Stories from 24 February 2014
10 Reasons Why I Do Not Want Shariah In Pakistan
One of the Taliban negotiators pulled out during a recent talk with the Pakistan government demanding that the agenda includes the strict imposition of Sharia law. Pakistani Blogger and Journalist Beena Sarwar highlights a protest note posted in Facebook titled '10 reasons why I do not want Shariah in Pakistan’...
Al Qaeda Calls for Jihad in Bangladesh
"The Zawahiri message [...] is a stark reminder that we have an enemy at the gate, and only together we can defeat it.
A Day to Strengthen Portugal's Open Data Community
International Open Data Day was celebrated in Porto with inspiring talks, hands-on activities and a face-to-face hangout between open data enthusiasts from different cities.
“We Are Not an Anomaly or Disease”: Gay Bloggers Speak Up in Tajikistan
Social media is enabling Tajikistan's gay community to speak up against widespread homophobic attitudes. These attitudes, however, are quite sticky.
Praise for Southeast Asia’s Winter Olympians
There is no winter in their respective countries but it did not prevent two athletes from the Philippines and East Timor from joining the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics
Brief Summary of the Situation in Venezuela for the Curious or Poorly Informed
The protests are being carried out in many parts of the country and are lacking in center and direction, having being called through social media networks. Among the protesters themselves, there are many diverse opinions about the opposition political parties, so it’s possible to find many expressions of support and...
Celebrating Puerto Rican Poet Julia de Burgos on the 100th Anniversary of Her Birth
The Spanish-speaking world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos.
The Venezuela I'll Always Remember
Peruvian Gabriela Garcia Calderón remembers the Venezuela of the 1990s, a very different country from the one appearing in the news headlines of late.
UNICEF Calls for “Child-Free” Protests in Thailand
After a grenade explosion killed three children in an anti-government protest site in Bangkok, the United Nations Children’s Fund urged government and protest leaders to protect children by keeping them away from protests. Bijaya Rajbhandari, the UNICEF Representative in Thailand, made this appeal: (The UNICEF) condemns the violence that resulted...
Myanmar's Last Remaining Synagogue
Built 120 years ago, the Musmeah Yeshua synagogue in Yangon is the last remaining Jewish synagogue in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar. Aside from being a tourist attraction, it is also listed as an archaeological heritage building in the city.
Help Us Test Our Website: Win a T-Shirt
Students from the University of Washington are helping us with usability testing of our new and old websites. Help us by completing a short survey -- and win!
Big, Bad Bullies of the Russian Media
Last week, popular journalist Vladimir Solovyov dedicated an entire radio show to dissecting and denouncing the Maidan-supportive tweets of a handful of students from Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. Why?
Ukrainian Revolution Rattles Russian Nationalists
Russian nationalists worry Russian-speaking Ukrainians will be "derussified."
