Stories about Weblog from July, 2007
Iraq: Goooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal !!!!!
... or Kicking off at the Iraqi Blogodrome. It's a football special today. With Iraq through to the finals of the Asian Cup bloggers are alight with comment on the national team. And there's more, read about how one Iraqi blogger has had enough of blogging; how to survive a trip through Baghdad International Airport; what it is like to have the Iraqi army move in next door; Why Iraqi oil is so critical to the world and much,much more. And, if you read to the end, why one blogger got banned from YouTube. Today's side quotes are from Iraqi poet and blogger April Girl.
Korea: Remember 5.18
History seems unforgettable. Especially tragedies. A movie that just opened in Korea brings up a piece of history, the Kwangju Uprising or Kwangju Democracy Movement (known in Korea as 5.18), and has been touted as a film Koreans should watch. The film touches on issues of patriotism, the plight of...
Madagascar: Community, Identity and the Malagasy diaspora
As it is sometimes the case for sub-Saharan African nations, the Malagasy diaspora carries a substantial weight of the cultural, political and virtual activities related to Madagascar. In the World Wide Web, the bandwidth limitation is a major encumbrance to a larger participation of bloggers from Madagascar in the global...
Qatar: It's getting hot in here
The arrival of summer in Qatar usually means an exodus of both locals and expatriates who can afford a vacation somewhere with a more welcoming climate. As temperatures rise above 45 degrees Celsius (over 110 Fahrenheit) bloggers in Qatar are discussing how to deal with the heat (and humidity). While come bloggers are learning the hard way how to cope with the heat, others have sent their families to cooler climes until the heat alert is over.
American Blogger in the land of “Down with USA”
View from Iran has always been a very attractive blog for me. An American blogger based in Iran writes about her daily experiences in the land of “down with America”. Tori Egherman, the American blogger, has now left Iran. She and her husband have just published a book of photos...
Fighting HIV/AIDS in ‘post-Islamist’ Sudan
Despite the challenges of preventing the spread of HIV in what remains a deeply conservative society, a Tunisian blogger working in Sudan's national AIDS prevention program observes a growing openness to once-taboo ideas.
Uzbekistan: Domestic violence, a prison for Uzbek Paris Hiltons and “Iran, go home!”
This week on Uzbekstani blogs: The difficult role of women in society and domestic violence stand in stark contrast to the flamboyant life of the president's daughter. Also, a young Uzbek football player displays a "Iran Go Home" poster before a match, Uzbek civil society is under threat, and a special prison is being built for delinquent civil servants.
Chile: A Controversial Agreement with Microsoft
An agreement signed between the Chilean Ministry of Economy and Microsoft has stunned many Chileans. Microsoft will now have exclusive access to provide services through the Chilean government, and which will make automatic Microsoft users out of ordinary citizens. Some have stated that this agreement was not reached through a public bidding process, and there had not been an opportunity to explore open software alternatives.
Bangla blogs discuss evolution – Of life, blogs and women power
What is blogging all about? Is it about sharing one's daily life and/or thoughts with the rest of the world? Is it then an autobiography of sorts? Can a blog be deemed as literature? Suman Rehman, who labels himself as an ‘uploader’ rather than a true blue blogger, set the...
D. R. of Congo: Miracle-peddlars, musical hippos and scary lightbulbs
Probably the most consistently interesting Congolese blog is kept by Cédric Kalonji [Fr], whose photographs and commentary bear humorous but often sorrowful witness to the struggles of ordinary life in Kinshasa, the country's heavily populated, run-down capital. Returning from a recent visit to Europe, Cédric found himself wondering whether the...
Egypt: Soccer Counters Terrorism, Blogger Helps Drug Addict, Blogging Egypt's History and More
In this week's round-up from Egypt there are so many intertwined stories. One blogger is asking: what is the relation between soccer and terrorism? We also have an interesting story by Isis, (Egypt-The Reality), who is helping a drug addict because of a blog post. Egypt-Napoleon's history is being profiled in a new blog and can a new fatwa (religious opinion) bring imprisoned Egyptian blogger Karim Amer back to life? There is also a follow up on the 11-year-old mother by Zeinobia.
Kurdistance: A Victory in the Turkish Elections
While the Turks have had some mixed reactions to the outcome of the recent Turkish parliamentary elections, Kurds have been rejoicing as potential Kurdish parliamentarians have exploited a loophole in the election system and gained a foothold in the Turkish parliament.
Hidden Message To The Burmese Junta Published In MyanmarTimes Newspaper
An ad appeared in Monday's edition of Myanmar Times talking about Myanmar's tourism and its appeal to tourists from Scandinavia . The normal looking ad actually had a hidden message targeted at the ruling junta in Myanmar. Myanmar bloggers posted their reaction to the ad.
China: Blogging summer floods
As floods continue to rise up across China this summer, leaving hundreds dead and millions fleeing from their homes, citizen reporter bloggers in China have been keeping a close eye on the developments.
Arabeyes: Internet War Continues in Egypt
After harassing, questioning and detaining bloggers, the war on the Internet continues in Egypt, this time attacking where it hurts most - the pocket! This is how Egyptian bloggers react to the hike in prices, which will be introduced in September.
Peru: Polls, Strikes, and Independence Day
As Peruvian Independence Day approaches on July 28, the atmosphere in Peru is becoming increasingly festive and the Peruvian national colors, red and white, are cropping up everywhere. However, on the political stage, there is little to celebrate. Despite the end of the teachers' strike, organized by the teacher's union, SUTEP, and despite the probability the other strikes plaguing the country will also come to an end, many people believe that these radical measures will return once the National Holiday concludes.
Turkey is Typing….Election Issue
The Turkish parliamentary elections were this last Sunday… and despite public protests in the last few months against the ruling party AKP, they still won with a resounding 47 per cent of the popular vote. Turkish bloggers wrote extensively this week about their predictions of the elections and what future...
India At 60: New Book on Partition of India, First Woman President and A Film on Gandhi's Son
A couple of weeks from now on August 15th and 14th, India and Pakistan will celebrate their 60th year of Independence. What stands out in stark contrast is the differences between the two nations in terms of their forms of government and their nation-building exercise. India went the democratic way...
Japan: Ground Zero at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa
On July 16, shaken by a massive earthquake originating in a fault line that apparently runs directly underneath it, one of the power generators of the world's largest nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, burst into flame and started billowing black smoke. This week's post includes a report from Diet member and blogger Kondo Masamichi, one of the first to arrive on the scene, and the reaction of another blogger who questions the government's handling of the crisis.
Kyrgyzstan: Wedding season
Kyrgyzstani couples choose the summer months to get married. As the ceremonies portrayed by bloggers are mostly Western in style, they convey a different, somewhat "non-exotic" image of the landlocked Central Asian republic. From white doves to violins, the Kyrgyzstani dream wedding seems above all one thing: expensive!
Reactions to kidnapping of Koreans in Afghanistan
South Korean Christian missionaries were abducted in Ghazni, south-west of Kabul, on the 19th of this month. The abductors who kidnapped 23 missionaries are Taleban fighters. The hostages were abducted from a bus travelling from Kandahar to Kabul. What the Taleban fighters demand to the Korean government is first to...
