Stories from 13 March 2011
Myanmar: Issues discussed by parliament
State media New Light of Myanmar has published the transcript of the first regular session of Myanmar's parliament. According to the report, Myanmar has five newspapers, 170 journals, and 182 magazines which are being published daily, weekly and monthly with over 300,000 copies of newspapers in circulation everyday
Japan: Toxic Rain, Earthquake Weapons and Other False Rumors
Following the major earthquake on March 11th, numerous rumors made its rounds on Twitter and chain mails. Some spread like wildfire, as idle curiosity and malicious intent met with a strong dose of anxiety, exhaustion, and simple inexperience. Prolific blogger, editor and critic Chiki Ogiue posted a comprehensive roundup of such cases, while dispersing logical advice on how to improve one’s instinct for sniffing out falsehoods and what everyone can do as not to add to the confusion.
Malaysia: Netizens criticize ‘insensitive’ comic strip
Malaysian netizens are criticizing a comic strip published by a newspaper depicting a Japanese TV character fleeing from a tsunami wave.
Libya: Al Jazeera Cameraman Dies in Ambush
An outpouring of support has followed news that Ali Hassan Al-Jaber, a cameraman for Al Jazeera television from Qatar, was killed during an ambush near Benghazi, Libya. This report is part of our special coverage 'Libya Uprising 2011'.
Singapore: Mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking
Blogger We believe in Second Chances gathers the stand of Singapore political parties on the current policy of imposing a mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking.
Peru: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Affect Peruvians
Peru has a large community of citizens living in Japan, many of Japanese descent. Through Twitter and blogs, many Peruvians are sharing information and their concerns about how the earthquake and tsunami may have affected their family and friends.
Myanmar: The Irrawaddy website hacked
Independent Myanmar media website The Irrawaddy was hacked this weeked. A notice on its frontpage: “The website was hacked this morning and a number of fake articles were posted on our English-language homepage.”
Japan: “Why do we need nuclear power?”
Debates over the risks and benefits of nuclear power plants have sparked worldwide, since an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Friday, 11 March causing widespread fear that the nuclear reactors of at least two power plants near Fukushima may be at risk of melt down.
Ukraine, Japan: Fukushima Discussion at Pripyat.com
Forum users of Pripyat.com (RUS), a portal devoted to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, are examining news reports and discussing the technical aspects of the situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant and the response to it on the ground, pointing out some of the differences between the current disaster and...
