Stories about Weblog from June, 2015
Abel Wabela: “To Fight Bystander Apathy…This is My Mission as a Human”
"Warnings, intimidations, arrest and torture have not stopped me from exercising my free speech rights," says Abel Wabela, one of Ethiopia's Zone9 bloggers who have been jailed since April 2014.
Twenty-Eight Dead in Beach Resort Attack in Sousse, Tunisia
At least 28 people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed when gunmen opened fire on a beach in the resort town Sousse, Tunisia. This is the second attack in four months.
Pictures of Chinese People Scanning QR Codes
Apart from mobile boarding passes and the occasional event ticket, in many countries QR codes have never quite caught on. In China, however, they're everywhere.
A Tragic Ramadan in Yemen as Saudi-Led Coalition Bombardment Continues
Yemenis welcomed their first day of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month of fasting, with more airstrikes from Saudi Arabia. Noon Arabia highlights the tragedy Yemen is going through this month.
More Europeans Migrate to Latin America Than Vice Versa, Study Finds
In 2012, more than 181,000 Europeans left their countries for Latin America in comparison with the 119,000 Latin Americans who migrated in the opposite direction.
Shia Mosque Attacked by ISIS in Kuwait, Leaving at Least 24 People Dead
At least 24 people were killed when a suicide bomber belonging to ISIS blew himself up at a Shia mosque in Kuwait.
US-Listed Chinese Firms Flock Home to Take Advantage of Bull Market
"In China, if you have enough money, they don't have to face these problems. They can't survive overseas and come back to cheat their relatives."
New Black Hand Street Art Surfaces in Tehran in Response to #LetWomenGoToStadium
In the image, a man wears the national Iranian football team's jersey, thrusting a bottle of dishwashing liquid reminiscent of players holding up the World Cup trophy.
God Sets Term Limits, Not the Constitution, Says Longtime Gambian President Jammeh
Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh opposes presidential term limits. He believes God decides term limits and if God is willing, he may rule The Gambia for "one billion years."
Take a Look at the Africa the Media Never Shows You
Western media tends to portray Africa as a dark, hopeless place. African Twitter users have rallied under the hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou to prove that's not true.
New Art Project Seeks to Paint the Lives Lost in Palestine
#BeyondWordsGaza seeks to paint the lives lost last summer in Palestine and donate the portraits to the families of the victims.
Why Is the Internet So Much Slower and More Expensive in Mali Than in Senegal or Côte d'Ivoire?
Compared to other countries in West Africa, Mali has low Internet speeds and high prices. A Malian civic group has launched a campaign to change this.
Hong Kong's Legislature Went Off Script, and the Pro-Beijing Establishment Is Not Happy
After Hong Kong's legislature vetoed China-backed electoral reform, a pro-Beijing news outlet warned the city's autonomy could be in jeopardy if voters don't kick out pan-democrats in next year's elections.
Bolivia Greenlights Controversial Highway, Oil and Gas Extraction in National Parks
Bolivian President Evo Morales escalates the stakes in the debate over extractivism as an anti-poverty strategy.
Arrested for Criticizing a Former Prime Minister, Singaporean Teen Blogger Amos Yee is Now Being Evaluated for Autism
The 16-y/o blogger who criticized Lee Kuan Yew was suggested to be suffering from autism spectrum disorder, and the judge ruled him to be remanded for another two weeks to assess his suitability for Mandatory Treatment Order.
Social Media Analysis: How an Iranian Kurdish Woman's Death Triggered a Regional Social Media Conflict
Social media controversy following the accidental death of a hotel chambermaid underscored systemic discrimination ethnic minorities face in Iran and the emerging role of Internet censorship in this milieu.
What Can the #SaudiCables Tell Us About the Kingdom's Foreign Policy?
Information in the leaked cables range from issues with visas being granted by Saudi Arabia to female singers to regional and international policies. Reading the leaks you can reach several conclusions.
#SaudiCables Show Saudi Arabia Worried About Media Coverage of Bahrain’s 2011 Uprising
Saudi Arabia worked together with Bahrain on shaping media coverage when the neighboring kingdom faced a popular uprising, according to the documents published on WikiLeaks.
The Untold Story of Social Media and the 2015 Nigerian Elections
One of the reasons attributed to the support enjoyed by Muhammadu Buhari’s re-branding and eventual ascendancy to the presidency was his social media strategy.
An Official White House Visit to Ethiopia? Africans Tell Obama ‘Don't Do It!’
Despite recent elections that swept the one opposition member from parliament, US President Barack Obama is planning a visit to Ethiopia.
A Magazine for Bolivia's Iconic ‘Cholita’ Indigenous Women
"...perhaps it's about time to change things up so that women are the ones that have the power."