· July, 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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...

31 July 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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...

31 July 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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.

31 July 2007

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.

30 July 2007

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.

30 July 2007

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.

30 July 2007

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.

29 July 2007

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.

29 July 2007

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.

29 July 2007

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.

29 July 2007

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...

29 July 2007

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.

29 July 2007