Stories from 31 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...
