Global Voices Online

Asia media forum puts up an interview with Kwon Tae-Sun, managing editor of Hankyoreh. Kwon reflects on the challenge of marketization and internet on the traditional media.

The Limey wonders why a young, self-made man — a former prisoner turned lawyer — won't acknowledge what his success might mean to other young, black Bermudians.

Maangchi posts photos from this year's Caribana street Carnival in Toronto.

Nicolette Bethel is normally a bit skeptical about calls for reparations for slavery, but if Miami Cubans can demand them — so can she.

The plot thickens as Guyana-Gyal learns more about a local drug addict.

On the anniversary of Jamaica's independence, Gela writes her native land a Happy Birthday letter: “Can't believe you're now 44! Wow! For a tiny island, you've made some serious strides boy (or are you a girl? hmm, I wonder).”

Jim Shultz notes the myriad ways in which Bolivia is celebrating its 181st year of independence. Miguel Buitrago has a thorough summary of stories on the inauguration of the 255 member Constituent Assembly in the official capital city of Sucre. And Eduardo Avila publishes some entertaining pictures of President Evo Morales playing an exhibition football match to celebrate the opening of the Constituent Assembly.

Having just returned to Mexico City from South America, Ricardo Carreon observed last week that much of the “protest” in support of Lopez Obrador consisted of empty tents along Reforma Blvd. Carreon also links to a video tour of the Reforma area in the midst of the protests. Ana Maria Salazar comments on Lopez Obradar's speech yesterday after the Elecotral Tribunal announced there would not be a nation-wide recount of votes.

Erwin Cifuentes has a broad collection of valuable links from around Latin America reviewing the week of July 31 to August 6.

Andres Duque describes the storm of controversy resulting from a series of semi-nude photos with religious overtones published in the Colombian monthly SoHo: “The images, which depicted recreations of Biblical passages such as the last supper and the crucifixion with the nude actress taking the role of Christ, were accompanied by a sarcastic and blistering essay by polemic gay writer Fernando Vallejo on President Alvaro Uribe and his government's ties to organized religion, including the Colombian arm of the right-wing Catholic group Opus Dei.”

Boli-Nica gives historical and geo-political context to the outsider presidential campaign of Benjamin Rausseo, wondering aloud if the Venezuelan comedian might actually have a chance against Chavez in this December's elections.

Writing from Buenos Aires Mariano Amartino spreads the news that bloggers found a modified photo which was published by Reuters. “What is really odd is how a photo with such a serious error was able to pass through all the layers of editing at Reuters,” remarks Amartino.

Yulia of neweurasia translates a Russian language post on the debate over the death penalty in Kyrgyzstan.

Vadim discusses passenger complaints against Tajikistan's national airlines.

Why exactly is Norway involved in the conflict resolution process in Sri Lanka? Komiyage Loke with conspiracy theories, oil and other factors that move the planet.

Ben Paarmann writes about Kazakhstan's implementation of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative statutes. He says that if the EITI statutes are successfully implemented, high-level corruption in Kazakhstan could be seriously reduced.

Shirazi writes about Satghara - a sleepy and dusty village that once was a power center in its own right. “The first impact that this monument leaves is an emotional one for it is a symbol of cultural identity a part of heritage. It also has architectural historic documentary spiritual and symbolic value. The remains of the monument have to be preserved and saved from total ruination a danger they are facing at present.”

Onnik Krikorian reports on this weekend's internet outage in Armenia. Krikorian says that high prices, poor quality service, and outages are all the result of ArmenTel's monopoly on internet access.

Rezwan on why Bangladesh needs a National ID card as a solution to many problems - including the numerous databases.

Dialogue 3 talks about the electricity shortage in Kabul. The blogger says according to Ministry of Energy & Water [Fa]: From 8 am to 6 pm all hospitals, governmental offices and embassies have electricity. From 6pm to 9 pm two third of Kabul has electricity and from 9pm to 5 am only one third of Kabul has electricity.

LEvko of Foreign Notes writes about Naftogaz, the “black hole” of Ukrainian politics, and the current and former regime's involvement with it.

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic writes about the arrest of “Karadzic main moneyman and protector” and examines “a couple important points in the Karadzic hunt.”

The beatroot writes about the current government's relations with the Polish mass media: “It’s unprecedented in the western world that a government has no friends at all in the MSM.”

The beatroot writes about the UK's refusal to extradite Helena Wolinska, a 79-year-old Stalinist prosecutor, to Poland.

Sean's Russia Blog writes about Vorkuta mayor's plans “to turn a former prison camp into a “reality” holiday camp for tourists looking to spice up their vacation with the experience of Soviet camp life.”

Romerican writes about the cacophony of a Saturday morning in Romania - and posts some pictures. A reader awards this post with “the Golden Electric Whistle Award for making [her] snort chocolate milk from laughing so hard.”

The military withdrew from Rafah yesterday, early morning and returned yesterday night and are now present at the airport and the outskirts of Rafah. The destruction that they have left behind since last Thursday, August 3rd, consists of 13 killed, including three children one of which was a three day-old infant. Over 200 dunams of agricultural land that was mostly olive and palm trees are completely destroyed, ISM reports.

Three Moroccan Jews in have asked a Moroccan court to charge Israel’s defense minister with war crimes. The three Jews, all known as leading leftists in Morocco, said Amir Peretz, Israel’s Moroccan-born defense minister, is still subject to Moroccan law, Samir said.

During the last intifada, those of us in Jerusalem had the dubious “honor” of being in the middle of the conflict. Buses and cafes were blowing up, and Israelis in other areas were often too afraid to come to the capital. Now the situation is reversed, and people from the north are fleeing toward Jerusalem, Sarah said.

LadyBird says that Hugo Chavez proved to be more Arab patriot than all the Arab presidents combined together. She posts links to his interview with Al Jazeera.

Amitabh Bachchan, an icon in the Indian Film Industry is seen in a Pakistani Advert promising a surprise for Pakistan on August 14th, which of course is the Pakistani Independence Day. Some bloggers don't quite like the idea of someone as Indian as Bachchan posing for an advert, while others find it well.. cute. More at Metroblogging Karachi.

The really stupid thing about the freelance photographer for Reuters who doctored his pictures is that his stupidity will discredit the thousands of real pictures out there that show what an ugly war this has been. And while the pro-Israel blogosphere probably rejoices, it doesn’t change that between 600 and 900 Lebanese people, for the most part civilians, have been killed, Issandr said.

Doha couldn't help himself but cry with my Lebanese Prime Minister Seniora, as he cried too.

As he addressed the emergency Arab Foreign Ministers meeting in Beirut, he choked on the words: “Our Arabness is not conditional. It is not by force, but a choice.“

Bahrain Ministry of Information has instructed the Internet Exchange to block Google Earth. “Possibly because through Google Earth, the whole world, let alone the Bahraini users, can zoom in and have a good look at palaces and islands which a normal Bahraini wouldn’t even dream of one day coming close to, let alone stepping foot in, and the glaring confiscation of virtually all but 3% of beaches of the islands,” Mahmood said.

Nouri Lumendifi says that one of the best things about this recent boom in oil prices has been that countries with lots of foreign debt, like Algeria, have been able to pay of their debts to the world's wealthier countries.

Palestinian filmmakers, artists and cultural workers are leading a call for a cultural boycott of Israel. In light of the recent escalation of Israeli attacks against Lebanon and the Palestinians in Gaza, Palestinian artists are initiating a mass movement to isolate Israel. It is aimed at giving Israel the same treatment as the last Apartheid state, Will said.

Copydude writes about chicks, chickens, KFC, PETA, Kremlin and the CIA.

FM Sokhan, writer & blogger has published Akbar Mohammadi's, activist student who died in prison recently, parents' letter about the multiple signs of torture on their son's body. The blogger has changed his/her blog name into “we don't forget Akbar Mohammadi” for one week [Fa].

Iran paparazzi reports that reformist journalist won Association of Journalists' election. The blogger says it is possible that Ministry of Labour does not accept this election and conservative journalists who lost the election, will launch a new Association of Journalists [Fa].

Robert Koehler in Marmot's hole looks into the age differentiation of a attitude survey on U.S troop withdrawal from South Korea.

K. M. Lawson introduces Korea Foundation’s Cultural Center in frog in a Well.

ESWN translates Hu Hongda's statement on Sujiatun Concentration Camp which debunks the Falun Gong organ story. Hu heads the China Information Center based in U.S.

ESWN translates an interview of a former deputy director of Central Propaganda Department, Liu Zhongde. Liu explains the department attitude towards popular culture. It gives some insights on the department's cultural policy.

August 6 is the 61'st anniversary of the atomic bomb released on Hiroshima. Far East cynic reveiws the mainstream stream news report: “in the last 3 years I have been watching this, they always have coverage of Americans…either in America or visiting Hiroshima… these TV shows are always looking to show American remorse.”

A man in Fujian is trying to register a brand of condoms he calls “Central 1 condom” (zhong yang yi tao), which refers to CCTV-1. Ah Q weekly looks into the literal meaning of “Zhong yang Yi Tao”. “Tao” is related with “trap and arrest”, therefore, if CCTV claimed the condom brand infringed its rights, CCTV would put itself into a “Tao” position (zh).

Taiwan lost diplomatic relation with Chad yesterday. Sun bin feels that “Taiwanese people should celebrate for losing such an unreliable friend”.