Stories from 21 June 2014
ISIS Advances in Iraq Echoed in Bahrain
Bahrain government spokesman Sameera Rajab takes to Twitter to describe the ISIS advances in Iraq as a "revolution against the injustice and oppression."
Russians Amused by National Team World Cup Performance
"Everyone is on the Russian team's case, but the real horror is the performance by a team that consists of Real Madrid and Barcelona players."
Peru Watches the World Cup from Afar… Again
Peruvians love football, but they must make do with cheering for other teams this year. The country's national team hasn't qualified for a World Cup in 32 years.
Why Some People in Mexico Are Happy to See Michoacán’s Governor Resign
The Governor of Michoacan, a Mexican state besieged by violence, announced he will retire for health reasons.
Do You Suffer From Device Upgrade Fever? These People May Have Found A Cure
Inspired by the tinkerers and fixers of the developing world, Janet Gunter and Ugo Vallauri's project seeks to help the world by helping people give their electronics longer lives.
The United States’ Gender Pay Gap Through the Lens of Social Media
"A society that undervalues half its population is bound to underachieve."
Syrian Man Turns Artillery into Art
Douma, Syria-based artist Akram Abu al-Fawz turns missile and rocket shells into art objects and ornaments.
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence
What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
Russia Claims to Have Forced Twitter into Submission Ahead of Crowell's Moscow Visit
Ahead of a meeting between Twitter and Russia’s chief censorship outfit, Moscow is signaling that Internet giants like the world’s most popular microblogging service must conform to Russian sovereignty.
Ending Illegal Wildlife Trade in Southeast Asia
Daniel Besant of Southeast Asia Globe has interviewed photojournalist and activist Karl Ammann about the efforts to end the illegal wildlife trading in Southeast Asia: At the moment, I’m convinced that 90% of what’s being done in Southeast Asia is window dressing and lip service. Making pronouncements, signing MOUs [Memoranda...
The Humanitarian Tragedy of Children Emigrating Alone
From Mexico, Katia D'Artigues, author of the blog Campos Elíseos (Champs Elysées), writes about the children who see themselves forced to emigrate on their own [es], and calls this a “humanitarian tragedy”: Son niños que son orillados a cruzar la frontera solos. No lo hacen por aventura, sino porque muchas...
Russia's Irresistible Putin Swag
Last week, two fashion designers opened a kiosk in a shopping mall outside Red Square, selling t-shirts celebrating Vladimir Putin. Within a day, they'd sold over five-thousand.
Russia Says the Internet Spreads Extremism
Russia’s Interior Ministry has drafted a ten-year strategy for countering violent extremism. The plan identifies the Internet as the main conduit for extremism and calls for new policing measures.