Stories from August, 2013
Crowdsourcing Malaysia’s 2014 Budget
Through the #bajet2014 website, Malaysians can give specific ideas in drafting the government's 2014 budget. They can also use the special page to approve or reject a particular proposal
Egypt Goes Quack Over #SpyDuck
Egypt arrested a “duck” - with a spying gadget. There is more to the duck than meets the eye. On Twitter, netizens grab the occasion to quack up jokes.
A Letter on Syria to Western Narcissists
From Lebanon, Sean Lee, of The Human Province, pens a letter to Western narcissists on Syria: But please, don't let the conflict in Syria be about opposing America. Let it be about Syria, and what might actually help Syrians – you know, the actually existing people who are dying by...
Lebanon: The Smell of Death
On August 23, two bombs exploded in outside two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. Forty-seven people were killed, and over 500 injured. Joey Ayoub, at Hummus for Thought, shares a must-read testimony of the heartbreak at the hospital of a friend who was in Al Salam mosque...
1100 Year Old Hindu Temple Discovered in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Unlocked reports that archaeologists from Jahangirnagar University (JU) have excavated an 1100 year old Hindu temple from the Pala dynasty at a village in Dinajpur district of Northern Bangladesh. The post contains pictures and details about the finds.
Iran: Facebook Diplomacy
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, posted a short piece with six questions about Syria on his Facebook page which received 1,100 comments as of Friday, August 30. Some called Zarif on the hypocrisy of criticizing Western intervention as intervention, when Iran has its own presence on the ground.
VIDEO: A Portrait of Equal Marriage in Brazil
Liberdade na Rede blog shares [pt] a short documentary by Brazilian journalist Alicia Peres on equal marriage, called Meninas (Girls). The documentary portrays moments in the lives of Priscila and Juliana: São menos de cinco minutos, com a música de Hermeto Pascoal e imagens que registram esta forma de amar e ser feliz,...
Secrets To Enjoy Your Traffic Jam
Traffic jam at the overcrowded mega-city Dhaka is one of the most irritating problems in Bangladesh. Karim at Amader kotha shares some secret tips to utilize those boring moments of immobility when you are stuck in a jam.
Justice Goes Mobile for Residents of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
A fleet of buses painted in the colors of the Pakistani flag have been converted into traveling courtrooms.
Turkmenistan's National Cycling Day: Traditionalists, Penny-Pinchers and President-Pleasers
If you are a citizen of Turkmenistan, you had better be ready to don the Lycra and mount a bicycle: September 1 has been slated as National Cycling Day.
VIDEO: Angolan Prison Authorities Crack Down on Prisoners
A video showing what appears to be prison guards and firefighters beating a group of prisoners in Luanda (warning: graphic) has been widely shared on Angolan social media. Amnesty International reacted saying that the footage “is shocking and must be investigated,” The footage, recorded on a mobile phone and distributed...
Don't Be Fooled by His Smile: Yekaterinburg's Evgeny Roizman Is Mad As Hell
It seems likely that Russia’s fourth largest city, Yekaterinburg, will soon have as its mayor Evgeny Roizman, one of Russia’s most peculiar public figures.
South Korea: 4500 Catholic Leaders Protest Against the Spy Agency Scandal
Prominent citizen journalist Media Mongu posted a Youtube video of Catholic leaders denouncing the state spy agency's interference in the presidential election. His description read ‘an unprecedented number of 4502 clergy members have gathered at Sogang University, the alma mater of the current President Park, to release a manifesto that calls on President...
The Politics of Moscow's Migrant Crime Statistics
Moscow's next mayor will have little influence over domestic immigration policy, but that doesn't stop candidates from weighing in on the topic.
How Vietnam Got its Name
Le Minh Khai traces the history of how Vietnam got its name and explains the inaccuracies in some historical accounts about the origins of the name. Ultimately, the name Việt Nam is related to the Nguyễn clan’s southward expansion of the Lê Dynasty realm. What it signifies is that the...
South Koreans Call for Medical Checkups for Rescue Workers Dispatched to Fukushima
As it turns out radioactive water leaks at Japan's Fukushima plant are ‘much worse than‘ the authorities are willing to admit, South Koreans call on government to provide regular and thorough medical checkups for 108 Korean rescue workers dispatched to Fukushima immediately after the crisis. An online petition [ko] urging medical care for the...
“Me & My Shadow”: Protecting Data on the Net
The Internet, mobile phones, and other such achievements of progress have become essential aspects of human existence, and have simplified communication between people and integrated them into a new space.
Ecuador Rallies in Defense of Yasuni National Park
Demonstrators demand that Yasuni National Park remain untouched nearly two weeks after President Correa announced the end of the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which sought to avoid oil drilling in the park.
Ghana's Supreme Court Tosses Case Challenging President's Legitimacy
The landmark decision dismissed a lawsuit from the opposition who argued that there were gross and widespread irregularities at more than 10,000 polling stations during presidential elections in December 2012.
Peruvian Merchants Burn Clothing to Protest Chinese Imports
Merchants from the Gamarra [es] area, a well-known center of textile manufacturing and commercialization in Lima, burned imported Chinese clothing [es] in the streets as a protest over the low priced Chinese garments which, according to them, make their businesses go bankrupt. On Twitter, Alfredo “Alial” (@Alfredo_jch) [es] implied a...
Teacher Protests Over Education Reform Paralyze Mexico City
Members and supporters of the CNTE have been protesting in Mexico City against education reforms already passed, seeking to repeal them.
