· October, 2008

Stories about Weblog from October, 2008

Pakistan: Baluchistan Quake

  31 October 2008

On Wednesday morning an earthquake shook the eastern section of Pakistan tipping the Richter Scale at a massive 6.5. The most devastated region was Ziarat, a remote location in Baluchistan. It resulted in more than 300 deaths, hundreds were injured and thousands were left homeless out in the open in...

Corporations Agree to Standards for Internet Freedom

  31 October 2008

The Global Network Initiative has been launched. The Initiative is a code of conduct for corporations on privacy and free speech created by a coalition of human rights, media development and research organizations, and Internet and communications companies such as Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft. Its goal: to ensure that ICT...

Frightful Facts or Fantastical Fictions?

  31 October 2008

This third part of the "Lore, ghosts, demons and frights" series has arrived, and we are looking this time a bit beyond the Latin American borders. With this last installment, we seek out the Chupacabras, stick our heads into Voudou rites, observe examples of exorcism and inquire after a cannibal murderer who has become a Venezuelan legend.

China: Blog is Outdated?

  31 October 2008

The 4th Chinese Blogger Conference will be held November 15-16th, 2008, in Guangzhou, China. However, in the past year, there is a continuing discussion in the Chinese blogosphere on whether blog culture is dying down. Moreover, recently bokee.com and blogchina.com, the two earliest BSPs founded by Fang dong-xing (nickname blogfather)...

BOBs: Global Videobloggers Compete for Award Part 2

  31 October 2008

Earlier this week we visited the videoblogs of some of the nominees for the BOBs, Deutsche Welle's Best of Blogs awards. On this second part, we'll see which other videobloggers from all over the globe are nominated and what your choices will be when you decide to vote for your...

D.R. Congo: Confusion Reigns in Goma

  31 October 2008

Two months ago fighting resumed in the DR Congo's Eastern province of North Kivu between the rebel group led by Laurent Nkunda and government forces, in violation of a peace accord signed in January. The fighting has intensified during the last 6 days and, although a cease-fire was announced, the situation remains uncertain in Goma. Here are a few impressions from bloggers on the ground.

Japan: Thoughts on Itochu trading scam

  31 October 2008

On October 10th, Itochu Corporation announced that it had paid close to one hundred billion yen in false transactions valued at nearly 100 billion yen to Mongolian suppliers for construction machinery and materials. One blogger and chartered accountant offers their thoughts on what happened inside Itochu.

Ibero-America: Campus Party in El Salvador

  30 October 2008

This week in El Salvador, hundreds of technology fanatics have assembled to take part in the latest edition of Campus Party. Participants from 22 member states are divided into one of a broad range of areas including: Astronomy, CampusBot (robotics), Innovation, Modding, Campus Create, Digital Leisure and Digital Inclusion. The participation of bloggers have captured the feeling of being in a room with their fellow technology enthusiasts through their blog posts, photos and videos.

Argentina: Diego Maradona Named New Coach of National Team

  30 October 2008

Diego Maradona must be the most famous Argentine in the world, and anything that he does usually becomes news. It is even more newsworthy, when he is named the next Coach of the Argentine national football team. Many Argentines are left wondering how the greatest footballer will ensure that the country qualifies for the World Cup 2010.

SketchPAN: World without Words

  30 October 2008

SketchPAN, a service from Korea, aims to create a easy platform for people to express themselves with paintings. In the world without words, language is no longer a barrier for users around the globe.

Kazakhstan: Blocked Bloggers Discuss Economics

  30 October 2008

Although LiveJournal, the major blog platform on the post-Soviet space, including Kazakhstan, is still not accessible through the national telecom monopolist Kazakhtelecom, Internet enthusiasts find their way to express their opinions online. The main topic – as, probably, elsewhere these days – is economics.

Argentina: We Media 2008 in Buenos Aires

  30 October 2008

The We Media conference was held for the first time in Latin America, when the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina played host on October 14-15, 2008. The media thinktank iFOCOS together with the newspaper Clarín, the conference was brought to Argentina. Media executives, web entrepreneurs,and bloggers, among others gathered to hear a wide range of speakers. With the quantity of bloggers who were present in the auditorium as presenters and attendees, there was a wide and diverse coverage of the event.

Recession hits Singapore

  30 October 2008

Singapore is a major financial center in the world. It is also one of the richest countries in Asia. Unfortunately, it is not immune to the economic aftershocks caused by the Wall Street crash and the global financial crisis. Singapore’s economy is down today, the first Asian country to be hit by a recession.

Malaysia's Jungle Spirits

  29 October 2008

Lush with primary and secondary virgin jungle, Malaysians have long held a respect for the forests. It also helps that myths, whether bearing down from the forefathers or from urban legend, has caused a lot of superstition surrounding the vast jungle of Malaysia.

Palestinian Football History

  29 October 2008

Palestinians made their own football history, being the only team - in the words of one blogger - with a stadium but no country. It was a day of national pride and despite the setbacks, bloggers hailed it as a day of victory.

Morocco: Halloween Not Just for Expats Anymore

  29 October 2008

The Halloween tradition is a muddled one; with traditions in an ancient Celtic celebration, Halloween started in Europe and made its way to the United States, where it has been embraced as a holiday for children. In recent years, however, the American version of Halloween has spread to the rest of the world, with Morocco being no exception.

Russia: “Help Svetlana Bakhmina” Petition

  29 October 2008

As of now, 71,250 people have signed an online petition appealing to the Russian president to pardon Svetlana Bakhmina, a former senior lawyer for Mikhail Khodorkovsky's oil company Yukos, who was arrested in December 2004 and sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for embezzlement and tax evasion in April 2006.

Korea: Rise of ‘No Reason for Murder’

  29 October 2008

A South Korean man who was not satisfied with himself and society attacked a gosiwon and killed six people in an arson attack and knife in the middle of Seoul.[En] His hatred against this society, mistreatment since childhood and long term odd-jobs, led him to kill innocent people who stayed...