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AT-ST on Endor

powerpig posted a photo:

AT-ST on Endor

Here’s the final Star Wars sculpture I did for LEGO in 2015, appropriately titled AT-ST on Endor. As you can guess, the legs shuffle back and forth when you turn the crank. The mechanism in both the AT-AT and the AT-ST models is deceptively simple – the legs are pushed outward and return to position through the magic of gravity.

UPDATE: Guide now available at chrismcveigh.com

Note: In 2017, builder Carl Greatrix tackled the same concept, motorized, at a much larger scale. The walking motion in his model is phenomenal - check out his work in progress at www.flickr.com/photos/bricktrix/

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Safaa Odah, Jimmy “Spire” Ssetongo Presented Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award

The Freedom Cartoonists Foundation has announced their selection for the 2026 Kofi Annan Courage in Cartooning Award. Jimmy “Spire” Ssentongo of Uganda will be presented the award in a ceremony tonight. Palestinian cartoonist Safaa Odah is unable to leave her homeland for political reasons but will receive her prize at a future date. Safaa is a […]

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Starbucks Japan releases new “torori” drinks exclusive to 7-Eleven convenience stores

A new limited-edition drink you can’t even get at Starbucks.

Competition is fierce amongst Japan’s top three convenience store chains,  7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawson, but right now 7-Eleven is edging ahead of the competition with a new tie-up Starbucks drink that you can’t get anywhere else, not even at Starbucks.

Called Fruity Cheers Torori, this new beverage comes in two flavours, Strawberry Berry Bergamot and Mango Passionfruit, with each one blending the rich aroma of fruit with the creamy smoothness of milk and the refreshing finish of tea for a perfect summer pick-me-up. One of its other key features lies in its name, as “torori” is Japanese onomatopoeia for something with a thick, smooth, rich, and velvety texture, and that’s what this drink promises to deliver.

The Strawberry Berry Bergamot blends milk with the refreshing citrus aroma of bergamot, the delicate fragrance of jasmine tea, and the sweet tartness of strawberry and blackberry. The result is a vibrant, fruity beverage with a rich strawberry aroma and a satisfyingly smooth texture.

The Mango Passionfruit features rich tropical aromas of mango and passionfruit, and blends it all with milk and black tea to create a luscious taste experience. The sweet, full-bodied fruit flavors and creamy richness are said to “unfold with every sip”, delivering a refreshing sensation that captures the spirit of summer.

According to Starbucks, this new series was created with the goal of bringing the Starbucks experience into people’s busy everyday lives through a convenient PET bottle format. Carefully developed by fine-tuning the balance between fruit, milk, and tea to achieve a rich, fruity flavour with a refreshing finish, these drinks are said to be the perfect companion for a summer afternoon.

With bright, colourful packaging and layered graphic elements, the cheerful design is sure to grab your attention when the drinks are released on 16 June. They’ll be available at 7-Eleven stores nationwide for a limited time, priced at 214 yen (US$1.33) each.

Source, images: Press release
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Chicago officials search for suspect after burnt cross found in Grant Park

Police released photos of person of interest in Tuesday’s cross burning, often linked to white supremacy and racism

Chicago authorities are searching for a suspect after a cross was burned in Grant Park earlier this week.

At about 2.30pm on Tuesday, Chicago’s fire department responded to reports of a cross set ablaze in the park. No injuries were reported and firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Keinika Carlton/AP

© Photograph: Keinika Carlton/AP

© Photograph: Keinika Carlton/AP

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Comic Page Full Moons, Cracks, and Tight A**es

Recently while reading a review of Hal Foster’s Tarzan—The Complete Sunday Comics 1931–1937, I was dismayed to see a young Tarzan’s derrière directed directly in my direction. And it wasn’t just a delineation of a duff, but a full double-wide. With a dimple. If I did a double-take, did readers in the 1930’s? When did […]

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Country Christmas Potted Tree

powerpig posted a photo:

Country Christmas Potted Tree

I've been wanted to do a coniferous tree with traditional limb elements for a very long time, but as many of you know, it's a challenge to create a classic tree shape with those parts at a relatively small size. However, new elements 26047 and 32828 opened a few doors. Placement of the Voodoo balls towards the top of the tree conveniently fill in unwanted gaps, but in the future, those could be filled by 35480 in tree-appropriate colors for use in a non-Christmas context.

Anyhoo, guides for regular green, olive green, and white variants of this build are now available at chrismcveigh.com!

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Myth, Masks, and LEGO: Ekow Nimako’s Elaborate Afrofuturistic Sculptures

Myth, Masks, and LEGO: Ekow Nimako’s Elaborate Afrofuturistic Sculptures

Mythology, landscapes, and technology converge in the meticulous, Afrofuturistic sculptures of Ekow Nimako. Using thousands of black LEGO bricks, the Ghanaian-Canadian artist explores legends and folklore of the African diaspora, creating figurative embodiments of allegorical creatures and spiritual beings. Through a single, modular medium, he highlights a wide range of cultural phenomena, from graffiti writing in his series Building Black GRAPHICA to sprawling metropolises in Building Black CIVILIZATIONS.

Recently, Nimako has been working on a collection inspired by African ceremonial masks, interstellar travel, machines, and geometric forms. Some of the works seen here are currently on view in Building Black AMORPHIA: Spiritual Starships at Harbourfront Centre, which is part of a program celebrating Black culture called ZUUMBA 365.

A sculpture of a mythical being with a baby's body with wings, made from black LEGO bricks

Nimako recently installed a multi-part piece titled “Children of the Rouge Valley” at the Rouge Valley Community Recreation Centre in Scarborough, Ontario, and he’s currently working toward another public installation on a Canadian university campus. Building Black AMORPHIA: Spiritual Starships continues in Toronto through August 31. Find more on the artist’s Instagram, including updates about forthcoming e-store drops.

A sculpture made from black lego bricks inspired by African ceremonial masks in a four-pointed star shape
A sculpture of a mythical being with a human head and torso and tentacles instead of legs, made from black LEGO bricks
A sculpture made from black lego bricks inspired by African ceremonial masks in a stealth triangle shape
A sculpture made from black lego bricks inspired by African ceremonial masks in a cube shape
A detail of sculpture of a mythical being with a human head and torso and a horse's body, made from black LEGO bricks
A sculpture made from black lego bricks inspired by African ceremonial masks in a shape of a diamond

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Myth, Masks, and LEGO: Ekow Nimako’s Elaborate Afrofuturistic Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

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Snail-Borne Diseases in Central Africa: Lessons from Citizen Science

Two pie charts from the study.
Editors’ Highlights are summaries of recent papers by AGU’s journal editors.
Source: Community Science

Citizen science continues to spread across the world. It is becoming an acceptable and reliable practice to monitor and report on local conditions. Yet, it must adapt to local conditions and constraints – such as the profile of participants, their level of education, or the time that is available for them. So, how does citizen science adapt to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC)?

In Ashepet et al. [2026], we learn from the ATRAP (Action Towards Reducing snail-borne Parasitic diseases) project, which focuses on the monitoring of snail-borne disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The researchers show how citizen science requires consideration such as material and social benefits for the participants, and how social structure and practices need to be taken into account. The paper also challenges the universality of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) 10 principles of citizen science

Citation: Ashepet, M. G., Mulmi, J., Michellier, C., Jacobs, L., Pype, K., & Huyse, T. (2026). Citizen science principles in practice: Lessons from Uganda and the democratic Republic of Congo. Community Science, 5, e2025CSJ000149. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025CSJ000149

—Muki Haklay, Editor, Community Science

Text © 2026. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Except where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.
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India approves RM4.1b fund to cushion airlines from soaring jet fuel prices from Iran war

Malay Mail

NEW DELHI, June 3 — India approved a 100 billion ‌rupee (RM4.1 billion) fuel stabilisation fund today to help keep jet fuel prices in check for airlines hit by rising costs from the Iran war.

The government said the support would be provided as interest-free advances ‌to oil marketing companies ⁠to cover under-recoveries — the ⁠gap between ⁠market-linked jet fuel prices and ⁠the ⁠moderated rates charged to airlines.

“The measure will help protect ⁠and sustain domestic and international air connectivity, ensuring continuity of air services,” it added.

Shares of India’s largest airline, IndiGo, reversed course ⁠to trade up 1 per cent.

Globally, airlines have been squeezed by rising ⁠jet fuel prices, which can account for ⁠up ⁠to 40 per cent of operating costs. — Reuters

 

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