· May, 2014

Stories from Quick Reads from May, 2014

Creating Biogas from Water Hyacinth

  27 May 2014

Water hyacinth (water weed) is a menace in Bangladesh which restricts water flow and blocks sunlight in rivers and ponds contributing to contamination and killing of fish. Instead of spending much in removing or eradicating them they can be used for a good cause. Kristin Boekhoff at Panigram blog informs...

What is Really Ailing France ?

  26 May 2014

The inability of the French economy to rebound from the Euro zone crisis, the loss of corporate champions like Alstom and Arcelor and the forceful rise of the far right party (Front National) at the latest European elections [fr] are seen by many observers as tell-tale signs of the country’s relative decline. Yet...

“We Are Not Paying Enough Attention to Teenagers’ Health”

  26 May 2014

The latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the health of adolescents worldwide notes that :   The top 3 causes of adolescent deaths globally are road traffic injuries, HIV/AIDS, and suicide. Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012. The report also adds that : Mortality rate...

VIRAL VIDEO: ‘But We're Speaking Japanese’

  25 May 2014

A video skit of a Japanese waitress serving a group of foreign-looking customers who speak Japanese has gone viral. The clip has resonated among many Japanese-speaking expats who occasionally experience how local Japanese communicate with foreigners based not on the language they are speaking but on how they look. Watch the...

Drawings With Coffee Foam

  25 May 2014

The blogger on El Francotirador shares [es] his experience on a fast food shop, when as the waitress gave him the coffee he had ordered, she added: “There you go… I drew a heart with the foam” – she said smiling. As a result of this gesture, the author reflects:...

Hong Kong Public Libraries Ignore Biggest Minorities’ Need

  25 May 2014

As government funded libraries in Hong Kong fail to serve domestic workers’ need, they have to set up mobile libraries during public holidays across the city. Tom Grundy has the story in Hong Wrong. Below is a video taken by Stories Beyond the Borders showing one of the mobile libraries...

Political Cartoon – Tombs in Beijing Tiananmen Square

  25 May 2014

Political cartoonist @badiucao's latest work is to commemorate the 25 anniversary of June 4 Incident – “If we are to set up tombs for victims of June 4, let the tomb stones cover the whole square”, the cartoonist explained his work in Twitter. #巴丢草 六四漫画【墓碑】#六四25周年 如果为六四的死难者立碑,就让她们铺满整个广场。 pic.twitter.com/bSDLUXXEZz — 巴丢草 (@badiucao)...

Trinidad & Tobago Media Association Slams Irresponsible Statement

  24 May 2014

A statement by the Commissioner of Police suggesting that “inaccurate reporting” may have led to death threats against a local journalist, has irked the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago: MATT hopes that the Acting Commissioner of Police was perhaps inarticulate in his characterisation of the threat because if his...

Internet Policy In India – Which Way?

  24 May 2014

The newly elected Bharatya Janata Party headed by Narendra Modi is expected to implement policies and regulatory reforms that will augment economic growth in India. Avantika Banerjee at India Law and Technology blog opines that there is a strong correlation between economic growth and internet access/internet freedom and the expected...

Adventures of a Cyclist in Mexico City

  24 May 2014

Global Voices contributor Andrea Arzaba blogged about her adventures the first time she went through Mexico D.F.: There was no turning back. I took the card from my wallet and slided it through the Ecobici reader. This was the first time I went to work riding a bike. You usually...

Deputy Minister Commits Suicide after Electoral Defeat in Malawi

  23 May 2014

City Press reports the suicide of Godfrey Kamanya, a Malawian deputy minister, apparently after losing his parliamentary seat during the general elections held on 20 May 2014 : The official results of Tuesday’s election are still to be announced. But preliminary election results aired on radio stations indicated that Kamanya was faring badly in the...

Guatemala: Ex President Portillo Sentenced to Five Years in Jail

  23 May 2014

With a historic rule by a federal court in New York on May 22, 2014, former Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo was sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail for money laundering and taking bribes from Taiwan. RT @Luisvela_pl: VIDEO: Alfonso Portillo recibe pena de cinco años y diez...

Trinidad & Tobago's World Cup Players Still Owed Money

  23 May 2014

You know it is business as usual when you see a dodgy salesman holding the purse strings. Wired868 holds no brief for the political party that will possibly form Trinidad and Tobago's next government, expressing displeasure with its choice of treasurer – the same man who currently heads the Trinidad...