Stories from March, 2017
A Canadian Company Is Set to Construct Brazil's Largest Open-Pit Gold Mine—in the Heart of the Amazon
The Volta Grande Gold Project will extract 600 tons of gold over the course of 12 years. But activists and indigenous groups oppose the plan.
The CIA's Online Museum Offers a Glimpse of US Military Intervention in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is a region where U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War led to the expansion of the CIA’s paramilitary operations in Laos and Cambodia.
Back in the USSR?: Critics Say Draft Legislation Puts State Above Rights in Kazakhstan
"Can we designate people that leave their rubbish bags lying around outside their apartment doors enemies of state interests and remove their citizenships?"
The Day Latin America Declared Itself Feminist
Activists from Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela explain why the International Women's Strike was so important to their region.
Homeless Filipino Families Occupy 6,000 Vacant Public Housing Units
"Look at those houses, they are idle. The grasses have grown tall, the houses are being invaded by soil. Why don't they let the homeless live there?"
Emirati Hardline Nationalists Target Human Rights Defenders on Twitter
It is no longer unusual for governments to maintain a robust online presence. They understand well the power of the internet in forming public opinion and manipulating political discourse.
Russian Web Censor Cracks Down Ahead of Next Anti-Corruption Protests
In the wake of the largest opposition protests since 2011-12, Russia's prosecutor general is cracking down on the organizers of demonstrations planned for April 2.
Sudden Death of Aqua-Blue-Eyed Model Shocks Maldives
Raudha Athif, the 20-year-old aqua-blue-eyed Maldivian model, was found hanging inside her dormitory room in north Bangladesh on Wednesday. On social media, Maldivians are mourning the loss of this woman.
Hong Kongers Say Beijing and Police ‘Incited’ the 2014 Pro-Democracy Movement, Not Protest Leaders
"I am one of the Occupy protesters and I was incited by the police’s decision to fire 87 rounds of tear gas [at demonstrators]."
With Rhinoplasty on the Rise, Whither the Armenian Nose?
“If the [economic] situation is bad, there are fewer operations; if the situation is good, there are many more operations.”
Russia's Youngster Uprising
Russian youths have invigorated Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption campaign by challenging educators in classrooms and sharing footage of teachers and administrators trying to indoctrinate students against political activism.
RuPaul on the RuNet: ‘Drag Race’ Catches on in Russia
It’s dramatic, it’s campy, it’s gay, and it comes with Russian subtitles: meet the translators bringing RuPaul's Drag Race to the Russian-language Internet.
Georgia Really, Really Wanted a Visa-Free Agreement with the EU, and Now It's Party Time
"From Tuesday, Georgian nationals may visit Europe’s vast borderless Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 day period."
Thai Junta's Media Regulator Suspends Voice TV for ‘Unreasonable Criticism’ and ‘Biased Content’
"Even though Voice TV may provide different views, we insist that the contents do not harm national security."
Iranians See Arrests and Intimidation of Telegram Administrators and Journalists Ahead of the Elections
Revolutionary Guards have previously attempted to limit Telegram's free flow of information with arrests for immoral or obscene content. This is the first time crackdowns have focused on political affiliation.
How Memory and Digital Media Can Pave the Way to Peace in Colombia
"I think the website and the content we publish on the Internet make memory. We have made memory with our videos and stories."
