Global Voices Online

Democracy Rising says that tomorrow's vote in Georgia for five single member constituencies will be a test for the Georgian government.

Damian Wampler reports on efforts to claim as culturally and historically Kyrgyz the ethnic Uzbek city of Osh.

Mark in Mexico tries to defend an earlier post in which he was critical of Mexican culture and corruption. Today's post has new examples of cultural deficiency such as unclean ponds on Mexican golf courses.

Bored in a Vietnamese city on a Friday night? Try wandering around bars pretending to be Michael Caine, writes Friskodude.

The Marmot's Hole comments on the naming of a new South Korean ambassador to the United States.

Tian picks up on a photo from Flickr of an apparent advertisement by a recently released jailbird in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, who wants to join or set up his own criminal organization.

China Herald takes a look at the new Party school which opened in Shanghai in March 2005.

Shanghai Sky posts a series of street-level photos on Flickr, including a portrait of the unsung heroes of China's eastern metropolis: the traffic cop's assistants.

Via lustig at del.icio.us, a hoax warning about an old Nigerian scam wrapped up in a Palestinian headscarf.

Says commentary.co.za: “There's a very well-sourced rumour flying about the South African aviation world at the moment about the South African Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) and its alleged failure to meet the standards of the last regular six month safety check up by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).”

The Passion of the Present posts a comprehensive round-up of news out of the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur, where mounted Arab militia gangs are stepping up their attacks on villages and camps.

Top opposition political adviser Eddie Cross, guest-blogging on Zimbabwean Pundit, looks at the moribund state of the political opposition in Burma (Myanmar) after 17 years of campaigning for change, and wonders: “Are we destined for a similar fate?”

africa-aphukira highlights a commentary by African author Mukoma Wa Ngugi on comparisons in mainstream media between New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and “The Third World”.

the beatroot reports on the negotiations to form a new Polish government.

neweurasia has launched another of its Central Asia blogs (blogs are planned for each country in Central Asia and the Caucasus). The new one covers Turkmenistan, where the latest developments in the country's gas industry are discussed.