Stories from 13 January 2012
Russia: Yakutsk Cold Without Cure
eYakutia recounts why Yakutsk has internationally become known as the coldest city in the world, as temperatures now reach under -50 degrees Centigrade, and posts pictures from the frozen city.
What it means to be “Chinese” in Hong Kong
Zhongnanhai looks into the identity politics in Hong Kong in relation to mainland China, a motherland and a new colonizer.
China: What is inside Spring Festival passengers’ bags?
Annie Lee from China Hush translated a local online news feature looking into the inside of the spring festival passengers’ bags.
Serial killers in China
Robert Foyle Hunwick from DANWEI looks into the profiles of a number of serial killers in China. Who had they killed and why?
South Africa: Braille Burgers and Social Media
A fast food chain in South Africa delivered 15 burgers to organizations for the Blind: through social media, the story of those 15 burgers reached more than 800,000 people, letting them know about the restaurant's new Braille menu. What made that strong impression? The burgers’ buns had messages in Braille...
Thailand: Village Opposition to Red Shirts
The Isaan Record writes how a small village in northeast Thailand voted against the planned establishment of a Red Shirt community in the area. The Red Shirts belonged to the opposition bloc in the previous administration and they are associated with deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thailand: Free Public Wi-Fi Service
The government of Thailand announced that 20,000 free wi-fi spots in Bangkok and its vicinity are already available. The spots are located in government offices, educational institutions, hospitals, and other public places. Another 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots will be provided later this year.
Myanmar: Video Reporter Released from Prison
A reporter from the Democratic Voice of Burma is among the political prisoners released today by the Myanmar government. The reporter was given an 18-year prison term for documenting a grenade attack in the capital.
India: Andaman & Nicober Island Jarawa Tribe Video
Mariel at South Asia Fair reports that the Indian government is investigating a recently surfaced video in which the women from the Jarawa tribe in Andaman & Nicober Island were forced to dance naked waist up in front of tourists.
Pakistan: Khutba On A Plane
The life and times of two Indians in Pakistan describes an incident where a Pakistani pilot delivered a khutba (mini sermon) for 10 minutes on a regular flight.
Nepal: Editors And Twitter
Ujjwal Acharya reports that “microblogging platform Twitter has become popular among the editors in Nepal”.
Bhutan: Enjoying Snowfall
Sogyel Tobgyel posts pictures of first snowfall of this season in Bhutan.
Sri Lanka: LTTE Will Resume Arms Struggle?
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s younger sibling and secretary of the Defense and Urban Development ministry has a theory which has attracted a lot of debates. He mentioned in a public lecture that “overseas based LTTE linked groups were trying to encourage and facilitate a resumption of an armed struggle...
Hungary: President Accused of Plagiarism
Vastagbőr blog collected [hu] some internet memes about the President of Hungary Pál Schmitt, the newest of which appeared after hvg.hu news site published an article titled ‘Serious Suspicion of Plagiarism in Pál Schmitt's Ph.D. Dissertation‘ [hu]. According to hvg.hu, the President had allegedly plagiarized his dissertation (‘Analysis of the...
