Stories from 23 July 2014
Malaysia's Government, Opposition and People Unite to Demand Justice For MH17 Crash
Malaysia’s Parliament held an emergency session and unanimously approved a motion condemning those who are responsible for shooting down the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which killed 298 people.
Kuwait, the Gulf's Poster Child of Democracy, Strips Opposition Members of Citizenship
Kuwait's decision to revoke the nationalities of opposition members and their families has sent shock waves across the Gulf. Noor Mattar tells us why.
Israel Struggles to Win “Hearts and Minds” in Media War on Palestine
Israeli social media strategist Niv Calderon is waging a war of words on Palestine. “There is a media war, and each citizen, each computer user, is a soldier,” he says.
The Hypocrisy of Outrage Against LGBT Rights in Jamaica
An off-colour comment by a Jamaican sports commentator who “dampened the moment of post World Cup celebrations with his shouts of ‘Heil Hitler’ on national television” leads author and blogger Kei Miller to pen a letter to the editor illustrating why his countrymen are living a double standard – outraged...
Three Anti-World Cup Activists Accuse Brazil of Political Persecution, Unsuccessfully Seek Asylum From Uruguay
Eloisa Samy, a lawyer who has defends activists, was "preemptively" arrested before the World Cup final, accused of forming an armed gang. She was later released, then arrested again.
Burmese Reporters Get Ten Years in Jail Plus Hard Labor for Reporting About Myanmar's Chemical Weapons Factory
Four journalists and the CEO of a Burmese journal were sentenced to ten years in jail with hard labor for reporting about Myanmar's chemical weapons factory.
Spanish Football Club Presents Peculiar T-Shirt
Spanish football club Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, presented its new T-shirt on July 22, 2014, with a peculiar design that simulates a tuxedo, with shoulder braids, and even a bow tie just below the neck. Twitter users were quick to express their opinion, not always favorable: No sé cuál es peor: Las...
The Purple House, a Collective in Colombia's Medellín ‘To Create, Enjoy and Find Ourselves’
Morada, or Casa Morada, is an initiative born in a complex neighborhood of the Colombian city of Medellín. Learn about its various projects that combine art, education and participation.
2 Journalists Arrested for Alleged Defamation of a Minister in Madagascar
Two journalists from the daily paper Madagascar Matin were placed under arrest at Antanimora's jail, in the capital city of Madagascar, Antananarivo. Earlier this morning (July 23), both of them were summoned to the Brigade of Fiadanana for a hearing. Solo Rajaonson, another local journalist, posted the following update in...
Jokowi Is Indonesia's Third President to Be Elected by a Direct Vote
Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo (Jokowi), a popular politician from the city of Solo, took 53.15 percent of the nearly 130 million votes cast.
Wanted to Watch Saint Lucia's Carnival on TV This Year? You Were Out of Luck
"How regressive! Did the organisers consider Saint Lucians in the diaspora, those in other countries and foreigners who might be interested in being part of Saint Lucia Carnival...?"
Sri Lanka Plans to Deport 1,500 Pakistani and Afghan Refugees
Facing persecution in Pakistan, many Ahmadiyya Muslims and Christians have taken refuge in Sri Lanka. These refugees are mostly held in Boossa and Mirihana detention centers and have to live on government-provided rations as they are not eligible for work. According to the media, the Sri Lankan government is preparing to...
The Death and Gloom of Donetsk and Gaza
How did RuNet users react to the twin events of July 17, the downing of Malaysian Flight MH17, and the beginning of Israel’s ground assault into the Gaza Strip?
Venezuela Clears the Tower of David, the “World's Tallest Slum,” of Squatters
The Venezuelan government has finished evacuating thousands of squatters from the Tower of David, which overlooks Caracas’ slums, and is the tallest and most distinct building in the capital city's skyline. The one-time office tower is a symbol of how prosperous Venezuela once was and its current dilapidated state reflects growing inflation and...