Stories about History from December, 2013
Vladimir Milov “On Khodorkovsky”
Vladimir Milov is an energy sector expert and former Deputy Energy Minister of the Russian Federation. RuNet Echo translates his reaction to Mikhail Khodorkovsky's release from prison last week.
Celebrating Christmas (Bara Din) in Bangladesh
Karim at Amader Kotha writes about how Christmas is celebrated in Bangladesh, a Muslim majority country: The Christian community in Bangladesh may be a minority when compared to the number of people following other religious pathways in the country, nevertheless Christmas in Bangladesh, which is a public holiday, is celebrated...
Debate on the Translation of Christmas into Chinese
Ann O'Donnell explains the debate about the translation of Christmas, whether it should be “holy birth festival” or “Jesus birth festival”. For those advocating for the rectification of the Chinese translation, believe that the expression “holy birth festival”, which also means “the Sage’s birth festival” should designate Confucius’ birthday.
Bangladesh Breaks Human Flag, National Anthem World Records on Victory Day
27,117 volunteers stood with red and green placards to form the Bangladesh flag. More than 300,000 people sang the national anthem.
Popularizing the Hmong Qeej Musical Instrument through YouTube
Catherine Falk studied how Chinese and Laotian Hmong diaspora groups maximized the YouTube to preserve and popularize their culture, in particular the playing of qeej, an iconic Hmong reed mouth organ.
7 Amazing Vintage Photos of 19th-Century Japan
Take a look at what life was like in Japan some 150 years ago, thanks to a series of photos that recently entered the public domain.
Bangladesh-Pakistan Relations Sour Over Islamist Leader's War Crimes Execution
Pakistan's lower house adopted a resolution expressing concern over the hanging of Abdul Quader Mollah, and some claimed that the real reason for his execution was his “loyalty to Pakistan”.
“Tajikistan is not the Center of the World”: Rewriting of Country's History Spurs Ridicule
As historians in Tajikistan seek to move the origins of the nation as far back in time as possible, netizens are increasingly distrustful of the updated history.
China and North Korea: The Inevitable Fate of Jang Song Thaek Under Dictatorship
"The only rule of dictatorship is no rule." Many Chinese netizens believe the purge of Jang Song Thaek in North Korea a wake-up call for China's political reform.
Chungui: Digging up the Horror of Terrorism in Peru
30 years ago, hundreds of people were victims of terrorism in the remote communities of Chungui and Oreja de Perro.
PHOTOS: Remains of Exhumed Guatemalan War Victims Returned to Families
In a new photo essay on MiMundo.org, photojournalist James Rodríguez follows residents of Pambach, Guatemala, as they receive the skeletal remains of six wartime victims who were “taken by the army after a military incursion to the village on June 3rd, 1982, during the de facto government of Efraín Ríos Montt,...
Czechoslovakia's Architectural Heritage in Kyrgyzstan
Karina Ditkovskaya writes [ru] about a unique architectural heritage left by volunteer construction workers from Czechoslovakia in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan: In the 1920s a commune of volunteers from Czechoslovakia built a whole district of Bishkek. Now, after almost one hundred years, this area of Kyrgyzstan's capital city stands out due...
Bangladesh Executes Islamist Leader Abdul Quader Mollah for War Crimes
Abdul Quader Mollah was the first to die for war crimes committed during Bangladesh's struggle for independence. His execution sparked a wave of deadly violence from supporters, leaving several dead.
100 Awesome Things From The Indian 90′s
Blogger and SEO expert Mani Karthik takes a trip down the memory lane and lists 100 things an average Indian cherished during the 1990s.
‘Australia Spied on Timor Leste to Gain Commercial Advantage’
Australia it seems likes to spy on its friends and neighbors. After Indonesia, it is East Timor's turn in criticizing Australia for allegedly spying on its leaders.
Nelson Mandela's Death: ‘Left Us in Body, But His Spirit Is Eternal’
"Mandela was about politics and he was about race and he was about freedom and he was even about force, and he did what he felt he had to do"
6 People From Madagascar You Should Know
Learn about six Malagasy personalities worth knowing for anyone wishing to better understand the island of Madagascar.
China: 100-year-old Buddhist Temple Was Force-Demolished
Offbeat China translated a local report and some netizens’ reaction on the forced demolition of a 100-year-old Buddhist Temple in Fuzhou city, Fujian.
Mandela and Mao, Not Much in Common
Jeremiah from Jotting in the Granite Studio comments on the China's state broadcaster CCTV's attempt to draw the link between Mandela and Mao Zedong: Mandela didn’t really have much in common with Mao. Mao was an idealist in the strictest sense of the word, a man who believed that how...
VIDEOS: Singapore’s First Riot in 40 Years
Singapore's first riot in four decades also highlighted the growing tension between the local population and the rising number of foreign workers.
The Caribbean Ponders the Legacy of Nelson Mandela
Across the Caribbean archipelago, from Trinidad and Tobago to Cuba, regional bloggers reflect on Nelson Mandela's life and legacy.
