Stories from 14 May 2013
Lebanon: Blogger Beaten for Taking Photos
Lebanese blogger Habib Battah narrates how he was held against his consent, forced to delete photographs of ruins from his phone camera and repeatedly assaulted in this post on the...
24 Untranslatable Expressions
If languages are living beings, it would be correct to talk in plural and think of each of the existing languages in the world as a unique species […]. Therefore,...
Yemen: Focus on Education!
In a country where the illiteracy rate of both sexes (15 years and above) is almost 40 per cent, education and the empowerment of the women and youth is an imperative necessity for any concrete development in Yemen. Activists argue why education should be a right and not a privilege.
Dominican Catholic Church Sues NGO for Sexual Education Campaign
The Catholic Church filed a claim against the Dominican Association for Family Welfare (Profamilia) to withdraw their advertising campaign, "Your sexual and reproductive rights are human rights."
Spain: Bullfighting Nuns vs. Animal-Loving Children
The children of "El cuarto hocico", a virtual animal protection group in the form of a blog created by children from Orba de Muel school (Spain), offered the nuns of the La Aguilera monastery all their money, 1000€, so they would discard the idea of holding a bullfight to raise funds.
Laos Defines National Dress
To further promote Lao culture, the government has organized a seminar which defined the country's national dress to be used during formal events. For men the suit will be made...
Obama Graduation Speech Sparks Debate In China: What Is Citizenship?
Last week, a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama on the value of engaged citizenship made waves in Chinese social media.
Is Italy Ready for an African-born Minister?
“Is Italy ready for an African-born government minister?,” Donata Columbro asks: Two months after the recent elections, Italy has a new government. And Cécile Kyenge, 48 years old, an eye...
Brazilian Boy Band Tour Continues Despite Rape Indictments
Despite nine members of the 'pagode' boy band New Hit being indicted for the gang rape of two sixteen-year-old girls, the group has continued with its national tour regardless
Toy Dolls that Speak African Languages
Myweku writes about the introduction of Rooti Dolls, by Chris and Ada Ngoforo, a Nigerian couple: The 12 Rooti dolls are programmed to speak in several African languages. Amongst them,...
WeiboSuite: New Tool to Analyze Sina Weibo
WeiboSuite is a new toolbox for journalists and netizens. Created by data journalists from the University of Hong Kong, WeiboSuite provides English translations of censored materials on Weibo and tools to...
Chinese Web Floods White House with Petitions
An unsolved case of poisoning of a 19-year college student in 1994 has resurfaced in the Chinese social media sphere. It has not only grabbed the wide attention of Chinese netizens, but also triggered a wave of petitions to the White House.
Blogshops are Popular in Singapore
Lucas Chua writes about the blogshop phenomenon in Singapore. A blogshop is an online fashion store that uses a blog. In Singapore, four of the country’s ten most-searched stores are...
Saint Lucia Jazz Festival's Controversial Couture
This year's Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival featured a fashion show dubbed “Hot Couture”, intended to boost the island's burgeoning fashion industry by creating a showcase for local models and for designers both in Saint Lucia and throughout the region - but it was filled with controversy and behind-the-scenes wrangling.
Russia's State-Contracted Revolutionaries
When Vladislav Surkov left the government last week, it triggered an avalanche of speculation about what the loss of “the grey cardinal” means for Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev in particular and his “liberal” political clan in general. At the center of an ongoing related police probe is Duma Deputy and anti-Putin protest movement leader Ilya Ponomarev, who earned a surprising $750,000 for his work for the Skolkovo innovation center.
