Global Voices Online

Rethabile Masilo at Sotho searches for an alternative to nurture vs. nature explanations for homosexuality in humans.

Laurence Jarvik wonders if a U.S.-Russian conflict will come over the status of Kosovo, when the U.N. trusteeship expires in eight months.

Eugene at the Coalition for Darfur cites an opinion piece in the Freelance Star which wonders if international attention is shifting from the crisis in the troubled Sudanese region to the famine in Niger. Can the world pay attention to more than one big African story at a time? the piece asks.

Kaukasus contributor Grijsz photoblogs his trip to the remote Georgian mountain region of Tusheti.

Displaced people in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur have written to the United Nations, calling on officials to prevent further delays in peace talks between government and rebel forces, writes aid-worker Sleepless in Sudan.

Reuters correspondent Hugh Pope has a new book out about Turkic political cultures, which catches the eye of Laurence at Registan

The Daily Czech reports that new legislation on smoking in public places is actually easier on smokers than the previous law.

Mostly Africa appreciates the honesty of Zimbabwean writer Ian Holding's eyewitness account of government-backed demolitions, but thinks he comes across as callous.

M at Thinker's Room shares the trials and tribulations of Kenyan passport applications, in preparation for a trip to Botswana.

Black Looks reports on two conferences aimed at tacklingwidespread rape and sexual abuse of women and girls in African countries, and blames the problem on ingrained cultural attitudes.