Stories about Weblog from June, 2010
Singapore: Government steps up anti-littering drive
Despite the strict laws against littering in Singapore, the number of offenders still went up in recent years prompting the government to intensify its anti-litter campaign. A more aggressive shame campaign will be implemented and “litter-free Ambassadors” will be recruited. Bloggers react
Hungary: Sinning with Impunity
Twenty years after the transition to democracy, Hungary is discussing whether those who had committed crimes against citizens during the communist era should be called to account.
Poland: Initial Microblog Coverage of the Presidential Elections
Both on Twitter and on its Polish mirror service, Blip.pl, people are sharing their thoughts about today's presidential election in Poland.
Brazil: Fire in Rio de Janeiro Mobilizes Online Campaign
One of the city’s postcards, the Lagoa neighborhood, was victim of a huge fire at Morro dos Cabritos, an area of Atlantic Rainforest. Soon a campaign against the release of hot air balloons - which are a possible cause of the fire - began to run through social media.
Algeria: Still Hoping with a Lucky Dove on their Side
After the defeat against Slovenia, the Algerians have regained some strength on June 18th by drawing against the English team. They have given hope again to millions of fans who hope to see the green team go through the first round.
India: A Special Day for the Son-In-Law
In India, Bengali mothers-in-law traditionally celebrate, with great fanfare, an occasion/social custom called jamai shashthi - a special day for their jamai [son(s)-in-law].
Israel: World Cup Bonanza – Back to the Game
Maya Norton's attempts to find World Cup reactions in Israeli blogs are being foiled by a minor dilemma - it seems that most Israeli World Cup fans are too busy watching the games to blog about it. Here's a sampling from bloggers who found the time.
Russia: Analysis of Hacker Attacks On Bloggers
Over the last five years, more than 40 RuNet bloggers have become targets of hacker attacks, most of which were carried out by a group of hackers named The Brigade of Hell. The hackers' targets have been both political and commercial bloggers.
Peru: Southern Peru on Strike Reclaiming Gas
A 24-hour strike in protest of the Camisea gas export took place in various departments of southern Peru. The villagers complained about the gas moving abroad, while they have a great need of it in their regions. Rejection of other oil and irrigation projects was also part of the strike. Here we present a brief report and a collection of tweets from cities that participated in the protest.
Bangladesh: Netizens Surprised By Bandwidth Export Move
Bangladesh has one of the slowest and most expensive internet connections in the world and only about a quarter of the bandwidth capacity available is being used. Now the government has issued an international tender to lease out a big chunk of that capacity which irked some netizens.
Mali: World Cup Fans React to Referee's Controversial Call
the decision by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly to disallow a US goal has caused a major stir at the World Cup. Many Bloggers were outraged by the call while others ask for a bit of perspective.
Russia: Novaya Gazeta, An Opposition Newspaper Under Internet Attack
Novaya Gazeta is a liberal opposition newspaper in Russia that is famous beyond Russia's borders. Several of its journalists have been killed, and it continues to attract both online and offline threats. Sergey Sokolov, the deputy executive editor, shares with GV his perspectives on information security and the ongoing investigations into the journalists' murders.
Lebanon: E-transactions Draft Law Postponed
The Lebanese online community celebrated the temporary victory of postponing the vote in parliament for the new proposed E-transactions law for an extra month. More about this law and reactions in this post.
China: Southern Media Group bid on Newsweek rejected
Little is known regarding the reason why a prominent mainland Chinese media group's bid to purchase the American magazine Newsweek ended in failure and an interview this week with the man who reportedly led the bidding process leaves observers with yet more questions.
Peru: Shining Path at the University of San Marcos?
A video of a rally in favor of Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), which took place at the campus of San Marcos University, was seen by the media as a resurgence of the terrorist movement. Some students and bloggers think that the way the incident was handled by the media and the government exaggerates the facts; but, others consider it is important to pay attention to how this story develops.
Cambodia: Reactions to the 2010 World Cup Season
Cambodians are also celebrating the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Moto-taxi drivers, students, businesspeople, netizens, and even the Prime Minister are cheering for the Asian teams which are playing in the World Cup.
Critical Election Year Across French Speaking Africa
2010 is a busy election year for francophone Africa but the political progress has been disappointing. Here is a review of how bloggers have reacted to the electoral proceedings so far:
Macedonia: Law on Electronic Communications Invades Citizens’ Privacy
On June 16, 2010, the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia adopted changes to the Law of Electronic Communications, which now violates the privacy of the citizens. With these changes, the Ministry of Interior Affairs will have constant and direct access to the electronic communications networks.
Argentina: Children of the Dictatorship speak out in Interactive French Documentary
The Blogtrotters are a collaborative video blog from France who in their 9th project are travelling to Argentina to make Hijos, a collective documentary on the missing children of the dictatorship, trying to trace back their origins to their disappeared parents.
South Korea: Tensions Went Under World Cup Anesthestia
The sharp tension between two Koreas which had been escalating ever since the sinking of a South Korean warship by a supposed North Korean torpedo attack have momentarily numbed by high emotion that only World Cup can bring. South Korean blogs are now inundating with heartful comments on North Korea's...
Netherlands: Two women arrested at World Cup for promoting wrong beer
Two Dutch women working for Netherlands beer company Bavaria were arrested for promoting a beer that is not an official World Cup sponsor during the World Cup Netherlands-Denmark match in South Africa on Monday. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs defended them on Twitter.