Stories about Weblog from July, 2010
Qatar: Residents survive change to eight-digit phone numbers
In an effort to meet future demand, Qatar changes most mobile and landline numbers from seven to eight digits. Residents complain, but find the transition to be easier than expected.
Kenya: Netizens Discuss Kenya's Referendum
Bloggers are discussing Kenya's referendum on the proposed new constitution, which will take place on on August 4, 2010.The campaigns for the referendum involved two camps: “Yes” camp led by the Kenyan President and the Prime Minister and “No” camp led by the church.
Qatar: Expats Question Future Plans
If you are a long term resident in one of the GCC countries, what are your long-term plans? What will you do when you return home? At Qatar Living, expatriates attempt to answer the inevitable question: What will you do when you return home?
Egypt: Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women?
Do Egyptians have a natural aversion towards women? Zeinobia is very unhappy with this emerging social trend, Mohaly is wondering where we are going with segregation, Diptychal wonders why they want to shut them up, and Eman Hashim is begging mothers to love their daughters!
Nicaragua: 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media in Managua
On August 12 and 13 the event 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media (2.0 Encuentro de Blogs & Nuevos Medios) will take place in Managua, with the participation of communication and new media experts from various countries in the region, including some Global Voices authors.
Palestine: A Possibility of Military Conscription?
The Hamas government's Interior Minister, Fathi Hammad, earlier this week announced that he was considering expanding Gaza's military force, initially with volunteers and eventually with conscripts. Bloggers in Gaza have reacted with astonishment to the idea.
Philippines: Opposition to Rail Transit Fare Hikes
Metro Manila commuters of the Metro Rail Transit will be facing fare hikes as the Philippine government plans to abandon subsidies for the public transportation because of rising operation and maintenance costs. Bloggers react
Haiti: Displaced Women and Girls Victims of Gender Violence
In the aftermath of the devastating Haiti earthquake, women and girls are still facing gender violence, as some of them not only experience rape, but then have to face an absent judicial system and less than adequate medical care.
Latvia: Concerns Over the Future of the Largest Daily, Free Press
With the ownership of the largest daily newspaper, Diena, in question, many journalists in Latvia fear business interests and political influence would rule the news coverage ahead of the October parliamentary elections.
Chile: Mapuche on Hunger Strike over Anti-terror Law
On July 12, 2010, fourteen Mapuche indigenous detainees began a hunger strike to denounce the Chilean State’s treatment of Mapuche communities in southern Chile. The strike is aimed mainly at ending the use of Chile’s Anti-terrorism Law against Mapuche prisoners, a Pinochet-era decree widely used during the seventeen years of the Pinochet dictatorship.
Global Threat of Wheat Killer Rises
The risk posed by a fungus that is deadly to the world's second largest crop, wheat, continues to rise. The killer fungus, called Ug99, causes stem rust disease, which can destroy entire wheat fields.
Brazil: Copyright Reform Proposal Under Consultation
A public consultation on the Brazilian Copyright Act has received over 1,200 contributions. The proposed changes have fuelled intense debate in the blogosphere and twittosphera.
Italy: NO to Restrictions on Online Free Speech
A newly revised Media and Wiretapping bill before the Italian parliament today could introduce a threatening "liability risk" for all bloggers and online media.
Afghan Bloggers on Wikileaks War Logs
Afghan bloggers writing in Dari appear to be relatively quiet in the aftermath of the leaked military reports posted on Wikileaks. Here are reactions from two Afghan bloggers.
China: Social media as political subversion tool
This past month has been an interesting one in the cat-and-mouse game between Chinese Internet censorship and its non-conformists. Microblogs in the People's Republic had begun to feel the weight of a heavier government crackdown, following the publication of a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) claiming...
Russia: Online Cartoon Character – Mr. Freeman – Deconstructs Reality, Mocks Netizens
Gregory Asmolov writes about Mr. Freeman, a sarcastic, gloomy and enigmatic online cartoon character, who has made millions of young Russians think about the way they live their lives.
Malaysia: Drop in Foreign Direct Investments
The recently released United Nations World Investment Report 2010 brought to light the shape of the Malaysian economy to its citizens: Foreign direct investment has dropped by 81 percent. Here are some online reactions.
Venezuela: Allies in Technology, Women Who are Not Afraid of Mice
Venezuelan NGO Aliadas en Cadena (Allies in Chains) created the group Aliadas en Tecnología (Allies in Technology) to promote the use of technology to empower women affected by poverty. Through classes and workshops, many women who saw computers as strange and intimidating objects now find in them a tool for work, learning and self-fulfillment.
Bangladesh: One Child to Rebuild a School
All it took was one child to talk about his destroyed school in front of a camera: through the following months, thanks to Shawn Ahmed of the Uncultured Project and Nerdfighters, the world rallied through YouTube and raised enough money to rebuild the school.
Morocco: Agharass's New Photography Blog
Moroccan blogger Agharass is known for having an eclectic blog with posts (in French) on a variety of subjects from Palestine to pop culture, often peppered with the blogger's own photographs. Agharass now has a photo blog, entitled Portfolio de Agharass!
Egypt: Is Egypt Sinking?
The Economist has published a special report on Egypt and its future after President Hosni Mubarak, who has now been recognized as the 21st century sick man of the Middle East. Egyptian bloggers have their say.
