Stories about Feature from April, 2014
Some See a Success Story. Others See a ‘Thieving’ Undocumented Immigrant
Betty Wong was smuggled into Hong Kong from mainland China in 2003 when she was 8. Her story, from undocumented immigrant to medical student, was met with online attacks.
Activists Battle Religion, Tradition in Gambia's Female Genital Mutilation Fight
Aja Babung Sidibeh followed cultural tradition and became a female genital mutilation (FGM) practitioner after the death of her parents years ago in her native Janjangbureh in the Central River Region...
South Koreans Accuse Government of Botching Ferry Response
It's been 14 days since the Sewol ferry capsized, and 205 people are confirmed dead. Politicians taking advantage of the calamity and media inaccuracy have fueled anger in South Korea.
Pakistani Spies, Mir and the Missing People of Balochistan
After Pakistan's top TV newsman was shot, a vicious media war between single-minded nationalists and his TV station ensued leaving the story he was working on in the dark.
China's Revised Environmental Law Toughens Penalties Against Polluters
The new law lends more power to environmental agencies to use punitive powers to rein in powerful polluters and does away with caps on pollution fines.
PHOTOS: Forget Selfies, One Artist's Sketched Portraits Have Taken Over Twitter in the Balkans
A Montenegrin artist's ink and pencil drawings have grown so popular that they've begun to replace the headshots and selfies that normally appear on Twitter accounts.
Macedonian Activists Attempt to Break Media Silence on Corruption Scandal
The majority of Macedonian media failed to relay a documented claim by Macedonia's largest opposition party about the prime minister's involvement in a corruption scandal. Social media users stepped in.
Algeria's Opposition Report Threats, Intimidation Following President's Reelection
An amendment to the country's constitution had allowed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999, to run again.
Video of Mother Hitting Daughter With Belt Goes Viral in Trinidad & Tobago
A video depicting a mother's punitive idea of discipline has gone viral in Trinidad and Tobago, after it was posted on Facebook to supposedly teach the child a lesson.
Win Tin: Myanmar’s Longest-held Political Prisoner Dies at 85
Burmese journalist and activist Win Tin is one of the leaders of the pro-democracy movement.
Iran’s New Wave of Women Fashion Designers
For years, Iran's young women preferred foreign, mostly western clothing brands. That's starting to change.
Tweet Against García Márquez Generates Outrage in Colombia
A Colombian congresswoman's tweet referencing the recently deceased Gabriel Garcia Marquez stirred up commotion a few hours after the Colombian laureate passed away.
How Technology and Citizen Media Shaped Taiwan's Sunflower Movement
Members set up a number of websites dedicated to the protest against a trade deal with China, whose passage without a clause-by-clause review sparked the occupation of the legislature.
Syria: Life As It Was Before the Invention of the Light Bulb
With the power supply in whole swaths of the country cut off by government authorities, Syrians get used to treating electricity as both a luxury and metaphor for their struggle.
28 Dead, 268 Still Missing in South Korean Ferry Sinking
A South Korean ferry heading to a resort island sank with hundreds of passengers. The captain and crew evacuated early, well before most of the passengers.
“Bring the Bottle”: Youth Activists Behind Bars in Azerbaijan
While the government continues its witch-hunt, curtailing the freedoms of activists and critics, the lives of officials and their families remain untouched by everyday human rights violations in Azerbaijan.
Would Confucius Support the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan?
"Children should bow to their parents, students should pay respect to their teachers, and people should obey the government. As a result, the students' resistance must be wrong."
Linda Jaivin: Sex, Sinology and the Translator
When Linda Jaivin isn't writing erotica, historical novels, plays or poetry, it's probably because she's translating a film by a renowned Chinese filmmaker, or lyrics by a young rocker.
Uncle Sam's Ukraine Failure in Russia
The violence might be only starting, but an information war between Russia and the West has raged for months now.
China Blocks Short Sci-Fi Film From Hong Kong
Hong Kong saves itself in the film from a meteor forecast to hit in 2047, an allegory for when the city is set to lose its democratic political system.
Cancer-Causing Chemical Pollutes Chinese City Lanzhou's Water Supply
Benzene, a highly carcinogenic chemical, has been detected in the city's water supply, at one point measured at a level 20 times what is considered to be safe.