Stories about Breaking News from December, 2014
30 December 2014
Macedonians ‘Hug’ Skopje Shopping Centre to Protect It From Baroque-isation
The Skopje 2014 project is a controversial and costly initiative that aims to give the city's buildings makeover in the neoclassical or baroque style.
29 December 2014
New Protest Facebook Page Already in Place as Kremlin Moves Navalny Verdict Forward


As thousands of Russians joined a January 15 protest against the verdict in the trial of opposition leader Navalny, the court suddenly moved the verdict announcement to tomorrow, December 30.
28 December 2014
Air Asia Plane Carrying 162 People from Indonesia to Singapore Reported Missing
Indonesian authorities are focusing on the Bangka Belitung islands off the east coast of South Sumatra to find the missing plane.
27 December 2014
More Than 120,000 Evacuated as Malaysia Hit by Worst Flooding in Decades
Heavy rainfall caused flooding in Malaysia's eastern states. Netizens used social media to monitor impact of the flood disaster and to coordinate relief efforts.
24 December 2014
New Taxes in Macedonia Send Freelancers and Part-Time Workers Into the Streets
In a country where unemployment sits at nearly 29 percent, freelancing and working part-time is all that's available to many people.
22 December 2014
Facebook and Twitter ‘Won't Block’ Navalny in Russia, As Kremlin Continues to Block Protest Mentions

Tv Rain reports Facebook and Twitter have decided not to block any more Navalny protest pages, aware that this might mean their whole websites may be blocked in Russia.
21 December 2014
Pakistanis Say #ReclaimYourMosques From Radicalism in Rare, Bold Protests
After the horrific Taliban attack on a military-run school in Peshawar that killed more than hundred and thirty students, a controversial cleric refused to condemn the massacre, sparking protests.
20 December 2014
Navalny Protest Rally Facebook Event Page Blocked in Russia

Just one day after supporters of Putin critic Alexey Navalny set up a Facebook event page for a protest rally in his support, the page has been blocked in Russia.
Some of Miami's Cuban Exiles Are Disgruntled at Obama's New Approach to Cuba
Our author, Robert Valencia, is in Miami, home to the largest community of people of Cuban descent residing outside of Cuba.
19 December 2014
Thousands to Attend Unsanctioned Protest Outside Kremlin Against Putin-Critic's Verdict

Whether it takes place on January 14 or 15, the demonstration promises a conflict with Moscow police, as its organizer isn’t planning to ask the government's permission.
‘Ferguson Is Here': Black Brazilians Bear the Brunt of Deadly Police Violence
Hundreds marched in São Paulo, not only to support rallies in the US, but also to underline the country's dark reality: Brazilian police systematically target and murder black people.
Murder of LGBTQ Activist Renews Venezuela’s Human Rights Debate
The murder of Giniveth Soto, a gender-equality activist, has launched at least two major, nationwide public debates about urban violence and threats same-sex couples face in Venezuela.
17 December 2014
Castro and Obama Open New Chapter on US-Cuba Relations
Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits are overwhelmed, elated, speechless. But as both presidents noted, the embargo is codified in legislation that only the US Congress can change.
Serbia Arrests 11 Foreign Human Rights Activists Ahead of Protest
Amnesty International has requested that Serbian authorities release eleven activists from Bulgaria, Finland, and Slovakia who were in Serbia to hold peaceful protests during the CEE-China Summit in Belgrade.
Do #EmptyShelves Await Tomorrow's Russia?

The rush to invest in dollars, vacuum cleaners, jackets, and more all suggests confidence low enough to compel people to wait in line for hours on a Tuesday night.
16 December 2014
#IndiaWithPakistan: Indians Show Solidarity With Their Grieving Neighbors After Peshawar Attack
"Yes, I am Indian. So what? The pain of losing a child is universal. #IndiawithPakistan"
15 December 2014
As the Sydney Siege Comes to an End, Hundreds of Thousands of Tweets Show Solidarity with Muslims
The #IllRideWithyou campaign was meant to show solidarity with Sydney Muslims who might feel uncomfortable taking public transport following the Sydney siege.
13 December 2014
A Mexican Protester Interrupted the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. Now His Mom Would Like a Word.
According to the protester's brother, he was hoping to draw attention to the disappearance and presumed mass murder of 42 Ayotzinapa school students in Mexico.