Stories from 6 February 2013
Levitating Around Singapore
Jayden Tan and Jeff Cheong have been ‘levitating’ around Singapore and they are even teaching students about the secrets of levitation photography. Their project has been gaining attention in Singapore and many people have already noted the creativity of their photos.
RuNet Freedom: a Pirate's Revenge
Amid brazen attempts to censor the RuNet, one group is fighting back. On February 4, the Pirate Party of Russia has announced a new specialized internet hosting service, called the PirateHost, created in retaliation to attacks on Russian internet freedoms.
Death Knell for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?
As Trinidad and Tobago gears up for its 2013 Carnival celebrations, bloggers discuss whether this is the beginning of the end of the national festival.
“Radical Imagination” in the Context of Global Protests
The development of digital communication has allowed the voice of the people to be carried further, whilst at the same time liberating words, images, ideas and actions that were previously restricted to specific areas. The virtual world is ultra-connected, full of ideas and teeming with innovative entrepreneurial initiatives. People in the real world then use this digital interconnection to protest, organise and express dissident ideas.
Jamaica: Superpower!
Don’t mind the IMF. Thanks to Volkswagen of America, Inc., we’ve been reminded yet again that Jamaica is a cultural superpower. Jamaica Woman Tongue reminds us that “the Jamaican presence at the Super Bowl wasn’t just the VW ad. It was Beyoncé doing the dutty wine, to the invigorating beat...
Jamaica: Bob's Birthday
Today is the anniversary of reggae icon Bob Marley's birth; a couple of Jamaican bloggers pay him tribute.
China Wonders Who's Behind New President's Mystery Fan Blog
A mystery blogger who has chronicled the comings and goings of incoming Chinese President Xi Jinping with remarkable candidness on the popular Chinese micro-blogging website Sina Weibo has many in the communist country wondering who he or she is.
When Bob Marley Went to Africa
The film opens on the Ghanaian coast at the remnants of a slave post, the camera then pans over the Atlantic, finally settling on the green hills of rural Jamaica (Marley’s birthplace Nine Mile) from where it picks up Bob Marley’s story, thus cementing a link between the continent and...
US Congressman Vows to Help Gambians
Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison and his Staff had a fruitful discussion on Gambia’s ailing democracy with the civil society group based in Minneapolis last Monday. Congressman Keith Ellison in the United States House of Representative has promised to help Gambians in their fight for democracy.
Every Weekend is a Long Weekend in Gambia
“Unlike in the rest of the world, employees in a tiny nation on Africa’s west coast can now enjoy an extended weekend of three days, beginning Friday. The reform introduced in the public-sector by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh came into force on February 1 ignoring Opposition protest” Blog SeyiSanchez reports.
Missing Colonial Map, Charged Border Dispute
Debate has flared up about maps allegedly taken by the British after Sudan became independent in 1956. While some believe the historic documents could ease ongoing border disputes, researchers doubt they exist at all. Joseph Edward discusses the issue of missing colonial-era maps of the South Sudan border.
Brazil's Comic Book Artists Break the Industry Mold
After delving into the world of comics throughout Latin America in our previous post, we return to Brazil to explore Brazilian comicdom just as the country comes off its celebration of National Comics Day on January 30.
Dancing to the Beat of History with Marrabenta in Mozambique
Every year around this time, Mozambicans start the year celebrating Marrabenta music. And in each rhythmic beat the country's identity and history resonates. Find out why.
Chile: Controversial Campaign of a Presidential Candidate
The launch of the campaign of Laurence Golborne, in representation of the Independent Democratic Union, has created rejection within the country. In this post, we offer a summary of public reaction.
Tourist Hordes Trashing World's Largest Mangrove Forest
Increasing numbers of loud and littering tourists are damaging the world's largest mangrove forest in Bangladesh, home to the Royal Bengal Tigers and a colorful collection of other wildlife.
Open Access and the Complexity of Digital Rights
How do ways of thinking change through time and space? Today, this problem concerning the way the human intellect works is compounded by a new method of transmission - digital. Open Access are calling for free availabilty of digitised publications from publicly-funded scientific research.