Stories about English from April, 2018
Media censorship surrounds the Pashtun rights movement in Pakistan
"There was complete media blackout. But journalists were there [to] tell the story [through] social media. Self censorship sign of oppression"
At the World Cup in Russia this summer, Central Asia will be supporting Mohamed Salah
"Salah, with his glorious football talent and good behaviour is introducing the real Islam to the world."
Why pilgrims from India and Nepal throng to see an orchid that blooms in April
According to local legend and tradition, the Salahesh Fulbari garden in eastern Nepal is the place to be on the Nepali New Year's Day.
Telcos must disclose more data about internet shutdowns, say civil society groups
New research shows that the world's largest telecommunications companies disclose little to no information about their network shutdown policies and practices.
How an Indian professor is turning plastic trash into highways
After seeing plastic waste was a growing problem throughout the country, Dr. Vasudevan devised a method for converting recycled, shredded plastic waste into flexible, long-lasting roadways.
Why did China take its own propaganda film offline? Netizens point to US tech sanctions
Netizens suspect that the film is being restricted due to new US sanctions against ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications hardware company.
China Central Television backs Russian version of the Syrian crisis, saying chemical attacks were staged
Russia claims the Syrian chemical attacks were staged; China's state media echoes that narrative, but not everyone is buying into it.
Troll farm takes aim at American audiences in new web campaign
RIA FAN, a Russian news outlet with known connections to the Saint Petersburg "troll factory", announced its latest project: a website called USA Really, aimed at a U.S.-based audience.
Chinese netizens’ #IamLGBT campaign pushes change at Weibo
The move is significant, but it doesn’t mean that LGBT content will be spared from the latest censorship crackdown.
Jordan's poorer areas can go weeks without water, while the wealthier have a 24/7 supply
"We would get water two times a week, sometimes in the summer that is barely enough to get us through the week..."
8-year-old Asifa's heinous rape and murder in India fans the flames of nationalism
"Asifa is not 'just the face of a child'; she symbolizes the violence her community faces."
The Philippine government's plan to shut down Boracay resort island threatens to displace thousands
"Thousands upon thousands of real people will be affected by a complete closure of the island. Real, breathing humans, not statistics."
Will Singapore's plan to combat ‘deliberate online falsehoods’ stifle free speech?
"…the biggest threat to the stability and growth of the democratic process in Singapore is the government’s control of the media and information."
Syria and the anti-imperialism of idiots
"This anti-war left exhibits deeply authoritarian tendencies, that place states at the centre of political analysis. . . . "
Though opposition remains, Trinidad & Tobago takes a historic legal step towards LGBT equality
"We are all humans. We are all the same. When are you going to realize you’re on the wrong side of history?"
Magdalene magazine gives a platform to women and other marginalized sectors of Indonesia
"We channel the voices of feminists, pluralists and progressives, or just those who are not afraid to be different, regardless of their genders, colors, or sexual preferences."
Liberian journalists detained, slapped with US 1.8 million lawsuit amid political feud
Only weeks after FrontPage Africa reported on the LEITI scandal, the newspaper was slammed with a crippling libel civil lawsuit. Press freedom activists believe FrontPage Africa has been targeted.
School history assignment stirs up a storm in Jamaica over how slavery should be taught
"Now to the assignment at hand, would Hillel have asked on an assignment about World War 2 to come up with ways for Nazi Germany to annihilate the Jewish people?"
As Russian court announces Telegram ban, users stand defiant, amused… and worried
And as a year-long battle between Telegram and the Russian authorities ended with the decision to block the app, reaction to the announcement has been passionate and often derisive.
Jamaican Reaction to Trinidad Buggery Law Ruling is Predictably Mixed
"It is easier to break the chains of the law than those of the mind. Bigotry is Herculean."
