Global Voices Online

The Benin Epilogue asks whether there is a paradigm shift in African business.

11 lawyers representing Jean-Pierre Bemba, the Congolese Presidential-runner up, walk out of the Supreme Court.

A Zimbabwean filmmaker, Tawanda Gunda Mupengo, wins first prize at the Dakar Film Festival for his short film, Spell My Name, “The film is about a young albino girl sexually abused by the headmaster of her school and a young teacher who stands up to protect her.”

Dubai's spice market (suq) is being Disneyfied, says Secret Dubai Diary.
He has come to the conclusion after hearing from one of the stall keepers that the traditional bazaar will have a roof!

Palestinian Leila Al Haddad is still waiting at a road block in Arish to return home.
She says she has lost count of the number of says she has spent waiting and has come to the realisation that “Israeli decisions are without rhyme or reason.”

Oman has started to ban internet sites, says blogger Muscati.
He said Oman's most popular website, the controversial Arabic online forum known as Sablat Al Arab, has been closed down pending an investigation by the public prosecutor's office.

Abu Aardvark says Al Jazeera Arabic channel has devoted an entire programme to cover the Bahraini parliamentary and municipal elections being held today.
He says the elections have generated a lot of interest and scrutiny from the media.

Kosoof has published a photo showing how Iranian women go to the sea.

Bahrain is getting international exposure in the media with the Washington Post and New York Times covering its elections, which are being held today, reports Desert Island Boy.
But it isn't the publicity the government wants in the global spotlight, he says.

Realthai has a generously illustrated post describing the preparation of popular Thai Tom Yam Kung.

Ngweekender is pleased to see Bahamanians are getting turned on once more to local music.

Dr. George Ayittey's analysis of China's interest in Africa, “China’s increasing involvement in Africa should be viewed against this backdrop. Despite the euphonious verbiage about “cooperation”, “equal terms,” and “altruism,” the real intentions of China are threefold. The first is to gain access to Africa’s resources by signing with a bow sweetheart deals with African despots. The second is to canvass for African votes at the United Nations in its quest for global hegemony. In this sense, the Chinese are no different from the French. The third is to seek African land to dump its surplus population.

Ghanians are watching Al-Jazeera in English, “Here in Ghana, Metro TV has been showing live programming of Al-Jazeera for many hours, everyday. At least, we now have news and views from another perspective, as opposed to the western propaganda we were hitherto being bombarded with, by BBC World, CNN and DW-TV.”

First there was Hollywood, then Bollywood followed by Nollywood. Here comes Bongowood, a blog about films made in East Africa and about East Africa. Bongo is a colloquial name for Tanzania.

Collectif-Haiti-de-Provence posts (Fr) the picture of Farah Dessources, a 20 year old university student who was recently kidnapped and killed in Haiti.

Senegalais Frustre at Blog Politique du Senegal has an unexpected theory about how ministers are recruited in Senegal (Fr): “When [Prime Minister] Macky Sall promises maximal efficiency of our ministers, does that mean that we are going to have an international golf team or an olympic champion in paper crumpling…”

Blada.com announced that a conference commemorating the 1996 high school student strikes that led to more local control of school administration took place yesterday. The event featured a photo exhibit, a film and a public debate.

Parlons Tahiti posts pictures of Tahiti sunsets, yachts, the Moorea port, the beach at Haapiti, a local hospital, a dance company and much more.

Convention Pour Une Nouvelle Guadeloupe posts (Fr) a declaration made by its founding father Magloire Pelage after he and others ceased power from the French in October 1801. (The revolt was later quelled.) He then adds: “Convention pour une Nouvelle Guadeloupe salutes the constitution of the first and only government of Guadeloupe while reaffirming its will to continue the fight for a sovereign Guadeloupe, rid of all its chains.”

Chandrahas is impressed with Pankaj Mishra's book - Butterchicken in Ludhiana. “Reading it this week for the first time, I was struck both by the smoothness of its style - it is a book without any dull bits, and the language has a full, rich flavour - and the strength of its argument, often more implied than asserted from the picture of small-town Indian life it offers.”

indi.ca on traffic snarls in Colombo, partly due to the war and because Mahinda, the President thinks nothing of shutting down traffic on the streets when he has to get somewhere. “One of the biggest daily troubles of the war is the traffic. Streets are closed and there are checkpoints everywhere. Somedays they’ll just decide to check every single car.”

Sajjad Zaidi's Blog on having trouble finding something healthy to eat thanks to the food culture in Pakistan. “Our lives are getting more and more hectic and we have more money to indulge the taste buds, yet few people know much (or care) about nutrition and would rather enjoy their meal and live with the few extra inches around their waist than go for something beneficial.”

With most of the talk about Nepal being limited to the peace agreement, the Maoists and the Ruling Alliance, it serves well to remember that Khatmandu is still a colourful place. Some photographs from the city at Say Na Something…

A blogger at Together We Bond shares a heartbreaking story of a marriage that fails because of the husband's demand for dowry. “Then came the expectations. He wanted $25000 from my parents that too to be transferred to his account immediately. Initially I did not comprehend why?”