Stories about English from July, 2016
A Russian ‘Lady Cop’: Part Two
Earlier this month, Olga Borisova wrote for the website Batenka.ru about her experiences as a police officer. We are publishing her text in three parts. This is the second installment.
The Anti-KFC Protests Spell Trouble for Chinese Authorities Trying to Confine Nationalism to the Internet
"Online patriotism and offline patriotism are different...However, the line does not exist among the patriotic masses; they would just do what they think is right."
Maldives Opposition Holds Rally Despite Resistance From Government
"Under the plan for reform, Yameen is making criticism a crime..."
A Russian ‘Lady Cop’: Part One
Earlier this month, Olga Borisova wrote for the website Batenka.ru about her experiences as a police officer. We are publishing her text in three parts. This is the first installment.
It's Personal for a Singapore Property Entrepreneur Who's Taking a Stand Against Racial Discrimination
"Sorry your wife is Indian, landlord won’t rent to you. Next time please indicate earlier, so we both don’t waste time."
Mauritanian Authorities Once Again Go After Anti-Slavery Activists
"Many work without rest, without wages for their master's benefit. They do not have the right to education, to freedom of movement, to travel or marry, without their owner's consent."
Cliffhanger Election Ends in a Close Shave for Australia's Ruling Government
"I wish to thank the Hon The #PrimeMinister for providing the Nation with at least 3 years of high farce in the #Senate"
Will Trinidad & Tobago Students Be Last Out of the Gate if the Government Stops Funding Tertiary Education?
As the country faces an economic recession, there are concerns that students have been abusing the government's funding of their tertiary education. Will the programme be discontinued or merely restructured?
A Protection Ritual to ‘Close the Body’ Links Different Religious Traditions in Brazil
The "closing of the body" is supposed to ward off evil. Followers of the Afro-Brazilian religions of Candomblé and Umbanda as well as some Catholics practice the ritual.
As Constitutional Referendum Nears, Thailand Intensifies Censorship
"If Thailand's military junta wants its referendum to be seen as credible, it must stop harassing journalists covering the campaign and let information flow freely to the public."
Chinese Reformist Magazine Shuts Down to Resist Authorities’ Hostile Takeover
"The crackdown on Yanhuang Chunqiu and today's takeover indicates that Xi's government wants to educate its officials into 'fools' like the rest of the society."
A Golden Age for Cow Urine in India
"We boycott the cow slaughter industry for a year. The saved $ purchases cows. We separate the gold from the cow urine. Hapi economics."
The Murder of Trinidad's Notorious ‘Robocop’ Leaves the Country Worried About What’s Next
As some in Trinidad and Tobago plead to "stop the killing", others wonder whether they should brace themselves for more violence after the murder of an alleged crime lord.
The Lives of Migrant Workers in Thailand's ‘Little Burma’
“But we have no money and no home; how could we go back and survive?”
In China, a University Degree Isn't Always a Golden Ticket to Employment
"Finding a job is a tough thing because you have to fall down and get up again and again."
Russian Artists Reimagine Pokémon Go With Soviet Cartoon Characters
Love Soviet cartoons? These Russian artists reimagined the beloved characters as creatures in the Pokémon Go game. Gotta catch all the Cheburashkas!
How a Stolen Student Parliament Is Macedonia's Political Crisis in Microcosm
" Now try to imagine how this generation will organize parliamentary elections?"
Vietnamese Protesters Demand Justice Despite Government Settlement on Fish Kills
"Blow your whistle to demand transparency, blow your whistle to demand for fish lives, blow your whistle to stop Formosa."
Rappers Put Patriotism on Full Display in Tajikistan
Over two years ago, authorities stopped a nascent and subversive hip-hop movement in its tracks. That move has had predictable consequences.
Myanmar's Online Community Anticipates Fall of Radical Buddhist Group with Funny Memes
"So you are saying that Buddhism, which has been a religion for 2,500 years will be destroyed if Ma-Ba-Tha does not save it and Myanmar will become a Muslim country?”
The Plague of Human Trafficking Reaches Trinidad & Tobago
In a new report, Trinidad and Tobago has been identified as "a destination, transit, and source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor".