Stories about Weblog from December, 2020
China’s imposition of electricity restrictions this winter gets a chilly reception
Winter has come, yet many regions in southern China including Hunan, Zhejiang and Jiangxi have recently issued notifications on the limited supply of electricity.
Ecuador's transgender communities organize first-ever National Trans March
"We are fed up, we are tired of the social debt, of the State debt, of the commodification of the struggle of trans people."
Extension of Temporary Protection Status provides a moment of relief for Salvadoran immigrants in the US
"I live in constant fear that the TPS program will end before I find a way to become a permanent resident."
After years of protests, the Islamabad Zoo will convert into an animal sanctuary
A happy ending for 2020, a year when Pakistanis debated animal abuse like never before.
Trinidadian comedian uses humour to say gender-based violence isn't funny
By turning men's harassment of women on its head, comedian Simmy De Trini illustrates just how incongruous gender-based violence is with a progressive society.
Citing tweets and op-eds, Hong Kong police charges media tycoon Jimmy Lai with foreign collusion
Documents supporting Lai's collusion charge include social media posts, interviews with foreign media outlets, and meetings with foreign politicians and alleged donations to them.
What the international press did not understand about the demonstrations in Peru
The demonstrations in Peru were historic: 13 per cent of the nation actively participated, and 73 per cent supported the demonstrators. Why did the international press give it relatively little importance?
To revitalise their ‘severely endangered’ language, Gitxsan internet users get creative
The Indigenous Gitxsan language is under siege, but by harnessing the very technology that threatens to erase it, one Facebook Group, Gitxsan Got Talent, is renewing interest in the language.
‘Queer Japan’ documentary introduces Japan's vibrant, multifaceted LGTBQ+ community
The film features a variety of individuals involved in art, activism, nightlife, and politics in Japan.
Trinidad & Tobago's procurement regulation bill passes, but corruption concerns linger
On the eve of International Anti-Corruption Day, Trinidad and Tobago's Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed — by a single vote.
The fight against fake news: A restrictive policy for online freedom of expression in Senegal
In Senegal, the government’s attempts to control fake news raises questions about how to fight against it without infringing on rights and freedoms — particularly online freedom of expression.
Internet artist behind satirical Australia war crimes image hailed as a hero on Chinese social media
The satirical image of an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan child was shared by China’s Foreign Ministry's spokesman on Twitter, causing a row between the two countries.
Google Doodle of economist and Nobel laureate Sir Arthur Lewis makes the Caribbean proud
The St Lucian-born economist, who became known for his “Lewis model” of economic development, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1979.
Seven African governments employ surveillance spyware, says new study
Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have employed surveillance technology from Circles, a firm affiliated with Israel's NSO Group, according to the report by Citizen Lab.
Diary of a Nepali soldier in France
A diary written by a Gurkha sergeant in the British Army in 1914, during World War I, has revealed a whole new side to the Gurkha legend.
How I survived tear gas bombs dropped on protestors in Peru
"I left just in time, pressing onward and calling out for water, but there was no one to help. I felt like I was dying."
Hong Kong suppresses political dissent by freezing bank accounts
Pro-democracy activists believe that the banking system is being weaponized by the national security police to crack down on activists and pro-democracy NGOs.
Singaporean activist who staged a solo protest with a ‘smiley’ placard charged with illegal assembly
"I barely stayed in the area for more than several seconds. Yet, what I did has been deemed as a public protest by the State."
US in Syria: What to expect of the new administration?
Humanitarian considerations will be the main distinction between the two US administrations in Syria's war, where Washington vies to curb terrorist threats and Russia's influence in a vital region.
Sudan faces second COVID-19 wave amid drug shortages and doctors’ strike
Amid a second wave of the coronavirus in Sudan, a pharmaceutical shortage and doctors' strike demanding better working conditions is compounding the crisis.
Calls to legislate ‘private hire’ vehicles and stop victim-blaming as another woman is murdered in Trinidad & Tobago
Ashanti Riley was last seen getting into a Private Hire (PH) car, but she never arrived at her destination.