Stories from 17 December 2015
As Russia Insulates Itself from Human Rights Bodies, State Surveillance Decision Looms
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a free expression advocate's case against Russian government surveillance. But thanks to a new law, Russia officially does not care.
WhatsApp Is Back on in Brazil. But Why Was It Blocked in the First Place?
The judge who issued the order based her decision on a provision of Marco Civil, Brazil's so-called "Bill of Rights" for the Internet.
Worldwide ‘Paddle Outs’ Pay Tribute to Australian Surfers Murdered in Mexico
Mexican authorities say Adam Coleman and Dean Lucas were killed in a robbery gone wrong. Their bodies were discovered in their burnt-out van.
Do You Know the Story of Brazil's First Black Female Legislator?
More than 80 years ago, Antonieta de Barros became the first black woman elected in Brazil. But she's hardly a household name. One filmmaker has tried to change that.
The Nepalese Tiger Conservationist Who Lost an Eye and Gained Leonardo DiCaprio’s Sunglasses
"At first I felt like searching and killing the tiger that attacked me, but then I thought it might have attacked me to save itself from the lurking danger."
Mapping for Niger, as Told by One of the Project's Volunteers
The project faces limited logistical, financial, and human resources as well as a general ignorance of Open Data, making each activity realized a feat of volunteer passion and activism.
Poland's Constitutional Tribunal Crisis
Constitutional crisis. Protesters outside the parliament. Enigmatic national addresses. A power struggle between governments. This is Polish politics today.