Page 10 - World In Progress News Today

Indian authorities demanded that Twitter block hundreds of accounts commenting on the farmers' protests. Twitter first complied, but then reinstated accounts after an outcry over press freedom and freedom of expression. The government then retaliated against Twitter. Now, India's Supreme Court has intervened in the dispute between the government and Twitter.

Censorship comes in many forms. You might have heard that Facebook blocked news coverage in Australia last week, because Australia's government wanted the tech giant to pay for journalism. In Venezuela, censorship has gotten so bad that people have to get creative to get informed. And the Indian government ordered Twitter to block accounts commenting on farmers' protests.

Japan used to have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. That figure was on the decline — until the pandemic hit. Now, for the first time in eleven years, Japan's suicide rate is on the rise again. One student in Tokyo wanted to help and founded an online counseling service. So far, more than 30,000 people have reached out.

We hear the inspiring stories of female judges in Guatemala who are risking their lives for justice. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, the number of suicide cases involving women has been rising sharply in Japan. One student wants to stop people from taking their own lives and show them it's worth living. We also hear how dogs can help detect urine that's infected with the coronavirus.

In a country that's plagued by corruption, a macho culture and violence, getting justice is by no means an easy feat. Two female judges who are just doing their jobs have come up against powerful opponents who tried to have them killed. They can't leave their houses without bodyguards anymore — but they refuse to be dominated by fear.

The West African country has been in turmoil for years. Earlier this month, there was yet another attack on UN peacekeepers by jihadists. It's the latest attack in a brutal conflict that has been raging in Mali since 2012. The lack of progress against the jihadists contributed to protests against Mali's government which was ousted in a coup last August.

Countries have started to vaccinate their populations. There is still lots of uncertainty when it comes to vaccines, first and foremost: Will the developed vaccines also be efficient against new variants of the coronavirus? There are also concerns that some countries could be left behind — African countries in particular.

The spread of disinformation is a growing problem around the world. We go behind the scenes of a Catholic radio station in Italy spreading conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and discuss Wikipedia's huge impact on the way we source information. Plus, a new project in Colombia is helping women access abortions and an artist has turned the debris from the beirut explosion into a sculpture.

In Colombia, the coronavirus pandemic has further cemented barriers to accessing abortion — especially for women in rural areas and those living in poverty. Now a national clinic has started a hotline to enable women to access safe abortions at home via telemedicine.

Two decades on from its founding, Wikipedia has rapidly grown into one of the most popular open-source websites. In an extended interview, DW speaks with Dr. Bernie Hogan from the Oxford Internet Institute about Wikipedia's remarkable rise, its impact on the spread of misinformation in the digital age and what the future may hold for the world's biggest online encyclopedia.