Featured Stories in Culture

The Hobo Code was a series of simple drawings—not unlike emojis today—that conveyed to other hobos vital information such as whether a place was hospitable to them or not.

The Pan African Flag was founded by Marcus Garvey over a century ago to unite Africans and people of African descent. It’s still a strong symbol today.

You’ve heard of The Muppets. But have you heard of Wilkins and Wontkins? These two early Muppets characters featured in commercials for Wilkins Coffee in the 1950s.

A weeb, or weeaboo, is a Japanophile: someone who appreciates and loves Japanese culture, its people and history. The previous term, “Wapanese,” is now considered derogatory.

Japanese farmers hang teru teru bōzu, small handmade dolls made of white paper or cloth, outside their windows in the hope they will bring good weather.

The Trobiand Islands off the east coast of New Guinea offer a fascinating look into a culture unaffected by Western civilization.

Otherwise known as “giving the finger” or the “one-finger salute,” flipping the bird has its origins in ancient Greece, becoming the obscene hand gesture it’s known for today.

At 101, Whang-Od is the world’s oldest and last living practitioner of Kalinga, a Filipino tribal tattoo practice

Humour is often overlooked when trying to tackle and raise awareness of social issues. That’s not an accusation you can level at British designer Laila Laurel. Laurel’s anti manspreading chair is a funny and clever take on how to deal with the ills of man-spreading.

Glass Gem Corn has been an internet hit due to it’s beautiful rainbow colours. However, the real story is how a determined Carl Barnes patiently developed rainbow corn and helped restore an important piece of lost Cherokee heritage.

Rigged elections? Russian Facebook trolls influencing voter behaviour? None of these accusations are being leveled after the Estonian region of Kanepi adopted the cannabis leaf for a new coat of arms.

A German union is making the case for a 28-hour shortened work week in a bid to secure an improved work-life balance for it’s members.

From shopping malls to gas stations, over-sized, pink, female-only parking spaces are springing up in China. The initiative has stirred controversy amid claims that woman-only parking spaces enforce a stereotype of bad female drivers.

After increasing pressure Bilbao health officials have halted a scheme which distributed cocaine crushing cards to local drug users.

Penelope Gazin and Kate Dwyer are founders of online art marketplace Witchsy. To stop startup sexism the pair invented a male co-founder, Keith Mann.

The Annabelle doll has been spooking commuters across Asia with mixed results. Malaysian operator RapidKL were the latest to spot the malevolent marionette.

VietJet bikinis are in the news again. Scantily clad flight attendants from the budget Vietnamese carrier will have to cover-up on a new route to Jakarta.

Dutch prisoners are being given the chance to help with unsolved crimes as police issue a cold case calendar featuring unsolved murders or disappearances.