Stories about Weblog from August, 2010
Japan: Anime Director Satoshi Kon's Last Message
Anime director Satoshi Kon died of pancreatic cancer on August 24th, at the age of 46. Kon's final message that was posted to his website resonated with fans around the world that mourn his passing.
Palestine: Abu Rahmah convicted of incitement for non-violent protest
Strong international, European, Arab, blogger, Twitter and media condemnation followed the conviction of non-violent Palestinian peace activist Abdallah Abu Rahmah, sentenced to prison by Israeli military court. Gabriel Nada rounds up reactions in this post.
Southeast Asia: Durian, the “King of Fruits”
Durian is the ‘king of fruits’ in Southeast Asia. It is known for its strong smell and taste which are appreciated and detested at the same time by many people. In this post, bloggers from the region share their ‘durian stories.’
Philippines: “Hong Kong, our apology for what happened”
The recent hostage-taking of Hong Kong nationals in Manila, which has roused worldwide indignation over the bloodshed, has led Filipinos to write apologies via a Facebook page.
Guatemala: Indigenous Teacher and Artist Kidnapped and Murdered
An increasing spiral of violence has impacted different communities in rural Guatemala. This time, the victim was a respected rural teacher, spiritual guide, dancer and artist from Sololá: Lisandro Guarcax.
Pakistan: Relief Efforts – Report From The Ground
Some times it requires a real experience to truly feel the magnanimity of a situation. In this post we share some reports from Global Voices author Salman Latif in Multan who recently went to the Muzaffargarh and Mehmood Kot region in Pakistan to distribute relief to the flood victims.
Japan: Eyebrows raised by China’s rise to number two
This month the Japanese government admitted that spending China has stolen its thunder becoming the second largest economy after the US. But this announcement hasn't surprised many Japanese people who had been expecting it to happen sooner or later, and has made many bloggers raise their eyebrows and say: so what?
MENA: Kuwaiti Cartoons Cause Moroccans Offense
A popular Kuwaiti television programme has upset some Moroccan viewers, who say it depicts Moroccans in a negative light. The cartoon, called Bu Qutada wa Bu Nabeel, portrays Morocco as corrupt and its women as greedy, as they try to entrap the Kuwaiti male characters into marrying them. Bloggers react to the show.
Singapore: Should food bloggers get free meals?
Singaporean food blogger, Brad Lau, was accused by a restaurant of bad behavior when he and his friends initially refused to pay for the food they ordered. The incident sparked a heated online debate about the ethics of food blogging.
Chile: Strong Citizen Response Against Thermal Energy Project
The approval of a thermal energy project sparked a strong online and on-the-ground citizen response; the plant was to be built near the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve and Punta de Choros, a small beach town known for its natural beauty and rich biodiversity. The announcement mobilized unprecedented numbers of protesters in one of the most successful instances of online organizing carried out in Chile.
South Korea: Controversy Overshadows Woman Climber’s World Record
South Korea's Oh Eun-sun is believed to be the first woman to have climbed the world's 14 highest mountains. One of her peaks was being disputed and bloggers have delved deeper into how this unseemly incident got formed from the start.
Algeria: Bloggers Denounce the Exclusion of Egypt from the Algiers Book Fair
Following the tensions from a football match in Cairo between the Egyptian and Algerian football teams, Algiers Book Fair (SILA) decided to exclude Egyptian books from the event. The decision did not sit well with many Algerian bloggers.
Malawi: Bloggers discuss freedom of speech and 2014 election
Malawian bloggers are currently discussing the nomination of Malawian president's brother as the ruling party presidential candidate for 2014 elections and recent arrest of a Presbyterian senior pastor Rev Levi Njombole Nyondo. He is alleged to have uttered seditious words at a funeral service.
Russia: It's not the Kremlin
THIS summer Russians faced several state attempts to "filter" (selectively block) websites. And as in many other things, Russia has gone its own way with a slightly more complicated technique: regional filtering.
China: Prostitution, Reality, Hypocrisy and Human Lives
What good does punishing women involved in the sex trade do when the gangs, corporations, and clients are left largely untouched?
Pakistan: Twitter Reactions On Flood Situation
The floods in Pakistan got the Twitter users all over the world talking as the devastation become clearer day by day. Let us look at the Twitter trends and what the Twitter users are taking about.
India: Celebrating Raksha Bandhan
Yesterday, on 24th August 2010, India celebrated Raksha Bandhan - a festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Netizens expressed their feelings about this age old ritual.
Iran: Blogger May Face Charge of ‘Waging War Against God’
There is a growing concern that Shiva Nazar Ahari, a jailed human rights activist and blogger may be charged with moharbeh (waging war against God/enmity against God) in an upcoming trial. In Iran, this can carry a death sentence.
Ghana: Is Mario Balotelli Italian or Ghanaian?
Is Mario Balotelli Ghanaian or Italian? That's the question that has created a heated debate online. Mario Barwuah Balotelli is a football striker playing for Manchester City and Italian national team. He was born to Ghanaian immigrants in Italy.
Technology for Transparency: Five Lessons Learned
Rebekah Heacock and Renata Avila outline the learnings from the first round of Global Voices' Technology for Transparency Network collaborative research project, sharing links to several successful online initiatives.
China: Fujian Netizen, Fan Yanqiong, Released from Prison
The last of the Fujian 3 netizens still in prison, Fan Yanqiong, was quietly released today on medical parole with nearly a year remaining on her sentence. Watch He Yang's new documentary on her story, as well as that of netizens You Jingyou and Wu Huaying, below the jump.
