Stories about Weblog from November, 2019
Soaring onion prices create panic in Bangladesh
The onion crisis is escalating in Bangladesh with delays from traditional import partners and prices increasing six-fold. The government is air-lifting onions to meet the demand.
Turbulence in Moldova after ‘anti-oligarchic’ government falls
Moldova's ruling alliance was temporary and uneasy, widely considered to be unnatural but necessary. The biggest question was not whether but for how long it would last.
Disinformation and hate speech hide behind freedom of speech, says Slovenian journalist
"If you say 'I would put migrants up against the wall and shoot them,' a court will not prosecute you."
Victory for transgender students at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University
Prior to this development, Chulalongkorn University had no official protocol for transgender students wishing to dress according to their gender identity.
130 civil society groups call on Myanmar military to drop charges against civilians
"The military are the government’s staff. If they are doing wrong, citizens have a right to point it out. Citizens have a right to speak out,”
A new wave of pedophilia and child abuse strikes Pakistan
Despite the existence of severe punishments for such crimes, the number of child abuse cases are growing rapidly in Pakistan.
In Jamaica, ‘road madness’ leads to increased fatalities — and call to action
Nearly every Jamaican has been affected in some way by the steadily climbing number of road traffic fatalities, but the obstacles to road safety are many — from corruption to behaviour.
Messages in motion: The art of Swahili sayings on public transport in Zanzibar
"They know that people will comment on the condition of their vehicle, or the way they drive. . . and they want to block you — they want you to laugh instead."
Hong Kong Polytechnic University on fire after violent clashes between protesters and police
As riot police stormed another university campus in Hong Kong, protesters set fire to create barricades.
Fear and uncertainty: The life of Georgians in Gali
For ethnic Georgians in breakaway Abkhazia, life is a bureaucratic nightmare.
Tashkent theatre offers window into Japanese internment after World War II
Of all the Japanese interned for forced labour by the Soviet Union after the end of the war, about 25,000 were taken to Uzbekistan.
Antigua & Barbuda wants Harvard Law School to ‘make amends’ for the gains it enjoyed from slavery
"Admitting that Harvard benefited greatly from the backs of slaves in Antigua and making a few token changes to [...] a shield does nothing to correct the grave injustice."
Iranian-Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani free at last from Australian offshore detention
"I just arrived in New Zealand. So exciting to get freedom after more than six years."
Malaysian writer faces probe after publishing a book about her decision to not wear a hijab
"It is important for us to remind the government that freedom of expression is not a crime and freedom of religious beliefs is not an insult to Islam."
Your guide to the 2019 Sri Lankan presidential election
On 16 November 2019, Sri Lankans are going to the polls to elect a new president. Learn more about the major players and check out our list of useful resources.
University of the Philippines unveils new subject on the Marcos dictatorship to counter historical revisionism
The new subject can be a platform for the “conscientization” of young Filipinos on the importance of human rights, social justice and the continuing struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.
Hong Kong's university campuses turned into battlefields amidst a three-day strike
Clashes between police and student activists started the first day of the general strike on 11 November as some protesters attempted to create roadblocks to disrupt traffic.
‘Brazil might not be a dictatorship, but it's not a democracy either,’ says Brazilian journalist
Mário Magalhães wrote a book about 2018, the year that changed Brazil forever.
In Mozambique, Frelimo's landslide electoral victory rejected by opposition
Frelimo also elected 184 out of 250 seats of the unicameral legislative and all 10 provincial governors.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong responds to Thai Army Chief
Joshua Wong gives updates on the Hong Kong protest and addresses allegations by Gen Apirat Kongsompong, Thai Royal Army Chief.
Stubble burning and polluted rivers choke India's capital
This year, the Indian national capital region is facing a severe pollution crisis as smog grows out of control and toxic foam covers the badly-polluted Yamuna River.
