Global Voices Online

Jeremy Taylor writes a letter to Trinidadian FIFA Vice President Jack Warner: “What a horrendous time they've been giving you in recent years, Jack. There was that hearing earlier this year into an alleged conflict of interest in the alleged sale of World Cup tickets, and now this alleged affair about the supposed resale of tickets and the allegedly huge profits allegedly accruing to you and your alleged relatives. What cheek, Jack, thus to sully your reputation.“

Bermuda blogger Sean Soares makes a case against the destroying of Hamilton's botanical gardens to build a hospital.

Lee Vanderwalker posts a dialogue between herself and a Belizean called “Bushman” about how to catch and cook an iguana.

A gang-related murder leads Bahamian Adrian Gibson to wonder “How far are we now behind Jamaica and Trinidad?“

Sir Arthur Foulkes outlines the challenges faced by the Bahamian “nation” as the country seeks an appropriate model for development.

Luis M. Garcia finds it ironic that Cuba, “a country with one of the worst transport systems on the planet,” has been chosen as the venue for an international transport conference.

Cuban news daily Granma calls Raúl Castro, “President of the Council of State”. “Probably a simple sub-editing mistake,” says Luis M. Garcia.

The blogger at Blowing In the Wind says that Thaksin may be the first Thai Prime Minister to fall partly because of the unrest in Southern Thailand.

Rumors of a coup had been circulating in Bangkok for weeks, and foreigners like me had been ‘warned’ to be careful, don’t stay out late, move in groups, keep updated with news reports, watch the cable TV.

When I heard about the coup, it was already past 10pm, and I had just returned to my apartment after dinner. I tried to get a taxi to where the action is: the government house. But no taxi seem to want to ferry me there.

So begins a spirited account of the day's activities by blogger Susan Loone in Bangkok, the latest in a series of entries on the unfolding coup in Thailand.

Michael Manske of The Glory of Carniola is guest-blogging at A Fistful of Euros about border disputes between Slovenia and Croatia.

Balkan Ghost of Finding Karadzic writes about Richard Gere's visit to Sarajevo to film a movie about war criminal Radovan Karadzic: “The press was abuzz with speculation about whether Karadzic is caught in the movie.”

NvB: Bored in Brno? recommends a post about Brno by the Four Bees blog: “While a great introduction for any visitor, the essay has some great insight into the urban character of Brno.”

Peter Myers of Adventures in Moldova writes about Cleopatra Stratan, a 3-year-old pop star, and about the dubbing of The Matrix into Moldovan: “No, not Romanian. No, not Russian. Dubbed in Moldovan, a mix of Romanian and Russian words and phrases with the most vulgar words from both languages mixed in at every other line.”

TOL's Belarus Blog writes about the new arrests of the opposition activists and about the “extreme and absolutely unacceptable” conditions, in which, according to the Belarusian government, Belarusian students live in the United States. Also, there's a translation of a Russian-language post about the regime's ominous reaction to an innocent “Smile” flash mob, and a post on rock music at Minsk's Bangalor Square.

Chapati Mystery on the controversy and the difference between the last pope and the current one. “The central irony of this controversy is that the thesis of Three Stages in the Program of De-Hellenization treats the futility of spreading faith through violence. Indeed, the quote that most infuriates some Muslims is introduced very casually”

Falstaff summarizes the controversy around the Pope's remarks with a good deal of sarcasm thrown in. “The pope, delivering an address at his old University, decides to use a quotation from a discussion between a Byzantine emperor and a Persian scholar, on the theory, presumably, that any discussion of contemporary moral values most usefully begins by examining obscure conversations in the 14th century.”

Is the Monarch in Nepal campaigning for himself? What is the role of the political parties to ensure that the ideals of democracy are upheld? Democracy for Nepal says “The eight parties still have the option to do away with the monarchy right away through a political decision. And they should exercise that option should they see signs the monarch is going activist again.”

iFaqeer requests the Pope to please stop feeding the bears. “What he's done is a gift to the people who'd like Muslims to follow their extremist, fanatic attitude. And as I was saying here in the last few days whether he did it out of naivete, ill-advisedness (”stupidity” seems inappropriate for such a respected person), or malice, I know not.”

Shirazi profiles the Toy Village in Pakistan. “Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka - The Toy Village - is the name of the village in Punjab, about which a lot has been written, about its unique and special concept, -Thatta Kedona is the name under which the handicraft products of the village and institutions connected to it within and outside the country are marketed.”

According to Agha Bahman, several music institutes and shops were closed in Iran. The blogger says it seems they used to sell tickets for underground rock concerts [Fa].

Stuart G, an expat living in Bangkok, worries that the military might start fighting itself. But meanwhile he says “there is no fighting going on now. I am safe, my refrigerator is stocked, and I am not in danger.”

Cowboy Caleb also has a running account of events from a resident's perspective.

Metroblogging Bangkok blogs as the coup unfolds. He says CNN, BBC and all the international cable news channels have gone down and writes: “now just a matter of getting the Internet down…. I'll see you guys when Thailand becomes civilized again…”

Kwanzoku has screenshots from the TV news until: “Now we’ve lost ALL satellite television- not even the bad movie channels! And I was watching The Object of My Affection… How inconsiderate!”

With what appears to be a military coup unfolding in Bangkok, Bangkok Pundit is live blogging the confusion. Gnarly Kitty also gives running commentary as the news unfolds, and fears the impending loss of Internet and mobile access… which means the live-blogging may not last for long.

Liz Henry adds to Rosario Lizana's efforts of documenting Chilean bloggers responses to a federal program to distribute free birth control to teenagers.

Panamanian web designer and information architect, Leon Kadoch has published the first release of his essay “Management Mistakes : Web Design Companies 101.”

Beijing 2008 Environmental Construction Headquarters officials annoucned on September 14 that the government will use of a strategy of “comprehensive return to the countryside” and “strengthening of aid programs” to return migrant workers to countryside before the 2008 Olympic. China Media Project reports that the proposal was criticized by domestic media over the weekend.

ESWN translates a magazine feature about western reporters working in China.