9 September 2008

Stories from 9 September 2008

Angola: Chaos and hopes mark first election in 16 years

"I waited for this day with great anxiety and curiosity because I knew it was a special day for Angola and Angolans. For many years our daily lives had been marked by the sadness of war. A war that claimed lives, destroyed property and consumed much of our resources and energy. At last we face a historic event", says a blogger about his first vote.

9 September 2008

Caribbean: Ike Strikes

The 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season is not letting up. Beleaguered Caribbean islands like Cuba and Haiti barely had time to recover from the ravages of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna when Mother Nature struck once again, this time in the form of Ike. Tensions were high with bloggers Caribbean-wide.

9 September 2008

Morocco: Understanding Mohammed Raji's Sentence

Less than a year ago, Global Voices noted Morocco as the “liveliest free speech zone in Muslim North Africa.” And yet, journalists are all too frequently fined or arrested, and yesterday a blogger, Mohammed Raji, joined their ranks. The blogger was arrested yesterday afternoon for insulting the king, and was immediately tried and sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of MAD 5,000 (about $625). The Moroccan blogosphere, lively as ever, has rallied around Raji.

9 September 2008

China: Communication Style

Joel from Fool's mountain is collecting feedback from Chinese readers on this description a typical Chinese communication style. The blogger has posted a list of assumptions for further discussion.

9 September 2008

China: The Mummy 3

Many Chinese are angry about the Mummy3 and find the movie insulting Chinese people. More from Chinasmack.

9 September 2008

Jamaica, Guyana: New Publishing House?

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp reports that “as publishing opportunities for Caribbean writers continue to shrink…Derek Walcott, David Dabydeen, and Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo have agreed to pursue the development of...

9 September 2008

Japan: Bloggers debate Uesugi's Collapse of Journalism

In his new book “The Collapse of Journalism”, released in July, freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi strips down the murky Japanese media system and offers a glimpse inside. A former New York Times journalist and currently a contributor to numerous Japanese magazines and TV programs, Uesugi points out anomalies in Japanese journalism when compared with other democratic countries. Read responses from Japanese journalists and bloggers, translated in this post.

9 September 2008