Stories about English from August, 2020
From dubplates to debates: Election campaigning in Jamaica during a pandemic
With rising numbers of COVID-19 cases limiting the ways in which political candidates can campaign, many are producing dubplates — short music videos promoting themselves — to reach the electorate.
Will China's color-coded COVID-19 tracking system come to Hong Kong?
While implementing such a system in Hong Kong is still in debate, the city is on track to carry out universal testing of its 7.5 million population -- with the help of Beijing.
Trinidad & Tobago's 2020 election results are currently being recounted
The preliminary results of Trinidad and Tobago's general election were clear: the incumbent won, securing 22 of 41 parliamentary seats, but the opposition has challenged the outcome.
Indonesian students expelled from school face treason charges for joining a protest on Papua
"Khairun University should support academic freedom and free expression, not expel students peacefully expressing their views."
A masked Spiderman and friends bring joy to Melbourne’s locked-down suburb
"Thank you to the fella jogging St Kilda neighbourhoods in full SpiderMan suit. You have brightened my young bloke’s day beyond measure on three occasions now."
Is India's digital ID system, Aadhaar, a tech solution for a socio-economic problem?
The world's largest biometric ID system was intended to provide a technological solution to socio-economic problems; instead, it has further ostracised marginal and vulnerable communities.
After its general election, Trinidad & Tobago's racist underbelly is showing
In a racially heated post-election climate, blogger Amilcar Sanatan advises being "brave enough to call out what is wrong" in order to build a more just and equal society.
How a bad translation of ‘Black Lives Matter’ ended up enabling racist narratives on Chinese social media
A popular Chinese translation of the anti-racism protest slogan is paradoxically being used to spread racist discourse.
Abused and infected with COVID-19, Nigerian domestic workers are stranded in Beirut
African governments must press on their Lebanese counterpart to grant amnesty to all migrant domestic workers to be repatriated to their home countries and abolish the slave-like Kafala labour laws.
The historic selection of Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ vice-presidential candidate resonates in the Caribbean
Could Kamala Harris, daughter of immigrants and the first Black/South Asian woman vice-presidential candidate for a major U.S. political party, be "great for diversity"?
Women's cooperative in Srebrenica produces ‘protective masks for everyone’
"There are not a lot of us in Srebrenica and we need to stick together through communion and mutual care."
Human rights defenders and journalists under attack in Southeast Asia
The past two weeks saw several disturbing cases of arrests, convictions, and raids targeting human rights activists and journalists in Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law
Upon his arrest, Hong Kong police raided the office building of his news outlets.
A rare, golden turtle — first of its kind — discovered in Nepal
The recent discovery of a yellow turtle in India drew a lot of attention, but it's not the first time one has been spotted.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part I
In the wake of musician Hachalu Hundessa's murder, Ethiopia has struggled to come to terms with the violence and turmoil that erupted along ethnic and religious faultlines.
‘Wiki Loves Africa’ 2020 features images of a continent on the move
"Wiki Loves Africa," encourages people to contribute Africa-relevant media to Wikimedia annually around a particular theme to fundamentally change how people both within and outside Africa see the continent.
What will a US ban on WeChat mean for Chinese netizens?
While many in the West have criticized Trump's ban, some overseas Chinese dissents see the decision with positive eyes.
COVID-19 and China's information control policy
China’s strategy to control information and its consequences has become a global concern.
Another Australian university criticized for censoring voices supporting Hong Kong's human rights
An Australian university was criticized for deleting an article published on its website that urges the international community to put pressure on China for infringements on human rights in Hong Kong.
Calls, SMS, and radio: How pre-internet tech helps low-income children's schooling in India's lockdown
An award-winning non-profit start-up from the city of Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, is providing low-cost remote education to over 5,000 children from 400 villages.