Stories about Weblog from January, 2022
Jerusalem Christians: ‘We shrunk from 20% to 2% of population due to Israeli violence’
Church leaders in Jerusalem referred in a statement to "organized and systematic" physical and verbal assaults against priests, attacks on churches, and acts of desecration and vandalism on sanctities and holy sites.
Belgium introduces new passport design featuring characters from domestic comics
"The introduction of this new passport is also an opportunity for us to highlight the 9th art, the comic strip, which is a central element of our culture and our influence abroad"
COVID-19: You can’t have a recovery using the same bad medicine
A new collaborative report attempts to piece together the “missing receipts” from the IFI-supported COVID-19 response, documents several shortcomings, and raises critical questions for the ongoing pandemic response.
Seed exchange in Colombia promotes traditional knowledge and food sovereignty
Different varieties of potatoes and corn, among other foods, are exchanged to recover ancestral ways of consumption.
Caribbean virgins, Caribbean whores: Unlacing goodness/dismantling perversion
"Maybe in some world, an even more distant and improbable one, there are no virgins and no whores. No Good or Bad Girls. Only survivors."
Azerbaijan is silent as other nations announce plans to boycott the Beijing Olympics
The country's leadership and its National Olympic Committee have remained notably silent when discussing the host country's dismal human rights record.
To flee or not to flee? That is the question in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankans are facing the bleak prospect of a full-blown economic crisis, and one in four, mainly the young and educated, say they want to leave the country.
Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year is ruined by Omicron outbreak
This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is on February 1. Yet, thanks to the community outbreak of Omicron and the zero-COVID policy, there isn't much festival mood in town.
The Gambia’s AFCON debut: from underdogs to title contenders
The Gambian team, though first timers in the African Cup of Nations, now seem capable of mounting an unlikely title chase in a competition that provided them with dark moments.
Thousands of Nigerians sign petition to reform IELTS
Nigeria a former British colony, has English as the lingua franca and language of instruction in schools. Yet Nigeria is not exempted from writing IELTS, the English proficiency test.
How Assamese Villages use traditional wisdom to guide climate preparedness
For credible early warning systems for natural calamities, villages in the northeast Indian state of Assam rely on the observations of elders based on their traditional experiences and folk beliefs.
‘Rebel’ candidates risk it all: Elections in Bangladesh
Electoral violence in fact has flared up within the ranks of the Awami League itself, as prospective candidates compete to be nominated by the party.
An upcoming British edition of ‘Capitalism and Slavery’ makes news, but the Caribbean has always known the book's worth
Dr. Eric Williams' seminal book is attracting fresh interest after it was announced that a new edition will be published in Britain.
Tennis star Peng Shuai and Professor Gulnar Obul: From captives to actors
The fate of a tennis star and a professor who had criticized the Chinese leadership showed a similar pattern. The critique turned into a forced public support.
Tongans share stories of how they survived the volcano eruption and tsunami
"It felt like the heavens cracked open and the world exploded inside my ear. I’ve never heard a louder noise in all my life."
Armenian president resigns amid dual-citizenship scandal
The former president criticized the limited powers of the presidential office and decried attacks on the presidential office from "various political groups."
The issue of the Jamaican police allegedly cutting a young woman's dreadlocks remains unresolved
"Ms. King is symbolic of the ‘have nots;’ in Jamaica, who continue to be neglected and whose human rights are so often disregarded and abused."
Philippines’s new vaccine mandate decried as punitive and anti-poor
"This measure is punitive. The low vaccination rate should not be blamed on the people especially if supplies are not always available."
US Congressman in hot water over corruption allegations
A federal grand jury has begun issuing subpoenas and seeking records from US companies and advocacy organisations, many of them with ties to the former Soviet nation of Azerbaijan.
Passengers stranded at Istanbul Airport stage a protest
Videos of passengers demanding accommodation made rounds on Twitter after thousands of travellers were stranded at the new Istanbul airport as a result of bad weather conditions and cancelled flights.
Why a writer is on trial for calling Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s son obese
An unapologetic critic of the Museveni government, Kakwenza rose to prominence in April 2020 when he was arrested and detained for a week by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence.
