Stories from 17 December 2014
Castro and Obama Open New Chapter on US-Cuba Relations
Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits are overwhelmed, elated, speechless. But as both presidents noted, the embargo is codified in legislation that only the US Congress can change.
Anti-Coup Activist Says Thai Officials Threatened Her with Rape
She was detained at an International Human Rights Day event in Bangkok after she and another person made the three-fingered "Hunger Games" salute, which is banned in Thailand.
VIDEO: How Palm Oil is Causing Environmental Destruction in Indonesia
The team of Coconuts TV went to south Sumatra in Indonesia to document the impact of the burning of peatlands and forests to make way for the expanding palm oil plantations. The burning of forests in Sumatra is causing the displacement of endangered species in the island; and it also...
Serbia Arrests 11 Foreign Human Rights Activists Ahead of Protest
Amnesty International has requested that Serbian authorities release eleven activists from Bulgaria, Finland, and Slovakia who were in Serbia to hold peaceful protests during the CEE-China Summit in Belgrade.
The Pakistanis Choosing Light Over Darkness After the Horrific Peshawar School Attack
As the last of the hostages were rescued at an army-run school in Peshawar, where 145 were killed by six Taliban gunmen, Pakistanis tried to find light in the darkness.
Southeast Asia's Public Transport Woes in Photos
Motorbike riders without helmet, overloaded jeepneys, and train passengers on roof carriages are some of the common public transport spectacles we see in the streets of Southeast Asia.
Small Fries, Big Problems for Japan's McDonald's
A port strike in the U.S. is causing a potato shortage in Japan and affecting McDonald's menus. But the company has more to worry about than just French fry rationing.
The ‘Perfect Human’ Doesn't Live in Puerto Rico (or Any Other Country)
Scientist Lior Pachter wrote a post titled "The perfect human is Puerto Rican" to underscore how absurd the obsession with genetically "improving" humans is. But some took the title literally.
OjoVoz App Helps Underrepresented Communities Go Digital With Their Storytelling
OjoVoz is an Android mobile app that allows underrepresented communities to collaboratively share digital stories through images and sound.
Do #EmptyShelves Await Tomorrow's Russia?
The rush to invest in dollars, vacuum cleaners, jackets, and more all suggests confidence low enough to compel people to wait in line for hours on a Tuesday night.
In Between Images of the Peshawar Attack, a Thought About Pakistan’s Army Public Schools
There are tens of thousands of students at Army Public School (APS) campuses across Pakistan - the progressive school system that educates children of servicemen & hard-working Pakistanis.