China Summons Past to Advance Into Africa

Irked by accusations that it is the new coloniser of Africa, China is looking to use soft power and historical evidence of its ancient links to the continent to justify its economic embrace of Africa.

MEXICO: Bicentennial Nothing to Celebrate, Say Indigenous Peoples

"I don't understand why we should celebrate [Independence]. There will be no freedom in Mexico until repression against indigenous peoples is eliminated," says Sadhana, whose name means "moon" in the indigenous Mazahua language.

THAILAND: Insurgency Turns Malay-Muslim Women into Leaders

When her husband was arrested for links to an insurgency raging in this southern region, Pattama Heemmima joined the ranks of Malay-Muslim women forced into the unfamiliar routine of visiting police stations, military camps and courts to secure the freedom of their imprisoned kin.

MEXICO: Artists Push ‘Other’ Bicentennial Viewpoint

"The homeland is not the flag / the anthem is not the country / that is just the varnish / that adorns the outside," states a poem written in Spanish by artist Enrique Cisneros in reference to Mexico's ongoing bicentennial celebrations.

CARIBBEAN: Still Fighting HIV Stigma After 30 Years

An inescapable fact of living in societies that are as small and highly personalised as those in the Caribbean is that information travels very quickly and not always very accurately.

JAMAICA: Broadcast Ban Forces Cleanup of “Murder Music”

A government-led crackdown on violent and explicit sexual lyrics seems to have stalled reggae music's 20-year slide into what has been dubbed "murder music".

EUROPE: Roma Conference Decries Government-Led Discrimination

Over the centuries, racism in the Americas has targeted indigenous peoples, African slaves and their descendants, while in Europe, secular racism has long centred on its once-enslaved gypsies, as their recent persecution in France and Italy confirms.

Biking Across the Americas, Spotlight on Children

Damián López, of Argentina, has been riding his bicycle the length of the Americas for the past three years. His mission? In addition to completing the long journey, he wants to shine the spotlight on children who are at risk due to violence or abandonment.

PAKISTAN: Floods Leave Afghan Refugees Down and Out

When they are not looking forlornly over what used to be their homes or trying to find help for relatives who have fallen ill, many Afghan refugees chase after vehicles that pass through the Great Trunk Road connecting Peshawar to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

INDIA: Fears of Privacy Loss Pursue Ambitious ID Project

Fears about loss of privacy are being voiced as India gears up to launch an ambitious scheme to biometrically identify and number each of its 1.2 billion inhabitants.

FILM-CUBA: “I Fought for This, But Not Just to Be a Housewife”

Mavi Susel, the first transsexual in Cuba to undergo sex reassignment surgery, back in 1988, has found herself trapped in the traditionally assigned gender role of a housewife.

JAPAN: Househusbands Giving Birth To More Gender Equality

Since their first child was born 16 years ago, Hiroyuki Ozaki has taken care of the household, relinquishing his traditional role as the main breadwinner while his wife held on to her career in the travel industry.

RIGHTS-PAKISTAN: Mob Brutality Raises Painful Questions

A breakdown in Pakistan’s justice system, a sign of a society desensitised to violence, an example of mob brutality.

SPAIN: Puppet Marathon for Building School in Bolivia

The 17th Titirilandia (Puppetland) Festival will conclude with a marathon puppet show, to be held Sunday Aug. 29 in Spain's capital city in aid of a school in the remote Bolivian mining province of Potosí.

CULTURE-CHINA: Now Showing – Independent Films

While Hollywood blockbusters and state-funded historical epics continue to dominate China’s box office, a vibrant independent film scene is quietly growing.

UGANDA: Unfriendly Nurses and Culture Hinder Male Involvement in HIV Prevention

Irene Wangolo was advised to undergo an HIV test during her antenatal visit and to return to the clinic with her husband so they could be counselled on preventing HIV transmission to their unborn baby. But her husband refused to accompany her saying it was not his business and Wangolo never returned to the clinic in Bungokho in eastern Uganda. So she missed all the services, including the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).

MEXICO: The Voice of the Community Faces Numerous Threats

The Jenpoj ("winds of fire) community radio station in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, which plays an important role in keeping the Mixe indigenous community informed, has had its equipment confiscated and has fought and won a court case to get a broadcast license.

HEALTH-KENYA: Attempts to Modernise Traditional Circumcision Rites

During every year that ends in an even number, the month of August is a special occasion for young men in Kenya’s Western Province. During this month thousands of boys aged between 10 and 18 undergo male circumcision – something that is seen as an important rite of passage into manhood among their communities. But it is also a time were nearly half the young men circumcised will have to fight for their lives.

CHILE: Another Bicentennial – But This One’s for the People

A bicentennial celebration for ordinary people, envisioned as the start of a process of social reflection, is being prepared by over 100 organisations and public personalities in Chile as a response to the official commemoration of the 200th anniversary of independence from Spain.

PAKISTAN: Schools Cross Extremism Out Of Textbooks

Turn schools into hate-free zones, and achieving peace in violence-wracked Pakistan may not be far behind.

CULTURE-SINGAPORE: Ghost Festival Far From Dying

Like a seasoned star, Ting Ting pranced around on the stage in an energetic dance routine as she delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of a high-tempo Chinese ballad. Enthralled, the 500- strong crowd surged forward, eager to catch a closer look at the svelte 25-year-old artiste, dressed in a bright pink top – and a skirt that ends too many inches above her knees.