Stories about Feature from August, 2021
Quilombola communities lament environmental damage of industry around Aratu Port, in Brazil’s Bahia State
Local residents report the disappearance of shellfish and mangroves, blaming factories for water pollution.
Digital Campaign in Bangladesh gains momentum as women speak up against misogyny
A feminist grassroots network in Bangladesh has started an innovative campaign on Facebook to protest the media trial, moral policing and sexist language in covering women celebrities.
How a Haitian bakery is using the breadfruit tree to foster resilience after the earthquake
"A single breadfruit tree [can] produce enough fruit to feed an entire family, and can live up to 80-100 years, providing entrepreneurs in Haiti with professional opportunities for years to come."
#KeepItOn: How the Twitter ban is affecting young Nigerians
Twitter is a connected public square for many young Nigerians. The ban is taking a toll on their businesses, advocacy, and social life.
As Ebrahim Raisi begins his presidential role, oppression is set to soar in Iran
Iran's former Chief Justice and head of the regime's judiciary apparatus won the presidential election on June 19 in a landslide victory.
Employees of Hungarian-owned TV in North Macedonia conduct partial strike over unpaid salaries
Since 2018, money funneled through Hungarian companies have bolstered media peddling populist propaganda in Slovenia and North Macedonia.
Little chance of justice for Colombia's murdered journalists
Only one out of 161 murders of journalists resulted in a conviction of all perpetrators.
Facebook user gets 18-month prison sentence for mocking Cambodia’s prime minister
"This verdict is a message that makes those who have constructive ideas or criticisms in relation to social issues be fearful and hesitant and will limit their freedom of expression."
Russian court issues bigger fines to social media companies for breaching data localization rules
The data localization law, adopted in 2015, requires all internet companies processing Russian users' data to store such data on servers physically located inside Russia.
‘Recovering a Central American Native identity is key to stopping our erasure’
"We must leave behind colonial concepts such as homophobia, classism, possessive acquisition of lands and capitalistic ideals whereby capital is more important than Native livelihoods."
Who is glorifying terrorism: Hong Kong students or the Chinese government?
HK police arrested four university students on charges of 'advocating terrorism' because they mourned the death of a police assaulter. Meanwhile, China looks to cooperate with the Afghan Taliban.
Cambodia’s China-funded mega dam linked to rights abuses and loss of fisheries
"Today, everything the dammed-up rivers provided – food, water, an income from fishing – is gone."
The plight of Afghan women under the new Taliban regime
With the Taliban taking control of Kabul, women in Afghanistan are faced with the bleak prospect of a return to a society that denies their rights.
The evil of banal censorship
Images of peaceful protesters do not fit the narrative that continues to portray the protesters as violent, irrational and emotional.
Venezuela and China: Strong bond or empty words?
Venezuelan authorities claim that the strategic partnership with China remains as strong as ever, but they have reaped little economic benefits from it since 2016.
Kanal Istanbul, Turkey's Middle Corridor, and the Belt and Road Initiative
The Middle Corridor, formally known as the Trans-Caspian East-West-Middle Corridor Initiative, reflects Turkey’s dream of building links to China via the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Belly dancing class in Kuwaiti ladies gym stirs uproar, prompting government intervention
The gym, located in the northern city of Al-Jahra, infuriated its conservative and tribal residents who saw belly dancing classes as violating their traditions and values.
Anti-immigrant sentiments lead to violence in Turkey
A mob ransacked and vandalized stores, homes, and cars belonging to Syrian immigrants in Ankara's Altindag neighborhood.
More independent media added to Russia's “foreign agent” roster
"As for the list of foreign agents, by now it has so many decent people and publications on it that not to be on this list is simply indecent."
‘I got robbed three times': Fear of crime discourages university enrollment in El Salvador
While the homicide rate decreased, crime, money, and COVID-19 discourage youth to pursue higher education.
Chinese investments in Nigeria flourish on a Silk Road of corruption
The willingness of corrupt Chinese businesspeople to bribe equally fraudulent Nigerian government officials is rarely captured by the simplistic mutual understanding narrative pushed by Chinese diplomats.