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Turkey

Extra! Turkey And The Big Social Media Blackout

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Cumhuriyet, April 7, 2015

"Half Democracy," Tuesday's front page of Turkey's center-left daily Cumhuriyetreads, after the government imposed a nationwide ban on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook Monday. The accompanying picture depicts a man divided between "CENSORSHIP" and "VIOLENCE."

Turkish authorities have now lifted the ban, which had been implemented in an attempt to prevent the circulation of photographs of Mehmet Selim Kiraz, the prosecutor who was killed March 31 after being held hostage by members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, a far-left terrorist organization.

ABOUT THE SOURCE: Cumhuriyet ("The Republic") is a Turkish daily newspaper founded in 1924 by journalist Yunus Nadi Abalioglu. Based in Istanbul, it also has offices in Ankara and Izmir.

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Society

Tales From A Blushing Nation: Exploring India's 'Issues' With Love And Sex

Why is it that this nation of a billion-plus has such problems with intimacy and romance?

Photo of Indian romance statues

Indian romance statues

Sreemanti Sengupta

KOLKATA — To a foreigner, India may seem to be a country obsessed with romance. What with the booming Bollywood film industry which tirelessly churns out tales of love and glory clothed in brilliant dance and action sequences, a history etched with ideal romantics like Laila-Majnu or the fact that the Taj Mahal has immortalised the love between king Shahjahan and queen Mumtaz.

It is difficult to fathom how this country with a billion-plus population routinely gets red in the face at the slightest hint or mention of sex.

It therefore may have come as a shock to many when the ‘couple-friendly’ hospitality brand OYO announced that they are “extremely humbled to share that we observed a record 90.57% increase in Valentine’s Day bookings across India.”

What does that say about India’s romantic culture?

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