Stories from 12 August 2014
20-year-old Dalia Alnajjar is Blogging About Life and Death in Gaza
"Writing is the anchor I use to keep me from drowning inside myself," writes Palestinian blogger Dalia Alnajjar, 20, from Gaza.
On the First Day of Gaza's Ceasefire, a Visit to a Shelter Under a Supermoon
As the bombs go silent in Gaza during another 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire, 20-year-old Dalia Alnajjar ventures out to meet some families living in a crowded make-shift shelter.
My Super Hero Wore Suspenders. Life With Robin Williams.
San Francisco-based Christina Noyes pays tribute to her hero, Oscar-winning comedian Robin Williams, who died in a suspected suicide 20-miles from her home.
Nine More Political Dissidents Are Stripped of Their Nationalities in Bahrain
One man's sister said he was tortured before the sentencing. A special commission found that Bahrain tortured and mistreated opponents of the regime in the past.
Iran's Internet Users Outsmart Government in Cat-and-Mouse Censorship Game
The Iranian government periodically releases new filtering rules intended to block Tor traffic, to which the Tor community typically responds with a same-day antidote for the block.
Russia's Trojan-Transformer Convoy to Ukraine
This mystery over the white trucks headed for the Ukrainian border has led many on the RuNet to imagine what is in the trucks—and what Ukraine suspects is inside.
Jamaican Women Are Speaking Out Online Against the ‘Widespread Sickness’ of Public Sexual Harassment
"Instead of falling into the trap of thinking that unwanted sexual attention is a compliment, women must fight back. We cannot passively see ourselves as victims."
One of Russia's Richest Men May Be Its Most Tortured Patriot
Since he landed on an American sanctions list, life has gotten tough for Gennady Timchenko, one of Putin's closest allies. But the oligarch, a Finnish citizen, considers Russia his home.
Can President Obama Change African Dictators’ Ways? Not Likely, Says Chadian Blogger
"The fundamental question remained: What steps can the American president take to change things around?"
Local Chinese Government Bars Hijabs, Long Beards and Other ‘Abnormal Appearances’ From Public Transport
Some think the temporary measure will become permanent in Karamay, Xinjiang, home to many ethnic Uyghur Muslims. Tensions have at times resulted in deadly clashes between Uyghur activists and authorities.
Peru Plans to Catch Public Transport Gropers With Undercover Female Cops as ‘Bait’
It follows a successful pilot program in Colombia, where a team of women wearing "tight trousers, miniskirts and low-cut tops" has caught 129 men this year.
Killers Roam Free After Brutally Murdering a Defender of India’s Untouchables
"Burn him! Erase all his traces" - shouted the killers of Sanjay Khobragade, a Dalit rights activist from Maharashtra, India. Sanjay is one of many Dalits who face such cruelty.
