Stories about Weblog from August, 2023
A plea to protect Jamaica's wild birds
Trappers have been piggybacking on the island's hunting season, which is currently open, but still limited in terms of which bird species can be considered fair game.
Central Asian presidents cannot stop appointing their relatives to high-level posts
The most glaring example of this practice is the current president of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimukhamedov, who succeeded his father Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov in 2022.
Elections and Power Dynamics in Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa was re-elected as president in an election that has been called "blatant and massive fraud" by the opposition.
China retaliates as Japan discharges treated radioactive water from Fukushima
China is the only country in the world that bans seafood from Japan over Fukushima discharge of treated radioactive wastewater.
Trinidad & Tobago is used to heat, but not quite like this
The fact that Trinidad and Tobago lies 10° north of the equator, coupled with the warming of the planet caused by climate change, has made the heat that much more unbearable.
Denyse Plummer, Trinidad & Tobago's unlikely calypso queen, leaves a legacy of passion, praise and patriotism
"She shattered barriers and paved the way for female calypsonians, demonstrating that the power of one's voice transcends gender and background."
If adopted, Tajikistan’s draft law on bloggers will do more harm than good
In the last few years, the country has recorded significant backsliding with regards to freedom of expression as well as overall political freedoms.
‘Stop the dump’: Pacific communities protest Japan’s release of treated nuclear water
"If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo! If it is safe, test it in Paris! If it is safe, store it in Washington! But keep our Pacific nuclear free!"
Michael Anthony, Trinidad & Tobago's ‘oldest living writer’ who vividly captured Caribbean life, dies at 93
"Anthony [depicted] adolescent and rural life in a way that no other writer has done. He will go down as probably the most widely read Caribbean writer of our generation."
PhD student from Gabon killed in Russia's fourth largest city
PhD student from Gabon François Ndzhelassili was murdered in Yekaterinburg, in what appears to be a racially motivated killing at a time when Putin has turned to the Global South in search of support.
Writer suffers threats and intimidation in Mozambique after book publication
The author revealed that he was being threatened anonymously by people who thought that a book with such a title should not be released.
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash. Did Russians know who he was?
In a poll conducted in Russia three weeks after the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner group, only a third of respondents (33%) said they knew about “the military crisis that occurred in Russia on June 24.”
Did the Myanmar junta build the ‘world’s biggest Buddha statue’ to whitewash its crimes?
Myanmar’s military regime unveiled a large Maravijaya Buddha statue in a massive religious ceremony, which critics describe as an attempt to distract from the junta’s brutal leadership.
Unsustainable living in uptown Kingston, Jamaica
Global Voices contributor Emma Lewis is thinking of downsizing, but the cracks in the homes she's touring may point to more deep-seated issues around Kingston's "rash of new 'development'.”
What a country at war can look like: A journey across Ukraine in photos
Life is flourishing in Ukraine but subtle signs and reminders of the full-scale war can be seen and felt even in the places most distant from the actual frontline.
Madagascar to host the 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games
However, Malagasy national pride appears to have been overshadowed. The government announced that the games' opening and closing ceremonies would be led by Chinese choreographers.
Nayib Bukele with an easy path to a second presidential term in El Salvador
Bukele's mediatic power and popular 'iron fist' methods against crime may give him an easy route to reelection, despite concerns about human rights and constitutional violations.
Christian community comes under attack in Pakistan once again
On 16th August, over 19 churches and 80 Christian homes were vandalised by an angry mob reacting to an alleged incident of blasphemy in Jaranwala, a town in Faisalabad, Punjab province.
How Turkey’s opposition elite enabled Erdoğan and misled voters
Ahead of and during Turkey's general elections in May 2023, much of the influential opposition media outlets, with its commentators and journalists, were in a state of euphoria.
China is on the precipice of its own major financial crisis
Many are worried that the bankruptcy of Evergrande will trigger a domino effect that extends that crisis from the property to the finance sector.
Young people have increasing role ahead of Senegal's presidential elections: Interview with Gilles Yabi
After the incumbent president announced he would not seek reelection, Senegalese young people mobilize ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.