Stories about Weblog from October, 2017
14 Tweets from Kyrgyzstan's Colourful, Competitive and Concerning Presidential Vote
A real election in a region where that doesn't usually happen.
‘When You Write a Song About Racism, It's a Big Deal’
Songs of resistance are at the core of Songhoy Blues' latest album "Résistance." The band hails from Mali and tackles issues like racism and voter apathy.
Climate Change Is Claiming Aspen Groves—and the History of Basque Immigrants in the US
Basque sheep herders left their mark in remote forests across the American West across nearly a century. Now their words are being lost to climate change.
One Mother's Tireless Pursuit of Justice for Kashmir's Disappeared
"We don’t want their money. We want our children back."
The Crowd-Sourced Faroe Islands Answer to Google Translate
What do you do when your national language doesn't show up in Google Translate? If you're the Faroe Islands, you just crowd-source your own solution.
‘They Tried to Give Us One Day Back’ — Trinidad & Tobago Marks a ‘One-Off’ First Peoples Day
"How do you know you are indigenous? [...] It does not matter what we are called, we know who we are. It is you who do not recognise me."
The Viral Video that Sent Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan Relations into a Tailspin
Seasoned autocrat Nursultan Nazarbayev is finally participating in a competitive presidential election. (Just not in his own country).
Russians Are Receiving Some Uncanny Answers From Alisa, Tech Giant Yandex's Siri Competitor
"— I want a new iPhone. — What keeps you from buying one? — I don’t have money. — Steal it...No one will know."
‘Are We Still in the Stone Age?’ Cambodians Express Disappointment as Government Bans ‘Kingsman’ Movie Sequel
"This is ludicrous, I can't believe these so-called experts could not distinguish between fiction and reality."
The World’s First ‘EleFriendly Bus’ Curtails Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka
The human-elephant conflict has reduced by 80% since the Elefriendly Bus started running. In the first seven months, the number of conflicts fell from 83 to 21.
Like the US, Trinidad & Tobago Won't Be at the 2018 World Cup, But They're the Only Ones Smiling About It
‘America, we know we not going to Russia,’ a nuts vendor shouted to nobody in particular, during the first half, ‘but allyuh not going neither!’
Comical Unintended Consequences of Turkish President Erdogan's State Visit to Serbia
The warm welcome of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a state visit this week incited many satirical comments on nationalism and media freedoms.
‘The Position of Women in Science Has Changed for the Better’, but ‘Is Still Far From Ideal’
"...tenured women scientists are not paid salaries comparable to their male counterparts. They are more frequently overlooked for promotions and administrative positions."
China's Sina Weibo Hires 1,000 Supervisors to Censor ‘Harmful Content'—Including Women's Legs
"Male users are less likely to be reported, while female users’ selfies, leg photos or waist photos that show off the success of their workouts are subjected to reduced scores."
#Istanbul10 Human Rights Defenders Have Been Behind Bars for 100 Days
"Gharavi and Steudtner were arrested doing their jobs, imparting knowledge and skills that are essential to the exercise of human rights in the digital age."
In Algeria, Two Imprisoned Bloggers Go on Hunger Strike
Freedom of expression and press freedom are under attack in Algeria.
After Disqualification, Ex-Miss World Bangladesh Reveals She Is a Child Marriage Survivor
"You have been blind to the facts that she was a victim of a child marriage and became a successful model and a biker without any support from the family"
ICAN, Australia's Homegrown Anti-Nuclear Nobel Peace Prize Winner, is a Big Surprise
The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize award to ICAN, the anti-nuclear weapons coalition, took many Australians by surprise despite its Melbourne origins in 2007.
Hong Kong Anti-Communist Magazines Cease Publication After Four Decades
"I wanted to write something but found myself speechless. In an era like this, what can I say?"
Beyond the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ of Catalonia’s Independence Referendum
Opinions on the October 1 referendum are much more diverse than might first appear.
Burundian Refugees Face a Difficult Choice: Stay in Overburdened Camps or Return to Uncertainty
Some refugees are beginning to return, but the core problems of political and economic insecurity that led so many to flee remain unresolved. Life in camps, meanwhile, is challenging.