text stringlengths 9 72.5k |
|---|
The students said decorating the town for the holiday is a high school tradition. |
A student snaps a selfie with the Myanmar flag painted on his cheek. |
Some cheesy grins, a camera phone, in the backdrop a glistening pagoda and –- click! –- you’ve got a great picture. |
But these aren’t ordinary students, and these aren’t ordinary selfies. |
They are part of Myanmar’s My Friend campaign, started by human rights activists this summer. The organizers want people to post selfies of themselves with friends from different religious or ethnic backgrounds, using the hashtag #myfriend of #friendshiphasnoboundaries. |
So what, right? But this is Myanmar. Five years ago, Facebook was blocked by the military junta. Censorship was rife. Mobile phones were unavailable, or cost up to $5,000 for a SIM card, so no smartphone selfies. |
But while the technology (and the government -– it’s now nominally civilian) has changed since then, some of the wider problems in Myanmar society have not. An incredibly diverse place, it is also a place loaded with ethnic tension. A number of regions still face conflict and attempts to sign a national ceasefire have ... |
The Rohingya people, a Muslim minority almost entirely based in Rakhine State, are among the worst affected. Not recognized as an ethnic group by the government or much of the majority Buddhist nation, they are effectively stateless and denied access to basic rights, from food to healthcare. |
Many now live in camps for internally displaced people after violence in 2012 forced them from their homes. Tens of thousands attempt to flee by boat. Sadly, some do not make it, and drown in the Bay of Bengal. |
Moreover, wider anti-Muslim rhetoric has gone mainstream in Myanmar. A series of laws known as the “race and religion” laws, widely considered to be discriminatory, were passed earlier this year. Just last month, tens of thousands of people attended a rally led by a group of ultranationalist Buddhist monks known as Ma ... |
It was against this backdrop that activist Wai Wai Nu, who is Rohingya, decided to launch her campaign earlier this year to show that not all of Myanmar feels this way. |
“We want to promote tolerance and peace among our diverse ethnic and religious society,” she says, pointing out that the rise of nationalism in Myanmar is a threat to the country’s fledgling democracy. Elections take place on Nov. 8. |
Similar campaigns, such as the #NotInMyName which was launched by Muslims against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, have been effective in raising awareness and promoting tolerance. |
Two friends take a photo in front of a My Friend campaign banner. |
Wai Wai Nu says without the rise of social media use in Myanmar, campaigns like this could not exist. However, she says that there are many people using Facebook and other platforms for darker purposes, which she hopes the campaign can counteract. |
She is not wrong: for example, Wirathu, a monk once called the “Buddhist Bin Laden” who is the figurehead of Ma Ba Tha, rose to prominence via his sermons posted on Facebook and YouTube. |
At the same time, the authorities are cracking down on social media posts, recently arresting two people for jokey anti-military updates. In the face of this, Wai Wai Nu’s campaign looks all the braver. |
She hopes showing the world that friendships can cross boundaries could help prevent further violence, if people recognize the humanity in others. The selfies are just the first step in the group’s wider plan to promote acceptance in Myanmar, with events and TV promotion also on the agenda; and Wai Wai says the campaig... |
“Our message is Lets Build Beautiful Future Together. Anyone around the world can participate in [the] campaign by having #myfriendcampaign and #friendshiphasnoboundaries,” she says. |
It means that 62 countries are now affiliated with the organisation. |
Member growth has grown by 223 per cent since 2002, the FIL said. |
A record 46 countries also competed at the Men's World Championships in Israel in July, where the United States beat Canada in the final thanks to a last-second goal. |
"The nations of Ecuador and Ukraine are exciting additions to our member organisation," said FIL President Susan Redfern. |
"We have growing presence in South America and Eastern Europe continues to add strength to an already strong region. |
"FIL continues to grow at a rapid pace as the world discovers the dynamic game of lacrosse, which we believe is built for modern times." |
Jim Scherr, the chief executive of the FIL, added: "In line with our long-term plans for growth, as an organisation, we will continue to aggressively pursue international member nation expansion. |
"We see the germination of new clubs on all continents now. |
"Our goal is to continue to strengthen our member organisations and network our community globally to support the growth of our game." |
HELSINKI - Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment Ltd. says the popular game's website was defaced by hackers Wednesday, two days after reports that the personal data of its customers might have been accessed by U.S. and British spy agencies. |
"The defacement was caught in minutes and corrected immediately," said Saara Bergstrom, a spokeswoman of the Finnish company. "The end-user data was in no risk at any point." |
Reports earlier this week said that documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden suggested the NSA and Britain's GCHQ had been able to extract information through numerous smartphone apps, including Google Maps and the Angry Birds game franchise. |
Rovio denied the claims, saying it does not "share data, collaborate or collude" with any spy agencies and that it would strive to ensure that user privacy is protected. |
Rovio CEO Mikael Hed said the personal details of customers could have been accessed from information gathered by third-party advertising agencies. |
"In order to protect our end users, we will, like all other companies using third-party advertising networks, have to re-evaluate working with these networks if they are being used for spying purposes," he said. |
Angry Birds, an addictive birds-versus-pigs game that has been downloaded more than 1.7 billion times worldwide, is one of the latest examples of how everyday pieces of software can be turned into instruments of espionage. According to The New York Times and ProPublica, a U.S.-based nonprofit journalism group, a 2012 B... |
Another document listed other mobile apps, including those made by social networking giant Facebook, photo-sharing site Flickr, and the film-oriented Flixster. |
Mikko Hypponen, from F-Secure computer security company, said the hacking into Rovio's website was a "good lesson" for mobile companies and app providers to make sure they protect customer privacy. |
"There really is no reason why third-party advertising networks do not encrypt personal information on the Web. It's not rocket science," Hypponen said. "There will be a lot of pressure on these agencies." |
A rare investment opportunity! 4 family property in prime Pelham Bay location with just a short stroll to train. This property has been renovated to perfection with high quality and energy efficient materials - Everything Is Brand New!!! Three 2 bedroom units & one 1 bedroom unit plus large basement with high ceiling &... |
The clocks were put ahead. The winter layers were put away. And spring arrived. March switched gears, but we drove the bus that led the pack with our exemplary news coverage — nothing new about that! Our excellent staff provided the scoops, updates, features, and follow-ups, delivering info-packed lowdowns on the lates... |
• Can-did camera: Bensonhurst frozen treat queen Maria “The Ice Cream Girl” Campanella took the heat after uploading her video on YouTube about Southern Brooklyn’s can and bottle collectors that some feared took a sour shot at the area’s predominantly Chinese community for showing a woman in yellow makeup and a conical... |
• Hinsch’s opa? Egg-cream fans shrieked, “Agita!” upon learning that Staten Island souvlaki sovereign Mike Moudatsos was taking over the iconic, 65-year-old soda shop on Fifth Avenue. Faithful patrons fretted he would radically redesign Hinsch’s, much as he did a classic A&W car-hop on the island. Moudatsos promised to... |
• Blue grub: The Finest get their nosh on whenever they can — in between creaming crime. Our week-long, lip-smackin’ investigation dished on some of their favorite haunts, menu choices, and discerning palates — from roasted pork with sweet plantains in Prospect Heights, and Al Diavolo pizza topped with broccoli rabe at... |
• How sweet it could be! Developers of the shuttered Domino Sugar factory promised a candy-coated comeback for the ex-largest sugar maker in the world. First-peek renderings showed a sumptuous sprawl of mixed-use skyscrapers rivaling the skylines of Dubai and Shanghai, including a high-rise sculpted like a giant zero, ... |
• Library closure: Bibliophiles and preservationists read the riot act to the Brooklyn Public Library for planning to close the chapter on its 108-year-old Pacific branch and replace it with a newfangled repository inside a future skyscraper, instead of springing for $11 million to restore its achy bones. They claimed ... |
• LICH glitch: Back-pedaling State University of New York honchos, who denied for weeks that prime real estate was behind their decision to pull the plug on ailing Long Island College Hospital, finally ‘fessed up that they met privately to jaw about the facility’s $500-million landholdings before announcing the sale pu... |
• Ratty class: Enterprising crafter Divya Anantharaman showed curiosity seekers how to transform dead rodents into red-carpet worthy critterati at a mouse taxidermy class in Williamsburg, delivering tips and tricks about immortalizing varmints, and then gussying them up in trendy togs to look like wee fashionistas. The... |
• Sink or swim: Uncle Sam issued a flood mitigation plan for federally-boosted property owners in high-risk areas, requiring them to shell out thousands of bucks raising their homes or risk paying whopping insurance rates. The Federal Emergency Management Agency reconfigured “zone A” neighborhoods like Red Hook, Gowanu... |
• Cyclone after hurricane: Thrill seekers lined up by the thousands to whoosh on the legendary Cyclone roller coaster which re-opened for the spring and summer season four months after killer ‘cane Sandy reduced the People’s Playground to a soggy pulp. |
• Tall tails: Budding bards shed their leotards while spilling the beans during a pole-dancing tourney that required comely contestants to spin their bods as they tell homespun yarns at the Bell House in Gowanus. “Polesque” creators hoped to move rapt viewers by shedding a saucy spotlight on storytelling as part of the... |
• High-school drop out: A 55-year-old learning institution got the worst report card of its life when the city began proceedings to phase out Sheepshead Bay High School. The Panel for Education Policy voted to replace the struggling Bay fixture — whose alums include comedians Elayne Boosler and Larry David — with a pai... |
• Oh buoy! Recycled Navy ships could buffer the borough from future floods, according to Navy Yard think-tank boffins at Terreform ONE, who want to slice and dice old U.S. warships — some dating back to World War II stashed away in California, Texas, and Virginia — and then reinvent them as an artificial wetland in But... |
• A disorderly conduct incident was reported at Northern Middle School. |
• A fire hydrant was knocked over during a vehicle crash in the 100 block of South Potomac Street. |
• An arrest was made in connection with controlled dangerous substance violations on Eastern Boulevard. |
• An assault was reported at Western Heights Middle School. |
• A theft was reported at CVS Pharmacy at 10 E. Wilson Blvd.. |
• A domestic violence referral was made in the 600 block of Hayes Avenue. |
• Money was reported stolen in the 700 block of George Street. |
• A hit-and-run crash was reported at Salem Avenue and Kinslow Street. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 800 block of West Franklin Street. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 100 block of East Washington Street. |
• A shoplifting was reported at Walmart on Garland Groh Boulevard. A juvenile was arrested. |
• An air-conditioning unit was stolen in the 400 block of South Burhans Boulevard. |
• A theft was reported at Walmart on Garland Groh Boulevard. The store will be filing charges. |
• An arrest warrant was served at the Super 8 motel on Dual Highway. |
• An assault was reported at Stop and Go on North Burhans Boulevard. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported on Noland Drive. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 40 block of Madison Avenue. |
• A violation of a protective order was reported in the 600 block of North Mulberry Street. An arrest was made. |
• A domestic violence referral was made in the 100 block of Elizabeth Street. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 100 block of East Franklin Street. |
• Counterfeit currency was reported at the McDonald’s at 316 E. Washington St. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 400 block of East Franklin Street. |
• A domestic violence referral was made in the 500 block of Lynnhaven Drive. |
• An altercation at Cancun Cantina on Dual Highway resulted in the arrest of two people. |
• A domestic violence incident was reported in the 900 block of Ross Street. |
• An armed robbery and theft of a vehicle was reported in the 800 block of Concord Street. An arrest was made. |
• Copper and metal pipes were reported stolen in the 200 block of North Locust Street. |
• An employee theft was reported at Value City Furniture at 1581 Wesel Blvd.. |
• A domestic violence referral was made in the 600 block of Maryland Avenue. |
• A disturbance was reported at E. Russell Hicks Middle School. |
• A theft was reported at North Hagerstown High School. |
• A theft of an iPod was reported at Western Heights Middle School. |
• Metal was reported stolen from roof air-conditioning units at Valley Park Commons on Wesel Boulevard. |
• A domestic violence referral was made in the first block of Wayside Avenue. |
• Three wallets were reported stolen at Planet Fitness. |
Former professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who is renowned for his line of successful video games, told CNBC he was ready to take on the mobile-gaming world. |
The 45-year-old, nicknamed "The Birdman" for his skating acrobatics, is famous for the series of 16 video game titles bearing his name. These launched in 1999, when most people played games on video consoles, but Hawks told CNBC the terrain had changed with the onset of smartphones and tablet devices. |
"You just have to adapt and you have to realize where people are going to actually play their games," said Hawks, speaking from the Dublin Web Summit, the biggest event of its kind in Europe. |
"It used to just be Nintendo and PlayStation, and now it's all kind of devices. So you've got to learn to adapt what you know from the technology into those areas...I've been wanting to do a mobile game for a long time." |
Hawk said the best model for mobile-gaming appeared to be to offer the game for free, but start charging customers once they wanted to progress to the next levels of the game. |
He added that he had also become involved in online social platforms, launching a YouTube channel in January 2012 called RIDE that he hopes will become the resource for skating content. |
"Technology has allowed me to reach my fans directly," Hawk said, adding, "Social media: it has been a complete revolution of how to interact, promote and share things." |
He admitted that it was a challenge to rise above the abundance of other game vendors, but said he had an advantage over competitors because his brand was so well-known. |
"I think that we established ourselves pretty early on in our series and so people think of that as the standard for skateboarding video games," Hawk said. |
CNBC asked Hawk whether he could offer any advice to young entrepreneurs starting out in a challenging economic climate. |
"I don't think there is any formula that says you're going to make money from the get-go," he said. "But definitely, if it's something that catches hold and something that people really do want to use, the more widespread it gets, the more attention you're going to get and the more investors you're going to get. Instag... |
Leeds writer June Taylor once again delves into the murky depths of difficult relationships in her psychological thriller. She spoke to Yvette Huddleston. |
“We all have secrets and we are never sure when to reveal things to significant others – most people hold things back,” says Leeds-based writer June Taylor whose latest psychological thriller is published in paperback this week. |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.