Stories about Politics from January, 2016
The Ever-Blurring Line Between Entertainment and Politics in China and Taiwan
A teenage K-pop performer's apology for waving a Republic of China flag—interpreted as supporting Taiwanese independence—recently went viral.
‘Hands Off Our Privacy': Polish Citizens Speak Out Against Surveillance Law
Poland's parliament adopted a surveillance law that would give authorities fast access to citizens' Internet and telecommunication usage data, without prior approval from a judge.
You Don't Know Noise, If You Don't Know Trinidad and Tobago
From unbearably loud music to illegal fireworks, one civic-minded social media user in Trinidad and Tobago is taking on the "noise polluters who yearly get away with decibel crime".
In Photos: Farmers Harvest Buckets of Glimmering Sea Salt in Myanmar
Many salt farmers in Myanmar are already migrating to other countries in search of better opportunities. This photo montage features salt farming along Myanmar's southeast coast.
Warlords to the Lebanese People: Let’s Forgive and Forget!
25 years after the end of the civil war Lebanon remains a deeply divided country, and attempts by former warlords to paper over the past can only worsen the situation.
A Venezuelan Digital Artist Defends LGBT Rights Despite Social and Political Censorship
Who's behind censorship and why? What happens when old social norms around gender are questioned? Danial Arzola, creator of the campaign 'I'm not a joke', answers these and other questions.
A Tragic Suicide at a University Puts the Spotlight on Discrimination Against Dalits in India
"What happened with #RohitVemula should not happen with anyone. We can't progress until every citizen of India has equal rights!"
How a Weapons Trafficking Case Brought Puerto Rico's Political Status Before the US Supreme Court
The US attorney general's position on Puerto Rico's status has probably turned the issue into fodder for the upcoming election season.
The Strongmen of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan Don't Want to Leave Office Anytime Soon
"Why trifle? Better to directly announce yourself immortals and ban death from coming for them."
Will Lebanon Finally Have a New President After Geagea Endorsed Aoun?
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has endorsed his war time rival Michel Aoun's candidacy for presidency today. Will Lebanon finally have a new president after 20 months without one?
Why Do Hong Kongers Call Chief Executive CY Leung ‘689’?
Hint: it's not a nice nickname.
Implementation Day in Iran: Nuclear Diplomacy Leads to Prisoner Releases and Sanctions Relief
An overview of "Implementation Day" for the lifting of nuclear related sanctions against Iran.
The Conflict in the Middle East Is Not Between Sunnis and Shias and Doesn't ‘Date Back Millennia’
"Has the region been sectarianized? Yes. Are the differences real? Yes. Is the current war posturing an ancient theological dispute? No," tweets Iyad El-Baghdadi about the so-called Sunni-Shia rift.
The Victims of Mexico's Drug War Deserve to Be in the Spotlight, Not El Chapo and Sean Penn
"Only when the names of those who were killed are known, when the stories of their suffering are heard...people everywhere will call out to end the war."
Ukrainian Separatists Block 100+ News Websites in ‘Lugansk People’s Republic’
News websites in the self-proclaimed "Lugansk People's Republic" are being censored as separatist authorities seek to minimize the "destabilizing" influence of the Ukrainian media.
Taxicab Confessions, Kyrgyz Style: Lawmakers Get Behind the Wheel to Chat With Voters
A public relations move, probably, but it's significant in the context of Central Asia, a region characterized by authoritarian politics.
This Group Exposes Social Woes and Promotes Philippine Culture Through Street Art
"Doing street art is our way of bringing 'ART' closer to the masses. It is special for us because it's where the purest intention of an artist can be seen."
Indians and Pakistanis Hope to Take Their Countries From Rivals to Friends
"India and Pakistan are sister nations.. We have so much in common.. A united India-Pakistan will be better for everyone :)"
Hong Kongers Fear That Their City's Autonomy From China Might Be Next to Disappear
"I mean, maybe one day we will be taken away just because we are not happy about the political system."
Zam Zam Cola, a Symbol of Happier Diplomatic Times Between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Tensions rage between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Saudi has ended diplomatic ties, and Iran has banned all Saudi imports. But where does this leave Iran's popular Zam Zam Cola?
Mapping the Deaths of Protesters in Ethiopia
When the Ethiopian government says that only five protesters have died in the recent violence, don't believe it.