Stories about Weblog from June, 2009
Singapore: Infamous Burger King ad
Burger King has a new sandwich offering in Singapore called the “Super Seven Incher.” To promote the new product, a local ad agency produced an outdoor ad which is now getting a lot of attention and criticism around the world.
China's youngest mayor questioned
An interesting battle over the youngest mayor in China is going on the internet. Netizens tried their best to find out evidence of illegitimacy of the mayor's rocketing promotion but the official media strike back forcefully. Internet supervision on Chinese officials is going through a new test.
Angola: New highway code in action
Discussions around the changes brought by the new Angolan highway code have been taking place on the blogosphere and divided society. On one hand, the new code is seen as good because it will educate careless drivers, but some argue that the legislation contains costs that not everyone is able to meet.
Colombia: Living with Flooding in Barranquilla
Barranquilla in Colombia is the most important coastal city with a distinct characteristic: no rainwater drainage systems, so whenever it rains, the whole city floods with dangerous fast running rivers (called arroyos) replacing roads. On the following videos, taxis, cars and even buses float by on the streets as other citizens try to lend a helping hand to keep them from getting away.
Iran: Art for protest's sake
Bloggers and citizen artists online have been creating designs and cartoons to add a touch of art to the insistent Iranian protest movement that has risen in response the June 12 presidential election results.
Paraguay: Referendum on Performance of Congress
The relationship with the Paraguayan Congress has been difficult for President Fernando Lugo. His recent statements that he is analyzing the possibility of holding a referendum about the legislative branch's performance have raised suspicions about his true intentions. Critics claim that this shows his inability to come to a consensus with the parliament, while the ones who agree with this referendum are those who are far from satisfied with the Congress's performance.
Qatar: Media Freedom Centre Head Resignation Mourned and Celebrated
After a tumultuous eight months as director-general of the nascent Doha Centre for Media Freedom, Robert Ménard announces his resignation. The centre, which will also lose three department heads, will continue to operate. Bloggers from Qatar weigh in. Doha bloggers, many of whom have been closely watching the DCMF's movements for signs that the region is finally moving toward media freedom, are expressing mixed emotions about this outcome - some, utterly delighted, while others, completely dismayed.
Togo Abolishes Death Penalty
Togo's National Assembly voted on Tuesday to end the death penalty for all crimes, making it the 15th member of the African Union to abolish capital punishment.
Dominican Republic: Against the Cement Factory in Los Haitises
Dominicans have been protesting against the proposed construction of a cement factory in the protected area of Los Haitises National Park. Citing the rich biodiversity in this ecosystem, many feel like the flora and fauna would be damaged and that there are other places where this development could take place. Those involved in the online campaigns have felt like celebrating when a judge ruled that the development should be suspended due to these concerns.
Pakistan: Rallying Against The Taliban
The Taliban presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan has been an issue of international concern in the War on Terrorism. In the aftermath of the 2007 siege of Lal Masjid,...
Taiwan: Burning of the Plague God Boat
Burning of Plague God Boat is a local religious ritual in many parts of Taiwan. Instead of showing you a grand event, photo blogger, YangPhoto, takes us to one of the smallest ritual in Da Jiou, a small fishing village in Pingdong.
Fiji: A roadmap towards elections?
Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama told an audience his government will soon begin work on the country’s new constitution and a “road map” to elections set to take place in 2014. He didn’t provide a timetable, or framework, but it is the first signs of the country gaining a new political and social code since April, when the President annulled the country’s 1997 Constitution.
Thailand: Thousands affected by train strike
Thousands of passengers were affected by the two-day nationwide train strike launched by employees of the State Railway of Thailand. The workers were protesting a cabinet resolution which they claim would lead to the privatization of the railway company. A survey shows that majority of Thais are upset with the strike.
Iran: Neda becomes a symbol for the protesters
Neda was an Iranian woman who was shot dead by Basij militia on Saturday during a protest of thousands against the Iranian presidential election results that declared Mahmoud Ahmadinejad president. Her death was captured on video by bystanders and uploaded to the internet. She died with her eyes wide open, and her last moments reached millions of people.
Indonesia: Disappointing Election Debate
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim populated country, conducted its first ever presidential election debate. The country's three presidential hopefuls attended the debate. But many viewers and bloggers were disappointed with the debate.
Bahrain: Newspaper Suspended For A Day
On Monday, 22 June, Bahrain's oldest newspaper in circulation Akhbar Al Khaleej was suspended for the day after printing an article critical of certain Iranian leaders and making reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's alleged Jewish origins. The move would seem to have been made to avoid provoking unrest amongst the Shi'a majority in Bahrain.
Jordan: MPs Drafting a Law which requires Website Passwords
A new electronic sites law is being reviewed and drafted by the Jordanian Parliament which requires website administrators to provide their site's passwords to the government's Printing and Publication Directorate. In case the admins refuse, says the draft, the sites will be closed down by the concerned authorities. Blogger Osama Romoh reacts to the news.
China: More corpses found in Shishou hotel; disputes continue.
The death of a chef triggered a mass protest that finally brought over ten thousand armed police into the town for crackdown. The dead’s families along with thousands of people resisted the police and protected the corpse, because they know once the body was taken away, the death would be identified as a suicide and the truth will be lost forever.
United Kingdom: Court decides against a blogger's rights to anonymity
A new legal precedent has been set for UK bloggers. Last week, in the England and Wales High Court, Mr Justice Eady ruled that a police officer who previously wrote about his working life on his NightJack blog, did not have the right to remain anonymous.
Armenia: Opposition detainees released
Following a general amnesty agreed upon by the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on 19 June, several senior opposition figures on trial and in detention for over a year since the 1 March post-election unrest in the country were finally pardoned and released. Many observers believe the trials were politically motivated.
Japan: On How to Perceive the Japanese Web (Part One)
Reporter Yuka Okada from the Japanese tech news site ITmedia brandished her well-regarded interviewing skills for a one-on-one session with Mochio Umeda. The result was “The Japanese web is ‘disappointing':...
