Featured stories from September 2019
Stories from September, 2019
Global rally to urge U.S. congress to vote for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act
'This is a plea for universal human rights, for democracy and for the freedom to choose…'
Cameroon’s amputee football team set to miss first international debut
The Cameroon amputee team was formed in March last year and needs international participation to get recognized by the World Amputee Football Federation. Their journey has been daunting.
The little-known beauty of rice sheaf artistry from India and Nepal
The tradition of decorating houses with rice sheaves woven into beautiful forms is slowly disappearing.
Netizen Report: Anti-corruption protests across Egypt trigger internet blockages, arrests
Censorship spikes as protests mount in Egypt, Twitter censors hundreds of pro-state accounts and a Pakistani court delivers a win for free speech online.
Caring for Myanmar’s orphaned elephants
Myanmar's wild elephants are under serious threat from poaching, with elephants being killed at the alarming rate of one a week.
How was Pope Francis’ visit to Mozambique?
Pope Francis visited Mozambique from 4 to 6 September.
Altamira: the Amazonian city enduring forest fires, prison violence, and anti-indigenous threats
Brazil's champion city in deforestation is also one of its most violent
A snapshot of climate strikes across Southeast Asia
The protest actions in Southeast Asia highlighted various issues such as the impact of large-scale mining, haze pollution, and continuing dependence on fossil fuels.
Russia's return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: Diplomacy or defeat?
Amending the Council of Europe’s (CoE) sanctioning rules to restore Russia’s voting rights in its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has divided democracy and human rights advocates.
Trinidad & Tobago government unimpressed with BBC report on Venezuelan refugees
A BBC report about Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago has not been well received by locals. Many feel the report did not portray an accurate representation of the situation.
Zanzibar's one and only music academy on the brink of closure
For the 1,800 talented students who have trained at the DCMA, this is the only musical home they know, where they can learn and grow as professional musicians and artists.
Broken bones, internal bleeding: Hong Kong police used ‘reckless, indiscriminate’ tactics during protests, says Amnesty
"...police officers meted out violence prior to and during arrests, even when the individual had been restrained. The use of force was clearly excessive, violating international human rights law."
Netizen Report: Pro-government doxxing campaigns rock Hong Kong, Serbia
Doxxing is all the rage in Hong Kong and Serbia, an Indian judge delivers a win for internet rights, and Facebook debuts plans for its oversight board.
Serbian journalists expose a ruling party bot application used to manipulate readers’ comments on media websites
Investigative journalists discovered that a mobile application linked to their country's ruling party IP address was used for automatic voting on user comments on websites of popular media outlets.
Trinidad & Tobago government to rethink Sedition Act
"What is needed is an urgent amendment of the Act to qualify seditious intention by adding a specific requirement that the prohibited acts and statements must urge forceful/violent action."
Azerbaijanis wary of new ‘morality police’
Progressive Baku residents see "morality police" as immoral, and experts say the move will ultimately be ineffective.
Yale-NUS college draws criticism in Singapore after canceling a class on ‘dialogue and dissent’
"If we cannot make space and listen to the person that says no, then democracy dies. It’s that fundamental."
China Central Television urges netizens to doxx Hong Kong protesters and reporters
The state-run TV helped publicise doxxing site hkleaks.ru, which targeted pro-democracy lawmakers, student activists and journalists in Hong Kong.
In a Pakistani town, Hindu-Muslim relations are tested after a Hindu temple is vandalised
"[The] government ought to arrest those ruined the Temple and school, no one has the right to harm other religious places."
Popular Twitter thread highlights dozens of examples of Japan's ‘Bubble-era’ PoMo architecture
Every corner of Japan features examples of postmodern architecture.
Why the Bahamas needs kindness right now
The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season has been a frightening one — and the climate crisis makes it even scarier for small islands. But we can rise above the fear by giving.
