Stories about LANGUAGES from July, 2014
Spinning the MH17 Tragedy, Moscow's Victory Isn't What You Think
Kyiv and Moscow trade evidence and conspiracy theories about whose BUK surface-to-air missiles downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. What game is the Kremlin playing online?
Reasons to Take a Trip Once in a While
On her blog Historias de una mujer lobo (Stories of a female werewolf), Natalia Cartolini reflects on the reasons why a trip can be beneficial as, in her opinion, “the fact of visiting new places or meeting new people from another perspective is important at any moment. It doesn't matter...
Seoul Says No to Uber, But Don't Put Down Your Mobile Just Yet
Seoul is banning Uber and planning to release its own mobile app for taxi services. Who wins from such a move?
Leaked Cybercrime Law Could Undo Tunisia's Pioneer Status on Internet Rights
Government officials renew calls for filtering and monitoring of the Internet under the pretext of "fighting terrorism" -- could this mean the end of Tunisia's Internet rights renaissance?
PHOTO: Crowds Outside a Cairo Liquor Store
A photograph showing crowds outside a popular Cairo liquor store is making the rounds online. On Twitter, Tom Gara shares it with his 27.9K followers: Pic doing the rounds on FB of the scene at Drinkies, a popular Cairo liquor store, now that Ramadan is over. pic.twitter.com/VMsbiNtInH — Tom Gara...
‘Shots Started Ringing Everywhere. Then What? Then People Being Hit, Screams, Utter Chaos’
A young Gazan man recalled on Facebook the death and devastation he witnessed during the Israeli assault on Khuza'a, which killed two of his cousins.
Massive Amounts Paid Out in Trinidad & Tobago's LifeSport Programme
As more details come out about the corrupt LifeSport programme in Trinidad and Tobago, Wired868 focuses its satirical energies on Adolphus Daniell, a contractor who was reportedly paid TT$34 million (just under US$5.5 million) for doing nothing – and says he won't pay back the money: The people now under...
Bangladesh Authorities Shut Down a 200-Year-Old Brothel, Evicting Hundreds of Sex Workers
Pressure from religious leaders and conservative politicians is the suspected reason behind the closure. But the national platform of sex workers of Bangladesh accused local officials of land grabbing.
China's State Media Reveals Unapproved Genetically Modified Rice Is on the Market
A deteriorating environment and decreasing arable land threaten China’s ability to feed the world’s biggest population. The country is looking into GMO technology, but rice remains in a research stage.
Can France Catch Up With Internet of Things World Leader China?
The Internet of Things is permanently and fundamentally revolutionizing our consumption habits.
Why Some Caribbean Authors Are Accusing a Trinidad-Born Novelist of Being a ‘Latter Day Columbus’
After a U.K.-based writer wrote a blog post exploring modern Caribbean writers, some authors accused her of ignorance about the region's literary history.
‘Boyfriend No, Only Volleyball': Kazakh Sportswoman Ignores Marriage Proposals After Going Viral
Sabina Altynbekova, a 17 year-old volleyball player representing Kazakhstan at youth level has been thrust into the global spotlight after playing for her country in a tournament in Taiwan.
Under Bombs, Gaza's Doctors Are Saving Lives and Tweeting Heartbreaking Stories Between Shifts
Doctors at an overcrowded hospital have safely delivered a baby from the corpse of a nine-month pregnant mother killed in an air strike.
‘Terrified’ Founder Decides to Shutter Hong Kong Pro-Democracy News Site ‘House News’
Some are speculating that the site was pressured to shut down as part of a wider crackdown by Beijing on Hong Kong's media.
Macedonian Authorities Claim Social Networks ‘Have Always Been Blocked’ in University Dorms
Residents of a state-run student dormitory in Skopje began an online campaign to expose the horrific living conditions. Then, access to Facebook and other websites was cut off.
Twitter “Blocks” Access to Russia's Most Infamous Hackers
Russia's Twitter users no longer have access to @b0ltai, an account belonging to a hacker collective that has leaked several Kremlin documents to the Internet over the past 7 months.
Victory Speech of Indonesia's New President
Indonesia's President-elect Joko Widodo or Jokowi delivered a victory speech recognizing the spirit of voluntarism among citizens: This presidential election has sparked new optimism for us, for this nation. Free souls and political responsibilities blossom within the souls of the new generation. The long-lost voluntarism is now back with a...
“Shrinking Democratic Space” in Myanmar
The new United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, has concluded a visit in the country and issued an initial report about Myanmar's human rights situation: The opening up of democratic space for people to exercise their rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to freedom of assembly...
The Philippines’ ‘Anti-Corruption’ President Is Facing Impeachment Calls Over Accusations of Corruption
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, who won on an anti-corruption platform, is now accused of corruption after one of his fund programs was dismissed by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
What Owen Arthur's Resignation Says About Barbados’ Politics
Owen Arthur has resigned from the political party he led for 14 years – a move which Barbados Underground thinks should give Barbadians pause: The incapacity of a former Prime Minister…to carve out an effective role to serve his political party in the twilight of his career leaves a sour...
Palestinians Accuse Israel of War Crimes, Push for ICC Trial Gets Support Online
Palestinian officials have started legal proceedings to put Israel on trial in the International Criminal Court for committing war crimes. Online, netizens tweet their support.
