Global Voices Online

Peter of neweurasia discusses reactions to the news that the EU is considering a special trade deal with Turkmenistan.

Christian Garbis speculates on what may happen in Armenia after the border with Turkey opens, which he foresees happening in the near future.

Tom Terry has a translation of a Mongolian newspaper article charging Eagle TV (which is the Christian station that Terry runs) with terrorism for causing divisions among Mongols. Luke Distelhorst has additional comments.

Luke Distelhorst has another update on the protests in Mongolia, including the news that some of the protesters are now on hunger strike.

Adam Isacson has an informative ten-point review of the last week in Colombia.

Expat Argentina cites a new survey which calls President Nestor Kirchner the most popular leader of the Americas. “I think it is safe to say that, barring a very major scandal, Kirchner is going to be re-elected in a landslide.” Bob Row has posted a cartoon, which suggests that Peronism's anti-democratic characteristics led to the 1976 military coup.

Oleksandr of Messages From Canada writes on Ukraine's unique position between Russia and the EU: “Located between new EU members with increased production costs and Russia with strong ambitions to expand to new markets, Ukraine could become another economic wonder or business paradise: for EU - to outsource/shift the production facilities to Ukraine with cheaper labor force and less stringent environmental regulations and for Russia - to exploit the favorable relations between Ukraine and EU for its own benefit and use Ukraine as platform for expanding to the West.”

Petro of Petro's Jotter recounts an early morning fire in his office building.

hgrodsk of Our Man in Gdansk lists five Polish April Fool's jokes he fell for: “Nothing is too absurd for Polish politics and life not to be true.”

MoldovAnn has started taking Ukrainian language classes: “This week’s lesson was conducted almost entirely in Ukrainian, and when we were all at a loss, our teacher reverted to Russian. This means I am learning a third language on the basis of my second language […].” Daniel of The Native Speaker writes about the interchangeability of the Latin and Cyrillic scripts in Serbian and the politics inherent in this phenomenon.

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic post a picture of a man who could be Radovan Karadzic: “If true, it would be the only known picture of Karadzic in the last 10 years.”

Edward Lucas, Central and East European correspondent of The Economist, posts a very lengthy and detailed report on his trip to the pre-election Hungary.

Wicked Angel writes on the issue of domestic violence, on how it's ignored by most forums and how it affects women from all socio-economic backgrounds.

A post at Moju attempts to pinpoint the events in Sri Lankan history that have vastly contributed to the ethnic conflict. The comments engage in a lively discussion.

Evenstar profiles Mumbai's information Kiosks that helps access free E-Mail, E-Banking, E-Greetings, Star Forecast, Exam Results, Railway Enquiry, Mumbai Guide, Movie, Restaurants, News, Health, Education etc.

Does a woman, in accordance with her faith - refusing to shake a man's hand account for a parallel to racism? Vislumbres asks some uncomfortable questions.

Sepia Mutiny has a moving account of a South Asian girl who is raped in the US.

Having his car in repair shop, Ramzi decided to walk down the streets of Beirut with a handy cell phone camera. What he sees are things you can’t notice while driving. Check them out.

Hanu was recently featured in the Mideast Connect online magazine because of her work as Managing Director of the Tibra Foundation whose aim is “to organize community-sponsored supportive projects to benefit women of the Libyan community and highlight their achievements.”

What Highlander enjoyed most was reading about these talented women. Read selected examples.

Mahmood offers a glimpse of Iraqi art in his recent Vlog which he shot during his recent visit to Albareh Gallery. He envy whoever buys any piece from Mr. Al-Bahrani’s exhibit. Mahmood beleives they will treasure it for life and get a lot of enjoyment just for looking at it once in a while, regardless of whatever the grand mufti explodes out of his mouth.

Sabbah seems to be angry on recent news about Hamas intentions to ban religiously-forbidden practices (from Islam point of view) in Palestine. He is afraid that Hamas is going to be a new Taliban, but elected one by only Palestinians inside Occupied Palestine, which Sabbah does not see fair to represent all of Palestinians, specially those in exile.

Richard Silverstein commenting on the detention of the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs, Khaled Abu Arafa at an East Jerusalem road block set up by Israel’s Border Police, he said: “It shows how completely disorganized the intelligence services are. Is their current mission to be at war with Hamas; or to be conciliatory toward a potential future negotiating partner? I’d suggest that until Ehud Olmert gets his house in order and establishes his government these types of things will go on. And they may go on even after with such disparate, even warring political attitudes in his cabinet (Peretz and Lieberman to name but one example).“

James Wong Wing On of Freedom in Solidarity has an excerpt from the memoirs of Sybil Kartigasu, a member of the resistance movement during the WW II Japanese occupation. The excerpt is a prison conversation between Kartigasu and another resistance fighter, Toh Lung San, who was tortured and later beheaded at the age of 21.

Yosef Ardi of Indonesia Today calls the first issue of the Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine a “smashing success” despite insistence by some quarters that it is pornographic because it is Playboy. Indonesia Matters agrees that the opposition from “predictable quarters” is not necessarily because of the magazine's content (no nudity) but because of prevailing perception. Andry S Huzain says, “Playboy Indonesia IS Playboy. It is just a series of parade of big boops blonde-naked women with IQ not over fifteen.” A. Fatih Syuhud says, “If you agree with it, buy it. If you dont, just leave it.”

When asked what makes Yugatech click–high traffic, high comment rate, and good ranks from Google and Technorati, blog owner Yuga says he doesn't even use “tools” like wordtracker, database of keyword lists, ebay directories, adsense accelerator and the like. He says it's all about writing what genuinely interests you, “the same topics I would talk about whenever I’m with friends, chatting over a cup of coffee or a bottle of beer.”

Shak from Chinawhite leaves the city life for a countryside vacation and discovers some differences while out there.

“A quick dinner in a local restaurant and then on to experience some nightlife in Hefei [capitol of eastern China's Anhui province], first thing that strikes me is the price. Everything seems half the price of what we pay in Shanghai. Second thing that strikes me is the very very few foreigners here. In fact, out of the three clubs we went to, I see one other laowai[Mandarin term for foreigner]. Quite interesting that the best club in town is called ‘Beauiful Club,' huge place with lots of signs and corporate identity all featuring a typo (welcome to China, why fix it if its working). Third thing that strikes me is the friendliness of these people compared to those in Shanghai (we love Prada, Gucci, LVMH and Starbucks),” writes Shak.

“The mark of the beast,” says the Art of Balance blogger, of China's Public Security Bureau's announcement of the completion of a database which contains details on 1.25 billion of China's 1.3 billion citizens.

“Parallel to this,” continues the blogger, “we will be facing the worlds biggest roll-out of RFID (radio frequency identification) by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), which oversees the country’s police force, who plans to issue more than 1.3 billion second-generation resident identification cards based on RFID chips, according to an industry analyst at In-Stat China.”

In ‘This Kind Of Shocked Me,' Milton J. Madison's Glenzo analyzes the plight of the 39,000 illegal Chinese immigrants in the United States whom the Chinese government refuses to repatriate:

“What amazes me is that China has refused to accept back their own citizens. How can a country do that? And why would the US ever allow a Chinese citizen into its country if China doesn't allow back those citizen if they overstay?”

“There is more evidence to suggest that North Korea really is in dire financial straits after all,” writes Joshua at The Korea Liberator. “Some would not call this a novel conclusion to make about a country in which 2.5 million people have starved to death…”

“No one will miss Kim Jong Il when his regime falls. But few stop to seriously think about what will happen when North and South Korea become one,” says ComingAnarchy's Curzon, linking to some post-Kim possibilities at The Marmot's Hole.

Michael Turton reports in his blog The View from Taiwan on a presentation last week by Jeff Martin, Ph.D. who spent three years researching—sometimes drinking with—the Taipei police force.

From The View: “Taiwanese substation policemen live a very difficult life, Jeff said, stressing the word ‘very.' They live at the police station. They have a bunk in the back room and are on duty for 60 hours a week, minimum, 12-14 hour shifts separated by 8 hours of down time. If paperwork doesn't get done on shift, it must be done on the down time.”

Ore's notes has a complaint about that same old yak yak from men who accost you on the street - like you are really going to jump in their car or go on a date with some fool who stops you on the street? Ore's comment…”do men think so little of women that they think we will drop at their feet with these really weak approaches? I can imagine that it must be daunting for a man when he sees a woman somewhere and wants to get to know her. But, humour, honesty and sincerity work for most of the women I know (myself included); sleazy lines soooo do not. And additional word of advice: checking out any body parts is strongly not advised.

Timbuktu Chronicles points to an innovative project tested in India that would provide a way of addressing “sustainable emergency care in the developing world.”

Oro has been testing some innovative online tools that “can provide alternative income generating strategies (that work) to help combat the scam menace in Nigeria, and a meeting that centered on Social Enterprise”.

Thots of a Naijaman writes that Nigeria is in a shambles - “There is no opposition anymore. Political parties are now at the mercy of the state controlled “Independent” electoral commission, a commission that awards political office to ‘deserving' government cronies. Opponents of the Government are hounded night and day by the EFCC, while government officials smile to foreign banks with their loot.”

Gukira writes a comment on rape…”Recently, 10 girls were raped in Kenya, raped by neighborhood residents. We continue to live in the shadow of St. Patrick’s, Kibwezi, where a boys’ secondary school ravaged a girls’ school in one of the most horrifying acts of visible mass rape.” Does rape really happen? or is it just another one of those female fantasies, lies, make up?

Concoction points to a BBC report which highlights the descrepancies between the Ethiopian government's version of development and that of villagers in the country.

On the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Rwandan Survivors publishes posts a brief historical background to the genocide and conflict through the eyes of a survivor.

Black Star Journal reminds us that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. …”It was one of the world's worst atrocities of the century and certainly the worst to be covered during the age of cable news television. It occured a year, almost to the week, after politicians and dignitaries in Washington solemnly promised ‘Never again' while inaugurating the Holocaust Memorial Museum.”

Jon of Posthegemony makes a table of contents of the many posts he has written about Peruvian author José María Arguedas.

“Cayman ministers will speak out about a stupid fictitious book or a movie with homosexual undercurrents, but they’ll have Easter egg hunts on their lawns to celebrate the resurrection of Christ,” writes Cayblogger.

One cruise line is planning to remove half its vessels from the Caribbean on account of high costs associated with hurricanes, says Mad Bull: “We are going to have to try to diversify into other areas, though I don’t know yet what they are. Our islands have a big challenge ahead, it seems.”

Stacy Marie-Ishmael links to the Pop World Cup web site, in which football teams compete on the basis of songs from their countries and the winner is decided by popular vote.

Regalado.blogia.com reproduces (es) a press release which appeared this week in the Cuban press regarding the attempts by Cubans to escape the country by boat. The release was prompted by an accident which took place off the coast of the Pinar del Rio province, and includes the line, “The events of the dawn of in waters to the south of Pine of the River yesterday confirm the irresponsible, criminal and aggressive character of the US government policy towards Cuba and in particular of the deliberate use of emigrants against the Revolution. . . “

Francis Wade links to two editorials on the subject of the beating of an allegedly gay man by fellow students at the Jamaica campus of the University of the West Indies. He also tosses a challenge to the country's new Prime Minister: “What would it be like if either the Prime Minister or the Governor General were to make good on some of the fine words they spoke at Portia's swearing in?”

Le Blog du Congolais ponders (FR) the reasons why main opposition party UDPS will not participate in upcoming elections: “The electoral packet, designed in upscale Western quarters, was a take it or leave it deal. […] One has to wonder whether it was not deliberately intended for UDPS not to participate” .

Djibrilkeita announces (FR) an upcoming forum on European cooperation with Africa to take place in Paris April 9. Panelists will mostly discuss Rwanda and Ivory Coast.

At the Caribbean Beat Weblog, Sabrina searches on the internet for help with a sick stray dog and finds Caribbean Animal Welfare, a web site offering information and resources for Caribbean organisations, including reports on the plight of animals after hurricanes.

View from Iran, an American blogger living in Iran, talks about her conversation with American friends about Iran. She writes “this is what I tell Americans: there is no other country in the world with a more pro-American population and that people in Iran are kind and generous to me. Especially when they discover that I am an American.”

Abtahi, blogger & reformist politician, writes about nuclear crisis. He says “It is not the duty of any politician or governmental official to chant baseless slogans. A successful politician is one who realizes the realities and facts ahead of the others therefore before being imposed by the outside decisions or sacrificing the people of its country can make the proper decision to safeguard his nation from dangers.”