China Gets Tougher on Internet Users

No more aliases for China's Internet users. The government now requires users to give service providers their real names, a move that could potentially silence some microblog chatter. Internet firms are also facing more pressure to remove and report any banned postings. The crackdown comes after Internet users recently revealed details of sexual and financial scandals online, ending the careers of at least 10 officials, the New York Times notes.

Meanwhile, Burma is moving in the opposite direction. For the first time in decades, the country is allowing private daily papers starting in April. "It is the beginning of the third and final stage of the media reforms in the country," an official tells Reuters, noting that "about a dozen applicants" to publish papers are expected. As it stands, all daily newspapers are run by the government.