Stories from September, 2018
Do Macedonians want their country to join NATO and the EU? A historic referendum will decide
The September 30 referendum explicitly asks: 'Are you in favour of EU and NATO membership by accepting the Agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?'
Indian football is fighting a losing battle to keep its fans
A decent outing for the national team at next year's AFC Asian Cup might help lift some of the gloom surrounding the sport.
As Colombia's peace process falters, scores of social activists are being killed
"How much longer [will this go on] and how many more [will die]?"
Nepalese citizens fight against impunity with the “Rage Against Rape” campaign
"...what is happening to girls who are suffering in silence? Are we always going to play reactionary politics or improve our justice system?"
A new indie film festival features the struggles and triumphs of indigenous Papua, Indonesia
The film festival "highlights the issues of the indigenous people of Papua through documentary films as well as to build public awareness of the important issues impacting them.”
As xenophobic policies sweep Central and Eastern Europe, refugee aid is criminalized
While the numbers of refugees entering Europe decrease, political hysteria against them, and civil society organizations that help them in Central and Eastern Europeis on the rise.
A sea-change in Maldives politics as opposition presidential candidate declares a win
As of 2 a.m. in the Maldives (GMT+5) Solih "said he had won by a 16 percent margin over incumbent Abdulla Yameen" and urged for a peaceful transition.
Amidst typhoon rescue efforts in Japan, a Taiwanese diplomat dies. Did misinformation play a role?
Some hearsay even claimed that Taiwanese had to proclaim themselves as Chinese in order to get on the buses. The news had enraged [Taiwanese] netizens.
Beijing authorities slam Swedish police for humiliating Chinese tourists, but there's another side to the story
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to make use of the incident to stir patriotic sentiment to exercise pressure on Swedish government. But netizens know ... what’s right and wrong."
Venezuelans say they are unable to access key Google services
Reports of new Internet blocks sound alarms and point to a possible escalation in communication and information control.
Journalist's expulsion from restaurant leads to debate about racism in Angola
"...racism in Angola is nothing new; however, people prefer to pretend nothing is happening."
A film about a Montenegrin freedom fighter seeks to keep anti-fascist values alive
"By sharing the story of an ordinary person's struggle, we wanted to remind younger generations how the rights we now enjoy were won..."
Uighurs in the laogai: how China's persecution of a minority turned my fiction into fact
"In 2017, 21% of all arrests made in China took place in Xinjiang Province, a region where only 1.5% of the Chinese population lives."
Will Brazil's forthcoming data protection law actually protect peoples’ privacy rights?
The president vetoed the creation of an independent authority that would oversee the law's implementation.
Netizen Report: Authorities shut down mobile internet in Ethiopia’s capital, as ethnic and political conflict persist
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
While some Brazilians tried to school Germans on Nazism, others apologized in shame
Were the Nazis socialists? A video posted by a German Consulate in Brazil has reignited discussion among Brazilians of this historical misconception.
Serbian president apologizes for ‘stupidly’ citing The Onion, a satirical news platform
'I don't blame my advisers, if I had thought that through and if I wasn't tired I would realize it's odd,' Vučić said, adding that it's normal to make mistakes.
Riverbank erosion disaster in Bangladesh leaves thousands homeless
"The devastating erosion of the Padma River is ongoing for the last couple of years, no initiative to build a dam or embankment was taken by the local administration."
Arrested for fact-checking: Kazakh court fines Ukrainian journalist after police break up media workshop
The incident highlights authorities' aversion to discussions of Ukraine in Kazakhstan and a long-running battle with a local newspaper.
Three days behind bars for the ‘crime’ of journalism: Diary of a Nigerian journalist
Investigative journalist Samuel Ogundipe spent three days in detention on spurious charges and was denied access to his lawyer. Now free on bail, he is telling his story.
Japan moves to accept more workers from abroad, but public opinion remains divided
Japan may have little choice but to accept more workers from abroad to cope with an expected shrinkage in the working population caused by an aging and low birth rates.
