Stories from 15 August 2014
Russian APCs Cross Into Ukraine, Mystery Convoy Still Stuck on Border
As speculation swirls around the Russian humanitarian convoy traveling into Eastern Ukraine, Western journalists following the procession have witnessed a column of armored vehicles crossing the border into Ukraine.
Speaking Out Against the Stigma of Mental Illness in the Caribbean
Mental illness has long been taboo in the Caribbean, but on the heels of American actor Robin Williams' untimely death, regional bloggers explain why it's important to talk about it.
Russia Just Doubled Its Internet Surveillance Program
At first glance, "SORM 2.0" seems redundant, but the reform of police surveillance online could vastly expand the reach of the Kremlin.
National Gallery of Jamaica Director Faces Accusations of Intimidating and Bullying Employees
Blogger and cultural critic Annie Paul has criticized the management style of the gallery's Executive Director Veerle Poupeye, which she says drove two curators to leave.
Even Pussy Riot Fears Russia’s New Internet Crackdown
There was no way to predict that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, the former Pussy Riot political prisoner, would curtail her online activism to avoid being targeted by the Attorney General.
Jamaica: #Ferguson & #Gaza
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul republishes a compilation of tweets that show the similarities between the standoff in #Gaza and in #Ferguson, where yet another unarmed black man was gunned down by the police. The response to the resulting protests by U.S. law enforcement has been so brutal that netizens are...
Defending Human Rights in Jamaica
When JFJ [Jamaicans For Justice] began, extra-judicial killings by police were commonplace. Yet, not a single police officer had ever – not in the entire history of Jamaica – been ever held accountable for one of these murders. It was a matter that desperately needed addressing. The death of Mario Deane...
Video: Listen to Nairobi Coffee Shop Entrepreneur
Meet Peter Owiti, coffee shop entrepreneur in Nairobi, Kenya: The story of Peter Owiti, the brains behind Pete’s Coffee shop, speaks volumes of the great deal of effort that is spent when setting up a successful business. In the brief video below, Pete, who is a father of three, talks...
An American Bluegrass Band Woos Nigerian Audiences With Their Rendition of P-Square's Chop My Money
How did a Chicago bluegrass band that plays bars and festivals in the U.S. find itself performing in the living room of the US deputy consul in Abuja, Nigeria?
The U.S. Has Problems in Ferguson. And That's Creating Problems For the U.S. in Russia.
So far, most Russians watching the unrest in Ferguson have taken it as an opportunity to criticize the United States, arguing that America exaggerates its progress in race relations.
6 Days of Protests, Tweets and Tear Gas After Police Gun Down a Black Teen in Ferguson, Missouri
Protesters are largely unarmed and using only their voices to express their outrage at the killing of the unarmed black teenager. Police officers have responded with violent force.
How the ‘Boycott McDonald’s’ Campaign for Gaza is Hurting Some Muslims in Malaysia
The campaign was organized to pressure companies accused of supporting Israel. But McDonald's in Malaysia says it is hurting their workers and their families.
