Stories from February, 2019
Global Voices becomes primary source for global translation competition in Czech Republic
"Global Voices. . . provides articles on interesting and fresh topics that come in several language versions, translated by native speakers, and using contemporary language and an accessible style."
‘Space is about dreaming’ — an interview with International Space University president
"We hope that space will not become a space of confrontation (...) Space makes children dream and all of humanity as well."
Singaporean activist sentenced to 16 days in jail after hosting video chat with HK youth leader Joshua Wong
"There’s no sentence that I’d consider fair, because he should never have been charged."
Mozambican's garbage-themed act wows audiences on Italian TV talent show
When explaining his performance to the jurors, Amós mentioned Hulene, Maputo's single waste disposal site where a garbage slide in 2018 killed 16 people.
Catalonian football team expelled from competition after players insult female squad
"It seems that every time #futfem takes a step forward, some men have to come out their caves and make a scene"."Iros a la cocina, iros a fregar, sois unas mierdas, sois unas guarras": así insultaron los veteranos del Terrassa FC a sus compañeras del equipo femenino.
Tension between India and Pakistan mounts after terror attack in Kashmir
"amidst the political upheaval, some are urging the public to remember that when there is violence -- everyone suffers"
Facebook, robot vacuum cleaner and pro-surveillance politician voted worst privacy intruders in Czech Republic
The Big Brother “anti-awards” ceremony is designed to shame those who violate people's rights to privacy and data protection.
As Putin preaches ‘sovereignty’ and tech modernization, experts lament loss of online freedoms
As Vladimir Putin promises Russians a faster, more reliable internet, two reports by independent expert groups paint an unrelentingly bleak picture of more crackdowns on online freedom of speech.
Samoa arrested blogger ‘King Faipopo’ accused of defaming prime minister
"New legislation, based on old criminal libel laws from colonial times, forces Samoa leaders to look backwards, not forwards."
Kashmiri students face persecution in India after 46 soldiers were killed in terror attack
Kashmiri students face violence and discrimination after a terror attack that killed 46 soldiers.
Bangladeshi government targets world's largest Bengali blogging platform in porn censorship spree
The incidents of moral policing and the extension of the ban to a Bangla blogging platform and Google Books suggest that the authority's definition of “objectionable” may go far beyond.
Can Jordan offer some lessons to oil-dependent ‘giants’ on renewable energy?
Jordan is the only Arab country in the region with an attractive market for commercial-scale solar.
Netizen Report: Both Bangladesh and South Korea are waging a ‘war on porn’ — and paving the way for political censorship
South Korea and Bangladesh are blocking porn and "obscene" content, Venezuela is blocking YouTube, and Uzbekistan has finally stopped blocking Facebook and VK.
A look at Syria's long history of feminist movements
"The 2011 revolution was a revolution against everything, and so the women had a role as revolutionary activists at the forefront of the revolution"
Hungary's Viktor Orbán is pouring cash into military sports and historical reenactments to boost patriotism
This approach matches the broader education strategy of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose government has rewritten the national curriculum multiple times to include military training and military history.
Female Brazilian legislator attacked on social media for revealing outfit
"The participation of women in society is so tiny that a neckline can become a huge issue."
A Tibetan-Canadian student was attacked online after winning student council elections. She thinks Beijing is to blame.
Chemi Lhamo faced a barrage of threatening comments on social media from overseas students who appeared to be from mainland China.
To change the system from within or without: the dilemma for feminists in ‘New Armenia’
Most feminists concede that the new government is not quite educated on what women’s movements are about. But many have been forgiving, at least for now.
150 years of Ceylon Tea: A day in the life of a plantation worker
The wages Sri Lankan plantation workers earn are nowhere near enough to bear the costs of living for the family, so many are forced to look for work elsewhere.
‘Man returns to his native Xinjiang and disappears’ — a story too common for the headlines
Nurbolat Shalayit is one of hundreds of thousands of Xinjiang minorities whose current whereabouts are uncertain.
Azerbaijan leader gives first TV interview after 15 years in office. He could use more practice.
"My conclusion: the government is very worried!"