Stories from May, 2017
Russia's Internet Censor Asked for a PornHub Premium Subscription. PornHub Gave It 10

PornHub has given Russia's Internet watchdog 10 free premium subscriptions, half of which it is giving away "for charitable purposes."
Mexico's Indigenous Peoples Select a Woman to Represent Their Resistance in Upcoming Presidential Election
"Let this country shake with the resistance, rebellion and dignity of all the peoples of Mexico."
Online Trolls Attack Critics of India's Aadhaar State ID System

Critics of the Aadhaar biometric ID system are being criticized by state agencies and trolled by anonymous handles on Twitter.
Police Threaten Maldivian Bloggers Abroad With Arrest Over Twitter

Four independent Maldivian bloggers and activists living overseas have been issued arrest warrants by police over the past week. Apparently, they were targeted because they promote secularism or secularists.
PHOTOS: More Than 70,000 Displaced by Clashes Between Philippine Troops and Suspected ISIS-Backed Group
Thousands of families have fled their homes in Marawi City to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Rebukes Student for Exalting Free Speech in Graduation Remarks

Foreign ministry officials are using Yang's speech to prove a recycled conspiracy about overseas Chinese students being contaminated by Western ideology.
Macedonian Students’ Photo Project Reveals Scenes From WWI, Then and Now
A photo exhibit combines street scenes in the southern Macedonian town of Bitola during World War I and their situation today.
Old Names Dominate Nepal’s First Local Polls in 20 Years
Despite the slow counting and the continued dominance of big parties, some are cheering the victory of thousands of women candidates in Nepal's first local polls in 20 years.
A Jamaican Cultural Landmark Gets Some Much-Needed Tender Loving Care
"My first time putting foot inside the much touted #WardTheatre.... and immediately a sense of history dawned upon me..."
Croatians Are Planning a Repeat of Last Year's Massive Protests for Educational Reform
"Anyone who's thinking more than four years ahead knows that investing in education is worthwhile."
In Syria's Al-Waer, the Uncertainty of Evacuating Weighs Heavy on Residents
“Forgive me, father, it was never my choice to leave.”
Lebanese Dancers See Growing Public Appreciation of Their Work
With the growing popularity of dance shows in Lebanon, dancers describe witnessing a sort of "bodily liberation" that is giving the art form a second chance.
How Sri Lanka Is Coping With the Worst Flooding in a Decade
More than 100 were killed and over 400,000 people have been affected by a flooding and mudslide disaster. It's the country's worst flooding in a decade.
Whether They Stay or Leave, Residents of Syria's Al-Waer Face an Uncertain Future
Rebels and their families are evacuating their last bastion in the city that has been dubbed “the capital of the revolution". Here are some of their stories.
Lost in Translation in Central Asia: My Tokol's Car Is a Toyota
A Kyrgyz or Kazakh man's 'younger wife' is like 'a cow without horns'. She suffers social stigma and enjoys few rights.
On the 45th Anniversary of Okinawa's Return to Japan, People Protest US Presence
It's been 45 years since the United States returned Okinawa to Japan. But American bases still dominate the landscape, and the politics of the prefecture.
Plagiarism Scandal Involving the Minister of Science and Education Still Stirs Croatia
A group of academics, supported by over 11 thousand signatories of an online petition, keep demanding the removal of plagiarists from high-ranking public office in Croatia.
When Journalists Are Attacked, Macedonian Authorities Are Dangerously Slow to Act

Some media workers who were targeted during mob violence at Macedonia's parliament in April haven't filed reports with police because they don't believe anything will come of them.
In the Age of Trump, Fewer Lenders in the US Want to Provide This Med Student With Student Loans
Just 160 out of 11,300 applicants were accepted to Loyola’s medical school. But that’s not the only hurdle for undocumented students who get a coveted spot.
Egypt Ups Systematic Efforts to Silence Independent Media

In an environment of persistent conflict, free and independent media that cover events in the public interest — not in the interests of politicians — is more important than ever.
An Interview With Anna Veduta, Russian Activist, Expert, and Feminist

RuNet Echo speaks to Anna Veduta about her work for Russia’s anti-corruption crusader, her relocation to the United States, and her experience as a regional expert and feminist.