Global Voices Online

Fons Tuinstra outlined the discussion on whether China's internet media can compete globally in China Herald.

Positive solution blogs about the local media report on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC): It’s the mutually beneficial development, stupid!

Sun bin studied President Chen Shui-Bien's self-defence of the corruption charge.

The former Minister of Justice, Chen Ding-nan passed away in the midst of the President corruption scandal. Levitator has more background on the Chen.

ESWN translated an article from Southern Weekend on the blogger real name registration system proposed by Ministry of Information Industry.

Robert Koehler comments on a commentary by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist which was viewed by Korean media a “naked expression of anti-Korean sentiment”. In the article, the columnist called Japan and Taiwan US' real allies.

“For things like this the colony has always been useful,” says (ES) Tinta Digital, discussing a series of experiments conducted on mosquitos in poor communities in Puerto Rico by the Centers for Disease Control.

The Manicou offers his two cents on the West Indies cricket team's defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy, Trinidad and Tobago's proposed breathalyser law and observes that “murder in Trinidad has no modus operandi.” And crime comes a bit too close to home for Karen Walrond as well.

Peter Myers of Adventures in Moldova writes about Borat: “
Borat's “Kazakh village” was in fact filmed in Romania, so it was fun to watch the first four minutes of the film on YouTube and know what all these villagers were saying to Borat. His “wife,” Oxana, didn't say what the sub-titles say, but she did say some incredibly dirty stuff. […] Sascha Baron Cohen has the chance to take his characters into the realm that Andy Kaufman did with his, but right now there is a major difference; Kaufman didn't think twice about insulting and offending his audience, whereas Baron Cohen plays it safe and exploits people that few Americans will ever come into contact with.”

Sean's Russia Blog writes about “unity and disunity on National Unity Day” in Russia.

neweurasia Tajikistan reports on voting for Tajikistan's president within the country and outside the country.

South East Europe Online posts a hilarious, Onion-style piece on Kosovo: “After Serbia included Kosovo in its constitution, other countries from the region have declared their intentions to do the same. They point out that they are doing this in line with their good neighborly relations policies. The governments of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia and Hungary have made it clear they are planning to adopt new constitutions which mention Kosovo in their preamble. They say they must stand by Serbia, just as they did in the original Battle of Kosovo in 1389. […]”

KZBlog reports on a bizarre scheme in Astana, Kazakhstan in which local officials have required hair salons to provide free services to pensioners and veterans of World War II.

South East Europe Online reports on the reaction from the Kosovo Albanian evangelicals and American misisonaries working in Kosovo to the claims of Serbian Orthodox Church that some key U.S. evangelicals “are joining their lobby against Kosovo's independence.”

Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat, the story/mockumentary telling a “Kazakh” journalist's quest across America to marry Pamela Anderson, opened over the weekend in North America much of Europe and neweurasia looks at different perspectives on how the movie affects Kazakhstan.

neweurasia reports on the visits of Germany's foreign minister to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Both trips were part of a region-wide tour that comes as Germany works on a comprehensive Central Asia policy to promote during its coming EU presidency.

Stunner weighs in on the death of a young Jamaican woman from engaging in movements associated with the “dutty wine” dance craze, and the murder of former heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick in Portland.

Trans Europa Express writes about the blacksmith and other attractions of “Halovo, Serbia: 538 meters above sea level, 500 meters away from the Bulgarian border. Number of houses: Depends on whom you talk to. Between 230 and 300.”

J. Otto Pohl writes about yet another tragic anniversary: the 1943 deportation of Karachais “from their ancestral homeland in the North Caucasus to desolate areas of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.”

Ruminations on Russia wonders if there's going to be a blackout in Moscow this winter.

Our Man in Tirana writes about possible winter blackouts in Albania.

Neretva River writes about reports on Russia's plans to use energy card against Bosnia: “In a hideously cynical move to try to once again project power in the Balkans, Russia has turned to its status as a major energy supplier to the former Yugoslavia in a bid to force Bosnia not to prosecute Serb war criminals at a time when the ICTY is sending more and more cases back to the region for trial as the Tribunal prepares to close.”

Neretva River writes about the campaign to save the river after which the blog is named.

Technology blog Engadget reports that Thailand is pulling out of the $100 laptop project for its schools. “Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was a big fan of NickNeg's pet project, but sadly, his countrymen kicked him out of office in September, making Thailand somewhat of a tough sell now.”

The blogger at aisehman.org feels that Malaysian citizens might find Johor's plan of setting up Free Access Zones (where the residents can seamlessly travel to and from Singapore) insulting. Johor is a Malaysian state that neighbours Singapore and it sees these Free Access Zones as a way of attracting foreigners to live there. ” Will Malaysians be able to live in the FAZs? Will it be some semi-exclusive enclave Malaysians — for all intents and purposes — can only gawk at from the relative squalour of their existence?”

Ms. Vakaivosavosa in Fiji downplays the coup rumours. “Life is normal here and there's so much more to worry about than the war of words in the media. I spent the day out of the office today and nothing is unusual or out of the ordinary. People are aware of the war of words but they are going about their everyday business.”

The author at Synchroni-Cities decides to dress up as Osama for Halloween in New York. Fascinating account of what people observe. “people chose to laugh, rather than being angry or afraid of a brown man dressed as ‘Osama’, and in downtown New York, not so far from the WTC.
And if you really look at it, as my father would say, at the end of the day, the Levi’s jacket mattered more.”"

a reader's words on Punjab, a brief political and economic history and questions on the future of the state and identity. “What implications would these new processes have for the manner in which we have imagined Punjab and Punjabiyat – within the national and global contexts? Will the processes of globalization and the new technologies enable the two Punjabs to rediscover their common cultural heritage?”

Metroblogging Islamabad on the World Islamic Economic Forum. “This year the forum is opening under the theme of “Unleashing the Potentials of the Emerging Markets” and it will be organized jointly by Pakistan and the Asia Strategic and Leadership Institute (ASLI) based in Malaysia.”

Who exactly will determine whether or not Nepal needs royalty? Nepali Netbook says “In the end, here’s what everything boils down to: Nepalis may believe they are capable of running the country without the king. The external stakeholders don’t seem to be so sure. Now, isn’t the royal silence getting real scary?”

Salvador Canjura has posted photos of Volcán de Santa Ana while the blog of El Salvador/CNY Companion Diocese notes that the red alert for Santa Ana's Ilamatepec volcano was finally cancelled.

Chapinadas congratulates Guatemalan singer and songwriter, Ricardo Arjona for his Latin Grammy award for best male album in vocal pop with his new album “Adentro”.

Miguel Buitrago criticizes a plan by the Bolivian government to add a political layer of 42 regional subunits between the country's nine departments and 327 municipalities. Miguel Centallas, however, argues that the new subunits might actually strengthen the municipalities. The two Miguel's have a useful discussion on the issue in this comments thread.

IndyMedia Mexico has a wealth of multimedia resources related to the ongoing conflict in Oaxaca including video, audio, photography, and text.

“Three bombs exploded in Mexico City just after midnight last night, damaging buildings but injuring no one. The bombs, which exploded between 12:03 am and 12:15 am, did significant damage to the Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federacion (TEPJF — the nation's election judges), PRI party headquarters and a Scotiabank branch,” writes Mark in Mexico. Michelle Dion notes that “no one has claimed responsibility yet, and it's not clear if it's related to the protest in Oaxaca or the incoming administration.” And radio host Ana Maria Salazar provocatively asks “shall we call it … terrorist acts?”

Ricardo Carreón has posted some breathtaking photographs of the unique Araucaria trees near the Brazil-Uruguay border.

“Daniel Ortega is President again,” writes VivirLatino as the Sandinista frontrunner remains about six percentage points ahead of Eduardo Montealegre. Boz reminds readers of “el pacto” between former Presidents Aleman and Ortega which has led to the latter's plausible victory. Randy Paul gave some more background information on election eve. Liza Sabater protests Ortega's misogyny and Barricada is updating the preliminary results as they come in.

Red Peruana contra la Pornografía Infantil [ES] is both a weblog and NGO hoping to promote the eradication of child pornography on the internet. President Dimitri N. Senmache Artola is hoping to spread the message throughout the blogosphere.

Kosoof has published a recent photo of Abbas Amir Entezam, former deputy Prime Minister, ambassador and the longest held political prisoner in Iran. The blogger adds in December 1979, he was charged with “treason and spying for foreign governments”. He was arrested afterwards and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Revolutionary Courts, without the due process of an attorney or a jury.

R. Elgin blogs about the “godfather”, Shin Joong-hyun, of Korean rock music in Marmot's hole.

Dave and Stefan has another post on Hong Kong history. This time it is about Lord Palmerston, the Foreign Minister of Great Britain in 1839 when the United Kingdom embarked on the Opium War against China. His opinion has some similarity with today's local conservatives.

K.M Lawson at Japan History Group Blog writes a commentary on an old Japanese movie (1975) called Shōrinji Kempō (English title: The Killing Machine). The blogger read into the historical details and the perception of international relation in the movie.

Days in Daechuri reports on the verdict of anti-U.S military base leader Kim Ji-tae; he is sentenced to two years imprisonment for obstructing civic affairs. Father Moon Jung-hyun, Representative for the Pan S.Korea Solution Committee against US Base Extension in Pyongtaek (KCPT) criticised that the trial is politically motivated.

Hu Ge, the famous video spoof producer in China, is preparing to shoot a 20 mins internet video and is now looking for a foreign actor who will act as a CIA agent (zh).

Lei Feng is a national icon for youth in China, now he appears on a condom package. Details see Fons Tuinstra.

Michael in the Opposite end of China writes about the implication of oil in Xinjiang: a blessing and a curse.