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Burma: Some arrests were sparked by anti-government protests
Repressive governments are arresting more bloggers than ever as they struggle to cope with the threat posed by the internet, researchers have claimed.
Thirty six people were arrested last year because of what they had written on their blogs and personal websites – an increase of more than three times on the figures from 2006, according to researchers at the University of Washington in the US.
The latest edition of the annual World Information Access report says that there has been a significant increase in those falling foul of the law in countries such as China, Egypt and Burma.
"Egypt, Iran and China are the most dangerous places to blog about political life, accounting for more than half of all arrests since blogging became big," said Phil Howard, an assistant professor of communication at the university.
He believes that the figure of 36 may be a dramatic underestimate, because many arrests are never made public.
"The real number of arrested bloggers is probably much higher, since many arrests in China, Zimbabwe and Iran go unreported in the international media," he said.
Blogs have become massively popular way for people in countries with authoritarian regimes to express themselves, and part of the increase could be explained by this growing popularity – there are estimated to be more than 70 million such websites in China alone.
But the fact that governments are paying increasing attention to what people say about them online means that it is becoming more dangerous for those who choose to write about their life on the web.
While the reasons for the arrests vary from place to place, the most common transgression involves organising a social protest. This was the reason given for five of Egypt's record nine arrests in 2007, as well as incidents in Burma, China and Iran.
While not all those arrested because of their blogs were imprisoned, the report says that the average sentence for those who were sent to jail was 15 months.
However, the numbers so far in 2008 seem significantly lower, with just five bloggers having been arrested around the world during the first quarter of the year - including Welshman Gavin Brent, who was convicted in April of writing "grossly offensive and menacing messages" on his site.
Another of those arrested so far this year Burmese blogger Nay Phone Latt, who disappeared in January before it emerged that he had been charged under the country's notorious Emergency Provision Act, which has been used to silence a number of dissidents since the anti-government protests last year.
The giant panda's complete courtship and mating sequence - from boisterous beginning to noisy ending - has been filmed in the wild for what may be a TV first. A BBC Natural History team recorded the magic moments deep in the bamboo forest that lines China's Qinling mountains. The pictures show a male panda having to fight off the competition as he tries to woo and finally win a female.
The sequence, shot for BBC Two's Wild China series, illustrates behaviour that is rarely displayed in zoos.
These include the loud calls which will make viewers think instantly of the Wookie character from the hit Star Wars movies.
"I liken it to Chewbaccas in a pub brawl," explained Gavin Maxwell, the producer of Wild China.
"Most of the time, pandas live by themselves. It's only in the mating season that they come together; and that's when they start these extraordinary vocalisations.
"The sounds are so unlikely and just the last thing you would expect a panda to make.
"When you get two or three males together with a female there's an awful lot of barking and shouting going on."
Just getting in position to film the pandas took months of research, location reconnaissance and negotiations with the Chinese authorities. Obtaining the filmed sequence itself required an awful lot of patience and skill, and quite a bit of luck.
'Mini-quad bikes'
The Qinling mountains are carved with steep ravines and gullies. The growth of bamboo is so thick it can be extremely hard to get near the pandas, let alone get a clear shot of their behaviour.
If you make too much noise, the creatures will be long gone by the time you find their location.
"They're like mini-quad bikes and once they go, they're off and they're very hard to keep up with," recalled Mr Maxwell.
Eventually, the team found an excellent spot looking across a ravine at a female high up in the branches. She was swaying back and forth as her would-be suitors patrolled below.
The biggest male is seen chasing the opposition off into the thicket. Finally, he gets his girl when she decides to descend from her tree.
This is not the first time panda sex has been filmed in the wild, but it is thought to be one of the most complete courtship sequences ever caught on camera.
Mr Maxwell described the venture as an eye-opener - to see pandas in a context that is far removed from the shy, placid reputation we traditionally associate with the animals.
"Occasionally, you will be sitting there quietly trying to keep in the background and the males will suddenly come charging out of the bamboo towards you," he explained.
"They're really fired up, they're breathing hard and panting, and you can see the steam coming out of their mouths. They seem like different creatures altogether."
In this segment, a female watches from a tree as males compete for her attentions, click HERE or HERE to watch.
Genepax unveiled the car in the western city of Osaka on Thursday, saying that a liter (2.1 pints) of any kind of water -- rain, river or sea -- was all you needed to get the engine going for about an hour at a speed of 80 km (50 miles).
"The car will continue to run as long as you have a bottle of water to top up from time to time," Genepax CEO Kiyoshi Hirasawa told local broadcaster TV Tokyo.
"It does not require you to build up an infrastructure to recharge your batteries, which is usually the case for most electric cars," he added.
Once the water is poured into the tank at the back of the car, the a generator breaks it down and uses it to create electrical power, TV Tokyo said.
Whether the car makes it into showrooms remains to be seen. Genepax said it had just applied for a patent and is hoping to collaborate with Japanese auto manufacturers in the future.
Most big automakers, meanwhile, are working on fuel-cell cars that run on hydrogen and emit -- not consume -- water.
Currently, that system costs on the order of ¥2,000,000 (or about
$18,700 -- not including the car), but company says that if it can get
it into mass production that could be cut to ¥500,000 or less!
Bhutan and Malaysia are among top 10 countries Lonely Planet recommended in its Bluelist of 2008! A top 10 list of 'Lonely Planet's Top-Pick Countries' attached below:
Armenia
History nuts battle mountain tracks to the finest medieval monasteries, trekkers scale 4000m-high peaks, nature buffs search for the ultra-rare Caucasian leopard, and everyone enjoys the potent local brandy, finely ground coffee and the easygoing what-the-heck tempo of daily life.
Bhutan
The last surviving great Himalayan kingdom has long turned its back on the rest of the world, favouring Buddhist compassion over Western capitalism. With its gorgeous monasteries, towering fortress-like dzongs, intact Tibetan culture and pristine Himalayan environment, Bhutan offers an opportunity to glimpse a truly different way of living.
Eritrea
Eritrea might have one of the toughest regimes in East Africa but for travellers it's one of the most welcoming countries on the continent, with virtually no hassle, extremely courteous people (including officials), a sense of harmony and a strong culture. Its trump cards include surreal landscapes and pristine reefs.
Malaysia
Help collect eggs at the Ma' Daerah Turtle Sanctuary, take a riverside bath with elephants, watch the synchronised flashing of fireflies on the Selangor River, search for the elusive Sumatran rhinoceros...then head back to sleek Kuala Lumpur for frog porridge at the hawker's markets and a walk across the Petronas Towers skybridge.
Serbia & Montenegro
Though some have called it 'the new Croatia' (which was, you'll remember, 'the new Italy'), Montenegro has an edge of its own. The sultry curve of its coastline is irresistible, and the sparkle of the Adriatic’s deep blue waters is as enticing to beach potatoes as the tall peaks of the snowy mountains are to activity-spurred travellers.
Mozambique
Its off-beat, undiscovered element, combined with a 2500km-plus coastline and a rapidly expanding tourism infrastructure, is starting to glean Mozambique some serious attention. Although most of the world hasn't yet caught on, its alluring mix of stunning beaches, a rugged bush interior and a pulsating Afro-Latino vibe won't stay a secret for long.
Papua New Guinea
True, PNG is expensive and difficult. But this means that nothing is contrived for tourists and every experience is authentic - most people live much the way they have for thousands of years. Then there's the uncrowded surf, live volcanoes and exquisite wildlife, including dugongs and manta rays, birds of paradise and countless butterfly species.
Source: LonelyplanetCheck out Bluelist videos
Japanese school girls take on a disturbing new look in these hauntingly beautiful illustrations by CG artist Yock (Yoshitaka Kawakami). Check his gallery for more. (Probably NSFW.)
7 of Japan's most mysterious and notorious cryptids, complete with grainy photographs where available. Whether you regard these tales as fact or fiction, their impact on the culture where they were encountered is undeniable.
Seven Mysterious Creatures of Japan:
Hibagon
The Hibagon (a.k.a. Hinagon) is a cryptic hominid, similar to Bigfoot, inhabiting the area around Mt. Hiba in northern Hiroshima prefecture. According to numerous eyewitness accounts from the early 1970s, the Hibagon stands about 1.5 to 1.7 meters (about 5 ft) tall, weighs an estimated 80 to 90 kilograms (about 180 lbs), is covered in a thick coat of black or brown fur (sometimes it is reported as having a spot of white fur on its chest or arms), and has an unusually large triangular head and intelligent human-like eyes. The Hibagon received its name from the local animal control board.
The Hibagon may
have disappeared long ago, but the residents of Saijo have not
forgotten. The town has adopted the likeness of the creature as its
mascot, and souvenir shops sell Hibagon Eggs and other cryptid
ape-themed sweets.
Tsuchinoko
The
Tsuchinoko is a snake-like cryptid found throughout Japan, except in
Hokkaido and the Okinawan islands. Reports describe the Tsuchinoko as
having a thick, stubby body measuring 30 to 80 centimeters (12 to 30
in) in length, often with a distinct neck, gray, brown or black scaly
skin, and venomous fangs. Some accounts suggest the Tsuchinoko has a
loud, high-pitched squeak and can jump as far as one meter.Regardless,
local tourist boards in rural areas frequently organize Tsuchinoko
hunts to attract visitors, promising large sums of money to any
participant lucky enough to capture one. The town of Itoigawa in
Niigata prefecture, for example, has a hunt scheduled for June 8, 2008
(Sunday) and is offering a 100 million yen (about $1 million) reward to
whoever brings one back alive.
Kappa
Kappa
(river imps) have appeared in countless stories and folk legends for
centuries, and they rank among Japan’s most well-known cryptids. While
most people nowadays regard the amphibious child-sized troublemakers as
pure myth, stories of kappa encounters still crop up from time to time,
such as the following two reports from Japan’s southern island of
Kyushu.
