Stories about Feature from February, 2021
Trinidad & Tobago’s COVID-19 travel exemption process is demoralising its citizens abroad
Nationals who were unable to make it back home before the country's borders closed following its index case of COVID-19 are now at the mercy of the travel exemption system.
In Azerbaijan, death of young woman renews conversation on domestic violence
Sevil's story hit close to home for many Azerbaijani women, for whom physical and psychological abuse at the hands of not only partners, but also siblings, parents, and in-laws, are common.
Bloggers, journalists and creatives in the crosshairs of the Belarusian state
As the space for free expression in Belarus narrows, many journalists and artists who covered the protests are awaiting trial.
Myanmar’s ‘civil disobedience movement’ has produced many inventive ways of protesting
Only three weeks have passed since the coup but protesters have already used various creative methods to express dissent.
Transgender people in El Salvador are defending their right to vote
A team of 14 people from the LGBTQI community are training those in charge of El Salvador's electoral process in order to combat discrimination, ahead of the February 28 elections.
Greece #metoo: Rape accusations against prominent actor and National Theater director finally lead to arrest
Amidst a #metoo whirlwind in Greece, prominent Greek actor and director Dimitris Lignadis is finally arrested on rape charges.
Despite claims of authoritarianism, President Bukele's popularity continues to be strong in El Salvador
Polls favor Bukele's party to win over the Legislative Assembly in the next elections—good news for those who approve of Bukele, bad news for those who see him as authoritarian.
Algeria releases dozens of pro-democracy prisoners ahead of Hirak anniversary
Rachid Nekkaz and Khalid Drareni are among Hirak-linked prisoners pardoned by the president, who also ordered a cabinet reshuffle and dissolved parliament as protests resumed over unmet demands of 2019 upheaval.
Myanmar citizens continue strong opposition to military junta with ‘22222’ general strike
"If we oppose the dictatorship, they might shoot us. But we have to oppose dictatorship. It’s our duty. That’s why so many people are coming out today against them."
Prominent Harvard professor pilloried for peddling revisionist history about wartime ‘comfort women’
Historians familiar with wartime sexual slavery perpetrated by Japanese armed forces point out that the professor, J. Mark Ramseyer, has long championed historical revisionism.
Saudi women's activist Loujain al-Hathloul released and tweeting
The 31-year-old women's rights campaigner was abducted in 2018 in the UAE and found guilty of a set of charges, with the prosecutor demanding a maximum jail term of up to 20 years.
Barbadian pop superstar Rihanna gets flak for wearing pendant of Hindu god in lingerie post
While some social media users felt the photo was disrespectful and tone deaf, others thought the controversy was much ado about nothing.
In unrecognized Transnistria, a retiree faces criminal charges for ‘anti-Russian’ rhetoric
A 70-year-old Transnistria citizen faces a five-year prison term for critical statements about Russian peacekeeping forces in the breakaway Moldova region.
Serbia expels US neo-Nazi after investigative website Bellingcat outed his location
Queens, New York native Robert Rondo bragged about helping local neo-Nazis restore Serbian nationalist graffiti that had been defaced by anti-fascist activists.
Angolans furious after protesters killed in rally by self-determination movement
Movement demanding autonomy for the eastern half of Angola claims police fired indiscriminately at protesters attending a rally in the mining village of Cafunfo on January 30.
Capturing the mood on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia conflict in Donbas
A new survey finds that Donbas citizens hold little trust in state institutions and are divided on the future of the region, but strive for economic stability.
Arrest of Indian climate activist Disha Ravi over protest ‘toolkit’ draws backlash
'Editing a Google Doc in support of farmers is an act of sedition in this country now,' a writer said.
President Jovenel Moïse always seems to land on his feet, but what about Haiti?
While political opponents and protesters pressure Jovenel Moïse to vacate office, who holds the key to solve Haiti's uninterrupted crisis?
Myanmar introduces ‘draconian’ cyber security bill amid growing anti-coup protests
'It can be expected that the true aim of the bill is to repress freedom of expression online and ban social networks.'
New Russian law demands self-censorship from social media platforms
Experts believe that the most likely reason for the new self-censorship legislation is the state's desire to curtail the growing discontent and protest activity in the country.
Nigerian protesters arrested for resisting reopening of the Lagos Lekki toll gate
The protest came on the heels of the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry's decision to reopen the toll gate— a move perceived as insensitive to victims of the Lekki shootings.
