Global Voices Online

Mongolia Matters has the latest evidence of Japan's Chingis Khan craze.

Matt Jay has a valuable summary of the murder of the opposition politician Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly in Kazakhstan.

Registan.net notes that things seem to be heating up in Kazakhstan in the investigation of the murder of an opposition leader. The head of the Senate administration has been arrested in connection with the murder, and the opposition is calling for investigation of the president's daughter and her husband.

Susan of SueAndNotU takes issue with Forbes listing Georgia as one of the world's most dangerous destinations.

Sergey Belyakov of RUBLog posts six political jokes, which target Vladimir Putin, Joseph Stalin, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Adam and Eve.

Russia marks Defenders of the Fatherland Day today, aka the Men's Day (while March 8 is the Women's Day). Megan Case posts a contemporary greeting card she has found in s store; Katerina at The Accidental Russophile links to the site that has Soviet postcards for the occasion; Russia Blog writes about the posters greeting Moscow veterans with a drawing of a U.S. battleship; journalist Oleg Kashin (RUS) posts a copy of an equally embarrassing greeting to Kaliningrad veterans, with a German tank on it.

W. Shedd of The Accidental Russophile attempts to analyze today's collapse of one of Moscow's largest markets from an engineer's perspective. So far, 56 people are reported to have been killed, but this number is likely to grow, as many more were inside at 5:45 a.m., when the tragedy took place. The majority of the victims were from Azerbaijan and Central Asia.

Eduardo Ávila has posted a video of his friend, Miguel campaigning in Quechua via a giant speaker attached to the roof of his car in the outskirts of Cochabamba. Ávila has also posted a picture of what he calls the “Sound Mobile:” a minivan equipped with booming speakers to get the attention of potential voters.

Metroblogging Islamabad links to an archive of old photographs of the Indian subcontinent. It's interesting that most of the subcontinent's photographic history is through the eyes of the Raj, and determines largely the subject and the gaze of the camera.

Alfredo Sanchez (ES) and Eduardo Arcos (ES) both post about the free showing of a Brazilian documentary about bloggers and another about cinema clubs this Saturday in Mexico City. More information about both documentaries can be found at Cine Club Bravo, the group hosting the event.

Fluctuating power supplies in Dhaka says Rezwan -”A severe power crisis has hit the Dhaka town. Each day, especially at night electric supply goes off for many hours. The power goes off not at a stretch, but in approximately one hour intervals and rotating in areas.”

Recursive Hypocrisy on Indian nuclear power, articles in WSJ and American interests - “What a shift in tone from those days, when an Indian diplomat's opinion piece in an American Newspaper meant a lecture in morality and an embarrassment to anyone from anywhere to the east of the Caspian sea.”

Sujatha on the war against illiteracy, and perspectives from one corner of the huge task ahead.

Blank Noise Project calls for a blog-a-thon to build testimonials and opinions on the issue of street harassment of women in India.

Santiago, an Argentinean living in Brooklyn, New York offers his surefire test of whether or not you are from Buenos Aires.

For all you fans of floating canines and euro-techno, this is one post that can't be missed. The Chilean music blog, Super 45 - Blog System says that various French artists are headed towards Chile including Manu Chao and Pascal Arbez (better known as Vitalic). Included is a video of Vitalic's single, “Poney Part I” - one of the most bizarre and thoroughly awesome experiments in dog cinematography I've ever seen.

Hanouz, an Iran based journalist & blogger, talks about cutting thousands trees (Persian) in Levizan forest in neighbourhood of Tehran. According to the blogger, Tehran's municipality is cutting these trees to construct a highway. It is considered disastrous for Tehran and its air pollution.

IndCoup discusses tattoo culture in Indonesia. He explains: “The revival owed much to the popularity in Indonesia during the mid 1990s of US rock bands the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns and Roses, both of which flaunted the sexual appeal of tattoos.”

A. Fatih Syuhud asks: “Are you the terrorist blogger?” He writes: “Blogging should be made use for advocating peace at heart and mind, not only for the sake of blogging and attracting traffic by making any provocative statements in the name of freedom of expression.”

Malaysia's paper-of-record, the New Straits Times, has gotten into its own cartoon controversy after running a syndicated strip on its funny pages critiquing the Danish cartoon controversy. The government has demanded an explanation from its editors and demonstrations against the NST are apparently planned. Jeff Ooi's Screenshots has been following and updating the story beginning here.

Jessica Zafra reminds readers why the Philippines 1986 “People Power” Revolt, the 20th anniversary of which is ongoing, was so important, despite the subsequent disappointments and political troubles: “We were the opening salvo in the Big Freedom Blasts that began in the late 1980s and continue into this century. The South Koreans overthrew their dictator. The Berlin Wall fell. The protestors stood up to the tanks at Tiananmen Square. The Soviet Union collapsed. The Czechs had their Velvet Revolution, the Ukrainians their Orange. We did not cause these upheavals— most Pinoys had never even heard of these countries—but we gave them the most powerful ammunition in the world. We gave them Inspiration.”

Singapore Election Watch has a post from Yawning Bread arguing that Singapore should not have a “Senior Minister.” The post was created for retired long-time PM Lee Kuan Yew and then occupied by another former PM, Goh Chok Tong, when he retired (Lee became “Minister Mentor”). Yawning Bread points out that such sinecures for (supposedly) retired leaders ensures that decisions of former administrations don't get reversed - “the privileging of continuity over change.”

Tales from Isan explains the how and whys of the wai, the traditional Thai greeting of cupping one's palms together in front of one's chest. “Get it right, and you earn the approval and pleasure of the person you seek to honor. Get it wrong, and you risk embarrassing, or at worst, insulting the other person.”

Leon posts brief “pros and cons” profiles of the candidates in the People's National Party (PNP) leadership race.

A politician's refusal to answer what he considers “plantation questions” disappoints both the Limey and Christian Dunleavy.

Vivir Latino reports that the first US Olympics medal in ice dancing since 1976 was won by a Puerto Rican duo.

regalado.blogia.com publishes an overview of Cuban cinema since 1900.

Guyana Diaspora profiles painter and sculptor Donald Locke.

The Trials and Tribulations of a Freshly Arrived Denizen comments on demonstrations in Accra, Ghana over the “ Representation of the People's Amendment Bill” which he says would “in effect, give voting rights to those Ghanaian residents overseas”

Chippla writes on Islam and Violence in Northern Nigeria which has once again escalated this time over the Danish cartoons. He wonders if the violence does not hide divisions in Nigerian society…”Why has the lot of Islam in Northern Nigeria become one of violence and intolerance? Does it actually conceal a much deeper but seldom talked about division in Nigerian society?

Kenyan blogger, The Girl in the Meadow publishes a poem to express her distaste of sycophancy and corruption in high places.

Kenyan Pundit and Ethan are both at the TED 2006 conference in California. Both have a number of posts covering the conference. Kenyan Pundit and My Heart's in Accra.

Timbuktu Chronicles reports on an amazing invention that may provide the water and power to may people in poor rural areas of the developing world. “To solve the problem, he’s invented two devices, each about the size of a washing machine that can provide much-needed power and clean water in rural villages…”

Tuesday 21st of February was National Mother Language Day. Malawi blog Afrika-Aphukira discusses his country's policy on education and language in primary school and concludes that bi-lingualism is the best option.

Sudan-Reeves believes the presence of a NATO force in Darfur alongside the AU forces would immediately challenge the genocidal actions of the Janjaweed militia and bring security to the region.

Adventures of an Armchair Travellers reports on the state of prisons in Cameroons where TB and AIDS are rampant.

All About Latvia sums up coverage by the Russian- and Latvian-language papers of Latvia's hockey team's defeat at the Olympics.

Spring's on the way in Tirana, and Anna shows how surreally messy the building they live in looks.

Registan.net and neweurasia report on the arrest of five secret service officers in Kazakhstan for the murder of an opposition leader.

Ara Manoogian is angry with the Bush Administration's support for turning over US ports to a UAE company because of the country's major ties to human trafficking.

James of neweurasia writes that Tajikistan's president is making sure that the upcoming presidential election will unfold exactly as he wishes.

Christian Garbis reports on evictions for the sake of “progress” in Armenia's capital.

Zara writes on the destruction of a notable building in Armenia and hopes that its replacement will be but a reconstruction.