Stories about English from March, 2020
Quarantine woes in Bangladesh amid coronavirus fears
The government has ordered Bangladeshis who are returning from affected COVID-19 countries to home-quarantine. But a lack of monitoring has led to concerns that the disease may spread rapidly.
COVID-19 pandemic lays bare the political leadership deficit in Nigeria
Nigeria's President Buhari is yet to speak to Nigerians about the COVID-19 pandemic. His spokespersons have even scolded legislators for daring to ask him to address the country.
Injunction grants Guyana's election commission the freedom to declare a winner — but will it?
An ex parte injunction blocking the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from acting on the CARICOM agreement essentially gives it the green light to declare in the government's favour.
Local power play ends the reign of northern Nigeria's emir of Kano
Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II used his privileged voice to confront 'the evil forces of feudalism' that have kept Northern Nigeria 'in bondage for so long'. But this cost him his throne.
Nigeria enforces travel bans amid sloppy management of COVID-19 cases
Nigerian netizens are calling for a travel ban for travelers from high COVID-19 transmission areas. This will strengthen the national response to the pandemic.
Watchdog decries threat to press freedom as China expels some US journalists
China announced it would expel American journalists working for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. The ban would extend to Hong Kong and Macau.
Malaysian journalist targeted by hate speech and racist attacks on Facebook
"Timely action by Facebook and other social media platforms is crucial in curbing online attacks, which commonly include trolling and doxing."
‘Protecting forests is crucial to cure pandemics,’ indigenous leaders say
"If the forests are cut down, where are we going to get medicine?"
Pakistan claims COVID-19 under control amidst rising figures
People on social media are wondering if measures taken by the government are adequate and whether there is a proper infrastructure to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Pakistan.
Cooped up? Trinidad & Tobago's Bocas LitFest has released its 2020 longlist
Self-quarantined? Dive into any of these “nine books by writers with roots in seven Caribbean territories,” which just made the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature longlist.
Trinidad & Tobago's traditional Carnival characters offer women sexual healing
Onika Henry, a licensed and trained sex educator, counselor and expressive arts teacher, combines her teachings to explore female sexuality and sensuality through Carnival.
Trinidad & Tobago closes its borders as COVID-19 cases double to four
Using Italy as an example of how COVID-19 was able to spread quickly, Prime Minister Rowley warned the consequences will be grave if Trinbagonians do not adhere to the guidelines.
Study suggests that China could have prevented 95% of its coronavirus cases
Coronavirus cases could have been reduced by 66 per cent if the measures were taken a week earlier, the study suggested, or by 86 per cent if action began two weeks earlier.
The mother of detained blogger Le Anh Hung speaks out about prison abuse in Vietnam
The 88 Project interviewed Ms. Tran Thi Niem about her imprisoned son, blogger Le Anh Hung, who has been placed in and out of mental health facilities since his 2013 arrest.
Trinidad & Tobago's fight against COVID-19 puts emphasis on ‘personal responsibility’
The country's two COVID-19 cases are reportedly improving, but the Ministry of Health is urging people to be conscientious about prevention methods.
New COVID-19 disaster area order places a Jamaican community under quarantine, but ‘not under curfew’
As Jamaica confirms eight cases of COVID-19, the government has activated legislation which expands the authorities' powers in an effort to contain the outbreak.
Trinidad & Tobago clamps down as two cases of COVID-19 are confirmed
Schools have been closed, cruise ship arrivals have been suspended, and major events have been cancelled as the government tries to contain the spread of the virus.
Women's march in Istanbul marked by police violence and detentions on March 8
On March 8, International Women’s Day, feminist night marches took place in several cities across Turkey. While the event was held for the 17th time in İstanbul, it ended with violence and detentions
Guyana general elections hang in the balance as regional vote count ruled ‘invalid’
Guyana's acting chief justice ruled that the Region 4 results were “unlawful” as they did not fall in line with Section 84 of Guyana's Representation of the People Act.
China government spokesperson suggests on Twitter that COVID-19 may have originated in the United States
Chinese Communist Party-affiliated media have framed the incident as part of the US information war against China.
Does Singapore’s ‘top-down approach’ to handling COVID-19 deserve all the praise it's been getting?
"Singapore's coronavirus strategy cannot be just a top-down approach that does not account for the feelings of people on the ground."