Stories from January, 2022
Passengers stranded at Istanbul Airport stage a protest
Videos of passengers demanding accommodation made rounds on Twitter after thousands of travellers were stranded at the new Istanbul airport as a result of bad weather conditions and cancelled flights.
Why a writer is on trial for calling Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s son obese
An unapologetic critic of the Museveni government, Kakwenza rose to prominence in April 2020 when he was arrested and detained for a week by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence.
Belarusian cyberactivists claim railway system hack to protest Russian troop movements
The hacker collective said it would be prepared to hand over encryption keys if 50 Belarusian political prisoners were released and the presence of Russian troops in Belarus was “prevented.”
Mourning the death of the Bengali author and publisher who opened a door to world literature
Qazi Anwar Hussain singlehandedly popularised the mystery-thriller genre in Bengali literature, published translations of world classics and gave the Bengali readership the taste of Western, mystery and classic literature.
Georgian PM gifted his wife part of a state-owned forest
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has come under fire after the government leased almost 6,000 square meters of publicly owned forest in the resort town of Bakuriani to his wife.
Flights to resume between Turkey and Armenia
Following the meeting in Moscow, the two countries announced the charter flights operated by the Turkish budget carrier Pegasus Airlines and Moldovan low-cost airline FlyOne would resume operations effective February 2.
In Turkey, a singer defies threats with a new song
The president, speaking after Friday noon prayer, said "no one can defame his holiness Adam. It is our duty, to rip out the tongues of those who do when necessary."
Ibex in the Yemeni civilization: a historical symbolism being revived
Numbers of the ibex in Yemen shrank drastically over the past three decades due to over-hunting, especially in Hadhramout and Shabwa, with fears of it going extinct.
As Kenyans prepare for a general election, how will officials combat fake news?
Is this election likely to be any different? These fact-checking startups have recently stepped up their efforts to counter fake news and prevent a hijack of Kenya's democracy.
Media crackdown continues ahead of coup anniversary in Myanmar
"He is the third journalist to be killed in Myanmar in less than a month, in a sign of the absolutely unacceptable practices increasingly employed by the junta."
What Samuel Eto’o’s ascension to football leadership means to Cameroon
Cameroonians have been desperate to see a change at FECAFOOT. They don’t only hope to see a huge transformation in the management of football, they actually expect it.
Internet watchdog finds encryption flaw in mandatory Chinese Olympic app
Athletes, journalists and all other attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics are required to use the My2022 app but data submitted through the app may be intercepted.
Clean sweep for incumbent Mia Mottley in Barbados’ first election as a republic
"Regardless of political affiliation, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has cemented her place in Barbados’ history."
Gang truce or not, President Bukele is still popular in El Salvador
Despite international condemnation of Bukele's use of military and authoritarian governing style, most Salvadorans continue to trust in Bukele.
Lagos’ train acquisition is Wisconsin's loss
The train acquisition by Nigeria’s Lagos State gave closure for a local toxic partisan politics between Wisconsin’s Democrats and Republicans that resulted in the trains being unused for ten years.
Australian town of Onslow hits record 50.7 degrees Celsius, as global warming rolls on relentlessly
A disaster film occurring daily in real time... Rising ocean temps are inextricably linked to massive extreme weather/climate events, destabilization of Antarctic ice shelves and massive sea level rise
Were the Kazakhstani protests predictable?
Researchers found the root causes of popular dissatisfaction in Kazakhstan already in place in late 2019. Similar demands were at the core of the January protests that shook the country.
Fans mourn Narayan Debnath, creator of the first Bengali comic-strip superhero
On January 18, 2022, Indian comic artist and illustrator Narayan Debnath passed away at the age of 96 in a hospital in Kolkata after prolonged illness. His fans are mourning on social media.
Police violently break up Afghan refugee protest in Indonesia
Some refugees in Indonesia have been in limbo for more than 10 years. Protesters gathered outside the UNHCR building in Medan to call for resettlement and demand better living conditions.
The Hong Kong government ordered 2,000 rodents culled. Netizens are organizing to save them
Outraged by the Hong Kong government's decision to cull some 2,000 rodents, netizens organized to save the hamsters themselves.
Tobago ditches ‘colonial’ dress code, waits for its sister isle, Trinidad, to catch up
“To refuse service to anyone for any reason related to dress codes are discriminatory, classist, and rooted in colonialism and segregation.”