Stories from February, 2020
Battered by criticism, Abe government scrambles to save Japan from COVID-19
"Just cancel it!" (#中止だ中止), a line from the 1988 animated film Akira about the cancellation of the fictional Olympics, accompanied by a screenshot of the movie, trended on Japan Twitter.
YouTuber in Mozambique kidnapped after denouncing a self-proclaimed prophet
In some of his YouTube videos, the user "Beleza em pessoa" criticized Mozambican prophets.
Twitter urged to take action against harassment of female reporter in Brazil
The smear campaign against Folha de S. Paulo journalist Patrícia Campos Mello is one of several cases of harassment against reporters that have taken place recently in Brazil.
Mitrovica Rock School unites young Albanians and Serbs in a segregated Kosovo city
In a segregated Kosovo city, where residents rarely talk to people of different ethnicity, a school restoring the rock music tradition of former Yugoslavia builds friendship between Albanians and Serbs.
Despite exile, Evo Morales’ influence in Bolivian politics endures
Morales was allegedly the kingmaker behind the candidacy of Luis Arce, the former Minister of Economy who will represent MAS in the upcoming presidential elections.
Literature as a gateway for exploring Indian-Nepali hybridity: Interview with author Prajwal Parajuly
"The book being read by the very people it was about, in the very language the characters speak in? Heart-warming. The book has reached the most remote corners of Nepal."
‘Delhi is burning': 17 dead and hundreds injured in clashes over anti-citizenship law protests
In North East Delhi, violent clashes between pro and anti-citizenship law protesters have resulted in the death of at least 17 civilians. Over 150 people have been injured.
Justice for Tanzanian journalist Erick Kabendera comes at a steep price
Tanzanian freelance journalist Erick Kabendera was released from prison but faces hefty fines on charges of money laundering and tax evasion.
“Parental pin”: the Spanish far-right's fight to control public education
The Spanish political party Vox is demanding the right to prevent their children from being educated about feminism, equality or sexual diversity.
Argentine NGO documenting human rights violations nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
"Every recovered bone and identified remain is a triumph of truth and justice that is essential to nourish the memories people carry with them throughout the rest of their lives."
Rising attacks against journalists for reporting about the conflict in north Mozambique
There has been an alarming increase in the number of threats made against journalists who are covering the armed attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
Journalists seek justice as attacks continue in Colombia
"...when journalists are silenced, the whole of society is attacked.”
Fiji poet and activist Peter Sipeli promotes storytelling for LGBTQ+ rights in the Pacific
"I wanted to create a human conversation about the pain that we endure, that ostracization, and unpack that for people to see into."
Verifying the 2020 presidential elections: An interview with the Taiwan Fact Check Center
For the first time, the Taiwan Fact Check Center fact-checked the live, televised 2020 presidential debates on December 29, 2019.
Can the anti-infiltration law successfully block pro-Beijing media in Taiwan?
Pro-Beijing media outlet announced it would leave the Taiwanese market in protest over the anti-infiltration law in Taiwan.
Political beliefs divide generations and strain family ties in Taiwan
While the outcome of the Taiwan 2020 presidential election is settled, generational conflicts continue.
Macedonians shocked over discovery of child ‘fight clubs’ in Skopje
Videos show dozens of adult spectators cheering as boys of school age fight on.
Can a beloved Tashkent theatre resist the wrecking ball?
The famed Ilkhom Theatre may have survived decades of censorship and economic upheaval, but now it faces another foe: massive urban redevelopment in the Uzbek capital.
Despite calls to move, a women-led protest in India challenges the Citizenship Amendment Act
"If we can sacrifice so much for this protest, can’t people tolerate a slight inconvenience?"
Chinese censorship demonstrates it can afford the cost of ‘the death of media’
A massive number of groups and user accounts were removed by platforms following the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, which set social media on fire.
Pipeline problems for indigenous peoples on Russia's Yamal Peninsula
As gas pipelines creep across Russia's Yamal Peninsula, the lives of local reindeer herders are changing radically. Russia's energy companies say it's for the best — indigenous rights activists are sceptical.
