· November, 2007

Stories about Weblog from November, 2007

Innovative Tools: Live Bicycle Radio

Innovative tools in Colombia and Bangladesh are bringing internet access to communities that would otherwise be disconnected. We take a look at wi-max bicycles in Medellin and mobile phone internet kiosks in Bangladesh.

27 November 2007

Japan: Blog Queen takes a break

Gravure idol, talento and blog queen Wakatsuki Chinatsu announced today that she would be taking time off from blogging. The final entry posted today at her official blog attracted thousands of comments from fans offering their support, a few of which are translated here.

27 November 2007

Korea: Foreigners on Korean TV

A TV program in Korea featuring foreign women who are able to speak Korean and who give their opinions about Korean society and culture has been popular recently. Participants in...

27 November 2007

Bolivia: Conflicts in Sucre Over New Constitution

In the city of Sucre, confrontations between citizens and police claimed the lives of four Bolivians. Delegates from the governing party decided on the text of a new constitution without including the opposition. Bolivian bloggers based in Sucre and across the country commented on the violence and tactics used by the majority party.

26 November 2007

Peace Corps bloggers from Burkina Faso

My first post for Global Voices Online discussed the expatriate bloggers living and working and writing in Burkina Faso. Today, we’ll investigate another group of expatriates living in Burkina Faso as we delve into Peace Corps bloggers.

26 November 2007

China: Our man in Australia?

Chinese president Hu Jintao likes Australia's new Prime Minister, who served as a diplomat to China in the 80s, so much that he invited Kevin Rudd and his family to...

25 November 2007

Brazil: On the “Che e-mails” and credibility of journalism

An article on the 40th anniversary of Che Guevara's death, led to a heated email exchange between an editor of Brazilian magazine Veja and an American reporter for The New Yorker. The correspondence has spilled onto the internet, where it has fueled a juicy public debate about the impartiality and credibility of Brazilian journalism.

25 November 2007

China: New York Charging Bull hits public

Critiques on Chinese tourists’ vulgar behaviors and ignorance of public rules on foreign land have been all-too-familiar. But this time, the Charging Bull sculpture in Wall-street aroused netizens’ different voices.

25 November 2007

Ukraine: Holodomor

This year, Nov. 24 was the day to remember the victims of the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine, Holodomor. Ukrainian bloggers share what they learned about the tragedy from their grandparents.

25 November 2007

China: Recently, Can You Afford Meat?

The Chinese National Bureau of Statistics reported that China's October inflation rate had reached 6.5 percent which was the highest during the last 10 years. Although the government described the inflation as a structural price increase, the netizens and bloggers in China have their own views and concerns.

24 November 2007

Lebanon: State of Emergency..Or Not

Lebanon is in a political limbo after parliament failed to elect a successor for President Emile Lahoud today. Hours before the end of his term, Lahoud ordered the army to take charge of security, leaving rival factions responsible for naming a president and leading to international calls for calm. Lebanon's bloggers were quick to react.

23 November 2007

Bahrain: Losing its identity?

This week in Bahrain we have opinions on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit, a blogger's dilemma about whether to have a female friend, another getting stuck between his wife-to-be and her family, a call for more Islamic bloggers, and a fear that Bahrain won't stay Bahraini for much longer...

23 November 2007

Arabeyes: Halal Pork?

Islam, like Judaism, bans its adherents from consuming pork. But what happens when rumours about 'Halal' or religiously sanctioned pork appear in the market? Here's what some bloggers and participants in an online forum from Bahrain have to say.

23 November 2007

Lebanon: Presidential Elections Debate Continues

Yesterday, November 22, was officially Lebanon’s Independence Day. Today is the constitutional deadline for the election of a new president of the republic. Bloggers reflections range from optimistic and pessimistic analysis of what is happening and what is expected to the effect of all this on the average Lebanese citizen, writes Moussa Bashir.

23 November 2007

Morocco: Women's Stories from Around the Globe

This week, Moroccan bloggers share their interest in issues affecting Muslim women around the world. From the treatment of gynecologists in Iraq to new workforce development initiatives in Morocco to rape sentencing in Saudi Arabia, Jillian York has the story.

23 November 2007

Costa Rica: The Arrival of China

Costa Rica recently established formal political and economic relations with global power China, which led to the dropping of ties with Taiwan. As a result, investment and trade between the two nations have begun and has been impulsed after the passed Free Trade Agreement with US. National and international bloggers report on the progress.

23 November 2007

Japan: Kids these days

What do you do when you've had enough of young girls sitting on the floor of the train, talking on their phone and acting like it's their home, when meanwhile you've had a gruelling day at work and just want to get through? One 35-year-old man in Yokohama decided that he'd had enough and kicked the 17-year-old girl sitting and chatting with friends beside him. Bloggers had mixed opinions about the incident, but the majority seemed to be sympathetic.

23 November 2007