China's most famous blogger, Han Han, launched a bimonthly magazine in July. The controversial writer, whose website has reportedly received more that 300 million hits, attracts praise and criticism in equal measure and has made a name for himself by virtue of his social commentary. The 120-page magazine, called Duchangtuan, consists of fiction, essays, poems and photography. "The happiest thing for a writer is to make works that are not filled with regrets like reality is; the happiest thing for a reader is to touch his or her ideals with eyes," Han wrote in the preface.

Former senior justice official Wen Qiang, 55, was executed July 7 in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The former director of the Chongqing Municipal Judicial Bureau, was convicted of corruption charges involving organized crime. Wen was found to have accepted bribes worth more than 12 million yuan ($1.76 million) and was also convicted for rape. He was the most senior official caught in a huge crackdown on organized crime in Chonqing last year. Ninety-two local officials have been found guilty so far.

The Sierra Leonean writer Olufemi Terry has won the Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story Stickfighting Days. The Caine Prize is regarded as Africa's top literary award. Born in Sierra Leone, Terry grew up in Nigeria and has worked as a journalist in Somalia and Uganda. He now lives in Cape Town. The judges described Terry as a talent with an enormous future.