Stories about Weblog from July, 2007
Across the Panamanian Blogosphere
There is plenty on the mind of the Panamanian blogosphere, with topics ranging from the fate of former leader Manuel Noriega to a delicious tree tomato. Melissa De Leòn Douglass covers these broad topics in this blog round-up from Panama.
Arabeyes: Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian Blogger Vanishes
Egyptian blogger Ahmed Saad Domah has vanished, according to the Blogger's Observatory, which has been set up to monitor the arrests and harassments bloggers and online writers in the Arab World face.
Uganda Responds – and Doesn't – To “Stop Trying To Save Africa”
“Maybe I just go where the weather is better,” says Josh of In An African Minute. He’s referring to why he chooses to work in Africa rather than where his family is from in Eastern Europe, but also to the current ruckus that’s been unleashed by the essay "Stop Trying to Save Africa,” in the Washington Post by Uzodinma Iweala. The American raised and Harvard educated Nigerian novelist wrote a compelling essay, one which the Expats in the Ugandan blogosphere have almost all felt necessary to formulate a response to.
Malaysia: GVO's Jeff Ooi joins Opposition Party
Today marks one of the most important occasion in Malaysia's blogging community as Screenshot's Jeff Ooi, who is dubbed as one of the most prominent blogger in Malaysia's blogosphere joined an Opposition Party – the Democratic Action Party (DAP). Speaking at the the press conference announcing his decision, Jeff reason's...
Japan: A Historic Election Defeat
The overwhelming defeat of the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan's upper house elections on Sunday, historic in its scale, brought about a drastic shift in the Japanese political landscape and sent a clear message to prime minister Abe Shinzo and his government. While media across the world analyze political fallout of the political shift, bloggers are echoing the message and demanding change.
Global Voices in Persian Takes off
Global Voices in Persian finally takes off officially. It started its first baby steps in June and a few of its translations have already been republished on a few sites including a very popular one, Gooya.com and the Iranian Digg,Balatarin. On good days we get around 350 hits and 250...
China: Citywide taxi strike
It seems the ten thousand taxi drivers in one Chinese city have all gone on strike, bloggers are making this much clear. Local media appears not to be reporting on the incident, so the reasons for the job action have yet to be made known.
Arabeyes: Singers Banned in Syria and Terrorist Arabs at All Airports
A number of female Arab singers have been banned from singing in Syria - to put a limit to moral corruption. In another development, Arabs seem to be targeted at airports around the world, even in their own homes, where they are being treated like terrorists. These are just two of the conversations taking place in Arabic blogs this week.
Iraq: WE WOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!
Iraq's national football team won the Asian Cup, an event which brought joy to Iraqis at home and around the world. Sufferings, death, sectarian divisions and repercussions against Iraqis celebrating abroad were also captured in the reactions rounded up by Salam Adil from the Iraqi blogosphere.
Brazil: About the 2007 Rio Pan-American Games
After two intense weeks full of sports coverage and post-tragedy debates in the media, the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro has come to an end. Since its inauguration ceremony, where president Lula got booed by the crowd at the stadium, the event has inspired a passionate debate colored by political frictions in the local blogosphere. How the defection of Cuban athletes fits the plot? Read through the end of the post and find out what Brazilian blogs has to say about it.
Cambodian Blogger on Blogging
GV's Cambodian author Tharum Bun interviews Borin Ly, an Internet enthusiast and an avid blogger. Borin talks about his blogging experience and his motivations for creating the blog. Cambodia has a very active blogging scene, with more and more young people going online. People who have just started blogging might find Borin's blogging tips handy.
Guatemala: Journalist's Column Strikes a Nerve Among Bloggers
Dr. Mario Roberto Morales, a prominent writer from Central America recently wrote a column criticizing bloggers for their alleged lack of credibility. This article sparked a wave of criticisms from Guatemalan bloggers who kindly suggested that if blogs bothered him so much, then he should stop reading. In addition, they write that the freedom to publish content for the entire world to read far outweighs the generalizations that Morales puts forth.
China: To blog to dream
Two American bloggers in China will be taking their blog on the road for a year starting with a trip next month, for charity, for understanding, and for your dreams.
Philippines: Anti-Terror Law takes effect
Five months after it was passed by Congress, the anti-terrorism law known as the Human Security Act took effect more than a week ago. The government describes the law as the centerpiece legislation that would deter terrorist activities in the country. However, the Opposition is worried that the law might be used to quell legitimate dissent.
Kuwait: Pictures, Sights and Events
Kuwaiti bloggers are leaping into action, discovering their surroundings, attending events and covering them, keeping tabs on the latest developments on the arrest of the Monster of Hawali and looking for racial slurs on the shelves of supermarkets. Read this post by Abdullatif Al Omar to see what else is happening.
Palestine: The Plight of Women
Instead of the usual political banter, this week's view into the Palestinian blogosphere will focus on women - join Jillian York for a glimpse into what female bloggers (or those blogging about females) are thinking.
Morocco: The Intellectual Capabilities of Sheep
With temperatures reaching 45 degrees and hardly any big news, what on earth are Moroccan bloggers talking about? Well, for one - sheep!
Japan: Protester nearly killed at Henoko Bay
An activist protesting environmental surveys currently being conducted in Henoko Bay (Okinawa) in preparation for the construction of a new military base was reportedly nearly killed when government-contracted divers attacked him. While the Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA) denies the incident, the activist himself, pastor Taira Natsume, released a statement...
Bangladesh: The threat of floods and current politics
A flood on its way Like many places in the world it has been raining incessantly in many parts of Bangladesh for a number of days. The rain water had waterlogged many places. Back to Bangladesh posts some pictures of some parts of the waterlogged Dhaka. He wonders whether there...
Bahrain: The Return of the British ‘Butcher of Bahrain’
Politics and human rights are, as ever, the chief topics of discussion on Bahrain’s blogs this week, but we also hear about things that aid and interrupt sleep, creatures that won’t buzz off, and stories of both loneliness and new friendship.
Touring Libyan Blogs: Health Sector, Old Ladies, Confrontating a Racist Bully, Globetrotting and Another Libyan Writer
The case of the Bulgarian nurses (and the Palestinian doctor) is already fading into history - while speculation rages if they have been bought off, whether they were guilty or not, if they were hostage to a political settlement in the New World Order or who is it exactly that defused the situation? One thing is sure on this side of the world is that their innocence or the lack of it has not been proven 100 per cent. However, in the interest of self preservation Libyans are moving on, writes Fozia Mohamed.
