Global Voices Online

Ben Paarmann explains how Kazakhstan can take advantage of European fears about the reliability of Russia as an energy supplier.

the beatroot reports that the UK's Conservative Party intends to team up with the Polish Law and Justice Party in the EU parliament.

neweurasia discusses reports of panic spreading across Turkmenistan following the announcement of drastic pension and disability cuts.

Russian Marketing Blog says that the every kind of juice imaginable is available in Russia, and that juice makers are still coming up with strange combinations for customers.

Fernando Casale reviews the album (ES), “Eleven Songs Written in the Bathroom” by Argentine singer, Esteban Gómez whose project, Madreocéano (Mother Ocean) has its own weblog and website where the the entire Creative Commons-licensed album is freely available for download. Sebas leaves a comment on Casale's review lamenting the fact that so many Latin American musicians are now singing and composing in English.

Once again proving the mysterious ways of globalization, Tony Munro writes about cricket in Mexico while Radheshyam Dahal says that Nepal is full of devotees to legendary Argentinean soccer player, Diego Maradona.

Rob Mercatante publishes a bulletin about an ongoing labor conflict at the Nueva Linda cattle ranch in Camperico, Guatemala which recently left four employees injured by private security forces.

Martin Varsavsky, an Argentinean living in Spain, explains why he has six blogs in two different languages. He then adds, “I rarely translate my blogs. I don´t believe in translation. I believe in cultures and I say raise different issues in different languages; something that frequently annoys my Spanish readers many of whom believe everything can be translated.”

Chilean citizen journalist, Ramiro Octavio Garcia Strohm describes the mixed reactions to Chile's recent car-free day of recreation. The festival, copied from a similar event in Colombia, is known as “Ciclorecreovia” and closes streets to cars in favor of bicycles.

India's Carnatic Music may have some misogynistic streaks. Gupta-vati takes a closer look at the famous Carnatic Music composer and reads into the lyrics to understand his perception of women.

Style Station on the launch of lag-mag Maxim in India, and the immediate controversy it finds itself in.

Adda on “Shah AMS Kibria, a parliamentarian, a politician, a former bureaucrat, a diplomat, a former finance minister” who was injured by a grenade thrown on him, and died in a few hours in January 2005.

More violence in Nepal. United We Blog! brings “Images from Tuesday night’s Tansen, Palpa attack where At least 15 people including 7 policemen, 4 Maoists and 4 soldiers have been killed. Pictures speak.”

A photopost on Miani Hor - a hamlet by the sea in Pakistan at The Organic Brew.

In the aftermath of the Blair government's humiliating defeat over a bill to combat religious hatred, Jonathan Ali compares Trinidad & Tobago's political system with that of Great Britain, calling the former “a faux-Westminster system of government”.

Mr. Behi, Iran based blogger, writes ” I do not like to write about this nuclear stuff that much because news and media are doing so a lot. I never loved war because I saw a missile exploded 500m from my apartment killing one of my best friends, I was 7. Try to feel standing in a long line to buy some milk for your little brother to feed. Stay out of your comfort and try to feel what sanctions mean”.

What's China's hottest export? Language! says Horse's Mouth. “I always laugh to myself when I speak with fellow business majors and they tell me they're studying a language such as French or Italian for their required second language. What's the point?” Chinese is the tongue of the future.

Michael Turton picks apart global know-it-all Thomas Friedman's myths, mistaken conclusions and mischaracterizations of Taiwan so as to shoehorn it into his popular theories. “Friedman's uninformed screed highlights a desperate need for newspapers to draw on the writing of recognized experts in their fields, and more importantly, for academics to produce more works for popular audiences.” Amen to that.

Brain farts (and other inane crap) spends an afternoon in Thailand watching Korean films that make her cry and asks “Why do we re-watch movies that we know are going to make us cry? Is there some deep psychological reason why we like to revisit sad movies? Or am I the only freak around here?” She doesn't have an answer, but lists her selection of sure-fire tearjerkers from both East and West.

Virtual Doug writes a eulogy to Dr. Bưu Châu, a descendant of Vietnamese imperial mandarins who returned to Huê to live out his last days.

Phatry Pan interviews Vann Nath, who painted Khmer Rouge propaganda and portraits of leader Pol Pot in return for his life being spared.

Soyapi Mumba points to a new online Malawian shop where you can buy Bawo (called Ayo in Nigeria) “a popular Malawian and African” board game.

Kwii's Conscience discusses how, since the Khmer Rouge auto-genocide, Khmer people have a difficult time forming honest relationships. “During the war, all that trust was broken. Family and friends turned on each other for survival. So no one trusts anyone–especially Khmer people.”

Musings of a Naijaman comments on two recent events in Nigeria that remind him of the dark dictatorships days of the late General Abacha…”This style of guttersnipe communication, where any government criticism was met with a barrage of blistering personal attacks was honed under the Abacha government, and for those of us who lived through those dark days, seeing a return to such tactics under a so-called democratic government was sad.”

Barbados Free Press writes that the crossing of the floor by Barbados's opposition leader has “fueled cynicism — especially among the non-partisan electorate”. And was the attack on the Barbados Free Press web site politically motivated?

Titilayo takes issue with statements made by the chairman of Barbados's Men's Education Support Association in a report on a recent conference.

Guyana-Gyal has a dream about a snake. “If you is Guyanese and you dream 'bout snake,” she says, “it mean you got a enemy, real or not!”

Sir Arthur Foulkes continues his discussion of majority rule in the Bahamas, noting that “the architects of the progressive movement in the Bahamas in the Sixties often told the uncompromising old guard that the country would be better off if the old guard dealt with them rather than face a more radicalized generation later on.”

Black Star Journal has a report on the African Nations Cup as the first round comes to an end.

The Voice of Somaliland points to a Reuters report “Somaliland has reacted angrily to a call by African leaders for a partial easing of a United Nations arms embargo on lawless Somalia, fearing the weapons may one day be turned against the breakaway enclave.“

Curious writes on the “law of diminishing human rights” in Britian….”These days, all you have to do to be suspected and possibly accosted under the terrorism act is forget to shave for a few days and attempt to use the London underground. It appears that as our societies get more advanced, we are regressing in the area of human rights.”

Kid's Doc in Jos announces the start of a new programme that will provide “free anti-HIV drugs (antiretroviral or ARV) to patients.

White African points to a story in Yahoo News that a New Zealand woman planned to send dog food to “Kenya's starving children“.He asks if this story is possible?…”The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights condemned the offer as a degrading assault on the dignity of the country’s children.”

Timbuktu Chronicles reports that Medical tourism has arrived in Nigeria… “The facility to be known as “…CAMP SINAI INTERNATIONAL ® is planned to meet the highest standard of quality, functionality, aesthetics and service delivery comparable to some of the best hospitals in the world.”

Ethiopundit comments on an interview with Bono published in Der Spiegel in which he discusess “Meles and other African dicatators.”

Kenyan Pundit writes joins the Kenyan debate on moving back home and uses her own personal experiences…”In my experience, you first have to commit to the idea of going back. Like really commit. No ten year plans. No once I make this much money. Cut the crap. Wake up and say I’m moving back.”

The Passion of the Present reports on the arrest of 4 Zimbabweans who were carrying out research “on the effects of the government's controversial urban clean-up campaign after mistaking them for journalists.”

My Heart's in Accra points to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists that the Ethiopian government have arrested “Frezer Negash, a correspondent for Ethiopian Review, a website fiercely critical of the Zenawi government. Negash is being held without charge.”

South African blog, Floyds Perspective publishes an essay on Marxism and South Africa which asks…..”Marxist tool of analysis is relevant to South Africa. Like many other African countries, South Africa was a colonial and/or imperial country, though conceptualised as that of a special type”.

Nicholas at The Caribbean Beat blog lists his picks for the 10 best first lines from West Indian novels.

Francomenz weighs in on the state of Trinidad & Tobago's Carnival, declaring that the “the tone has changed from one of merrymaking and good vibes to one of greed, divisiveness and even anger”. Harsh words, coming from a former Junior Queen of Carnival.

United We Blog! on university and college students in politics - “After declaring many parts of Kathmandu restricted for political demos, imposing DAYTIME curfew in the capital city to thwart a pro-democracy rally, suspending landlines, wireless and mobile phones, the government has finally closed down the country’s largest university for two weeks by extending the regular vacation that ended Monday.”

An excellent post at Shobak on the Muslim Identity as potrayed in Indian Cinema.

Razib Rashedin on the recent controversy surrounding cartoons on Islam - “Denmark has established itself as the new frontier of Islamic hatred. Jyllands-Posten , a Danish paper, published a set of controversial caricatures of the prophet Mohammed last September, Magazinet published the controversial drawings in the name of ‘freedom of expression’.”

Unheard Voices on a Unicef study that indicates there aren't enough toilets for children in schools.

Chapinadas describes the José Santos Toruño archeological parkin La Democracia, Escuintla.

Young Caucasus Women has six more posts from Armenians, Azeris, and Georgians.

Blogian reports that a skeptical Scot travelled to the Azerbaijani territory of Nakhichevan and found Armenian reports of efforts to eradicate evidence of Armenian cultural history in the region to be quite accurate.

Ben Wheeler reports that Tbilisi's recently purchases Dutch buses have been a major headache.

The Katowice roof collapse may have multiple causes says the beatroot.

Sean Guillory says that Moscow city transit has contracted for private security guards on buses to protect passengers from fake ticket inspectors and, no kidding, people with dirty clothes or an unpleasant odor.