Stories about English from November, 2020
Exemplary governance: Which countries should high-COVID nations follow?
"What seems clear is that global exemplars do not have to look the same in terms of political structures, incomes, or economic ideology."
Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert freed from Iranian jail in prisoner swap
"It’s far past time for democratic allies — indeed all responsible governments — to work together to end state sponsored hostage taking once and for all, beginning with #Iran"
Global Voices condemns the attacks on North Macedonia NGO Metamorphosis Foundation
We call on North Macedonia's public authorities to investigate the attacks and enforce the appropriate legal remedies against the perpetrators, as well as provide protection to Metamorphosis staff.
Hong Kong pro-democracy trio defiant in face of upcoming jail sentence
The trio, all former members of the now-disbanded political party Demosisto, faces a number of different charges.
Trinidad & Tobago deports Venezuelan women and children as matter of ‘national security’
The deportation of 16 Venezuelan minors and nine women shortly before they were supposed to have a habeas corpus hearing has prompted energetic debate in Trinidad and Tobago.
Caribbean football enthusiasts mourn the passing of Diego Maradona
The loss of Maradona is being felt around the world, including across the football-obsessed Caribbean region.
Can secularism be compatible with Islam?
"Islam has become an insecure identity that is always undermined by criticism from the Christian or godless, but always colonial, West."
Rubber ducks in Thai protests inspire solidarity and memes
"The image of Thai authorities, armed to the teeth with riot gear and shields, facing off against…rubber ducks…highlights the sheer asymmetry of the battle between protester and state."
Report into Australian special forces war crimes in Afghanistan ‘gut-wrenching’
"Heinous violence such as war crime cannot be concealed forever, no matter how much efforts are made to do it, as the Australian case shows."
Are some citizens being targeted more than others when it comes to Trinidad & Tobago's COVID-19 legislation?
Many fear that inconsistencies regarding who is brought before the law for breach of COVID-19 protocols is adding to public confusion, which could result in further flouting of the legislation.
In Jamaica, backlash over limestone quarry in ecological area sparks youth online activism
Jamaican youth are rallying against a government decision to allow limestone quarrying in an ecologically sensitive area, and proving they know how to use online tools to their advantage.
In the Middle East, words escape prison walls to inspire freedom and hope
"Why is our homeland so small and tight, and why am I considered a criminal or an enemy that threatens it!”
Two white snakes, first of their species in the world, found in Nepal
Two white-coloured kraits (Bungarus), discovered during rescue calls in the Province 2, in the southeastern region of Nepal, are first recorded cases in their species in the world.
The greatness of Caribbean writer Jean Rhys
Best known for “Wide Sargasso Sea,” her daring riposte to “Jane Eyre”, Rhys is an integral part of the literary canon. A panel of writers dissects what makes her great.
Stop playing politics or face a ban, Nintendo warns Animal Crossing gamers
Nintendo's newest hit is being used as a platform for political expression, and the Japanese video game giant is having none of it.
Solomon Islands bans Facebook for ‘harmful content’
"Do not go into public life and make laws and decisions for your own good or for your own protection as is seen with the banning of Facebook."
Voices in a Bangkok rally a day after police used water cannon and tear gas against protesters
"I feel that I have to come out to demand my rights. My friends, my younger siblings, or my children in the future should have a better life than this."
Beijing's misgivings with tech billionaire Jack Ma, as seen by Chinese social media
Many Chinese netizens are wondering how political was the decision to halt Ant Group's IPO, and have dig through the internet to find clues.
After back-to-back typhoons, Filipinos criticize President Duterte's absence from public eye
#NasaanAngPangulo (#WhereIsThePresident) and #OustDuterteNow trended on Twitter as Filipinos criticized the absence of President Rodrigo Duterte amid the successive typhoons that hit the Philippines this month.
Barbados removes statue of British naval officer Horatio Nelson for his role in the slave trade
"The point is not the destruction of ‘the past’, as if there was one monolithic uncontested past, but the renegotiation of which past the present holds up to its face."
As typhoon causes floods in the Philippines, cellphone ‘load’ becomes disaster relief
Mobile phones are a reliable way for families to exchange information during disasters in the Philippines when power and communication services break down by strong winds and flooding.