international news

Sagat B, a former inmate who discovered literature while imprisoned in Rio de Janeiro, has become an advocate for inmates' right to publish books as the Brazilian Supreme Court debates this issue. The case originated when a federal penitentiary director denied an inmate permission to publish a 1,000-page manuscript, citing security concerns about potential coded messages to criminal organizations. While the Federal Prison System Handbook prohibits inmates in maximum-security facilities from disseminating written materials, no Brazilian law explicitly forbids prisoners from publishing their work, making this a constitutional question about freedom of expression. The recently formed Brazilian Academy of Prison Letters (ABLC), which includes both current and former inmates who have published books, is seeking to join the case as an amicus curiae to defend inmates' publishing rights.

In August 2025, northern Pakistan experienced catastrophic flash flooding triggered by heavy pre-monsoon rains and upstream water releases, killing over 800 people since late June and destroying thousands of homes and critical infrastructure. The disaster primarily affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan provinces, with Buner and Shangla districts suffering the worst devastation as entire villages were cut off from outside contact. Multiple factors worsened the situation, including above-average monsoon rainfall, water releases from Indian dams after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty obligations, and climate change causing accelerated glacial melting, which led to dangerous glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Despite preventive efforts like the GLOF-II project, which installed early warning systems and protective structures, experts emphasize the need for improved disaster preparedness, including community awareness, anticipatory actions, and stronger communication between government levels.

In Nigeria, where motherhood is deeply entrenched as a woman's primary purpose, a growing number of individuals like Jewel, Oluchi, and Ayanfe are making the conscious decision to remain childfree despite significant social pressure. These individuals face backlash ranging from condescension to outright hostility, with romantic relationships often ending when partners expect them to eventually change their minds about having children. This childfree movement exists against the backdrop of Nigeria's colonial history, which transformed indigenous concepts of "public motherhood" into Victorian ideals of domestic submission, though urbanization, education, and digital communities are now providing support for alternative life choices. For these individuals, choosing to be childfree represents both personal freedom and a feminist reclamation of bodily autonomy in a society where a woman's worth remains largely tied to her reproductive choices.

Journalist and human rights defender Domingos da Cruz has released a new edition of his book "Tools to Destroy the Dictator and Avoid a New Dictatorship," which provides methods for civil resistance in authoritarian contexts like Angola and Mozambique. Da Cruz was previously detained in 2015 after discussing the first edition of his book at a conference, spending nine months in custody or house arrest before being released in 2016. The updated version includes contributions from academics across Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola, and was recently censored in Angola, prompting Da Cruz to make it available for free online. Da Cruz emphasizes that genuine democratic change in Angola requires civil society unity and popular revolution rather than relying on elections organized by authoritarian regimes.

Protests marking the 37th anniversary of Myanmar's 1988 pro-democracy uprising (known as "8888") were held worldwide to oppose the military junta that seized power in February 2021. The "8888 Umbrella Strike" demonstrations, organized by the Yangon Strike Group, aimed to unify global anti-dictatorship movements under the symbolic Burmese number "8" while raising awareness about the ongoing struggle against military rule. Despite tight security, protests were held in Myanmar and international cities including Paris, Prague, and Washington, with participants calling for an end to the junta's brutal crackdown that has resulted in over 7,000 deaths and 29,580 arrests since the 2021 coup. Protest leaders emphasized that unlike the 1988 uprising, today's resistance benefits from digital technology enabling broader participation and organization in the struggle for democracy.

Activists are responding to the escalating crisis in Gaza by organizing humanitarian aid efforts, economic boycotts, and protests. The ongoing violence by Israeli forces against Palestinians since October 7, 2023, has resulted in rising death tolls, increased displacement rates, and growing risk of famine throughout the Gaza Strip. These activist-led initiatives aim to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation and advocate for change amid the continuing conflict. # Who is affected - Palestinians in the Gaza Strip - Displaced people in Gaza - People facing risk of famine in Gaza - Those affected by the rising death tolls # What action is being taken - Activists are organizing humanitarian aid initiatives - Economic boycotts are being implemented - Protests are being conducted - Advocacy work toward change is ongoing # Why it matters The situation matters because of the severe humanitarian crisis developing in Gaza, characterized by increasing death tolls, high displacement rates, and the growing risk of famine. The actions being taken by activists represent efforts to alleviate suffering and potentially influence the course of the ongoing violence that began on October 7, 2023. # What's next No explicit next steps stated in the article.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have escalated into armed border conflict, triggering a wave of nationalism that has resulted in violence against Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand. Right-wing Thai groups are physically threatening and attacking Cambodian workers, causing many to flee Thailand or disguise themselves by using thanakha cream to appear Burmese. Despite official warnings against violence from Thai authorities, the threats continue, with some right-wing groups conducting door-to-door searches and construction site raids targeting Cambodians. The Cambodian government has condemned these actions and called for a boycott of Thai products, while Thai industries that rely heavily on Cambodian labor face potential significant workforce shortages.

of Zimbabwe's Healthcare Crisis Amid Debt Servicing Zimbabwe's massive public debt of approximately USD 21.53 billion is crippling its healthcare system, with only 7.1 percent of public spending allocated to healthcare—far below the 15 percent target of the Abuja Declaration. The shortage of medical equipment and personnel in public hospitals has led to preventable deaths, as illustrated by Memory Ncube's tragic story of losing her preterm baby Tendai while attempting to travel 185 kilometers to reach a hospital with proper equipment. While Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube defends austerity measures as necessary for future prosperity, healthcare advocates argue that these policies disproportionately harm the poor and vulnerable, particularly women, resulting in Zimbabwe's high neonatal mortality rate of 37 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The Bangladesh government's Information and Communication Technology Division has launched a major initiative to digitally preserve 42 endangered languages through the "Multilingual Cloud" website. This project, part of the Enhancement of Bangla Language in ICT through Research & Development (EBLICT) program, has documented 97,782 sentences with proper pronunciation and recorded 12,646 minutes of audio from 214 native speakers. The effort addresses the critical state of endangered languages in Bangladesh, such as Kharia which is spoken by only five people, and aims to preserve not only linguistic elements but also cultural characteristics through comprehensive digital documentation. According to UNESCO, one language dies every 14 days globally, making this preservation work crucial for maintaining Bangladesh's cultural and ethnic diversity.

The 2025 Synthesis Report on the Digital Democracy Ecosystem by CIVICUS reveals how digital civic spaces are rapidly shrinking worldwide through government surveillance, internet shutdowns, censorship, and biased algorithms. Examining six global regions from East Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa, the report documents how these tactics disproportionately silence youth movements, feminist networks, Indigenous groups, journalists, and grassroots organizers, particularly in the Global South. Despite highlighting some positive examples like Taiwan's civic-tech innovations and persistent activism through platforms like WhatsApp and TikTok, the report emphasizes that digital repression is outpacing digital resilience as power increasingly favors governments and tech platforms over grassroots civic movements. The report concludes that civil society's continued presence in digital spaces, despite these challenges, reflects both necessity and resistance in the fight to preserve democratic participation.

Hundreds of Kashmiri medical students who obtained their degrees from Pakistani institutions are caught in bureaucratic limbo, unable to practice medicine in India despite completing their education. In April 2022, India's National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice barring Indian students enrolled in Pakistani medical colleges from taking the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) or seeking employment in India, with exceptions for those who joined before December 2018 or received security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Many graduates, including those who completed their studies before the 2018 cutoff, are still awaiting eligibility certificates, forcing them to work unofficially as observers in private hospitals rather than as recognized doctors. Economic factors, cultural similarities, and geographic proximity had previously made Pakistan an attractive option for Kashmiri students unable to secure admission to Indian medical colleges through the competitive NEET exam.

African Americans on social media recently expressed surprise and excitement upon discovering Black people living in Scotland, with fitness influencer Torgi Squire's viral TikTok video sparking particular interest. Following these reactions, Afro-Scots began sharing their experiences living in the European country, where they make up 1.2% of the population according to the UK's 2022 Census. Despite Scotland's Black population dating back to the 15th century, many Afro-Scots face racism and prejudice, as highlighted by marketing specialist Deborah Mattaka who shared stories of discrimination she experienced growing up. In response to these issues, researchers are advocating for the establishment of the Scottish Museum of Empire, Slavery, Colonialism and Migration (SMESCM) to increase representation and recognition of Scotland's diverse history.

The residents of Kodamanov village in Kazakhstan's Kyzylorda province have been engaged in a five-year legal battle against the Chinese-owned Gezhouba Shieli cement plant, which they claim is causing serious pollution and health problems. Despite winning court decisions that ruled the plant violated regulations by operating only 500 meters from homes instead of the required 1,000 meters, their victory was undermined when the Kazakh government amended regulations to allow "historically established" facilities to reduce their protection zones. The $178 million plant, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments in Kazakhstan worth $27.4 billion, continues operating despite documented health impacts on villagers, particularly respiratory issues in children. The case illustrates how economic partnerships with China often prioritize investment over environmental concerns and community wellbeing.

Vida Rabbani, a journalist imprisoned in Tehran's Evin Prison following Iran's 2022 anti-government protests, transformed her confinement into artistic expression by creating paintings on bedsheets using smuggled supplies. Despite having no formal artistic training, Rabbani documented prison life through portraits of fellow inmates, interior scenes, and symbolic murals that preserved the experiences of women political prisoners. Over her 32-month imprisonment before her sentence was suspended, her art evolved from wall murals to intimate portraits that served as visual documentation where photography was banned. Rabbani's resourceful artistic practice became both personal therapy and collective resistance, allowing her to maintain purpose while creating a visual record of life inside Iran's notorious women's prison ward.

Pakistan has intensified internet shutdowns in Balochistan province, most recently ordering a province-wide mobile internet suspension across all 36 districts from August 6-31, 2025. The region has experienced repeated connectivity disruptions, with the country seeing 18 deliberate shutdowns in 2024 alone that lasted 9,735 hours and caused an estimated $1.62 billion in economic losses. These shutdowns typically coincide with politically sensitive dates, protests, or security incidents, with authorities claiming they're necessary for national security despite limited evidence of effectiveness. The blackouts severely impact daily life for Balochistan residents, preventing students from attending online classes, businesses from accessing digital banking, journalists from reporting, and humanitarian operations from functioning effectively, further isolating an already marginalized population.

Several West African nations have implemented citizenship laws for African diaspora members as part of reconciliation efforts addressing the historical injustices of the transatlantic slave trade. Benin recently enacted a law allowing descendants of enslaved people to apply for citizenship through a digital platform if they can provide proof of Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Following Ghana's successful 2019 Year of Return, the country launched the Beyond the Return initiative (2020-2030) offering long-term residency and selective citizenship to diaspora members, while Guinea-Bissau has granted citizenship to Afro-descendants under its Decade of Return initiative launched in 2021. These programs aim to foster cultural reconnection while strategically leveraging diaspora financial and human capital for economic development, with remittance flows to Sub-Saharan Africa reaching USD 54 billion in 2023.

Hong Kong resident Anthony Chiu has relocated to the UK with his daughter following harassment over his Porsche's license plate number US8964, which references the June 4 Tiananmen Square Massacre. Over the past year, Chiu and his family faced escalating threats, including anonymous letters threatening to report him to national security police, complaints against his wife at her workplace, interrogation of his brother-in-law by Chinese authorities, and accusations against his daughter at school. Despite initially using the plate without issue since 2021, Chiu's car was seized by police for three consecutive years on June 4th for alleged technical reasons, reflecting Hong Kong's increasingly restrictive stance on commemorating the 1989 massacre since the implementation of the National Security Law.

Zimbabwe's Parirenyatwa Hospital recently hosted a "heart camp" where Egyptian surgeons collaborated with local doctors to provide free open-heart surgeries for 10 children. This initiative offers critical care for families who cannot afford the $15,000 cost of surgeries abroad, in a country with only five cardiothoracic surgeons and chronic equipment shortages in public hospitals. Zimbabwe resumed open-heart operations in 2023 after a five-year pause due to economic turmoil, with 55 children receiving surgery from local surgeons and 19 more benefiting from international surgical camps. For parents like Vimbainashe Chakanungwa, whose 3-year-old daughter Gracious received life-saving surgery, the program represents a miracle in a country where an estimated 4,500 children are born with heart disease annually, with 30% likely to die in their first year without treatment.

On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark Advisory Opinion affirming that states have a legal obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions and may be held legally responsible for failing to do so. The opinion originated from a campaign initiated in 2019 by law students from the University of the South Pacific who convinced the Vanuatu government to take climate injustice concerns to the ICJ. Following Vanuatu's leadership, the United Nations approved a resolution in March 2023 requesting the ICJ's opinion on states' obligations under international law regarding environmental protection. The resulting opinion is being celebrated throughout Pacific nations as a historic victory that provides legal grounds for seeking climate justice and holding major polluting nations accountable.

The article examines how thousands of Georgians have been participating in leaderless, self-organized pro-EU protests in Tbilisi since November 2024. Despite high levels of informal civic engagement across Georgia, with 74% of citizens helping friends with household chores and 52% donating to charity, formal participation in democratic organizations remains surprisingly low at just 8%. This disconnect stems from an institutional mismatch between how Georgians traditionally cooperate through informal networks based on personal trust and how formal civil society organizations operate. The article contrasts today's situation with earlier Georgian civic movements and highlights examples like the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association that have successfully bridged this gap by addressing concrete problems affecting everyday citizens.

Mzia Amaghlobeli, a respected investigative journalist and founder of independent news outlets in Georgia, has been sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police chief during anti-government protests in January 2025. Although initially facing charges that could have resulted in up to seven years imprisonment, she was convicted on lesser charges of resisting and using violence against law enforcement. The verdict has triggered widespread condemnation from 24 diplomatic missions, including the European Union, who issued a joint statement through the Media Freedom Coalition describing the sentence as "disproportionate and politically motivated." This case occurs amid growing tensions in Georgia, where the ruling Georgian Dream party has been accused of moving away from EU integration toward Russia and implementing increasing repression against journalists and civil society.

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed on August 10, 2025, along with five other journalists in Gaza, in what the author describes as a targeted assassination by Israel. Israel claimed al-Sharif was a Hamas member, a justification the author characterizes as false and part of a pattern of targeting journalists. The article criticizes Western media outlets like the BBC and Reuters for uncritically repeating Israel's claims without proper journalistic scrutiny. The author argues that racial dynamics influence Western media's response, suggesting Palestinian journalists' deaths receive less outrage than would be expected if Western journalists were similarly targeted.

In April 2025, Angika language speakers and supporters gathered in Bhagalpur, India for a two-day Language-Digital Activism Workshop organized by Angika Wikimedians and Rising Voices to strengthen the language's online presence. The workshop, attended by 22 selected participants and five veteran Angika writers, focused on eight key strategies for digital language revitalization and included discussions about language rights, community bonds, and digital initiatives. Participants created personal roadmaps for supporting Angika digitally through various means including music, apps, children's books, and Wikimedia projects. Following strong interest, organizers held a follow-up online workshop in July 2025 focused specifically on Wikipedia editing to further enhance Angika's digital visibility.

A group of language advocates, led by Kambai Akau, is working to preserve and revitalize the Tyap language of Nigeria through Wikimedia platforms launched in 2020. The Tyap language, spoken in Nigeria's Middle-Belt region, faces extinction threats due to Hausa language dominance and declining usage among younger generations. Despite challenges including limited educational resources, lack of standardized documentation, and low literacy rates in the language, the Tyap Wikimedians Organization has successfully established Wikipedia and Wiktionary pages in Tyap, making it the seventh language-specific Wikipedia approved in Nigeria. The organization is also working on publishing a Tyap dictionary in partnership with Wikitongues while battling technical constraints, funding limitations, and the perception of Tyap as inferior to English and Hausa.

The Israeli military destroyed the only seed bank in the West Bank on July 31, 2025, bulldozing the Union of Agricultural Work Committees' (UAWC) seed-multiplication unit in Hebron without warning. This facility had preserved over 70 varieties of indigenous heirloom seeds, many unique to Palestine, representing both agricultural biodiversity and cultural heritage accumulated through generations of Palestinian seed saving. The destruction is part of a documented pattern where Palestinian agricultural resources, including farmland, olive groves, and seed repositories, have been systematically targeted. International organizations and civil society groups have condemned the act, with some framing it as part of broader cultural genocide and potential war crimes under international law.

After launching the Women in Afghanistan (WIA) program in 2014, agriculture professor Sophia Wilcox connected with numerous Afghan women whose lives have been devastated by the Taliban's return to power in 2021. The article profiles three women affected by the regime change: Fatima, an education activist now in hiding with her family; Dr. Zahra, a midwife restricted from properly practicing her profession; and Dr. Maryam, a former polio vaccination advocate who managed to escape to the US. Their stories illustrate the severe regression of women's rights in Afghanistan, where education for girls is banned and healthcare workers face extreme restrictions, compounded by the freezing of refugee admissions programs that might have offered escape routes.

Veteran Macau democrat and former lawmaker Au Kam San was arrested on July 30, 2024, for allegedly endangering national security through foreign ties and spreading false information. This marks the first national security case since Macau enacted its national security law in 2009, with police claiming Au had connections with overseas anti-China organizations since 2022 and provided seditious information to foreign entities. Au, who served as a city council member from 1993-2001 and legislator from 2001-2021, has remained a vocal critic of government policies and recently commented on the 2024 Chief Executive election and candidate disqualifications. The European Union condemned the arrest as eroding political pluralism in Macau, while the Macau government responded that it would handle the case "strictly according to law."

The Sankofa Foundation Incorporated is hosting the inaugural KidzAFest Cultural Exchange from August 17-31, featuring performances by South Africa's Mzansi Youth Choir and Uganda's Ghetto Kids dance team. This two-week event aims to preserve African storytelling traditions through music and dance performances across the D.C. area, culminating in a special Kidz Theater Production at the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall on August 30. The program showcases African folktales and cultural expressions while promoting values like humility, love, and empathy to inspire young audiences. Founders of both performing groups share a commitment to using arts to transform the lives of underprivileged youth, creating opportunities for them to develop their talents while maintaining cultural pride and identity.

Mauritania's fishing industry, once vibrant and sustainable, now faces severe threats from large-scale foreign industrial fishing vessels, with Chinese trawlers comprising approximately 80 percent of industrial ships in Mauritanian waters. This dominance stems from a 2010 agreement granting China 25-year fishing rights in exchange for a $100 million investment in a fish processing plant in Nouadhibou. The resulting unchecked fishing has devastated local fish stocks, particularly affecting traditional fishermen who cannot compete with technologically advanced Chinese vessels. While fishing accounts for 10 percent of Mauritania's GDP and up to 50 percent of exports, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs, the current situation has created unfavorable conditions for local development, with traditional fishermen experiencing sharp declines in their catches and income.

A ten-day internet and mobile phone service shutdown in North Waziristan, Pakistan from July 7-17, 2025 severely disrupted the local economy, government operations, education, and journalism. The blackout, which followed a June 28 suicide attack on security forces, caused significant financial losses to thousands of local traders and businesses, with daily losses estimated at 200,000-300,000 Pakistani Rupees per trader. Though services were restored after tribal elders met with government officials on July 11, connectivity remains poor in many areas, particularly affecting the region's approximately 693,300 residents who already experience lower internet penetration rates compared to Pakistan's national average of 45.7 percent.