Stories about Politics from August, 2016
Defying Web Censors, Chinese ‘Worship’ Toads to Mark a Former State Leader’s 90th Birthday
"While the toad's era was not free, it looked better than [Xi's] era...Chinese people worshiping the toad is similar to prisoners in confinement, missing their brief outdoor recess."
‘When They Took Me Inside’ Syria's Saydnaya Prison, ‘I Could Smell the Torture’
A new report reveals the depth of the horrors happening inside Syria's most notorious torture prison, which one well-known Syrian dissident called "the most horrible place on earth".
Endangered Tigers Versus Endangered People
As government works to save big cats from extinction, indigenous forest dwellers pursue peaceful coexistence for man and beast.
The Crocodile's Got to Go? A Jamaican Bishop Blames the Country's Coat of Arms for Crime
"We have a coat of arms that has a crocodile sitting on top of it...Why should we have a crocodile sitting on top of us as a nation?"
‘Disappointed’ Activists Criticize India's ‘Iron Lady’ for Daring to End Her 16-Year-Long Hunger Strike
"They want me to remain a martyr forever. But I can’t always be a martyr."
Jalaur Mega Dam in the Philippines Threatens to Displace Indigenous Peoples in Panay Island
"The people who will be most affected by the project do not approve of the project."
The City of Mariupol, Ukraine's Line in the Sand
"This is a war in which the interplay of informational conflict and physical violence is especially evident, in which disinformation and propaganda muddle motives, deny violence, and seek to confuse."
Cairo's Rabaa Massacre: Three Years On, the Smell of Death Still Lingers
Three years have passed, but we refuse to forget the Rabaa Massacre.
‘Limited Bandwidth': Where Is the Reporting on Kashmir?
"For partisan commenters on both sides, compromise seems impossible. Kashmir is like Solomon’s Baby, except both of its prospective mothers are happy to cut it in half."
Turkish Sports Stars Get Caught up in Erdogan-Gulen War
Both retired footballer Hakan Sukur and NBA basketball star Enes Kanter find themselves on the wrong side of a political divide that is ripping through Turkey.
Despite Flood Devastation, the Macedonian Government Pours Millions Into a Ferris Wheel
At least 21 people died, and dozens are missing and injured, in floods that hit the Macedonian capital Skopje, following torrential rains on August 5.
Australia’s Census Website Was Never Very Popular, And That Was Before Cyber Attacks Crashed It
The Australian Bureau of Statistics took down its website on Census Night following DDos cyber attacks, fuelling existing concerns about privacy, security, and anonymity.
Makandal Daaga, Leader of Trinidad & Tobago's Black Power Revolution, Remembered As ‘A Man Out for Change’
Netizens discuss the life and legacy of Makandal Daaga, who led the country's 1970 Black Power movement and became actively involved in the political landscape of Trinidad and Tobago.
Ethiopian Authorities Killed 100 Protesters Over the Weekend
"I urge activists to focus on constructively helping the ongoing struggle aiming at creating free and fair Ethiopia that we are going to have sooner."
The New Orientalism: Iran as a Political Commodity
The fact that Iran remains for westerners an exotic and mysterious land whose "complex history" requires "untangling" by experts, puts serious limits on the possibilities for genuine engagement.
Empathy for the Enemy and the Oppressed: Political Pop Songs from the Eighties
A look back at seven pop hits from the 1980s that pack a political punch.
China Is Turning Its Once Powerful Communist Youth League Into an Online Campaign Machine
Before President Xi came into power, the Communist Youth League served as a launching pad for China’s political elite.
Tokyo's first female governor won in a landslide victory, but she faces a rough road ahead
At her first day on the job, she was snubbed by Tokyo's assembly members.
Activists in Puerto Rico Are Fighting to Keep Beaches Public
Activists, academics, and environmental experts are coming together under the slogan, "The Beaches belong to the People", to protect public maritime spaces and the Puerto Rican ecosystem.
Afghanistan's Hazaras: ‘Do Not Eliminate Us!’
"Never can a bomb silence the voice for justice and equality."
If You Doubt Peru's National Confidence, Just Check Out Its Cherished Military Parade
The parade has taken place in many different settings. It now takes place in centric Brasil Avenue, with some spectators arriving before sunrise to ensure they get seats.