· January, 2009

Stories about Portuguese from January, 2009

Best Blogs Brazil: Winners by jury, public and hacker votes

  31 January 2009

Who won the Best Blogs Brazil 2008? Specialists and the public went to the polls and the winners were announced at Campus Party last week. The competition, which did not offer a money prize just prestige, was taken very seriously by contenders, some even willing to cheat to win.

Brazil: Extradition refusal threatens relations with Italy

  27 January 2009

The Brazilian government calls Cesare Battisti a political activist. For the Italian government, the writer is a convicted terrorist. The controversial decision of the Brazilian government to guarantee political refugee status for him, two weeks ago, has divided opinions in Brazil.

Brazil: A Glance at Campus Party Brazil in Pictures

  25 January 2009

Campus Party Brazil 2009 in São Paulo comes to a close this Sunday. Around 6,500 people have taken part in this second edition of what is arguably Latin America's largest technology and digital culture event. In this article, you will see some of the most interesting pictures of the seven day meeting.

Brazil: A true competition between e-books and paper books?

  24 January 2009

The Brazilian blogsphere is full of literature available online at collective blogs and websites, individual authors' blogs and governmental initiatives. The nations' best selling author, Paulo Coelho, is right when he says that the free distribution of e-books actually encourages the sales of paper books - at least in times when the reader still prefers reading on paper.

Angola: With Ebola Around the Corner, Borders Are Closed

  14 January 2009

The ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not spread into Angola. To prevent it happening, the neighbouring country has shut down its borders with the DRC and suspended all migration movements to protect its population from the spread of this fatal virus. Clara Onofre reports.

Brazil: “Lightness, harmony and joy in the Middle East”

  14 January 2009

Brazilian photographer and designer Marcos Pacheco [pt] has uploaded amazing pictures of Jordan. “The result of my trip through Jordan, near Gaza, where once again there is now deadly war, is in these image. I hope you like “Jordan” the visual essay. There are lightness, harmony and joy in the...

Brazil: Reflecting On Our Very Own Gaza Strips

  11 January 2009

As the rest of the world, Brazilian bloggers are closely following the latest developments of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Opinions are divided, but the conflict has, nevertheless, led bloggers to reflect upon one thing: some feel that what is happening in Gaza has a parallel with the daily wars in the violence plagued shantytowns around the country – dubbed Brazil's very own Gaza Strips – where many innocent lives are claimed every day.

Brazil: “We counted 4,525 homicides in 2008″

  9 January 2009

PEBodyCount [pt] blog has counted 4,525 homicides in 2008 in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. In 2007 there were 4,592 and in 2006, 4,638. “We still have more than 4,500 murders (a year). It is a baseline that puts our state among the most violent places in the world.” 59...

A Dark Past in East Timor for Obama's National Intelligence Nominee

  8 January 2009

Citizen journalists from East Timor have been busily tweeting about the nomination of Admiral Denis C. Blair for the post of US director of National Intelligence. The nominee faces serious accusations of backing the Indonesian occupation of East Timor in the 1990's, an invasion which led to the killing of approximately 1,400 Timorese and the displacement of 300,000 people.

Brazil: Investigating the Brazilian appropriation of Twitter

  4 January 2009

Gabriela Zabo and Raquel Recuero invite all Twitter users in Brazil to answer 35 questions regarding the Brazilian appropriation of the tool. “We would really appreciate if you also spread the word to your contacts. The more answers, the more reliable the analysis of the use of Twitter by Brazilians...

Brazil: Reform won't unify Brazilian and European Portuguese

  3 January 2009

Fabio Said believes that the Portuguese language spelling reform will not make the main variants of the language uniform. Commenting on a BBC news which states otherwise, he argues: “In fact, this passage is nonsense. European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese will always be two different language variants, with very strong...

Lusosphere: Reform in Portuguese Language Not Welcomed

  1 January 2009

As of today, the reform of Portuguese language spelling begins to be implemented in Brazil. The same rules will eventually be implemented in Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe. Bloggers across the Lusosphere are not exactly happy about it.

Brazil: Uri Avnery's open letter to Obama in Portuguese

  1 January 2009

Idelber Avelar [pt] translates into Portuguese an open letter by veteran of Israel's 1948 war and founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement Uri Avnery to Barack Obama. “The request to spread the word goes to everyone who wants a lasting peace in accordance with terms already recognized by the...

Angola: Reflections on Ncwala, an African New Year Ceremony

  1 January 2009

In the last post of the year at Koluki blog [pt], we find a description of a national ritual of Swaziland, a country the Angolan blogger considers one of the most beautiful, friendly and warm in southern Africa. “The sacred Ncwala, or “first fruits ceremony” that is now underway in...

Brazil: Best blogs in 2008

  1 January 2009

It is voting time at the second edition of Best Blogs Brazil 2008 prize and anybody can vote for their best blogs – in various categories – up to January 2004. The result will be announced during Campus Party Brasil in Sao Paulo. For a complete list of finalists, click...

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Manuel Ribeiro
Manuel Ribeiro is the Portuguese editor. Email him story ideas or volunteer to write here.