem: At the last EU-Africa Summit held in Belgium, Zambia's president Michael Chilufya Sata reiterated what other African leaders had said in the past about the West contributing to wars on the continent through...
“I Sold Out to China”-One Journalist's Experience with China's Censors
Leslie Anne Jones from aeon talks about her personal experience with China's censors during her time as a journalist for a local expat magazine. She discovers how she was not permitted to document the true Xinjiang she had observed during her “propaganda” trip there.
LiveJournal Fights Coming Censorship, But Don't Tell Anyone
Some RuNet giants are already fighting back against coming law that may be used to censor opposition bloggers.
Trinidad & Tobago: Green Business
ICT Pulse puts forward six suggestions to make offices greener.
Hordes Flock to ‘Apparition’ of Jesus in Cameroon Home
"I am still waiting for someone to post a selfie with Jesus at Odza."
#NETmundial, Tweets from São Paulo, Brazil
Here we share some Storify stories that sum up what happened on the first day of NETmundial, the conference on the future of Internet governance in São Paulo, Brazil (April 23 and 24, 2014). In English: – @APC_News: #NETmundial officially kicks off – First impressions of #NETmundial. – @PdF_Europe: NetMundial...
Call to Stop Construction to Protect the Leopard Cats in Taiwan
Leopard cat is listed as a vulnerable species [zh] in Taiwan. Since the big cats live in the forests and jungles in both plains and in hilly areas and their home range is very broad, their habitats in Taiwan are easily disturbed by new construction projects. The Taiwanese environmental evaluation...
USA Makes Kremlin Propaganda Easy, Again
Simply imagine Russia remodeling schools near US Marine Corps fatalities on Okinawa.
Pure Grenada
What comes to mind when an unexposed individual envisions the Isle of Spice? Grenada’s brand, though it fuels patriotism, isn’t targeted at Grenadians. We already know what our country has to offer. Nisha writes about about the re-branding of Grenada‘s tourism product.