Stories about English from September, 2014
In Crimea, No Room for Blogger Liza Bogutskaya And Her Pro-Ukrainian Views
Liza Bogutskaya's outspokenness against what she sees as Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea has made her a favorite of pro-Ukrainians online and an enemy of the Russian state administering Crimea.
As Political Pressure From Beijing Mounts, Hong Kong Students Demand Democracy With Class Boycott
Student activists accuse Beijing of making Hong Kong empty promises of a democratic vote, so in return they are leaving their classrooms empty for at least a week.
Macedonian Media Stonewalls Popular Hip-Hop Artist's Pro-Freedom Song
Popular Macedonian hip-hop artist has seen his career come to a near stop after releasing a song and music video that discusses freedom of speech issues in Macedonia.
Industrial Pollution Kills Hundreds of Wild Birds in Inner Mongolia
More than 500 dead wild water birds appeared in the lake areas of Inner Mongolia since this summer as a result of water pollution. The poisonous water, as reported by local herdsmen, came from factories from a nearby eco-industrial area. Annie Lee from China Hush wrote a photo feature on...
Cambodian Garment Workers Are Pressuring H&M, Walmart and Zara to Make Their Suppliers Pay a Living Wage
The workers are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 177 US dollars. A previous strike in January was the target of a violent crackdown that left five workers dead.
Camping Next to Kyrgyzstan's Most Notorious Gangster at the ‘World Nomad Games’
Criminals, parliamentarians - what is the difference? According to a recent discussion on a popular news platform in Kyrgyzstan, not very much.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Apologizes for Suggesting Bikinis Raise the Murder Rate Among Tourists
Thailand's Prime Minister has had to apologize for a sexist gaffe following the murder of two British tourists.
Minority Scholar Ilham Tohti Denies Chinese Authorities’ Accusation That He Led a Double Life at Separatism Trial
Lawyers for Ilham Tohti said the prominent Uyghur scholar was chained with leg irons and denied access to food and warm clothes while detained. The verdict is due next week.
Threats to Press Freedom in the Fight Against Ebola in Liberia
The Press Union of Liberia is concerned about the threat to freedom of information as a result of the actions taken by the government to limit the expansion of the Ebola virus. The union wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice to draw his attention to the challenges media...
Bahraini Human Rights Activist Maryam Al Khawaja Is Released From Prison While She Awaits Trial
Maryam Al Khawaja was arrested when she tried to enter the country to visit her jailed father, who is on his 27th day of a hunger strike.
Run! The Muslims Are Coming!
Mainstream perceptions often paint "Muslims" with one broad brushstroke, inevitably peppered with violence. In this irreverent satirical piece, Pakistani stand-up comedian Sami Shah breaks down the different types of "Muslim".
Turkey's ‘School of Nature': Reminding Us of What We Forgot
Doğa Okulu, Turkey's 'School of Nature', is a model of cooperation between activists, local communities and local government. In seven months the school has already done a lot of teaching.
Ice Bucket Challenge, Meet Ukraine's ‘Blood Bucket’ Challenge
A group of European youths are raising awareness of the conflict in Ukraine with a gory twist on the infamous Ice Bucket Challenge. The buckets are filled with metaphorical blood.
Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone: ‘Yes! I Am a Woman. I Have Breasts and a Cleavage! You Got a Problem?!’
An entertainment news portal tweeted a screenshot of Padukone in the film "Finding Fanny" along with the comment "Deepika's cleavage show." The actress and numerous others hit back on Twitter.
Digital Library of Traditional Philippine Healing Practices
Initiated by several government agencies, the Philippine Traditional Knowledge Digital Library on Health (TKDL-Health) seeks to document and digitize indigenous health practices in the country. The communities, characteristically living in the mountains or their fringes, have depended mostly on plants and other natural products from the forest to prevent or...
China: ‘The More You Exploit Us, the Happier We Get’
Kevin Slaten from China Labour Watch wrote on China File on the situation of labour exploitation in China — the fact that industrial safety and workers’ lives were taken for granted for economic growth, which is reflected in a notorious local Kunshan government's appeal to foreign investors: “The Kunshan people...
After US Ambassador to Ukraine's Twitter Gaffe, RT Says ‘World Won't Be Duped Again’
America’s social media outreach on the Ukraine crisis has always been flawed, if only because Uncle Sam is up against an adversary that frequently camouflages online propaganda as “grassroots” activism.
To Go or Not to Go? Scotland Votes on Independence from UK
Twitter and Facebook have been flooded with heated discussions, with the #indyref hashtag mentioned over 2.6 million times just in the past 30 days.
Ebola Hasn't Reached the Gambia, and People Are Working to Keep It That Way
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has killed nearly 1,900 people so far. In the Gambia, a social media campaign and a specially composed song are trying to raise awareness.
Using Mobile Phones to Connect Pregnant Women and Midwives in Timor Leste
Liga Inan is using mobile phones to connect pregnant women and health workers in Timor Leste. The innovative program provides mothers with vital information and health advice to ensure the safe delivery of babies. Since its launch, almost 2,000 mothers have been already enrolled in the program.