Stories about English from October, 2017
Conducting Medical Research in Africa: Opportunities and Misconceptions
"Due to the history of aid funding, every dollar spent is backed up by a dollar to ensure that fraud is minimised."
Malaysian Artist Paints ‘Mother Gaia’ to Call for Environmental Protection and Women’s Rights
"In the Mother GAIA series, breastfeeding is symbolic of how mother earth provides for us, feeds and sustains us."
Building Journalists with Integrity and Impact: A Community Journalism Project Takes Shape in Jamaica
The Caribbean needs solid, investigative journalists. One community-based journalism project in Jamaica has taken up the training challenge.
To Fight Against Smog, China Bans Coal in 28 Cities
Could a ban on coal help improve China's pollution problem? Or could the hastiness of its implementation backfire?
Will India’s Blood Banks Benefit From Facebook’s New Blood Donor Registration Feature?
"Becoming a blood donor on Facebook is like feeding the poor by forwarding food pictures on WhatsApp."
Achieving Barrier-Free Access Proves a Hurdle in Japan's 2020 Paralympics Preparations
With only three years to go until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, the Japanese government will have to work quickly to make the games truly barrier-free.
Farmers in India's Rajasthan Sit Neck-Deep in Mud to Protest Forceful Land Acquisition
"These #farmers are not begging for favors or asking for alms, they are demanding what is their genuine right."
Malaysia Bans Books and Cartoons Deemed ‘Prejudicial to Public Order’
"By banning books that provoke the mind to think critically, this government of ours showed its true color of being an authority of bigotry and anti-intellectualism."
Is Free Speech an ‘Empty Promise’ in Singapore? Activists Bristle After Police Detain Performance Artist
Under Singapore’s strict Public Order Act, a single person can be held liable for participating in an illegal assembly.
A Yemeni Political Analyst Has Been Held By Houthi Rebels Since August, With No Explanation
Hisham Al-Omeisy is a crucial voice on the ongoing war in Yemen, and its humanitarian cost.
Sexual Harassment in Greece Is Basically a Woman's Problem
...when asked about verbal sexual abuse, one woman in Athens commented that “it happens so often that [she] doesn’t even remember any distinctive incident”.
Tens of Thousands in the Philippines Rally Against President Duterte's Deadly ‘Triple Wars’
Despite efforts of the Philippine government to sabotage the event, organizers estimated around 30,000 people braved the rains to join the rally against human rights abuses.
Mexicans Turn to Social Media to Call Out Abuse and Irregularities After Earthquake
Through #FuerzaMéxico (#MexicoStrong), #RescatePrimero (#RescueFirst) and #ReconstrucciónSinCorrupción Mexicans stay active online to file complaints, avoid further losses and be watchdogs.
‘Deer Woman: An Anthology’ Sheds Light on Violence Against Native Women in North America
"...it is giving voices to these indigenous women and not placing any judgement on the story they want to tell through this figure of Deer Woman."
Russians Get Territorial After Chinese Newspaper Tweets Photos of the Remote Altay Region
China Daily regularly tweets promotional photographs from Chinese regions, but this time it caused a backlash from Russian users who thought China was claiming parts of Russia as its own.
Serbian Groups Stage Blackout to Protest Media Intimidation By Tax Authority
The shuttering of a Serbian newspaper led to physical protest and an online blackout with 150 participating websites.
Misleading Headline Sparks Row Between Jamaica's Press Association Head and Prime Minister’s Office
How a question, a response and an inaccurate headline caused an impasse between the Jamaican government and the media, while netizens fear the underlying issue remains unaddressed.
Spanish Court Case Tests the Challenges of Universal Jurisdiction on Syrians
"[Our legal team] will exhaust all available means and legal resources at its disposal to pursue justice for the thousands of victims of the Syrian conflict."
As China Restricts Home Sales, Netizens Ask If This Serves the People's Needs
China has imposed a ban on property sales in 50 cities to curb the overheating market. But many netizens think it harms the welfare of home buyers.