Stories about Weblog from March, 2022
Tensions mount in Karabakh as parties exchange blame
The Azerbaijani army's seizure of a strategic village of Farrukh has led to accusations of a ceasefire violation leveled against Azerbaijan by both official Yerevan and Moscow.
‘Legendary’ voice silenced as lead singer of Jamaican reggae group Mighty Diamonds is murdered
"Tabby’s killing is as senseless as it is tragic and leaves an awful void in the Jamaican music landscape."
The climate consequences for Nepal of the war in Ukraine
The Ukraine crisis is likely to sideline the climate goals of Nepal for the next few years; however, this may be an opportunity to phase out fossil fuels.
The Kuti clan protesting through music, and other Nigerians who sang against apartheid
The Kuti clan have fought tyrannical political leadership through music. Also, Nigerian musicians like Sonny Okosun, Majek Fashek and Onyeka Onwenu fought to release Nelson Mandela from prison.
Undertones: Populist discourses against the ‘elite’ and the ‘poor’ in Turkey
Turkey’s doctors and refugees have an unlikely commonality -- they are the target of far-right and populist narratives.
The media battle raging in Cuba over the Russia-Ukraine war
"Young people are a sector considered a high priority for the Cuban state in its ideological battle"
Protests across Cambodia demand land rights
"The authorities should find a solution for the people, especially in this chronic land dispute that has not been solved."
Drone warfare: Can international humanitarian law catch up with the technology?
Drone warfare is becoming increasingly common in US-led military operations in the global south. Current international law is ill equipped make governments and companies accountable for such actions.
A Colombian view of Disney's ‘Encanto’
The film portrays "the positive and beautiful version of the country that we Colombians have always wanted to have"
Shanghai’s experiment on middle-way COVID-19 control model ends with citywide lockdown
Many believe that the decision for a large-scale lockdown signifies the failure of the Shanghai model, a middle path between the zero-COVID-19 and living with COVID-19 strategies.
‘Untimely’ death of soca singer Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart leaves Trinidad & Tobago in mourning
Having struggled with health issues and paid his dues in the soca music arena — he was told he was “too black,” “too fat” and “not marketable” — Blaxx's authenticity shone through.
There will be a world without Putin, but can we live in a world without Russia?
Cracking on Putin and his entourage seems the right thing to do now. But how can we keep a dialogue with his successor to avoid future wars?
What does Russia’s history of urban warfare in Aleppo and Grozny mean for Ukraine?
By weaponize refugees and using illegal munitions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will continue to exacerbate one of the worst humanitarian crises in Europe since World War II.
Unpacking India's struggle with recognizing same-sex marriage
Although India decriminalized consensual same-sex activity between adults in 2018, LGBTQ+ activists are still fighting for their rights because same-sex marriage is not recognized under Indian law.
Thai protesters march against new non-profit organization bill
"The law is being used to silence us and stop us from gathering together. But we still come together in protest and are prepared for whatever charges that follow."
In São Paulo, Brazil, a new church opens every week
In the last decade, São Paulo saw a 34% increase in Evangelical churches — a new church opening every week on average. Agência Mural spoke to specialists to understand the movement and consider the impact.
Podcast: A crisis, a royal tour, and the pandemic's impact on disabled Latinas
Today we visit Jamaica and Sri Lanka, and then heard about Latinas in different parts of the world.
Opacity and a lack of debate mark Brazil's ratification of the Budapest Convention
Experts warn that the roll-out was problematic, not least because the treaty may put citizen data in general at risk and open the way to criminalizing the work of InfoSec researchers and activists.
Keeping fakes under control: how legislation on disinformation turns into a censorship tool
In some countries, the legislative initiatives that operate with the terms fake news and disinformation become the instruments of surveillance, the silencing of voices, and the fight against dissent.
Indonesian ground reports from Ukraine under Russian invasion
The Indonesian government has no immediate plan to cease its embassy's activities in Kyiv.
Threatened with deportation in Thailand, a Lao activist seeks asylum in Canada
Khoukham is among the founders of Free Laos, a network of Lao workers in Thailand pushing for human rights in their home country. Thai authorities were seeking to deport him.