Stories from 1 October 2013
How is Lebanon Dealing with the Massive Influx of Syrian Refugees?
Lebanon is now home to about one million Syrian refugees - or around a quarter of its own population. Here's a snippet on how some of them are faring in Lebanon.
Spain Is Not Very Happy
According to a study by the Carlos III University in Madrid, Spaniards rank 49th out of 112 countries in happiness .
Video: Anti-fascist Solidarity from Turkey to Greece
“We made this video to tell you we are with us. We had nothing more in mind.” A moving video with testimonials of anti-fascist solidarity from Turkish activists in the memory of Greek rapper Pavlos Fyssas, slain by neonazis in Athens last month, was uploaded on YouTube, subtitled in Greek. The...
Breaking Taboos: Tunisians Speak Up Against Homophobia
#TnGay took the Tunisian Twittersphere by storm. Ahmed Medien shares with us what netizens think of homosexuality in Tunisia.
Chilean Singer Ana Tijoux Raps Against TPP
“A puertas cerradas se decide nuestro porvenir y en cuatro paredes van dictando lo que llaman devenir”. “Behind closed doors they decide our destiny and inside four walls they dictate what they call future” TPP Abierto [es] shares ‘No al TPP’, the new single by Chilean musician Ana Tijoux, “specially...
The 16-year-old Saudi who is Fighting in Syria
On Twitter, Saudi Reema al-Jourish celebrates her son Moath al-Hamili, 16, joining the Jihadists in Syria. Netizens react.
Tajik Children in Russia “Should Go to School”
A Russian lawmaker and member of the ruling party recently suggested [ru] that the children of labor migrants should be barred from Russian schools and kindergartens. LJ user prosto_vova explains [ru] why this is a bad idea. His list of reasons for not barring migrants’ children from Russian schools includes the...
Tajikistan: Voters Are Entitled to Know if Candidates are ‘Full’ or ‘Hungry’
As Global Voices reported, some netizens say they will vote for the incumbent president during November 6 elections in Tajikistan because a “full leader is better than a hungry one”. Reflecting on this, Salimi Aioubzod suggests [tj] it is “sad” that voters in the country are more concerned about how...
“Without Papers You Are Nobody” in Kyrgyzstan
Hundreds of people living in Kyrgyzstan do not have the country's identity documents. This makes these people ‘invisible’ to the authorities, as Diana Rahmanova writes [ru]: In essence, you can say, “Here I am. I exist. I live. Here. Here is my body, my face. Look at me. I am not...
#EauSecours: The Hashtag Poking Fun at Water Shortage in Dakar, Senegal
Dakar, the capital city of Senegal, has been plagued with water shortage for the past 15 days [fr]. Senegalese on social media are coping with this dire situation with humor and patience. The hashtag #eausecours (#H2OUT) is currently used on Twitter and Facebook to poke fun at the ongoing lack of clean water,...
‘Mainstream Media Isn't Enough': The Rise of Brazilian Media Collective Nigeria
Pedro Rocha of media collective Coletivo Nigéria tells about the experience producing the documentary "Vandalism" about Brazil's Vinegar Revolt protests earlier this year.
What Singapore Can Learn from Myanmar
Democracy icon Suu Kyi says rich Singapore can learn from Myanmar's 'relaxed way of life' and 'warmer and closer relationships'.
Abuse, Low Wages and Little Freedom: The Life of Hong Kong's Foreign Maids
The case of Indonesian maid Kartika Puspitasari, who was assaulted and tortured by her employers has thrust the terrible living conditions of Hong Kong's foreign maids into the spotlight.
Dark Humor Reigns As Russia's Winter Olympics City Floods
Sochi was hit by massive flooding last week, just as the International Olympic Committee wrapped up its final inspection visit. Videos of the storm's damage soon inundated the Russian Internet.