Stories from December, 2018
An all-female flight crew makes history in Mozambique
For the first time in the country's civil aviation history, an airplane was operated entirely by women.
Russian reporter who faked his own murder named a ‘person of the year’ by TIME magazine
TIME ignored the murder of three journalists while including a staged one. Why couldn’t both be included?
Angola expels thousands of Congolese migrants in crackdown on illegal diamond mining
"Suddenly, on Monday, we saw youths from the Chokwe community with Angolan policemen starting to burn the homes of those perceived to be foreigners."
Removal of Filipino language and literature as required college subjects sparks opposition
"We believe that Filipino language and literature is vital in deepening the critical, creative, free, and liberating capacities of students and people."
Women entrepreneurs break barriers in Kashmir
"...I get negative comments on social media, even by women, but I think these comments given to me have helped me grow from a better person to a better designer"
In Madagascar, costly presidential campaigns don't add up to a better life for citizens
"One cannot expect clean politics which have been financed by corrupt money." The combination of secret financing and corruption is a real threat to the legitimacy of Madagascar's elections.
Serbian internet users ridicule disinformation broadcast by pro-government media
Local media misinformed the public about the scale and scope of the protest, sparking a cascade of online criticism.
Crackdown in Beijing: ‘Using Twitter is more dangerous than street demonstrations’
The number of Twitter users who have been directly threatened by authorities is estimated to be in the hundreds or even more.
Singapore government threatens critics and independent media with defamation claims
"How can a prime minister be offended by someone sharing a Facebook post?"
Lebanese journalist goes on trial for covering migrant worker abuse allegations
Lebanon's Cybercrimes Bureau also asked him to sign a pledge to not speak about the case again, but he refused.
Buju Banton, controversial dancehall star, comes home — but is Jamaica ready?
"In light of the adversity I have encountered, I feel the need to stress that my only desire going forward is peace and love."
For the first time, a digital security app is available in Aymara thanks to Bolivian language activists
"For us, language is our identity. If we lose our language, we lose our traditions, our culture, our stories, our ancestral knowledge -- we lose everything."
Japan Times backtracks on editorial policy redefining ‘comfort women’ and ‘forced labor’
"We can discuss nuance all day long, but at the end of the day, it was Japan that invaded Korea and used slave labor."
Massive farmers’ march highlights India’s stark inequality
In 2018, Indian farmers staged two big protests to draw the Central Government's attention to the deepening agrarian crisis and resulting farmer suicides. Will these really change their future?
Major drug bust highlights the no-nonsense style of Trinidad & Tobago's top cop
"As much as we may wish it to be otherwise, Gary Griffith is not the answer to our prayers but the symptom of our failure."
New internet laws in Russia — and US tech giants’ acquiescence — spell trouble for dissenting voices
These new laws and rules, along with other laws regulating the collection of online user data, makes it difficult to use online platforms to voice discontent in Russia.
France seeks three high-ranking Syrian officials in the deaths of French-Syrian nationals
The three officials are wanted in connection with the detention and subsequent disappearance of two French-Syrian nationals, Mazen Dabbagh and his son Patrick.
Trinidad & Tobago court rules Olympian's dreams were killed by ‘biased’ gymnastics federation
The whole fiasco had more twists and turns than a gymnastics routine, but many believe Williams' forced withdrawal was illegal and her attorneys have been fighting for justice ever since.
Sri Lankan Court temporarily bars disputed Prime Minister Rajapaksa from office
The battle over who will get to be the official Sri Lankan Prime Minister continues with the latest decision temporarily barring disputed PM Rajapaksa from office.
AMLO, Mexico's new pacifist president, will create a militarised police force to fight street crime
As Mexico enters the twelfth year of its armed conflict, the president-elect sparks controversy proposing to militarize the police.
Netizen Report: Who else is being silenced in Saudi Arabia?
Jamal Khashoggi's murder forces light on other abuses in Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh blocks Skype and China goes after Twitter users.