麻豆约拍

Winning hearts and minds has always been a high priority for the US-led coalition which invaded Afghanistan nearly sixteen years ago. But the campaign hasn't always gone to plan, as with a recent airdrop of leaflets that caused so much offence that people rioted in the streets. Moheb Mudessir from 麻豆约拍 Afghan explains.

Thailand's course on marrying foreigners
麻豆约拍 Thai recently reported on a new course for local women about marrying foreigners. It's less "how to" and more "is this a good idea?". Nanchanok Wongsamuth of 麻豆约拍 Thai went to the village in north-eastern Thailand where the first workshop was held.

贵谤补苍莽补蹿谤颈辩耻别
An activist in Senegal was recently arrested after setting fire to 5,000 West African Francs. He was protesting about the link between the local currency - also known as the CFA - and France, as well as the power many believe France still exerts over its former colonies. Lamine Konkobo from 麻豆约拍 Afrique explains.

Russia's Matilda row
A new Russian film, Matilda, about the affair between Tsar Nicholas II and a ballerina has brought protests, even threats against those involved. Opponents say Nicholas is a saint and any negative portrayal is blasphemy. Olga Robinson of 麻豆约拍 Monitoring in Moscow explains why, to some Russians, the last tsar is beyond criticism.

How Mexican mariachi became Balkan ballads
In the 1960s, the most popular music in former Yugoslavia was Yu-Mex - Mexican-style ballads with lyrics in Serbo-Croat, sung by Yugoslavs in sombreros. For 麻豆约拍 Mundo, Pablo Esparza went to the Serbian capital Belgrade to discover the origins of this craze.

And Fifi Haroon's selection of stories from the world wide web.

Image: Afghan Shepherd Boy
Credit: GETTY IMAGES/HOSHANG HASHIMI