Stories about English from January, 2017
Notes From the Eye of the Crowd
As demonstrations break out against President Trump's executive orders, ordinary people feel their way toward protest.
The Executive Order on Immigration Wants You To Think Gaining Legal Entry to the US Is Easy
In reality, it's damned hard.
Tabloid Tells Abusers How to Exploit Russia's Decriminalization of Domestic Violence
The pro-Kremlin tabloid “Life” shared a bizarre video, titled “He Beats You Because He Loves You,” reviewing the “top five ways to commit domestic violence” and get away with it.
Myanmar Activists Say Junta-Era Defamation Law Must Go
"It is not appropriate that a citizen who criticises someone more powerful should face legal action of this kind."
Journalists of Closed Hungarian Newspaper Népszabadság Score ‘Symbolic Posthumous Victory’ in Court
A Hungarian court has ruled that last October's sudden closure of the country's leading opposition daily, Népszabadság, was illegal.
‘Operation Restore Democracy’ Raises Hopes and Demands Across Africa
Energized by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh's ouster, Africans are now criticizing many of the region's international groups for failing to remove other “dictators.”
Melania Trump Returns Gloriously to Her Homeland, Now as a Meme
During the U.S. presidential campaign, Slovenians didn't show much interest in Mrs. Trump. That changed, however, after Donald Trump's surprising victory in the Electoral College
It's Lunar New Year, and China's Young People Are Sick and Tired of It
The Chinese Lunar New Year is China's most important season for family reunions, but younger people are increasingly fleeing their relatives and the country altogether.
For Jordan's LGBT Community, the Law Books and Reality Send Different Messages
Same-sex relations were decriminalized in Jordan in 1951, but nearly 70 years later the country's LGBT citizens remain the targets of discrimination and mistreatment, with little protection from the law.
Originally Sentenced to Death, a Blogger Goes Before Mauritania's Supreme Court
In 2014, Ould Mkhaitir was arrested and convicted of "apostasy" over an opinion article in which he addressed Mauritania's discriminatory caste system.
United Colors of Persecution: The Struggle of Patagonia's Indigenous People against Benetton
Against a backdrop of legal complexities and state repression, a Mapuche community in Patagonia is fighting against the Italian textile giant Benetton to regain ownership of their ancestral lands.
Passenger Says Anti-Arab Racism, Not ‘Fake Bomb Threat’ Led to Madrid-Berlin Flight's Cancellation
The eyewitness told Global Voices that a German-speaking passenger on the Iberia flight called a fellow Lebanese passenger, who was sending text messages in Arabic, a "terrorist."
Goodbye to Buchi Emecheta, Celebrated Nigerian Novelist Who Broke Gender Barriers
"Perhaps Emecheta’s grandest legacy was making us realise that feminism isn’t alien to Africa. She clearly defined African feminism as one that is different from that of the West."
The Jallikattu Protests in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu Are Not Merely About a Bullfight
"People finally have become bulls to reaffirm their self-respect, determination and identity."
The Difficult Work of Building an Inclusive, Women-Led Coalition to Resist Trump
"If you want to know if you are going the right way follow women of color, brothers and sisters."
The Day Bangkok and Other Thai Provinces Turned Green on Google Maps
"When did we get so many forests in Bangkok?", asked a Twitter user.
Better Late Than Never? Trinidad & Tobago Wins 2008 Olympic Gold After Jamaican Athlete Found Guilty of Doping
"It started off as a sprint but ended up as a marathon."
Could Trump Solve Trinidad & Tobago's US Tax Law Stalemate? The Opposition Leader Seems to Hope So.
When Trinidad and Tobago's opposition was in government, it introduced the FATCA bill in parliament; ever since, it has been sidestepping passing the legislation. Enter a letter to Donald Trump.
In Moldova, Civil Society Stands Up to ‘Big Brother’ Law
Pressured by civil society, Moldovan legislators debate whether to amend the flawed surveillance-enabling legal changes, called the "Big Brother" Law, or to demand a completely new proposal by the government.
Australia Day Ads Promoting Diversity Stir Controversy Before National Holiday
"If you’re not sure how to feel about the ad, why not ask an Aboriginal person who they feel about it. And if you don’t know any Aboriginal people… well…"
Russian Police Lose an Easy Way to Trap ‘Internet Extremists’
On Tuesday, by revising one of its default privacy settings, the Russian social network Vkontakte significantly reduced the number of shared photographs publicly visible on individual account pages.
