Stories about English from August, 2015
A Ping-Pong Table Puts Singapore's Intellectual Property Regulation Under the Spotlight
"...we feel that more can be done to encourage, respect and protect content creation. Unfortunately, limited understanding of artists’ rights and standard industry practices remains."
How One News Website Is Taking On Russia's Attorney General (and Losing)
How one small oppositionist news website has gobbled up almost half the Russian Attorney General's online censorship efforts.
Russia Blocks Euronews ISIS Video Over ‘Extremist’ User Comment
Russian censors have blocked another YouTube video, although it did not violate any Russian laws. Instead, an offending user comment under the video caused Roscomnadzor to ban the page wholesale.
After 2 Bombings in Bangkok, Thai Internet Users Join #StrongerTogether Movement
Two bomb blasts rocked central Bangkok in the past two days, killing 20 people and injuring hundreds. Now Thailand tries to move forward.
Saeed Kamali Dehghan on Covering Iran for The Guardian
"The common problem in many western media organisations is that they see Iran as black and white, and Iran is not like that. It’s a spectrum, it’s a rainbow.”
Students Push for Alcohol Prohibition in Southern India Street Protests
"The protests against the prohibition of alcohol are a great move. If Tamil Nadu government bans the sale of alcohol, it will be greatly appreciated by the general population."
How 1,500 People Temporarily Shut Down Europe’s Biggest Source of CO2
One participant came back from the action saying that for the first time in his life, he felt truly powerful.
Sargassum Seaweed Turns the Caribbean's Crystalline Waters Murky
The dark brown seaweed that the Sargasso Sea was named for is washing up in bulk along Caribbean beaches. One diver takes us underneath the thick layer of algae.
Tianjin Lives Up to Its ‘City Without News’ Nickname After Deadly Blasts
Netizens were shocked that local media aired Korean dramas and cartoons in the immediate wake of the disaster, then followed up with coverage dripping with praise for local authorities.
The Bold and the Uniformed: How New Ukrainian Police Are Taking Over Social Media
Ukrainian capital Kyiv has recently revamped its police force in an attempt to improve law enforcement's reputation, and the fresh new officers are taking social media by storm.
Raising Flags and Hopes
"We are witnessing a new era in Cuba. . . for the first time in my life there isn’t a specific enemy we're expected to fight at all costs."
Human Rights Protections Weaken as Tunisia Fights Terror
Despite the PM's reassurance that "people can talk or write whatever they like," authorities have been cracking down on speech.
Russian Censors Falsify Evidence Against Newspaper to Uphold Ban on Political Coverage
Last weekend, in an appeals case by one newspaper against the government, state censors finally revealed specifically why they banned several news stories last year about a protest in Siberia.
Watch Out For the Most Tightly Contested Election in Tanzania's History
"Lowassa is a Maasai Robin Hood. Or Tanzanian El Chapo. Look at the hands he touches and not the toes he stepped on."
Serbian State Utility Company to Spend 350,000 Euros on Logo Redesign
Serbian social media users are curious: "Does this logo vacuum clean and bear children or what?"
Are GMOs the Answer to Kenya's Food Security Issues?
Kenya looks like it is ready to get back on the GMO train. Is it right to?
Why Is Gang Rape and Child Rape Skyrocketing in Bangladesh?
Some observers say rape and sexual harassment would rise in parallel with women empowerment since this patriarchal society denies freedom of women.
Iraqi Startups One Year After the Rise of ISIS
Ahmed Marwan shares stories about a few Iraqi startups one year after the rise of ISIS, at Wamda. He explains: But what is more uncertain than calculating the success probability of a startup working in a city less than 50 km away from the turmoil caused by ISIS? That is...
Meet the Displaced Kachin People of Northern Myanmar
"There are no happy moments here in the camp. We are all struggling to live and we are always busy with our lives."
Meet Sam Wakoba of TechMoran Blog
Bloggers Association of Kenya profiles Sam Wakoba who runs Techmoran blog. Techmoran won the award for the Best Technology Blog in Kenya this year: We caught up with Sam to get some insights into his blogging journey. Who is Sam Wakoba, in a few words? Sam Wakoba is a humble...
Gaza's ‘Colorful Neighborhood’ Brings Hope and Healing in Palestine
Gaza's Al Zaytoun is called "the colorful neighborhood" for its brightly painted streets and decorated walls, an urban renewal effort following 2014's Israel-Gaza war.
