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Pagan News Beagle: Fiery Tuesday, August 23

Indigenous tribes in Taiwan obtain newfound recognition from their government. A food crisis in Venezuela affects its southern neighbor Brazil. And the hunt for a scapegoat by the Turkish government for the recent failed coup is explained. It's Fiery Tuesday, our weekly segment on societal and political news from around the globe! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!

Before Mandarin-speaking Chinese fled to Taiwan in the aftermath of the 1949 Revolution, the island was inhabited by the Hokkien. And before the Hokkien lived on Taiwan, it was inhabited by the island's aboriginal tribes. Throughout the 20th century the Taiwanese Aborigines were neglected and ignored but now an Aboriginal language will be taught in Taiwan's schools.

Once a booming economy, the country of Venezuela in South America is now suffering from a depression. Fleeing poverty and food shortages, many Venezuelans have fled to Brazil in the south. Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo explains the situation here.

For sixteen years, Vladimir Putin has dominated Russian political life almost unchallenged. And he still remains, according to polls, fairly popular. How has he managed such a powerful hegemony? A lot, writes Russian Maxim Trudolyubov, has to do with how he manipulates fear and insecurity.

For a time the word "feminist" was beginning to become unfashionable. People decried "feminazis" and women walked away from the label, feeling it was too provocative. But now, feminism has regained some of its spunk and young celebrities like Emma Watson and Maisie Williams are wearing the label proudly. But women aren't the only ones who can be feminists and at Vox, Emily Crockett explains why it's important for men to embrace the label too.

The coup in Turkey may have failed but that doesn't mean democracy is safe in the country. Indeed, there have been significant concerns about the government and military purges that have swept the country since Erdogan triumphed over the rogue military faction that tried to overthrow him. What's more, in his zeal to eliminate his enemies, Erdogan has initiated a witch hunt targeting supporters of a former ally.

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Aryós Héngwis (or the more modest Héngwis for short) is a native of the Pontic-Caspian steppe, born some 5000 years ago, near the village of Dereivka. In his youth he stood out from the other snakes for his love of learning and culture, eventually coming into the service of the local reǵs before moving westward toward Europe. Most recently, Aryós Héngwis left his home to pursue a new life in America, where he has come under the employ of BBI Media as an internet watchdog (or watchsnake, if you will), ever poised to strike the unwary troll.

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