Stories from 17 August 2022
A voice from the islands: Grenada’s environment minister appointed UN climate change chief
Commentators made it clear that Simon Stiell would have plenty of work on his plate, suggesting that there are specific, daunting and complex issues to be addressed.
In Brazil and India we are seeing an increase in tensions between platforms and states
Research from the Unfreedom Monitor uncovers a pattern in the way that social media and tech platforms engage with states that practise digital authoritarianism.
Uzbekistan’s cancelled Silk Road Literary Festival reveals leftover Karimov mindset
The Uzbek Union of Writers' grievances against the Silk Road Festival Committee speak to the institution's continuing need to exercise a monopoly on the definition of Uzbek literature.
Rising sea levels in Bangladesh are driving women to take the pill to stop menstruating
Many girls and women in the coastal areas of Bangladesh who don't have access to fresh water are taking birth control pills, often stolen from married women to stop their periods.
Taiwan withdraws from hosting WorldPride 2025 over naming controversy
The WorldPride 2025 Taiwan Preparation Committee withdrew from hosting the global LGBTQ+ event as the organizer, InterPride, insisted on changing the title of the event from WorldPride Taiwan 2025” to “WorldPride Kaohsiung 2025."