Stories from September, 2019
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.
Once hotbeds of political resistance, Czech secondhand bookstores are slowly disappearing
The few surviving "antikvariat" have turned into nostalgia museums.
Cameroon on a path to ‘national dialogue’ as Anglophone crisis continues
Cameroon's national dialogues were announced amidst ongoing violence and a new surge of refugees fleeing insecurity — including intimidation, lockdowns and school closures — in the Anglophone northwest and southwest regions.
Five years after an HIV outbreak in a Cambodian commune, villagers feel forgotten
"When the outbreak of this disease happened, there was an increase in both national and international aid for them. But later on, it seems quiet."
Rediscovering the riches of St Petersburg's Muslim heritage
"Muslims are not just guests in this city, but were once its masters and some of its earliest inhabitants."
Indian authorities approve uranium exploration in Nallamala Forest, sparking protests
The Chenchu indigenous community, environmentalists and civic bodies protest proposed uranium mining in the Nallamala Forest located in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states in India.
A day in the life of a bamboo shoot harvester in Myanmar
Meet Ko Pho La, a bamboo shoot harvester living in Kyee Bin Village in Irrawaddy Region.
A professor's self-immolation puts the spotlight on the fragile future of Russia's minority languages
Many people discussing Razin's death seem bewildered that anyone would use minority languages in daily life, let alone die for them—an attitude by no means limited to Russia.
Street-side vendors of Zanzibar’s iconic ‘kanga’ textiles forced to close up shop after 30 years
Kanga sellers in Stone Town, Zanzibar, were told their street-side stalls are "unauthorized informal businesses" that clutter passageways, impinge on Stone Town's original charm and reduces its value.
Internet shutdowns and the right to access in Sudan: A post-revolution perspective
In response to a five-week long shutdown, a court ordered telecommunications companies to apologise to customers.
Filipino community radio stations struggle to survive amid attacks and difficulties
"If the marginalized are underserved by the mass media establishment, they must be allowed to be their own voice."
Tobago's coral bleaching alert makes it clear there is ‘no alternative’ to fighting the climate crisis
As warmer ocean temperatures wreak havoc on coral reefs around Tobago and other islands in the Caribbean Sea, we talk to a biologist who is concerned for their future.
Jamaica remembers Hurricane Gilbert, but is the island prepared for a Dorian?
As the climate crisis worsens and the islands of the Caribbean often bear the brunt of the storms' wrath, the time for talk is over.
Muharram in Pakistan: Daring to observe Ashura
Sectarian violence against Shia Muslims and Shia Hazara communities are common in Pakistan. Yet people came out in their numbers once again this year for Muharram, amidst tight security.
New finance minister of North Macedonia faces sexist attacks online
The spokesperson of the main opposition party wrote a Facebook post about the new minster's appointment that was filled with misogynistic language.
Siberians appeal to world leaders via YouTube to save them from coal smoke
"This winter, the whole world saw our black snow. We were gasping for air because of coal dust. Why do we have to live in such intolerable conditions?"
Netizen Report: Malicious attack takes Wikipedia offline
This week, Wikipedia went dark, Raul Castro got kicked off Twitter and the internet finally came back to Papua.
Locked down in Kashmir: A traveler's view
It's been more than a month since the Indian government placed the state of Kashmir on lockdown. A Bangladeshi traveller shares her experience of visiting the region during that period.
A proposed administrative shift in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church stokes ethnic, religious tensions
Oromo clerics say the EOTC expects Oromo churchgoers to worship in Ge’ez, the church’s liturgical language, or Amharic, the working language of Ethiopia's federal government.