Stories about WORLD from January, 2021
A social media blackout persists in Uganda, weeks after the election
Uganda's longtime leader Yoweri Museveni was reelected for a sixth term, as rival Bobi Wine alleges massive irregularities, state inspired violence, intimidation and harassment.
WATCH: ‘The Milk Tea Alliance'—Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong's unified fight for democracy’
Missed the live-stream of the Global Voices Insights webinar on the "Milk Tea Alliance"? Here's a replay.
Mozambican football back in action with the debut of all-women referee trio
Known as Moçambola, Mozambique's main professional football league restarted on 16 January after 10 months' suspension due to the pandemic.
Famed Serbian film director arrested after former students accuse him of rape
The scandal has captured the Balkans' social media conversation in recent weeks.
Google’s plans for Saudi-based Cloud is ‘dangerous,’ says digital rights advocacy group
"With data stored in Saudi Arabia, Google and Snap will find themselves with little ability to resist government demands for users’ personal information."
Pandemic soca: How COVID-19 is shaping the sound of Trinidad & Tobago's cancelled Carnival
There may be no physical Carnival celebrations this year, but Trinbagonian soca artists are still churning out songs, many of them around the theme of COVID-19.
Critics warn Malaysia’s state of emergency could undermine democracy
"Members of the public should not be treated as enemies and be dealt with by military personnel."
Indigenous-led telecommunications organization wins historic legal battle in Mexico
The Indigenous-led telecommunications organization can continue to provide affordable cell phone access to local communities in Oaxaca.
Landmark ruling opens the way for environmental transparency in Trinidad and Tobago
Communities celebrate judgement that supports full access to the findings of Environmental Impact Assessments.
Settlement pacts in Syria's Daraa: A hunt for dissidents
"Regime violations are not new...People of Dara'a were killed by air shelling and internationally-banned weapons. Thousands have been arrested. What is new is their silent death; death licensed by treaties."
In Tanzania, full-throttle COVID-19 denial leaves citizens without access to public health information
Since March 2020, the Tanzanian government has gone silent on the coronavirus with no data released to the public on infections or deaths.
Japanese skincare company faces online backlash and boycott after CEO's racist remarks
Critics are also drawing attention to the DHC's connections to the Japanese far-right and its efforts to distribute conspiracy theories online.
Thai woman receives 43-year sentence for sharing audio clips ‘defaming’ the monarchy
"Although her sentence was reduced to 43 years, it’s still too harsh & unnecessary cruel. Should a defamation case land someone several decades in jail?"
Hypocrisy vs history debate follows death of former Yugoslav actress Mira Furlan
The legendary Babylon 5 actress was hounded from her home in Zagreb in 1991 because she opposed chauvinistic nationalism; she rebuilt her life and career from scratch in the USA.
A Zimbabwean journalist, two opposition politicians jailed for tweets about police brutality
Hopewell Chin’ono, Job Sikhala and Fadzai Mahere were arrested for tweeting about a police officer who allegedly beat a baby to death while enforcing COVID-19 regulations.
Why can't women be marriage registrars in Bangladesh?
A recent court rule in Bangladesh denying women to be marriage registrars has sparked heated debates as women and human rights activists question the basis of the judgement.
Protests mount over Israeli medical apartheid during pandemic
Israel completely leaves out Palestinians under its occupation in its highly successful COVID-19 vaccination drive, already covering over a quarter of its population since mid-December.
Russian protesters rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny
Unusually large numbers of Russian citizens are protesting against the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexey Navalny - on the street and on TikTok.
A hip-hop band plays exclusively on traditional instruments to forge a new Kazakhstani identity
An experimental musical project is trying to reverse the widespread disregard for rural traditions by taking contemporary music and performing it on traditional instruments.
Join us LIVE on January 29 for ‘The Milk Tea Alliance: Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong's unified fight for democracy’
Join us for a lively discussion about the impact of the transnational youth protest movement which united countries in Asia in the fight for democracy.
Chinese-Australian cartoonist Badiucao walks a fine line to avoid being politically hijacked
For Badiucao, the best way to spread the message of universal human rights is through his art, but even within Australia's Chinese communities, the narratives are both complex and nuanced.
