Stories about English from April, 2020
Papua New Guinea’s police minister says two journalists who reported on COVID-19 funding ‘can’t be trusted’
"It is not up to a government minister to decide whether journalists should be fired, and especially when it is because of a report he didn’t like."
Life in the time of COVID-19: A Caribbean perspective on isolation
From a COVID-19 survivor to a teenager with autism, here's how some Caribbean netizens are coping with self-isolation.
Caribbean netizens take to ‘extempo’ music to spread COVID-19 safety messages
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people from all over the region and throughout the diaspora are trying their lyrical prowess in a COVID-19 extempo challenge.
Fighting the COVID-19 ‘Infodemic’ in the Asia-Pacific
EngageMedia lists some of the media initiatives addressing the COVID-19 "Infodemic' across the Asia-Pacific region
Harvey Weinstein’s prison sentence is a reminder of the difficulty of obtaining justice for sexual assault
"How many have been denounced, prosecuted and sentenced?"
Indigenous people in Australia prepare for COVID-19
With more than 150,000 of Australia's indigenous people living in remote areas and often facing major health issues, special emphasis is being put on protecting this vulnerable population against COVID-19.
COVID-19 exacerbates inequalities in Trinidad & Tobago's education system
"The [Ministry of Education] was utterly tone-deaf and did not effectively address my concerns."
Malaysia orders ‘stern action’ against media misreporting government statements on COVID-19
"Resorting to censorship, especially in its extreme form, in a time of crisis reflects the insecurity of the government of the day."
Sierra Leone lifts 10-year ban on pregnant girls attending school
Sierra Leone finally lifts a discriminatory policy that barred pregnant girls from attending school in a new bid to form a more inclusive nation and address injustices against young women.
Iran fails to contain COVID-19 as internal political clashes prevent a timely and unified response
Iran is one of the countries worst affected by COVID-19, thanks in part to political disagreements and a lack of coordination among government authorities.
From Brazil to Kosovo to the Philippines, confined citizens protest from their windows
People all over the world have been banging pots and pans to attract the attention of politicians and decision-makers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new cross-regional anti-disinformation initiative launches in the Balkans
The network includes members from North Macedonia, Greece, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania, and will work in cooperation with similar groups from other neighboring countries.
#IdentityMatrix: a Twitter conversation on identity and digital rights in Africa
Activists from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, will lead a social media conversation in their mother tongue on the intersection of languages, ethnicity and digital rights in Africa.
Africans in China targeted by xenophobia amid fear of second-wave COVID-19 outbreak
China has seen a surge in the number of imported COVID-19 cases and the African community has become an easy target for "virus control" and xenophobic sentiments.
COVID-19 diaries from Wuhan: Waiting for the lifting of the lockdown
"There are more than 30,000 confirmed cases in Wuhan, and we will wait for a long time before the lockdown is lifted."
While industry booms, China's ‘mask diplomacy’ stumbles on quality concerns
As the desperate need for face masks and other medical products grows around the world, Chinese factories are transforming their assembly lines to meet the demand.
Philippine police dismantle anti-mining barricade amid COVID-19 lockdown
"My heart bleeds for our brave men and women of Didipio who had to suffer and be arrested for expressing their resistance against mining, a great menace to Mother Earth."
Police violently break up protest by healthcare workers in Balochistan, Pakistan
Medical professionals staged a protest in Baluchistan Province in Pakistan to demand Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to remain safe from coronacirus transmission from patients and they were arrested.
Stay-at-home orders accompanied by rise in domestic violence in Trinidad & Tobago
Once the government announced stay-at-home measures for everyone but members of “essential services”, the police service prepared itself for a rise in reports of domestic abuse.
Online journalist detained for quoting Cambodian prime minister’s advice on COVID-19
"The Covid-19 crisis must not be used as pretext for getting rid of journalists who do not blindly toe the government line."
‘Export restrictions’ prevent US ventilators from reaching Barbados — but citizens question tactics
The news invoked a strong reaction from Barbados's health minister, who later toned down his response, saying, “‘seize’ might not have been the correct word”.