Stories from 14 February 2013
North Korea's Nuclear Slap on the Chinese New Year
While the Chinese were celebrating their Lunar New Year, Pyongyang launched their third underground nuclear test just 100km away from their border with China. So far the Chinese government's response has been moderate. But online, both the pro-North Korea nationalists and the anti-North Korea liberals are not happy.
Bangladesh Unites at Shahbag for 42-Year-Old War Crimes
Drop by drop, the Shahbag intersection in Bangladesh's capital city Dhaka has become an ocean of people, demanding justice for the atrocities committed during the country's 1971 liberation war and death penalty for war criminals.
Under Pressure, Spain Opens Door to Foreclosure Reform
The Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH), joined by an impressive social movement, fought for Congress to change mortgage legislation in Spain. In the end, the Popular Party bowed to intense public pressure mobilized via the #ILPescrache hashtag.
‘Follow the Pope's Lead,’ Brazil Tells Senate President
Brazilians reveling in the recent Carnival holiday called on newly elected Senate President Renan Calheiros, who is accused of corruption, to follow Pope Benedict XVI's example and resign. An online petition demanding his ouster has gathered more than 1.5 million signatures.
Dominica, Curacao: Carnival 2013
Catch a glimpse of what this year's Carnival celebrations were like in Dominica and Curacao.
Trinidad & Tobago: Calypso Music
Calypso dead? Not quite. Calypsonians and calypso shows being lazy and unoriginal? We have plenty of that. The Eternal Pantomime explains.
Caribbean: Valentine's Day is for Bloggers
Think you know what love is all about? A few regional bloggers use Valentine's Day as an opportunity to figure it out…
A Fantastic Comeback for Trinidad & Tobago Carnival
The International Soca Monarch Competition in Trinidad and Tobago is a major highlight of the country's Carnival festivities but this year it also served as a comeback for former winner Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons, who managed to tie defending champion Machel Montano for first place and a share of the International Soca Monarch title. Bloggers think it was a masterful return to the Carnival arena.
Musicians Aim Fighting Words at the Gambia's Hardliner President
A popular music video featuring a group of artists taking aim at the president of the Gambia's tightening grip on the West African country has gone viral among Gambians home and abroad.
Secret Life and Death of Mossad Spy ‘Prisoner X’
Revelations by Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) progamme Foreign Correspondent on 12 February, 2013 have fired up onliners. The mysterious Prisoner X who allegedly committed suicide in an Israeli gaol in 2010 was not only a dual citizen of Australia and Israel, but also a Mossad agent.
Hand-painted Ads in Guinea-Bissau
In Guinea-Bissau “there is a real market of experts on painting wall advertisements”, says landscape architect Manuel Bivar. In 2011, he shared a collection of photos featuring hand-painted ads from...
Boy, 16, Killed on Second Anniversary of Bahrain Protests
A 16-year-old boy was killed in Bahrain today (February 14, 2013), on the second anniversary of the start of widespread Arab Spring-style protests across the country. His death, reportedly from shotgun injuries, sparked anger online – and on the streets.
The Chechen President's Unlikely Instagram
From the start it was obvious that the anonymous album was being updated by either Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov himself, his press secretary, or someone equally close.
Blood on the Russian Tracks
Earlier today, the Russian Railways concluded its official investigation into the death of Elena Soboleva, who died on January 18 crossing the tracks at the Saltykovskaia train platform [ru], located just...
