Stories about Weblog from October, 2020
Official obfuscation trails the Lagos shooting of anti-police protesters
To cover their tracks after the gunning down of unarmed, peaceful protesters, some Nigerian state institutions are promoting false information and propaganda on social media.
Fighting disinformation and fact-checking the Myanmar election
Global Voices interviewed Thet Min, fact-checker for ‘Real or not’ fact-checking news website, about their efforts to expose and stop disinformation in Myanmar ahead of the November 8 elections.
Japan's ‘least attractive’ prefecture gets a little more love in 2020
After ranking last for seven consecutive years, Ibaraki jumped up five spots on an annual survey ranking Japan's prefectures by "attractiveness."
Indian ad featuring Hindu-Muslim family pulled after rightwing backlash
The advert by jewellery brand Tanishq shows a Hindu woman being led by her Muslim mother-in-law to a traditional Hindu baby shower.
In Haiti, homophobic movements use anti-colonial rhetoric against LGBTQI+ communities
Attempts to increase visibility of the LGBTQI+ community in Haiti are being stifled
During the pandemic, El Salvador hopes to revive tourism with a folkloric art rebrand
"To recover the identity and pride of being Salvadorans, today we launch the destination brand El Salvador inspired by the work of Fernando Llort."
Who is selling Ukrainians’ personal data online and for what purposes?
A trove of Ukrainians'' personal data available online as a consequence of leaks or illegal sale creates ripe conditions for targeted dissemination of malicious content ahead of October 25 local elections.
Nigerian military opens fire on peaceful protesters in Lagos
Nigerian security officials opened fire on protesters in Lekki, Lagos, reportedly killing at least three people. Civil society groups say the government has "declared a war on the people."
#EndSARS protest movement at a crossroads as government evades the issue
The Nigerian government has shown zero commitment to protesters’ demands for police reform but wallows in self-deluding verbal platitudes that are as ineffectual as they are dishonest.
Ending police brutality in Nigeria: A festival of lights to honor the dead
Protesters from the #EndSARS movement agreed to hold a festival of lights on Friday night in honor of heroes who lost their lives due to police brutality.
Thailand's democracy protests reflect rising dissatisfaction over the monarchy
Criticizing the monarchy is a crime in Thailand yet protesters, especially young activists, continue to organize rallies calling for monarchy reforms.
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part III
Reparatory justice can play an important role in dealing with challenges like disease, climate change and COVID-19, all of which pose existential threats to the region.
Marine ecosystems and livelihoods at risk if Venezuelan oil tanker sinks
The FSO Nabarima, a tanker filled with approximately 1.3 million barrels of crude oil, is in imminent danger of sinking and causing an ecological disaster in the Gulf of Paria.
Understanding pandemic fatigue
As we continue to struggle to maintain safety measures, it is important for us to shift from a culture of blaming to one that supports and leads with kindness.
Australian sexual assault victims blast Tinder dating app's safety practices
"Yet again, women are not believed, and are diminished and devalued. Horrific stories of sexual assault and harassment."
Devastating fires rage in Argentina as economic interests become key suspect
"The country burns because of agribusiness and real estate speculation. Where there was fire, today there are soybeans and machines ready for construction."
‘A Fearless Song': Guatemalan women protest violence against women through music
"We sing without fear, we ask for justice; we shout for every disappeared woman"
Caribbean alphabet series provides lots of laughs on TikTok
Laughter has become a critical coping mechanism in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in an era of social media "influencers," can anyone lay claim to originality?
The Caribbean's case for reparations: Part II
"We transformed these broken colonies into functional democracies without any support […] and now we have this debt crisis because we were abandoned by those who plundered our wealth."
K-Pop band BTS targeted by Chinese netizens over Korean War comments
BTS leader Kim Nam-joon paid tribute to the U.S. and South Korea in the 70th anniversary of the war. Chinese netizens say he should have acknowledged Chinese deaths too.
After three months of anti-government protests in Bulgaria, what’s at stake?
A prominent politician treated a public beach as his private property. Now, broad public demonstrations demanding the total overhaul of a corrupt political system.