From The Editor: The Public Record Suspends Operations, Thanks Patrons for Support – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

August 13, 2015
UPDATE – September 16, 2015 – The Public Record will relaunch.
The Public Record must suspend operations.
I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has supported The Public Record over the years, you’ve made all that was achieved possible. You understood that local journalism – the kind written by journalists who live in the community they cover – is important and you helped fund it.
I’m no longer able to sustain The Public Record, no matter how much I desire to do so. This was a difficult decision to make but, simply put, The Public Record is unable to fulfill its goals and I’m not able to continue to operate the site.
I’m proud of how we’ve improved coverage of civic affairs in Hamilton and thankful I’ve been able to serve my community for many years. I hope to again serve the community in the future once I’ve cleared my name of the allegations made by City Council.
Covering my hometown has been the most fulfilling part of my journalism career thus far.
Sure, my work prior to returning to local journalism was great (and travelling across the world was fun), but it was being able to innovate and contribute to my community which brought me greater satisfaction that anything else I’ve done. It was the enjoyment of the work that made it easy to ignore the exhausting hours and challenges of running the business side of the operation.
To report first-hand how Hamiltonians are making our City better, to report on great people doing great things in our community, and to be part of that – I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
Even before the events of the past few months, my independent journalism was not yet sustainable and I don’t know if I would’ve been able to reach sustainability even if City Council hadn’t acted to shut down my work. I wish I could’ve found out.
I entered 2015 with a strong plan to reach sustainability by June. The Public Record was making progress towards this goal when, in February, City Council used its powers of Municipal Law against The Public Record following a widely discredited investigation by Council’s Integrity Commissioner Earl Basse that has been criticized by many including the Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin.
I face many legal and court costs in the coming weeks as I prove my innocence against the accusations. I have a filing deadline of August 25 for my legal documents and will be spending the next two weeks completing them.
Once I get past the flurry of legal filings, I look forward to sharing my experiences of being one of the first crowdfunded journalists in the hope others can learn from my work.
At this time, I feel the bitter taste of failure. But I’m mindful that I’ve failed before, and I hope to have the opportunity to fail again. Failure can only occur when one tries to succeed.
I hope to see you all soon. I’ll be throwing a closing/thank you party once I’ve figured out what’s next for me. Someone has suggested calling a “Stag and Joe” and I suspect it will be fun.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve our community,
– Joey
P.S. I’ll be posting once again on my personal website www.joeycoleman.ca
P.S.S. Here’s the video I used to explain the work involved in going live. I hope it shows just how much fun this experience has been for me.


Bermuda: Political Financing · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Vexed Bermoothes says “it is time to address political finance in Bermuda.”


Tajikistan: Stealing Phone Cables · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Vadim reports that poverty and high prices for nonferrous metals are driving people in Tajikistan to steal telephone wires.


Cambodia, Thailand: Tweets about the border conflict · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

Tharum Bun gathers twitter reactions in Cambodia about the current border conflict involving Thailand and Cambodia.


Security Challenges: Northern Group Calls For Collective Measures, Prayers - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
January 10, 2022
Spokesperson of the group Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, while briefing journalists, said as a Muslim, he doubts the efficacy of prayers to beseech God’s help and support in solving every issue no matter how complex.
He however cautioned that whatever amount of prayers must be backed by action from the government as the first responder and improved cooperation and support by the public.
Suleiman also noted that the group had already flagged-off series of prayer sessions which began in Kano late last year in recognition of the enormity of the security challenges in the country especially around the North.


Joey’s Notepad: On “The 905er” Talking the Politics of the Debate on Sarah Jama’s Statement – TPR Hamilton | Hamilton's Civic Affairs News Site

October 21, 2023
I chatted last night with Roland Tanner and Joel MacLeod about the responses to Sarah Jama’s pro-Palestinian statement and my recent column opposing the Ontario Conservative government’s motion to revoke Jama’s speaking rights in the Legislative Assembly.
The 905er Podcast is producing interesting discussing on provincial and municipal issues. I listen to each show.
The following are my mental notes from the 25-minute discussion.
This answer is straightforward: I believe in freedom of expression.
It is one thing for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party to criticize Jama; it is wholly inappropriate for the Conservative government to use the power of the state to silence Jama.
The Party can play politics. The state cannot.
I noted the Ontario Conservatives campaigned as the party of free speech. They quickly required every publicly funded college and university to implement a free speech policy.
Again, free expression is not using the powers of the state to silence speech.
Jama is threatening to sue Ontario Premier Doug Ford for tarnishing her reputation by accusing her of a “long and well documented history of antisemitism.”
My recollection is I discussed this in two parts:
1) Politics and pushing back against the Premier’s characterizations; and
2) It will be interesting to see how a Superior Court justice would weigh the issues in light of Ontario’s strong protections for speech in Section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act.
I state her decision is good politics because she is pushing back against the Premier and taking control of the message.
On the merits of the potential defamation suit, I said there is a good analysis to be written regarding how a Superior Court judge could interpret the suit in the context of Ontario’s strongest in North American Anti-SLAPP laws.
How would a judge view the power dynamic between two elected members of the Legislative Assembly?
Is there an overriding public interest in allowing Premier Ford’s speech against MPP Sarah Jama – such that the case should not proceed to trial?
We discussed why the Jama controversy dominates provincial news, and how it has changed the channel from the ongoing Greenbelt scandal.
It is the ‘new’ in news. The Greenbelt scandal will again dominate the news.
I cited Colin D’Mello, “Whenever the government is asked about the Greenbelt scandal and allegations of corruption, they respond with an attack about Sarah Jama’s comments about Israel.”
The Official Opposition’s role is to be a government in waiting. The decision of NDP leader to direct Jama to remove the statement post, and Jama’s not doing so, is a leadership story.
Stiles chose to demand the post be removed. As the NDP leader, she created that part of the story.
On why there are no opinion columns similar to my own.
There are not many columnists left at legacy outlets.
The op-ed pages of the pre-Internet era are now online. People post their thoughts onto X, Substack, and other platforms.
What we lack is good curation to find those opinions. [The curation problem is a good topic for a column]
Subscribe to get The 905er podcast via their website: https://905er.ca/


Poland: Football, Language, and Journalism · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Our Man in Gdansk writes about one Argentine football player's attempt to learn Polish.


Only Quebec has a plan to save community newspapers - New Canadian Media
Pradip Rodrigues
December 22, 2017
Last week the Quebec government released details on how it planned on disbursing $36.4 million to struggling newspapers over the next five years. This money is to help smaller newspapers that are especially hit by a steep ad revenue decline. The idea is to help newspapers make that inevitable digital transition. Print news media will have until Jan. 15 to present their plans and vision for a digital future. Those publishers with foresight will prevail, the rest will simply fold up and fade into the sunset. They don’t call print media a sunset industry for nothing.
This plan would help only legitimate newspapers that can provide proof in black and white that they have devoted their time and energy toward truly supporting and chronicling the life and times in their respective communities.
Last September, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly outlined government’s vision for cultural and creative industries in a digital world which would help those in the television industry but it didn’t include the moribund print industry. A federal boost to the Canada Media Fund is set for 2018, to cover the shortfall caused by the drop in money from the private sector.
Late last month, a deal between Torstar Corp. and Postmedia Network Inc. saw them selling newspapers to each other and in the process close 21 of the 22 community newspapers, this costs 244 jobs, many of them professional journalists.
Over the past few years, hundreds of journalists all across north America have lost their jobs as newspapers close down, merge or transition to digital.
To be a journalist in the current climate, one may as well be a tech whiz or be able to tweet at great speed. Few newspapers that have transitioned to digital are turning a profit because for some strange reason no one wants to pay for anything on the net and gone are the days when households subscribed to newspapers. In the case of many community newspapers, you can’t get people to pick it up for free.
The only media house in Canada whose future isn’t in jeopardy happens to be CBC a fully taxpayer funded enterprise costing us big bucks- $1.04 billion in 2015 and given the intense competition it faces, an additional $150 million by the end of 2017.
While there is enough justification put out by successive governments why the CBC is important, there have been few who’ve made a case about the importance of keeping community newspapers alive.
There is even less of a case being made in regard to ethnic newspapers in major cities across Canada and that is more a result of short-sightedness on the part of publishers or the fact that many of them start newspapers simply out of spite for a fellow community businessman or to promote themselves or their other real businesses or perhaps even to run for public office one day.
When it comes to South Asian newspapers the situation is comical and often farcical, there are dozens of newspapers some of which exist in name and are published occasionally, others have upto 80 or 90 or even 100 percent of their news that is about India, Bollywood or just lifts from the web. Community news coverage is an after-thought if at all so it is unlikely that a majority of these so-called ethnic publications could qualify for any government help in the near future.
It is a matter of time before pressure is brought upon Ontario and other provinces to help out ethnic community newspapers given the large and growing immigrant community. Already there are influential South Asians who are mobilizing to rally for the cause of ethnic community newspapers. Unfortunately or rather fortunately, only a handful of genuine ethnic community newspapers, some of which are on life support will receive government funding. The criteria for receiving these funds would require these newspapers to make a case for their survival and provide proof of being a community newspaper and of course having professional journalists helming these newspapers would help the cause.
I spoke with an influential and politically active South Asian recently on the state of the South Asian ethnic media and he mentioned he could only think of a handful of newspapers worth reading, the rest in his words were ‘garbage.’
Even if Ontario were to follow Quebec’s lead on supporting community newspapers and help them transition to a digital future, it will already have been too late. Hundreds of journalists are been forced to make a humiliating exit from the profession given the reality. Some have taken to writing blogs nobody reads or emails to long lost relatives hoping to be included in their Wills. But for the vast majority of laid-off journalists, the only meaningful writing they’ll do is writing their professional obituaries.
It is harder for community newspapers to ever entice talented journalists to invest their time and talent because they don’t see a future for the newspaper and would either opt for public relations or something online.
When it comes to ethnic newspapers, the situation is even more hopeless. It’s a Catch-22 situation, publishers cannot attract or retain talent because they are either unable or unwilling to pay their writers according to industry and Canadian standards, with the result, the quality of community coverage is minimal or negligible. So even when Ontario decides to spent up to a million dollars on ethnic publication, few if any will qualify. It is harder to manufacture proof of community coverage than it is to fudge circulation figures.
Smart mainstream media houses are meanwhile bolstering coverage of ethnic communities and are hiring token South Asian journalists in the hope that they can be ready for government handouts if and when it comes. Meanwhile ethnic community newspapers across the country with a few exceptions will continue to flounder. Mercifully it won’t be a loss to the community because there is little community news in the first place. By default it will be the big players that will benefit from any provincial or federal financial help. I for one won’t be around when all of that happens.- CINEWS
Republished under arranagement with Canindia News.
Pradip Rodrigues began his career as a journalist at The Times of India, Mumbai. Since moving to Canada in 2000, he has written for several media outlets both here and in India on a variety of issues. Prior to joining NCM, he was at CanIndia newspaper for eight years.


Job fair aims to set students up with life-long careers | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Max Nawara
December 7, 2018
Rayshawn Simpson, a Bradley Tech senior, practices welding a pipe at the Career Life Mentor and Trades Fair. (Photo by Max Nawara)
Khari Pleas-Carnie, an 18-year-old senior at the Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School inherited an interest in the trades from his father, a tradesman at Rockwell Automation. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Milwaukee Lutheran High School but transferred to Bradley Tech before his junior year after his father encouraged him to get more involved in pursuing a trade.
At a recent Bradley Tech Career Life Mentor and Trade Fair, Pleas-Carnie demonstrated stick welding, a specialized type of welding. The fourth annual fair gives Bradley Tech students — and middle school students from the Milwaukee area — a chance to work hands-on with skilled members of 18 different trades to get a feel for what they like or dislike.
“I got into the welding trade here,” Pleas-Carnie said, referring to the trades fair last year. “It’s a fun experience. The trades here help you get more jobs and more job training. It opens up your eyes; you don’t have to go just to college, you can be a tradesman.”
Dan Bukiewicz, president of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, has been working with Bradley Tech since the program’s inception.
“We come out and we really let the kids get a hands-on feel for what the trades are going to be. It’s easy to watch a video, look at a wage card or read a job description, but this is when kids can start to sort it out and see if they’re a good fit or not.”
Khari Pleas-Carnie, a senior at Bradley Tech, demonstrates the tools used for stick welding. (Photo by Max Nawara)
Rayshawn Simpson, a 19-year-old senior, has been attending the fair since its first year at Bradley Tech. He learned about the program from his freshman woodworking teacher, and credits him for igniting his passion for carpentry.
“He saw me working on a birdhouse and said I did very well on it and said I should look into the trades,” said Simpson. “He introduced me to all of these trades my freshman year, so I came [to the fair] and tried out everything.”
Simpson enjoyed working with wood so much that he began creating new project ideas in his free time. He noticed that painters at Bradley Tech were spilling and tracking paint, so he designed and built a painting room in the workshop to contain the mess.
“I came up with an idea, designed it on the computer and put it together,” he said.
He added that working with skilled tradesmen he met at the fair has helped him learn how to be a member of a team, plan things out and network with other carpenters. He said he is now able to help his classmates with their projects and has built a bench for his mother on his own time.
Bukiewicz’s role at the trade fair is to educate students on the process of getting started with working in trades and encouraging them to get an apprenticeship.
“We have to talk to them about attitude, attendance and our drug-free workforce,” he said. “They have to be 18 years old to work in a trade, but if they’re 17 we can prepare them to start in the workforce. Some kids we get days after they graduate.”
Pleas-Carnie has an apprenticeship with We Energies as a power line mechanic. He has the opportunity to begin working full-time next fall.
Bukiewicz emphasized how important the Career Life Mentor and Trades Fair is for getting kids involved with a lifelong career at an early age.
“The opportunities are huge and hopefully the kids are taking advantage of what they’re seeing here,” he said.
“These are family-supporting careers. Not only are the wages substantial, but they pay benefits and they pay a pension that will take care of you in retirement. I can’t think of a better alternative for somebody that’s not going to pursue the college route.”


Barbados: BIM Magazine · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Gallimaufry is “really excited to hear…about the relaunch of Bim magazine”, a publication that was instrumental in the development of West Indian literature.


Taiwan: Macking in Taipei · Global Voices
Jose Manuel Tesoro

Roland Soong discussed an article from Hong Kong's Apple Daily tabloid saying that the Taipei City Government had a page on its website teaching foreigners how to hit on local girls.  The story — and Roland — drew much fire and criticism from foreigners blogging in Taiwan.  Read their comments here, here and here.


Operation Whirl Stroke:Troops Storm Kidnappers’ Den In Benue Forest, Rescue 34 - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 4
July 17, 2020
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have recorded a major feat with the rescue of 34 kidnap victims during a coordinated raid of kidnappers’ den in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The victims have been held captive for over one month.
In a statement by the Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, the troops had contact with the bandits leading exchange of gunfire before they were overpowered by the “gallant troops”.
According to the statement, “in continuation of the aggressive clearance operation to rid criminal elements out of the North-Central region of the country, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE recorded tremendous successes against Kidnap kingpins.
The successful encounter led to the rescue of 32 kidnapped victims some of whom have been in captivity for over a month”.


Portugal: Police Prevents Workers From Writing a Banner for the General Strike · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Francisco da Silva, on his blog Artigo 58, shares a video [pt] that shows a group of domestic workers in Lisbon preparing a banner for the general strike (March 24, 2012). The police enter the scene and put an end to the freedom of expression in a public square, preventing the workers from writing their slogan.


Govt Scales Back Year-End Refugee Target - New Canadian Media
Leah Bjornson
November 24, 2015
The Canadian government announced their plan today to bring 10,000 Syrian refugees to the country by the end of the year, with an additional 15,000 to follow in January and February of 2016. The Ministers of Health, Immigration and Defence assured Canadians at a news conference this afternoon that medical and security screening would be performed overseas, in advance of their arrival in Canada.
This number is short of the Liberal’s original year-end goal of 25,000, but members of the ad-hoc committee on refugees emphasized that proper screening processes and comprehensive resettlement plans must be in place to meet this influx.
“Yes we want to bring them fast, but we also want to do it right,” John McCallum, Minister of Immigration explained.
“When we welcome our newcomer friends with a smile, a smile alone is not sufficient,” he continued. “We want them to have a roof over their heads, we want them to have the right supports for language training and all the other things they need to begin their life here in Canada.”
Jane Philpott, chair of the ad-hoc committee on refugees and Minister of Health, told those in attendance that the government plans to identify all 25,000 Syrians to be resettled by the end of December and will prioritize those who are the most vulnerable.
Those resettled will include a mix of both private and government-assisted refugees, but only 2,000 of the end-of-year target will be government sponsored.
In order to keep their original promise of bringing 25,000 government-assisted refugees, McCallum said that the government will continue to sponsor and accept refugees beyond February, 2016.
The price tag on the Liberal program has now been pegged at up to $678 million over the next six years, but government representatives say this is “largely new money.” The Liberal platform only originally designated $250 million for the resettlement program.
While the Liberal’s original year-end target was commended by refugee advocates, many experts also cautioned the government against bringing approximately 5,000 refugees a week for the next five weeks to the country without a comprehensive resettlement plan.
Approximately 54 per cent of Canadians echoed these concerns, according to recent polls, raising concerns over whether this tight timeline would allow for proper screening processes to take place.
The government responded to these concerns today with an announcement that full medical exams and security screenings will be completed overseas for all refugees. Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety, emphasized that they will be checking the identification of all prospective refugees at every stage of the process to ensure the safety of Canadians.
… full medical exams and security screenings will be completed overseas for all refugees
Refugees must also be registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Turkish government before being processed by Canadian officials.
“We will meet the humanitarian imperative before us, and we will do so properly so all Canadians can be both proud and confident about what we’ve accomplished together,” commented Goodale.
Last week, information surfaced that the government will be narrowing its criteria for Syrian refugees to Canada. It will only be accepting women, children and families; single men seeking asylum may be sponsored privately, but will otherwise not be approved unless they are accompanying their parents or are members of the gay community.
When asked whether the recent attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 were at all responsible for this delayed deadline, McCallum said, No.
“It’s a logistic challenge that is extremely important in order to coordinate these things with our partners and other levels of the government,” he said. “It’s good to have a little more time.”
As to where refugees will be housed after they initially land in Canada, McCallum explained that there are 36 destination cities that already have the capacity to receive the refugees and provide them with the proper services to integrate them into Canadian society.
According to the Minister of Defence, Harjit Sajjan, there also exists temporary lodging for approximately 6,000 refugees at military bases, if necessary.
… there also exists temporary lodging for approximately 6,000 refugees at military bases, if necessary.
Over the previous six weeks, Canadian authorities in Lebanon have managed to screen about 100 people a day. This makes for a total of 4,000 asylum seekers in the past month and a half.
Since the Liberal government was sworn-in on November 4, only 102 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada. Approximately 3,000 Syrian refugees had previously arrived under the former Conservative government, but this number does not count against the 25,000 total.
Moving forward, the government expects to receive as many as 900 refugees a day, most of whom will arrive at airports in Toronto and Montreal. A majority will be brought to Canada by private planes, although military aircraft will be used if necessary.


Trinidad & Tobago: Manifesto · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Pleasure reviews the aesthetic value of the ruling political party's 2010 manifesto.


Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago celebrate 60 years of independence · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Feature image compiled using paid Canva elements.
On August 6, Jamaica celebrated its diamond jubilee of independence from Britain, and Trinidad and Tobago is hot on its heels; the twin-island republic will mark its own 60th anniversary of independence on August 31. Both Caribbean nations are marking the occasion with pomp and circumstance.
Jamaica organised an event itinerary that began on Emancipation Day (August 1) and lasted until Independence Day, culminating with a very well-attended float parade and grand gala in the national stadium, at which there was a drone display and light show — reportedly the first of its kind in the region — which was very well received. Described as “the zenith of the celebrations,” the drones formed the shape of some of Jamaica's beloved personalities, including poet Louise Bennett, reggae icon Bob Marley and sprint star Usain Bolt:
#Jamaica60 Jamaica Land We Love! pic.twitter.com/hycwSiT1Cr
— Delroy Williams (@MayorWilliamsJA) August 7, 2022
Watching this unfold was nothing short of amazing!
There’s something inspiring about witnessing the combination of creativity and innovative technology. Hopefully we’ll be able to do shows like this locally with our own talent and resources pic.twitter.com/eSXLteQ6rs
— Cesar B. (@cezbuelto) August 8, 2022
Some were upset, though, that so much local currency appeared to flow out of the country, to foreign suppliers:
Suh all of the money from Grand gala gone a Farrin? Didn't even think about who was doing this drone show. Full disclosure of the expenditure for this event might be necessary. https://t.co/skN7ULNJ2M
— Christopher McCatty (@donmackia) August 8, 2022
Many of its citizens shared their feelings about the occasion on social media. There were several congratulatory messages:
#JAMAICA🇯🇲 | Aug 6
60 yrs of #independence from the grips of British colonial rule..
(+ 184 years free from the savagery of slavery)
No matter how vastly far we are from our potential as a nation, we still have much to #celebrate.
Today we acknowledge our greatness
🖤💚💛 pic.twitter.com/JEO5A4JQvz
— HumeReports (@DrHumeJohnson) August 6, 2022
However, there were also concerns about the government's decision to spend as much as it did — JMD 200 million (just over USD 1.3 million) — on the celebrations:
That's what ? Over a million US dollars, where did it all go ? Full accounting please.
— Ras Tafari (@jamroc69) August 9, 2022
Trinidad and Tobago, meanwhile, has planned an extensive calendar of events in honour of the occasion, including the production of a commemorative stamp and coin, concerts and exhibitions, a steel pan parade, and even a television series that explores the country's pre- and post-independence journey.
There has also been a recommendation put forward by the Criminal Bar Association for the government to consider releasing 60 “deserving” prisoners as a 60th anniversary of independence initiative, and there is talk of a beautification project for the capital city, Port of Spain.
However, as with Jamaica, there were concerns about the country's priorities. As a Trinidad and Tobago Express editorial outlined, the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet in the rearview mirror, and the threat of monkeypox is on the horizon. In addition, the public sector is in the midst of salary negotiations, the cost of living is on the rise, and crime is a serious concern. Nevertheless, in lauding positives such as “a free public health system,” “free education for all,” “a vibrant democracy even if it is yet to achieve maturity”, and “a national unity at the level of the people,” it opined:
[W]e have reason to celebrate this Independence anniversary as a milestone achievement. Our democracy has endured and we have gained, among other things, significant control of our natural resources and deployed them to improving the lives of our citizens.
Some social media users, however, didn't seem to agree — at least once they learned of the price tag for the independence celebrations. Coming in at TTD 7.5 million (just over USD 1.1 million), Facebook user Sheldon Awai commented:
No money to pay workers, contractors, etc. No money for healthcare and they want to play with people's pensions. No money to fix the nation's roads but they can find over $7 million just like that to have a parade.
In a private Facebook post that Global Voices was given permission to quote, Jacqueline Scott mused:
[H]ow much does 7.5 million mean in the scheme of things? It’s not a huge sum to spend on such an important celebration is it?
Well, not if that country was running successfully.
Decent education, medical care, people fed, clothed and jobs available. […]
7.5 million is not a huge [sum] for a twin island state to spend.
Why not make it make a difference […] Plant trees! Dedicate community gardens, do SOMETHING that might actually benefit Trinidad and Tobago and our people for years to come.
Once it was confirmed that fireworks would form part of the celebrations, Vanessa Dalla Costa added:
Can we pave 60 roads to celebrate independence instead of wasting money on fireworks to terrorize animals?
University lecturer and columnist Gabrielle Hosein, meanwhile, suggested there was merit in using this auspicious anniversary as the spark for “a reignited conversation about decolonising our landscape of statues, streets and parks”:
[To] be decolonial is to question everything about the postcolonial world from the perspectives of the marginalised and oppressed, those least remembered or valued, those seeking to right historical wrongs, and those who radically challenged social order as it was forcibly established over hundreds of years.
It is to champion care, freedom, justice and solidarity over mere continuity, whether in relation to law, governance, schooling, gender or sexuality. With these values in mind, everything about ourselves, our landscape and our institutions is up for renewed self-determination.
In that vein, journalist PeterRay Blood noted on Facebook:
Today, Thursday, August 11, is World Steelpan Day. The national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago needs to be legally proclaimed before the 60th anniversary of Independence on August 31.
Undoubtedly, 60 years of independence is a milestone that requires some sort of acknowledgement, but in young nations like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, which have come through the horrors of occupation, slavery, and colonialism, and fought for their right to self-governance, the future that independence hoped to forge is still very much a work in progress.
In the words of Hosein, “[I]ndependence was not only a historical moment, something that happened and is over, but a continuous and collective act of forging a nation from an unapologetic love for liberty, as its meaning evolves over time.” Perhaps even more than celebration, 60 years might be a time for reflection and regeneration.


Bahrain: Elections 2006 · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Election ‘coverage and monitoring‘ does seem to be the buzz of the Bahraini blogsphere.


Ship Wrecks: Navy Raises Alarm Over Dangers On Nigerian Waters - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (F.BA)
August 21, 2019
The Nigerian Navy hasraised alarm over the impending dangers ship wrecks posed on the Nigerianwaters.
The Flag OfficerCommanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji raised the alarmat a news conference held at the Base in Apapa, Lagos.
The on-the-spotassessment team, saw the dangers posed by the ship wrecks on the Lagos-BadagryWaters.
According to Daji, thearea that is mostly affected is the Tin Can Island, Kirikiri, Navy Town and badportion of the Badagry Creek.
The Flag Officer Commanding,said about 35 of such maritime wrecks had been identified which were submergedalong the very busy Lagos channel that provide a vital access into the Tin CanIsland port.
He assured thatNigerian Navy, in carrying out its statutory responsibilities, would continueto collaborate to ensure and promote safety and security on our waterways.


Table Tennis: Kuti, Udoaka Are New W’african Champions - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
April 29, 2024
African Games medalists, Matthew Kuti and Hope Udoaka, showed class against experienced players to emerge as the new West African champions at the 2024 International Table Tennis Federation, ITTF West Africa Regional Championships in Lome, Togo.
The Nigeria National Champions were among the more than 32 men and 29 women from Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and host Togo, who participated in the championship.
They competed in four events team and singles for men and women.
The three-day tournament was organised to select teams that will represent the region at this year’s African Championships taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In spite of not playing to his best in the team event, which allowed Togo to dethrone Nigeria as the regional champions, Kuti ensured he was flawless in the singles event.


Egypt: Sowtona – Our Voice · Global Voices
Haitham Sabbah

Sowtona – Our Voice – (English and Arabic) is a new blog for and about Egyptian citizens. A team of journalists interviewed more than 1,000 ordinary Egyptians to find out about their problems. These voices were the basis for a special voter guide about today presidential election.


Old video of Prayagraj floods shared as that from the rain hit Delhi - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 14, 2020
A post with a video of a couple having playful time in rain water is going viral on social media with a claim that the video depicts the situation of rain hit Delhi. Through this article lets fact-check the claim made in the post.
Video of a couple playing in the floodwaters that entered into their home in Delhi.
Fact: The video is actually from Prayagraj, the incident took place in September 2019 when Prayagraj was hit by floods. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Reverse image search led us to a news article which reported the same video. According to the article, the incident happened way back in September 2019 in Prayagraj, UP. Video reporting of this news can be seen here. With this, we can conclude that the video is old, and no way related to Delhi.
FACTLY has debunked the same video when it went viral with a false claim back in 2019, that the video is from Hyderabad. The article can be read here.
To sum it up, 2019 video of a couple playing in the floodwaters that entered their home in Prayagraj, is shared as that from recent rain hit Delhi.
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Ethiopia: Why TED said no to Bono · Global Voices
Sokari Ekine

Ethiopundit comments on “Why TED said no to Bono” who had requested that every hospital in Ethiopia be connected to the internet.  EP does a brief roundup of various comments from other bloggers on the subject.


Russia: Anothr Kemerovo Blogger Charged With Libel  · Global Voices
Alexey Sidorenko

A criminal case has been started against Alexander Sorokin (aka LJ user commentator40), Echo Moskvy reported [RUS]. He is charged with libel against Kemerovo governor Aman Tuleev [EN] for the post [RUS] in which he compares Russian regional governors to Latin American dictators. It is the second famous case [EN] of prosecuting a blogger in this region in 2010.


In Turkey, even the head of the Central Bank cannot afford the skyrocketing rents · Global Voices
Arzu Geybullayeva

Image by Arzu Geybullayeva
Renters across Turkey, have long complained over the skyrocketing rent fees in the housing market. Though there has been a marginal decline according to a December market analysis by Bahcesehir University Center for Economic and Social Research (BETAM), the high inflation, declining purchasing power, and other factors continue to make it difficult for average income earners to find suitable housing.
In June 2022, to address the rising housing costs, the state introduced 25 percent cap on rent hikes. However, that barely resolved the issue. According to Bloomberg, “Landlords began demanding exorbitant rents to offset the 25 percent limit as annual inflation surged over 85 percent.”
With Turks living in major cities facing an average rent cost exceeding 79 percent of the minimum wage (at the time of writing this story, the minimum wage in Turkey is TRY 11,402, USD 391), it was surprising to hear that the head of Turkey's Central Bank, Hafize Gaye Erkan, also struggled and as a result, moved in with her mother.
Erkan told Hürriyet newspaper she was surprised to see that Istanbul was more expensive than Manhattan, New York, which is where the Central Bank governor lived prior to moving to Turkey and taking over the job as the new head of the bank in June 2023. “We could not find a flat in Istanbul. It's very expensive. So we moved in with my mom,” Erkan told the newspaper.
According to housing price data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Turkey is at the top of OECD countries both in terms of rent and housing prices. There are a number of reasons that explain the surge. According to the Economic Policy Research Foundation (TEPAV) report released in August 2023, the two earthquakes that hit the country’s southeastern provinces in February led to an influx of renters into Turkey's cities.
The fiscal crisis was also exacerbated by the state's unorthodox approach to interest rates — setting the rates low in order to keep growth strong. The rapid escalation of construction costs as a result of inflation — the highest the country has seen since the 1990s. High inflation also contributed to currency depreciation, which also had an impact on price hikes. The lax regulation of real estate sales to foreigners since 2012 also drove the demand higher.
Similarly, in its most recent Global House Price Index quarterly report by an international real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank, which evaluates the housing market of over 50 countries, Turkey was leading in the category of “the strongest growth on our ranking with an annual (89.2 percent) and quarterly (18.1 percent) increase” in house prices.
In cities like Istanbul, the issue is not that there are no available properties to rent. In fact, according to the İstanbul Planning Institute (İPA), there are hundreds of thousands of empty apartment units unoccupied in the city. In an interview with Turkey Recap, a researcher at İPA, Özge Tekçe, explained that “one reason for the high number of unoccupied residences is that some people purchase second or third homes, which they purposefully leave empty for a variety of reasons, including investment purposes and economic instability.”
There is also the issue of available, affordable housing in the market. “There is no accessible housing distribution for everyone. This is actually the main problem in İstanbul,” Tekçe told Turkey Recap.
Inflation impact
The “ossifying dynamics” of high inflation, according to economist Mustafa Sonmez include a Turkish economy that is heavily dependent on imports, foreign investors who are wary of Turkey's increasing instability, and a constantly depreciating national currency. As such, the continuing surge in real estate costs in Turkey is unsurprising. That, and the fact that Turkey's construction industry relies heavily on imported construction materials that have seen an unprecedented price increase only exacerbates the problem.
According to the Center for Spatial Justice, in 2021, only two percent of Istanbul's rented property market was available for minimum-income earners.
Bloomberg reported year-on-year inflation exceeded 60% in December 2023.
Meanwhile, the revelations by the head of the Central Bank about moving in with her mother have left many scratching their heads. Especially in light of an estimated salary Erkan is receiving, the numbers simply don't add up, wrote journalist Volga  Kuscuoglu for Bianet. “While the Central Bank doesn't disclose the specific salary of its governor, the available data indicates that Erkan could easily rent a home in an upper-class district of İstanbul,” wrote Kuscuoglu. Not to mention the comparison in rent costs between Istanbul and Manhattan, “Data from the Zumper real estate site shows that the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, NY, was 4,215 dollars as of December 2023. In İstanbul's three most expensive districts, the average rental price was TRY 45,671 (USD 1,638) in Sarıyer, TRY 39,387 in Beşiktaş (USD 1,326), and TRY 36,500 (USD 1,555) in Kadıköy.
Then, on December 19, Yavuz Alatan, another reporter from a local newspaper Sozcu, claimed that the governor already had a place, the rent for which was covered by the Central Bank, except Erkan did not find it suitable for living with her child.
As speculations over Erkan's interview continue, so does the housing crisis and soaring rent fees for low and middle-income class Turks.


Youth coach uses football to teach players life lessons on and off field | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Max Nawara
October 13, 2018
Jamar Lockwood and his son, Jaheim, play football in their front yard. (Photo by Max Nawara)
All eyes are on Antwon Compton, running back for the Milwaukee Bears youth football team, as he ducks and weaves past the Milwaukee Steelers’ defensive line. His mother, Zemeca, runs down the sideline alongside her son, cheering at the top of her lungs. The spectators erupt in applause as Antwon scores a touchdown.
Antwon’s mother credits his success with the strong coaching style of the team’s head coach, Jamar Lockwood. Lockwood is more than a coach of football; he tries to coach children’s lives.
“He’s a good role model. My son loves him,” said Compton. “He’s a good father figure toward Antwon … I love him, too!”
Lockwood, 39, coaches football for the Milwaukee Neighborhood Children’s Sports League. The league, which has been operating in Milwaukee for 60 years, is a nonprofit organization that encourages youth development through football and cheerleading. It works to help children develop solid leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills at a young age. Lockwood also fosters a sense of friendship and family.
“I try to push those kids to new heights,” Lockwood said.
Milwaukee Bears running back Antwon Compton carries the ball for a touchdown. (Photo by Max Nawara)
Originally from Gary, Indiana, Lockwood got involved in football and basketball as a child. His father was a referee when he was growing up, so he was always exposed to sports. He first started playing football in eighth grade but wishes that he had begun earlier.
“I didn’t realize how fun football was,” Lockwood said. “I was like ‘Wow, this is fun. I should have been doing this a long time ago.’”
Lockwood took a liking to the sports teams of the nearest major city, Chicago. His love for Chicago sports, especially football, influenced him to become a coach.
He first started coaching for the Peewee division of the Raiders team. After six-and-a-half years, he became head coach of the Bears, who practice at Johnsons Field in Lindsay Heights. He has been with the Bears for four years, and with the league for about 10 years.
“Coach Lockwood is one of our most outspoken and dedicated coaches,” said Palone Williams, secretary of the league’s executive board of directors. “I’ve been doing this for years and working with him has been phenomenal.”
Williams emphasized Lockwood’s commitment to his team and the league. She said that at every game Lockwood cheers on other teams and is friendly with the other coaches.
“I’ve got kids of my own, so I really started getting into it with the boys — how can I keep them active and committed and keep them busy and balance out their days,” said Lockwood.
Lockwood sees football as a perfect sport to teach kids structure on and off the field. “You’ve got to have kids that buy into you and start playing hard for you. That’s how you build that camaraderie, like a family. That’s how you start winning games.”
His sons, ages 12, 11 and 9, all play for Lockwood on the Bears. “I love playing football because my dad got me into it,” said Lockwood’s son Jordan, 11. “I’ve been playing since I was 5.”
Lockwood also tries to get other families involved with the team as much as possible.
“We do birthday parties, we go out to eat, we go watch high school games with them, go shopping. We try to bring the families, too. It’s more than just football,” Lockwood said.
Tedo Wilson, the mother of one of Lockwood’s players, said that he makes sure the children are doing well in school. He often enforces discipline if grades are slipping.
“He calls and texts parents to make sure homework is done. If it’s not, they do laps,” said Wilson.
“[The Neighborhood Children’s Sports League] keeps football leagues going every year and they keep kids from getting in trouble and off the streets,” said Lockwood’s 12-year-old son, JJ.
“It keeps [kids] locked in for at least half of the year,” Lockwood noted. “They always have something to look forward to. They aren’t just at home playing video games; they’re busy. When you’re bored, time goes slow and you find bad things to do.”


Border Closure: No Going Back On Policy – Immigration - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Editor 2
September 29, 2019
Comptroller General of Immigration, MohammedBabandede, has declared that there is no going back on the border closurepolicy, stressing that it has yielded positive results as far as the securityof the nation is concerned.
Babandede who stated this in Kano State said noresponsible country wants to operate porous borders where contrabands, illegalimmigrants, arms and ammunitions will be smuggled unchecked.
He said it is the responsibility of Immigrationofficials to ensure maximum security of the borders or else the nation willcontinue to battle with several insurmountable criminal activities.
The Comptroller said in line with the new vigor theCommand opened a patrol office in Katsina, Daura and many other places andposted 30 officials to each duty post.
He noted that every officer will be expected tospend at least three months in the bush before he will be asked to relocatehome while another takes over from him.


Rising violence against women and girls sparks outrage in Kyrgyz society · Global Voices
Asylai Akisheva

A mural of Burulai, a 20-year old medical student who was killed by her abductor inside a police station. Photo by Mirbek Kadraliev / UN WOMEN via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In recent weeks, abuse of girls and women made headlines in Kyrgyz media ranging from cases of “ala kachuu” (abduction of young women and girls for the purpose of marriage) to sexual violence against underage girls.
On July 11, 2022, three men aged between 26 and 27 kidnapped a young woman for a marriage in one of the districts of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The victim turned to the police and the suspected abductors were detained for 2 months. Around the same time, a 17- year-old girl was abducted in the area of Staryi Tolchok, the construction materials market in Bishkek. On the way to the pharmacy she noticed a car following. Inside were two men, one a friend of her neighbor's, who offered her a ride. When she refused, the man clamped her mouth shut and forced her into the vehicle. The two men drove the girl to her neighbor’s house, from where she managed to call the police. However, her own relatives rejected her, saying she had brought disgrace on the family. She turned to the “Otkrytaya Liniya” (Open Line) public fund, which helps victims of bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan, a small Central Asian country bordering Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, sees one of the highest rates of kidnapping girls for marriage. According to demography and population dynamics researchers Lesia Nedoluzhko and Victor Agadjanian, one in three marriages in the country, especially in remote regions, begins with a kidnapping. Almost every week one can hear cases of ala kachuu, despite the long-established criminalization of the offense.
One of the most repellent examples that sparked a civil society outcry was the kidnapping of 19-year-old Burulai in 2018, when the kidnapper killed the young woman right at the police station in Bishkek. Another infamous case was that of Aizada Kanatbekova. In April 2021, in Bishkek, a group of five men abducted 26-year-old Aizada. Two days later, a local shepherd found the bodies of the abducted woman and one of her kidnappers inside a car between the villages of Arashan and Chokmorova in the Chuy region. These cases triggered outraged protests, with calls for dismissals of officials and other legal actions, and a push to change the legal provisions around bride-kidnapping. Currently, a new criminal code, adopted in October 2021, provides for liability in the form of imprisonment from up to seven years for kidnapping.
A scene from the women's solidarity march, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Meriza Emilbekova / UN Women Kyrgyzstan via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Sexual abuse of underage girls has also filled the news feeds in past weeks. In one recent egregious case, several men, including police officers, sexually abused a 13-year-old girl for about five months.  In August 2021, at the Dordoi bazaar in Bishkek, a seller accused a 13-year-old girl of trying to steal headphones and handed her over to the police, who, threatening her with a 10-year imprisonment and enormous fines, raped her. According to the victim’s father, two police officers and one more man passed his daughter among themselves, intimidated and raped her from August 2021 to February 2022. In the meantime, the rapists of another 13-year-old with disabilities in Sokuluk, a village in the Chuy Region, were sentenced but released because the statute of limitations on the crime had expired. The recurrent appeals took more than nine years for the courts to process, a period that was the statue of limitations, since the defendants were minors at the time they committed the crime.
In recent weeks, women's civil society organizations and feminist activists called on the government to take action to combat violence against women and girls, which is surging day by day, jeopardizing the lives of women and girls in Kyrgyzstan.
Митинг против насилия над детьми в Бишкеке pic.twitter.com/ehsnlsSRxC
— Aizirek Imanalieva (@aizirekstan) July 8, 2022
Rally against the violence against children in Bishkek
Such examples show how distrust of the population towards the police is growing in Kyrgyzstan, given that, instead of being guardians, law enforcement officers become perpetrators and endanger women seeking help. Given the inaction of the police and cracks in the judicial system, some sexual abuse cases can lead to arbitrariness or mob action. Thus, in late 2021, following the rape of a 16-year-old girl, the so-called “aksakals court” (court of elders) decided to evict the family of the rape suspect from the village.
Although some government officials expressed concerns about the rise of violence against women and girls, as well as readiness to reform law enforcement mechanisms, other officials and state-affiliated persons often bring in ambiguous opinions. Thus, for instance, Prime Minister Akylbek Zhaparov chose to lament that such “bad news” in the media harm tourism in Kyrgyzstan:
Если посмотрим на изнасилование маленькой девочки, об этом все написали, теперь [туристы] говорят, что не будут приезжать с детьми. Помните в прошлом году [была новость], которая висела на всех сайтах три недели, об изнасиловании 72-летней бабушки. Нажимают на любой русскоязычный сайт, казахи и русские, которые хотят приехать, читают новости и выбирают другие страны.
If we look at the rape of a little girl, everyone wrote about it, now [tourists] say they will not come with children. Remember last year [there was news], which hung on all the websites for three weeks, about the rape of a 72-year-old grandmother. Clicking on any Russian-language website, Kazakhs and Russians who want to come, read the news and choose other countries.
Gender-based violence has become a norm in Kyrgyzstan — according to the 2021/2022 Women, Peace and Security Index Highlights, the country is the most unsafe for women in the Central Asian region.  In 2021, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 10,151 cases of domestic violence, higher than the previous year. Violence against children, including girls, increased twofold this year. In 2021, 254 cases of bride kidnapping were registered, but 84 percent of them were later dismissed or terminated. It must be noted, however, that this increase in numbers is unlikely to be only from a rapid increase in cases, as reporting and recording of gender-based violence has gone up  because society has begun to pay more attention to gender issues.
A view of the Uzgen bazaar, Osh region, Kyrgyzstan. Photo by Ninara via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).
Unfortunately, Kyrgyz society is still patriarchal and neo-traditionalist in many respects, still assigning a secondary role to women and not allowing them to control their fates. This aspect is of primary importance, influencing social attitudes, gender policy and the regulation of gender-based violence in Kyrgyzstan. Despite the country’s pledge to take the path of democracy following the collapse of the Soviet Union, domestic violence and trafficking in women, bride kidnapping, child marriages and kelinism (forced subordination of new brides to their mothers-in-law and relatives of their husbands) are still practiced in Kyrgyzstan, although formally criminalized.
In turn, the revival of Islamic sentiments also adds fuel to this bonfire, sometimes undermining the position of women, and religious officials often speak on gender issues with discriminatory rhetoric against women. Thus, a video of a sermon from July 6, 2022 by Sadybakas Doolov, the imam of one of the districts of Bishkek, caused social media outrage, as he claimed that the increase in meat prices in markets is due to the reduction in the value of “women’s meat,” reflected in their short dresses. What is more astounding, the Spiritual Administration of the Muslims of Kyrgyzstan found no sign of insult to any group or individuals in the imam's speech.
These are just a few of thousands of broken lives that have been brought to light due to the protests of Kyrgyz civil society. Meanwhile, the implementation of the newly adopted legislation on sexual violence, bride abduction, and domestic violence seems to be deeply flawed or obsolete, while the public has developed a high distrust of law enforcement agencies.


Brazil: Electoral Propaganda Waste · Global Voices
Sara Moreira

Photo by Diana Chi Yin Fan, Interlagos, São Paulo, Brazil. Shared on Facebook.
On the aftermath of Brazilian municipal elections that took place on October 7, 2012, the Facebook page Quem suja agora vai sujar depois (Who messes now will mess afterwards) [pt] shares photos and videos showing electoral propaganda waste in streets across the country.


The people caught by China SWAT team in this video don't have Coronavirus. It's a 'Mock drill' video - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
February 28, 2020
A video is being shared on Facebook with a claim that coronavirus patients in China are being caught on a highway by officials. Let’s try to analyze the authenticity of the claim made in the post.
Coronavirus patients in China are being caught by officials on a highway.
Fact: The video in the post is the video of a ‘Mock drill’. The China SWAT team in the video is ‘practising’ to deal with Coronavirus patients. ‘Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the video, it can be seen that the officials’ dress has ‘SWAT’ written on it. So, when searched on Google with the keywords ‘SWAT team Coronavirus’, a ‘Global News’ article with the same video was found. From the article, it is understood that the China SWAT team is practising to deal with Coronavirus patients. The same information is also found in a video from the ‘Telegraph’.
To summarize, a mock drill video is shared as the China SWAT team is catching Coronavirus patients on a highway.
Did you watch our new video in the DECODE series?


Depression: The myths & falseness of Sadhguru’s quotes - Alt News
Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh
19th August 2018 / 9:27 pm / Last updated: 20th August 2018
“The main cause of depression in the world today is too much eating, not enough physical activity.” Jaggi Vasudev, a spritual guru also known as Sadhguru, frequently gives twitter sermons on depression. He confuses depression, a clinical condition with a proven biological basis (also known as major depressive disorder) with negative emotions such as sadness (experienced by healthy humans).
From his twitter account, Alt News found several misleading tweets related to depression, accounting for several widely circulated myths on depression. In this article, we will look at some of these tweets (quoted verbatim in italics) and discuss the scientific evidence on symptoms, myths, causes and treatments of clinical depression.
“Depression is a kind of agony. If you have become agony and not ecstasy, it is because a large part of your life energy is happening compulsively, not consciously. It is happening as a reaction to external situations.” (tweet)
“Depression means you are committing suicide in installments.” (tweet)
A’kin to other chronic illnesses, depression can feel agonizing but it is beyond a patient’s control to replace agony with ecstasy, or, as it was implied, shift one’s negative emotional state to a positive state.
WHO acknowledges that depression is the most common mental health disability. It can be as debilitating as any physical disability. Everyday actions such as going to work, or, even getting out of bed for the day, can be an effort.
The symptoms of depression vary on the severity of the condition: while mild depression has some impact on life and counselling therapy can help with it, severe depression makes it much harder to deal with everyday activity and can exhibit psychosis like symptoms with a larger physical component such as delusions, hallucinations, lack of self-awareness, changes in the brain structures, etc.
Mr. Vasudev’s tweet on suicide was plain insensitive and false. While depression can cause suicide, not all suicide cases are due to depression and not all depressive patients commit, or have the tendency to commit, suicide.
Lastly, depression can be of several types and there are conditions such as post-partum depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder, where depression is one of the symptoms, not the disease itself.
“The main cause of depression in the world today is too much eating, not enough physical activity.” (tweet)
“A life of excess is not a good life. Excess of anything leads to perversion and depression.”  (tweet)
“Depression is becoming a pandemic; its origins are complex, from pathology to negative lifestyles. A culture of prevention is vital.” (tweet)
The tweets above suggest that excessive food and sedentary lifestyle are the causal factors for depression. While excessive food or sedentary lifestyle is both correlated to several other illnesses, there is no direct evidence of lifestyle choices as a direct causal factor for depression.
A large majority of people face adverse events, but only a proportion of them acquire clinical depression. The health of the non-affected individuals, who remain healthy following an adverse life event, is not attributed to better coping strategies such as eating healthy or exercising. These strategies may be helpful in dealing with a negative emotion, such as sadness or frustration, but as we will discuss below, depressive individuals have a biological risk factor beyond their control.
With scientific evidence, it is widely accepted that a combination of
that account for heightened rates of depression in humans.
Study on genetic causes:
There are several studies that have identified various genes that have a major role in major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly known as depression. A study on adoption and twin studies in the American Journal of Psychiatry published in 2000, concluded that while environment was significant to the cause of depression, it is reliant on genetic heritability from biological parents. The study concluded that major depression is inheritable from genes and its inheritability results from genetic influences.
Study on environmental causes:
Another study, published in 1999 in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested that although stressful life events have a substantial causal correlation episode of major depression, about 1/3 of the association between stressful life events and onsets of depression is non-causal. This could be because individuals (biologically) predisposed to depression may select themselves into high-risk environments.
Hence, depression has distinct molecular physiology and genetics. A lowered emotional state such as temporary sadness (due to the environment), is not the causal factor without the inherited genes that are linked with depression.
Another example is that of post-partum depression, which is clearly linked with physiological changes in the mother after birth, instead of sheer sadness or grief, and have been shown to be ameliorated with robust anti-depressants. About, 13-19.8% of women experience a mental health disorder, mainly depression, after giving birth.
“Fear, anger, misery, frustration, depression, and despair are all products of a mind that you have not taken charge of.” (tweet)
The above tweet suggests that emotions such as fear, anger, misery, frustration, despair as well as depression are a result of our unguarded consciousness. However, these temporary emotions, apart from depression, are a part of everyday experience of a healthy person. On the other hand, depression is not an emotion but a long-lasting mental disease.
There are significant differences between grief and bereavement as compared to depression:
For some people, it can be difficult to distinguish between grief and depression as they share many of the same characteristics.
Grief or sadness is a completely natural and healthy response to a loss, while depression is a chronic but treatable illness.
While the onset of most depression types is positively correlated with adverse negative life events, sadness and other negative emotions are temporary and will disappear while people who are depressed constantly feel sad, unable to enjoy anything and find it difficult to be positive about the future.
“Frustration, discouragement and depression mean you are working against yourself” (tweet)
“Depression makes you cynical and is deeply self-damaging. Depressed people only hurt themselves more.” (tweet)
“Only because you have frozen your intelligence, there is room for depression.” (tweet)
The above tweets are widely circulated myths on depression. Needless to say to anyone who has experienced clinical depression knows that ‘It is not a choice’
While both negative emotions and depression are not ideal state of conditions, the tweets portray that the individual has the power to change depression. With time, negative emotions can be replaced with positive, but it is not the case with depression. The symptoms of depression are that the individual does not have the motivation to make any changes to the condition. Seeking therapy or treatments also require motivation and hence, many are left untreated.
“In yoga, depression is handled at the level of body, mind, and energies. Vibrant and balanced, you will naturally be blissful.” (tweet)
“Today being Diwali, may this period of slow-down of life lead to contemplation, meditation rather than depression.” (tweet)
While the tweets suggest depression is largely a non-physical condition (in the mind), there are studies that suggest that its effects are beyond the ‘mind’. A study published in 2000 in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggested that patients with depression had a significantly reduced (19%) hippocampus region of the brain associated with learning, memory and emotions. This result was mechanistically correlated with lowered glucocorticoid levels in depression and associated with damage to the hippocampus.
A PET scan below compares brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colours, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.
While research is full of literature on yoga and meditation for depression and anxiety, which is considered an effective ancillary treatment option for patients, not many studies compare effects of yoga with relaxation and/or aerobic exercise, for changes in severity of depression. A large number of these studies were found to be with high risk of bias.
A meta-analysis study, found several low-risk biased studies, that combined 12 randomised controlled trials in 619 participants. In these studies, there was only a moderate evidence found for effects of yoga as compared to usual care, and limited evidence was found for yoga compared to relaxation and aerobic exercise.
Hence, while yoga is certainly effective for mild depression, it has shown limited efficacy in comparison to relaxation or aerobic exercise.
“The rate of suicides propelled by depression & frustration in the US & several other parts of the world is alarming. Raising human consciousness is the only solution to prevent this rapidly unfolding tragedy. (tweet)
This was tweeted following the death of celebrities, Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain, in the US. While rates of suicides are certainly increasing, more in men (3.53 x) than in women, and a large proportion (estimated at about 60%) is due to depression; frustration in healthy individuals is short lasting.
Previously Mr. Vasudev had made statements in support of mercury usage in traditional Indian medicines and Alt News had explained why this was dangerous.
While he is known for several pseudoscientific claims, such as converting liquid mercury into solid clay like substance, with his bare hands, at room temperature, the topic of depression frequently reappears.
In the light of his tweets, it is evident that Mr. Vasudev and other such spiritual gurus use Yoga, Ayurveda and other similar traditional ancient Indian practices, often completely pseudoscientific, to capitalise on the largest mental health problem of the world. Since, myths and misinformation on mental health conditions are widely prevalent, these spiritual Gurus use ancient knowledge, religious symbolism and, in this case, their fluency of the English language, to misinform the people and shaming them of their lifestyle choices.
Hence, it is imperative to raise awareness on depression as a major disorder- with intrinsic biological basis, its symptoms, causes and its robust clinical treatments that work, and its ancillary treatments such as yoga or relaxation and exercise that can help with the condition.
For more information, refer to the WHO website pages on depression. If you think you may be depressed, immediately refer to your physician.
If you struggle with suicidal thoughts or attempts, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai)<PHONE_NUMBER>9, Sneha (Chennai)<PHONE_NUMBER>0, Sumaitri (Delhi)<PHONE_NUMBER>0, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur)<PHONE_NUMBER>1, Pratheeksha (Kochi)<PHONE_NUMBER>0, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad)<PHONE_NUMBER>0, Lifeline<PHONE_NUMBER>7 (Kolkata).
Alt News Science is no longer edited by Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh
From 2017-2021, Dr. Shaikh was the Founding-Editor for Alt News Science. Her main role is as a neuroscientist researching violent extremism and psychiatry.
Follow @Neurophsyik
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Egypt: Natural Disasters and the NDP  · Global Voices
Eman AbdElRahman

Alkhan posted a new comic strip which compares the catastrophic impact of natural disasters to the effect of being governed by the National Democratic Party ruling Egypt.


Giant David Bowie Mural Unveiled in Sarajevo · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

“Fashion changes, but you will always be my heroes,” states the David Bowie mural in Sarajevo. Photo by Filip Stojanovski, CC BY.
A group of Sarajevo artists unveiled a giant mural of David Bowie in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina May 28, recognizing the artist's contribution to humanitarian efforts in the country.
The Bowie mural is painted on the wall of a dilapidated building on the grounds of the Sarajevo university campus.
During the opening ceremony, the authors, who call themselves Team Bowie Sarajevo, also used stencils to paint Bowie logos on t-shirts for attendees.
According to local portal Clix.ba, this is “the biggest Bowie mural in the world,” 13 meters high and 10.5 meters wide (43 by 34 feet).
While this claim is hard to verify, the Sarajevo mural indeed looks much bigger than any of the “13 Of The Best Street Art Tributes To Bowie From Across The World” selected by NME magazine.
People at the unveiling of David Bowie mural in Sarajevo. Photo by Katarina Vučković, CC BY.
During the 1992-1995 war, when Sarajevo suffered a disastrous siege, Bowie took part in humanitarian actions aimed at helping its citizens.
Team Bowie Sarajevo includes musician Vedad Trbonja from the popular rock band Billy Andol, Marvel comics artist Enes Čišić, graphic designer and painter Zoran Herceg, as well as Mensur Demir, Aleksandar Brezar and Adnan Čomor.
They stated that they joined together to pay homage to “one of the greatest artists, who had passed away before any of them could manage to attend one of his concerts.”
Social media users have been using the #SarajevoBowie hashtag to express admiration for the project.
The mural site is part of an area that once served as one of the biggest barracks of the Yugoslav People's Army.
After the Bosnian War, the grounds were repurposed, used partly by a university, and partly by the new U.S. embassy.
Only part of the buildings in the campus have been renovated, and many of them stand as empty shells. Graffiti abounds, with other elaborate murals keeping Bowie company.
Part of the Sarajevo University Campus. Photo by Filip Stojanovski, CC BY.
Part of the Sarajevo University Campus. Photo by Filip Stojanovski, CC BY.
Another bit of graffiti on Sarajevo University Campus, unrelated to Bowie. Photo by Filip Stojanovski, CC BY.
Stencils near the David Bowie mural in Sarajevo. Photo by Filip Stojanovski, CC BY.


Introducing Secure The News, an automated tool tracking the adoption of HTTPS encryption across news websites
Garrett Robinson
December 15, 2016
Today, Freedom of the Press Foundation is excited to launch Secure The News, a new website that automatically tracks and grades the adoption of HTTPS encryption across dozens of the world’s largest news websites. You can view the results of all the news organizations we're currently tracking here.
HTTPS is a vital feature for any modern news site that protects the privacy and security of both its readers and journalists from a variety of malicious actors. HTTPS can also act an important anti-censorship tool against authoritarian regimes. Unfortunately, news organizations have been slow to implement HTTPS by default on their websites, so we hope Secure The News can help speed its adoption.
An HTTPS connection is easily recognized by the most novice of Internet users for the lock icon it displays in your web browser’s address bar (the "S" in HTTS means "secure"). It signifies that the connection between you and the website you are reading is encrypted, so someone spying on your internet connection—whether a criminal trying to eavesdrop on you through public WiFi or a government that has access to raw Internet traffic—cannot see the information that you are transmitting or the articles you are reading on a particular website.
Threats to press freedom around the world are at an all-time high. Sign up to stay up to date and take action to protect journalists and whistleblowers everywhere.
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A regular HTTP connection means that such attackers can potentially see the search terms or articles you are reading, spy on your username and password, or spoof a website to steal your personal information. Unencrypted HTTP traffic is also easier to filter and block, allowing for selective censorship of articles, subjects, specific reporters or outlets by authoritarian governments.
While most of the tech giants and e-commerce sites long ago switched HTTPS on to protect its users, news organizations have lagged far behind in its adoption. Recently a handful of major outlets—including the Washington Post, the Guardian, Wired, Buzzfeed, and ProPublica—have commendably implemented HTTPS-by-default on their websites, but there are dozens more than still put their readers and reporters at unnecessary risk.
Secure The News automatically analyzes each news site every 24 hours and grades it on an F to A scale based on several factors: whether the site allows HTTPS connections, whether it enforces HTTPS by default, whether it deploys a security feature known as  HSTS ("HTTP Strict Transport Security"), whether HSTS is preloaded, and several other smaller factors. For a more detailed description of these factors and our methodology, see here. On the Secure The News Leaderboard, you can see which news sites have made progress and which ones still have work to do.
If your news organization has a low grade and you are working towards adopting HTTPS by default, we are happy to indicate on Secure The News's Leaderboard if you commit to making the switch in the next six months. All you need to do is post a commitment on your website and alert us by contacting us here.
We understand large news websites have many obstacles in switching over a large news site to HTTPS and it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. These roadblocks may include advertising networks, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), embedding mixed content, and re-coding large portion of legacy content. That’s why we also provided a comprehensive batch of resources detailing common problems and how other news organizations have fixed them in the past.
Secure The News also provides simple explanation for editors and executives on why it’s important for news sites to switch over to HTTPS and the many benefits—like better analytics, a potential bump in SEO traffic, and access to new technology—your site will receive once the switch is complete.
Admittedly, there are other security factors we could potentially test news websites on to get a better sense of their website security beyond the four factors that we are currently using.
The most popular tool for testing individual sites is called SSL Labs, which is owned by Qualys. SSL Labs is a great tool: it tests for over fifty different security features and has a robust grading system for how secure your site is. Initially, we wanted to use SSL Labs’ API and plug it into Secure The News, but SSL Labs’ terms of service requires their permission to hook up to their API, and a representative from Qualys denied us the ability to use it.
Even though their tool pulls in publicly available information, their terms of service says you are required to get a site’s permission before using their tool for its score. This may be out of undue legal concern for violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) —another reason why the law is overbroad and stifles First Amendment protected research and speech.
We plan on further improving Secure The News in the days and months ahead, and as more news organizations adopt HTTPS by default, adding different security metrics by which they can further protect their journalists and readers (see some ideas here).
We plan to open source Secure the News in the near future—stay tuned to this blog for the announcement! Once the project is open source, we'll welcome contributors and encourage other organizations to fork the project and create a HTTPS deployment dashboard for their own area of interest on the web.
Secure the News was inspired by Pulse, a dashboard for tracking the adoption of best practices—including HTTPS deployment—by U.S. Federal Government websites.
Secure the News was a collaboration between Freedom of the Press Foundation staff and numerous outside contributors. We'd like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the project:
Finally, we'd like to thank the people who have worked hard to blaze a trail for securing the news, and who helped us understand the landscape by letting us interview them:


Egypt: Blogger Detained  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Elijah Zarwan, from Egypt, draws our attention to yet another blogger detained. “Mohammed Refaat, a student and a blogger, was detained on July 21 on charges of ‘threatening public security’ by using the Internet to call for a strike on July 23…
I took a quick look at Refaat’s blog [Ar] and could find nothing political.”


South Korea and Japan: Illegal Selling of Game Code · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

James from Japan Probe quoted from South Korean local news about a suspected case of stealing of Game Code, “Lineage III”, from Korea’s largest game maker NCsoft to a major Japanese Game Company.


Africa: Africans Turn to Each Other for Expert Advice · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Google Baraza – Information for Africa: “How can I write a movie script for Nollywood? How does the stock exchange operate in Johannesburg? What is the recipe for bitter leaf soup? What is the best company for car insurance in Kenya?  English and French speaking Internet users in Africa, with local questions, can now turn to each other for expert advice on almost any topic, using Google Baraza.”


2024 Senegalese Election: President Tinubu Hails Macky Sall Decision Not To Seek 3rd Term. - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (A.M)
July 17, 2023
The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Dele Alake, noted that with the decision, President Sall had put the interest of his country, the peace and stability of the West African region above his personal interest.
Tinubu said history would be kind to President Sall.
Alake said there had been protests in Senegal in the past few weeks following speculations about a third term ambition of President Sall, who is moving towards the end of his second term in office.
According to him, Sall is due to complete his second term of office in 2024.
The presidential spokesman recalled that President Sall had on Monday told the people of Senegal, a country considered as one of the most stable democratic governments in Africa, that he would not offer himself as a candidate for the February 25, 2024 presidential election in his country.


Data: Significant decrease in the registered cases of ‘Rioting’ in 2019
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
October 9, 2020
The 2019 Crime in India report of the NCRB indicates that the number of registered ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’ in 2019 was the lowest in 10 years. This decrease is largely due to the reduction in the registered cases of ‘rioting’. Here is a review of the data.
Recently, the country witnessed nation-wide protests against the new agrarian bills, with protests still being organised in a few states. Many farmer unions and opposition parties have called for shut down and held public rallies as a mark of protest against the bills. There are have been instances where few of these protests turned violent and the police had to make arrests, and take necessary action to maintain law & order.
Earlier in the year, there were protests organised against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in many parts of the country, with Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh being an epicentre of the anti-CAA protests. Some parts of Delhi also witnessed riots, resulting in loss of lives.
Apart from these more widely known instances, there are many a protest, shutdowns, rallies , riots etc. which take place across the country for various reasons. While efforts are made to ensure that the protests are organised peacefully and permission are sought from the law-enforcement authorities for the same, there could be incidents which disrupt public life and peace. Such offences are punishable by law under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Chapter VIII of the IPC contains various sections that list offences categorised as ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’. These includes Section 141 to Section 160.
In its annual Crime in India (CII) report, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) furnishes details of the offences booked under these various sections of ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’. In NCRB’s CII – 2019 report, the ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’ are grouped into four broad sub-categories.
In this story, we look at the data provided in NCRB’s CII report regarding the incidence of these offences, trend over the years and across the states etc.
Incidence of these Offences in 2019 lowest in the last ten years
As per NCRB’s CII report, the total number of cases booked under the various sections of ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’ in the year 2019 was 63,359. This is a reduction of more than 17.5% compared to the previous year i.e. 2018, where in it was 76,851.
While 2019 recorded the least number of offences booked under this category over a period of 10 years (2010-2019), the highest number of cases recorded during this period was in 2017 with 78,051 offences. Over the 10-year period, there has been no specific increasing or decreasing trend with the numbers fluctuating over the years.
The fall in number of these cases in 2019 is contrary to the overall trend in cognizable IPC crimes, where in they increased from 31.3 lakhs in 2018 to 32.2 lakhs in 2019. The offences under this head constitute of 1.96% the total cognizable IPC crimes recorded in 2019. In the years 2017 and 2018, the ‘Offences against Public Tranquillity’ constituted 2.54% and 2.45% of total cognizable IPC crimes respectively.
The fall the numbers is largely due to fall in the number of ‘Rioting’ cases
Among the major four sub-categories under which the various cases of ‘Offences Against Public Tranquillity are grouped, majority of the offences are booked under ‘Rioting’. Hence, the number of cases in this category tends to follow the number of ‘rioting’ cases.
In 2018, while the number of offences booked under ‘Rioting’ and ‘Unlawful assembly’ has reduced, the number of offences under ‘Promoting enmity between groups’ and ‘Affray’ had slightly increased, contrary to the overall trend. The crimes under Affray (Section 160) refer to fighting in a public place that results in affecting the peace. However, in 2019, fewer offences were booked across all these sub-categories, with a sharp decline of almost 20% in the number of cases booked under ‘rioting’.
Fall in the number of Offences booked under Rioting in Bihar & Uttar Pradesh
While there is a general reduction in the number of ‘rioting’ cases in most of the states in 2019, the major decrease is observed in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
In Uttar Pradesh, the number of offences registered under ‘rioting’ in 2019 fell by nearly 36% compared to the number in 2018. In Bihar, the number reduced by over 29% from 2018. With substantial reduction in both these states, Maharashtra occupied the top spot in the number of offences recorded for rioting in 2019, although the numbers in this state also registered a decrease of about 20% from 2018.
Karnataka, Kerala , Haryana and other states have also registered fewer cases under ‘rioting’ in 2019. Jharkhand is an exception among the states that recorded higher numbers under ‘rioting’, where the number in 2019 increased by 20% compared to 2018.
Compared to 2017, the numbers decreased in 2018 as well in the case of Bihar & a few other states. However, this decrease was offset by an increase of cases in Maharashtra in the same year.
Rioting related to ‘Land & Property Disputes’ constitute the major proportion of the cases registered in Bihar. The fall in overall number of cases under rioting, can be attributed to the fall in number of cases relating to Land & Property disputes. The number of ‘Rioting’ cases related to land & property disputes in Bihar was 7030 in 2017 which fell to 6608 and 3707 in 2018 & 2019 respectively. Bihar also registers a higher number of ‘riot’ cases due to Family disputes and agrarian causes.
The case for Uttar Pradesh is not clear since a majority of the offences booked for rioting are categorised as ‘Other Rioting’  and there is a comparative decrease in these numbers. The same is the case with most of the other states, with a substantial number of  ‘Rioting’ cases  categorised as ‘Other Rioting’.
Kerala stands out with clearer categorization under Rioting. Major portion of these offences are either due to Land/property related disputes or due to participation in ‘Andolan & Morcha’.
Fewer cases are registered under ‘Affray’ & ‘Unlawful Assembly’  in Bihar & Uttar Pradesh
While Bihar and Uttar Pradesh report high number of cases when it comes to Rioting, it is not the case for other sub-categories i.e. ‘Unlawful Assembly’ & ‘Affray’ .
In 2019, out of the 8889 offences booked under ‘Unlawful Assembly’ across the country, Bihar reported 33 and Uttar Pradesh reported 140 such cases. Rajasthan reported the highest number under this head with more than 3 thousand such offences in 2019.  It is followed by Tamil Nadu & Kerala. The number of offences reported under this head in Assam & Tamil Nadu is relatively higher compared to other states, when one compares the cases reported in these states under ‘rioting’. Among various states, Rajasthan has higher numbers under ‘Unlawful assembly’ than under ‘Rioting’. A similar trend with respect to state-wise breakup was observed even in 2018.
Even in the case of ‘Affray’, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh reported significantly lower numbers. Bihar reported no cases under ‘Affray’ between 2017 & 2019. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh reported 5,6, & 3 cases in 2017, 2018 & 2019 respectively. Haryana, Kerala & Tamil Nadu are among the states which reported a higher number of cases under this sub-category.
Scope of under reporting in lesser evident offences
Like in the case of other offences, it has to be noted these numbers refer to the reported & registered ones and do not necessarily represent the actual extent of these offences. The same has been highlighted in an earlier story and is corroborated by a study conducted by TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences) & BPRD (Bureau of Police Research and Development). This could explain the lower numbers reported for ‘Affray’ and ‘Unlawful Assembly’ in states like U.P & Bihar compared to the cases reported under ‘Rioting’ since rioting as an offence is more evident.  Like in the case of other crimes, we see some form of even reporting in Kerala across the categories.
Since a substantial number of these cases are registered for political & other form of protests, the disposal and the conviction rates in these cases are also important to understand the trends. We would look at these numbers in our next story.
Featured Image: Cases of Rioting


Hotline to check status of Filipinos in Haiti · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Philippine government has set up a hotline where Filipinos can check the status of their relatives who are trapped in earthquake-hit Haiti.


Iran:Disaster in Gaza · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Edalatkhaneh, an Iranian blogger, has published[fa] a report on economic disaster in Gaza Strip. The blogger says Israel's economic sanctions have made life very difficult for people living in this area and the world is silent about it.


‘Suspension won’t silence me’: Teen speaks out after embedding message about Xinjiang Uyghurs in TikTok makeup tutorial · Global Voices
Hong Kong Free Press

Screen capture from Feroza Aziz's make-up tutorial. Via HKFP's youtube channel.
This post is originally written by Holmes Chan and Tom Grundy and published on Hong Kong Free Press on 27 November 2019. The following edited version is published on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement.
A teenager who spoke out about the plight of Uyghurs in Xinjiang has challenged the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok over its decision to block her from posting new content.
Feroza Aziz, 17, made headlines earlier this week after posting videos detailing the treatment of Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities. She sought to sneak through TikTok’s content moderation system by disguising the clips as “makeup tutorials.”
Aziz told HKFP on 27 November that she took advantage of viewers’ interest in fashion to make her message heard. The videos netted more than half a million “likes” on the popular social platform, and its duplicates on other platforms have been viewed millions of times.
Aziz has since been blocked from posting content on TikTok, though a spokesperson from the company told BBC News that it “does not moderate content due to political sensitivities.” The app – known as Douyin in mainland China and TikTok in the rest of the world – is owned by Chinese company Bytedance, based in Beijing. Aziz said:
I knew that if I start with a makeup tutorial, then people would want to watch. I then realized that I should use this idea of disguising my video because it will reach out to more people without TikTok [finding] out that I am talking about China’s corrupt government.
In the viral video, Aziz started with instructions on using an eyelash curler, before asking viewers to use their phone to search about what is happening to Uyghurs in Xinjiang:
how they’re getting concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims in there, separating families from each other, kidnapping them, murdering them, raping them, forcing them to eat pork, forcing them to drink, forcing them to convert […] This is another Holocaust, yet no one is talking about it. Please be aware, please spread awareness in Xinjiang right now.
Aziz, an Afghan-American, urged governments around the world to take action to “stop innocent people dying” and tackle the humanitarian crisis:
As a Muslim myself, I have been a victim of racism and prejudice. I also grew up in a Jewish community, so I have always been aware of the Holocaust and the genocide placed on the Jews in World War II. […] After finding out about this issue, I knew that I had to say something about this, because if I didn’t say anything, who would?
Aziz said that her video was meant to raise awareness, and the reception had been mostly positive on social media.
While the makeup tutorial video remains available on TikTok, Aziz said on 26 November that she had been banned from posting new content for a month, but added: “This won’t silence me.”
On 15 November, TikTok banned one of Aziz’s old accounts for posting an unrelated video that allegedly broke its rules on terrorism-related material, and also blocked her smartphone on 25 November, according to BBC News.
I am blocked from posting on tik tok for a month. This won’t silence me.
— feroza.x (@x_feroza) November 25, 2019
The previous video showed Aziz reacting to a montage of Caucasian celebrities, with a caption of “me only liking white boys in middle school.” The video then transitions to a montage of non-white men with the caption “me now.” The video ends with a visual punchline of Bin Laden’s picture.
Aziz told HKFP that the video was meant as “dark humour” and “poking fun at those who have told me and my other Muslim brothers and sisters that I should marry a terrorist”:
As a Muslim-American growing up in an almost all-white community, I have been ridiculed my whole life for my religion. I’ve been told to leave the country, go bomb another country, or to go marry a terrorist.
I decided, why not take these negative and racist remarks made to me, and make it into a funny video where more Muslims can laugh at, because the truth is, they face the same prejudice.
TikTok says the ban was not due to criticism of China. Her previous account, they said, had posted a video of Osama bin Laden on Nov. 15, leading to a ban for her phone. She says the video was an obvious joke about racism she has faced as a Muslim, and shared the video with us: pic.twitter.com/5w7WpV2gB9
— Drew Harwell (@drewharwell) November 26, 2019
Aziz added that it was “extremely suspicious” for TikTok to cite her old video as the reason for her suspension because both the video and the old account had already been deleted.
I created a new [account] and never posted that Bin Laden video again and never posted anything that would offend anyone. But right when I post about China’s concentration camps I get suspended, over a video I made that was deleted on another account that was also deleted? It makes no sense!
Finally today on 28 November, the company issued a public apology and gave Aziz back her account. But the video blogger said she did not buy Tiktok's error claim:
UPDATE: Tiktok has issued a public apology and gave me my account back. Do I believe they took it away because of a unrelated satirical video that was deleted on a previous deleted account of mine? Right after I finished posting a 3 part video about the Uyghurs? No.
The predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic group is among the minorities targetted in what Beijing claims is a campaign to tackle unrest and separatism. The UN says a million Uighurs have been arbitrarily detained in extralegal “political reeducation camps,” whilst Human Rights Watch reports that surveillance and repression in Xinjiang have increased dramatically since 2016.
The NGO says that biometric data is collected from residents, passports are confiscated, religious activities are restricted, “abnormally long” beards, public prayers and Muslim veils are banned, whilst vehicle and mobile phone owners are made to install trackers.


Albania: Notes on Driving · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Traveller One of Stepping Stones shares her notes on the “Albanian Rules of the Road”: “Seatbelts. Only for babies. No wait. Albanian babies and children never wear seatbelts, so why should you, a full grown adult. In fact, why do manufacturer's even bother to put them in cars destined for Albania?”