Global Voices Online

Cricketwukup.com profiles the “West Indies' [cricket team's] #1 fan”.

Over at the Caribbean Beat weblog, Laura Dowrich shares some advice about public transportation in Trinidad and notes a few of the unique features of Grenada's buses.

Edward Rance reports on a dinner hosted by the Premier of Bermuda for Bermudian students studying in the UK and the post-dinner Q&A session where the students asked the Premier some difficult questions.

Lee Vanderwalker of Caye Caulker, Belize, is busy with preparations for this year's tourist season, which from the feedback she's been getting is going to be “a bang up year.”

Two radio personalities make light of a news report about a barrister who has reminded Barbadian men that the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act offers protection to them as well as women. Titilayo is concerned at the radio announcers' attitudes: “Physical abuse is nothing to laugh at. Domestic violence is nothing to laugh at. All people in Barbados, women, men and children, are afforded protection from domestic violence under the laws of the land. All people in Barbados should feel free to seek protection under the laws of the land without having to face ridicule for taking steps to ensure their personal safety and well-being. That’s the way it should be. When will that be the way it is?“

The Barbados Labour Party publishes on its blog a scanned image of what is alleged to be a page of a speech given by a member of the opposition party containing some controversial statements. Barbados Free Press, however, hesitates to jump to any conclusions about what the statements actually mean.

Miguel Octavio describes the “perverse symbolism of the location of Chavez' closing rally.”

Miguel Buitrago describes Evo Morales' upcoming travel plans as social unrest continues domestically: “Morales cannot stay outside Bolivia more than 5 days, since he does not have permission of Parliament to travel, he'll go on to the South America - Africa Summit in Nigeria. His final stop will be Cuba to celebrate Fidel's birthday.”

National Highway on caste matters and reservation. “But if a ‘meritorious’ person like him could achieve so much in life despite such hardships, why do we need reservations at all? “I was an exception,” he says, “dalits are deliberately discriminated against and excluded and we need reservations to make sure they get their due.””

Have you got a question for the Bolivian Ambassador to the US? Now is the time to ask it as Jim Shultz prepares for his upcoming interview.

Caferati has a writing exercise that asks writers to write from the other side of the fence. “It could be a poem extolling child labour. A monologue from a necrophiliac. An essay in favour of stronger government controls if you're a libertarian (or a paean to free markets of you're not).”

Nepali Netbook comments on the peace process being a farce. “Protestors injured in the April Uprising want representation in the interim parliament. Can the relatives of those killed be far behind?”

The Narcosphere and Western Hemisphere Policy Watch come to different conclusions on the detention of TeleSur reporter Freddy Muñoz by Colombian authorities. Dan Feder of Narcosphere writes: “At the very least, the Colombian government, in allowing the press to discover the accusations against Muñoz has made a very heavy-handed attempt to discredit an accomplished journalist who has exposed the ugly side of the Colombian and U.S. governments’ war against leftwing rebels.” But Western Hemisphere Policy Watch counters, “Chavez is actively seeking to destabilize the Colombian government by supporting the FARC and other rebel groups in Colombia. Telesur is nothing but a propaganda arm of the Bolivarian movement in the Americas. We put our faith in the Colombian legal system.”

The Oyster travel card in London maybe a bit more than just a device for convenience according to Suspect Paki. “If you register your Oyster Card, the police can, without your knowledge, determine the extent of all your London Transport wanderings.”

Andrew Morris on family in Bangladesh and UK. “It never ceases to amaze me here that ‘family members' can travel across the country, turn up unannounced at a relative's home, and expect to be accommodated, fed and watered for up to a month.”

Generation Consciente writes (Fr): “Despite its best efforts, Paris did not succeed in getting the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that might oust President Gbagbo. After intense negotiations at the UN headquarters, Resolution 1721 regarding Cote d'Ivoire, a French intitiative, was adopted by the Security Council. It maintains Laurent Gbagbo at the head of Cote d'Ivoire for another year (until October 2007), a measure which further delays elections.”

All Things Pakistan has a wonderful post on headgear in Pakistan. “Even though with increased travel, TV, and urbanization some of the caps (not turbans, though) worn in one part of the country have also been adopted by people in other parts but, by and large, the cap or a turban a man wears dose hint at the broader ethnicity of that person and, sometime, even at his social status.”

A.M. Mora y Leon tries to make sense of Rafael Correa's win on Sunday in Ecuador's presidential election: “And maybe it’s understandable - Correa was a fresh face. Noboa was an oligarch. Correa must have seemed more like an outsider, more willing to be worth the gamble to focus on the poor, via handouts.” Greg of Two Weeks Notice adds, “Perhaps the most problematic for democracy will be the resistance he will face in the legislature, with the lack of a loyal opposition, though this will obviously depend on what types of reforms he attempts.” Both Milton Ramirez and Erwin Cifuentes do the media reaction roundup while Boz pens his usual five points.

Neretva River writes of what may be “the end of Turkey's EU accession hopes” and the “implications for the Western Balkans.”

East Ethnia writes about the fake and the real Montenegro - and the James Bond connection.

A former presidential candidate, Aleksandr Kozulin, has celebrated his 51st birthday in prison, in relative obscurity, and with no food - because he's been on hunger strike for over a month already, writes TOL's Belarus Blog.

Ruminations on Russia writes about gas policies of the Russian government.

The beatroot writes on Borat's Polish connection, a hungover election official, and the current “Polish-Russian meat war.”

ZheZhe [dot] us posts a lengthy entry on media discussions of Russia's image abroad.

Pustolovina: Adventure in Serbian cites a paranoid letter on avian flu that the U.S. embassy in Belgrade is sending American expats.

Petro Rondiak of Petro's Jotter writes a letter to the editor of a Kyiv English-language publication, disagreeing with his view on the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33; the editor responds.

On the 26th of October 2005 a fire raged in the Dutch Schiphol Airport Detention Centre. Eleven migrants died.

In an Open Letter to Gheddaffi a Dutch media-activist informs the Libyan president about the fate of three Libyan citizens. One died in the fire; another survived but “was treated in a sub-human way” by Dutch authorities; and third stands accused of starting the fire and still in custody, even after two separate judges ordered his immediate release in the last weeks… “None of them were accused of any crime or violation, not even of trespassing. Being declared ‘illegal' doesn't constitute a criminal offense according to Dutch law. Yet [..] they usually suffer the same restrictions as suspects of common crimes, or worse even when they are housed in temporary facilities like ‘detention-boats', hangars, or containers.“

All what you wanted to know about Saddam Hussein can be seen in ‘Uncle-Saddam' documentary. “Uncle Saddam gives a feel for what it was like to be around the man and what sort of a man Saddam Hussein was, what he did inside the unfair system of dictatorship with checks and balances absent,” Bakkouz said.

What happens when your students are rude, uncouth, and highly uncivilized to their teacher and each other? “The world may be full of bad people, but it's good to know that there will always be good people walking in their midst that have the potential to make it all better,” Carmen said.

“We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands,” King Abdullah said in an interview with the ABC network; citing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon and the decades-long strife between the Palestinians and Israelis.” Natasha is not optimistic either. “The situation in the Middle East is getting gloomier by the day. I frankly do not see any light at the end of the dark tunnel we are currently going through. No wonder I am reading only fiction these days,” she said.

Since then, Laila and her family are still waiting to cross the border from Egypt to Gaza. There is now some rumors that the border is opening tomorrow for three days only, in both directions. She can't be certain until she hears the same from the Egyptian border officials.

Togolese-origined French politician Kofi Yamgnane posts a December 13 conference announcement that questions the limitations of French republicanist integration (Fr): “Integration in the French tradition … is resolutely hostile to any differentiation or separation founded on individual origins … Contrary to the Anglo-Saxon model, the Republican model rejects communities and opposes their distinctness. At a time of globalization and increasingly important migrations, at a time of acute crisis in our suburbs and of immense social pain, is this model still efficient?”

Photos de Tahiti et de Polynesie posts (Fr) pictures of the market of Papeete.

Jojo at Collectif Haiti de Provence posts a Radio Kiskeya article on the World Bank and IMF conditions for permanent debt relief for the country and writes (Fr): “The conditions for permanent debt relief are clear and precise and for once seem human … Can our compatriots once in power govern while respecting these conditions? If corruption and thievery as they stand today are no longer accepted, will as many people be interested in politics? The financial institutions should firmly threaten to sanction states, nations and banks that accept no questions asked to secret the assets of those who break the law in this area.”

The State Council of the People's Republic of China has finished the investigation of several pollution cases in Jilin province, which has caused the death of 8 people and 700 million yuan economic loss. However, the government officials involved only recieved warnings and punishment by the party. Ai Wei-wei criticized that the party rule has replaced the rule of law in such case (zh)….

Wang Xiao feng comments that the Karaoke copyrights fee management recently proposed by culture bureau is against international practice and damaging local music industry: The caculation is a standardize price per song (via the culture bureau managing system) rather than a monthly negotiated price between the Karaoke company and the copyrights holders. (zh)

A report at interlocals.net by torrent on the recent debate between handicapped alliance and foreign maids on granting the migrant domestic workers basic labour rights in Taiwan.

Citizen reporter, Victor Foo, from Ohmynews! writes an evaluation on South Korea's president Roh Moo-hyun's achievements and setbacks during his term.

The blind human rights activist's case is re-opened today. According to Zeng Jinyang (zh), the lawyers were harrassed by local police and the village has been blocked to prevent local villagers to go to the court as Chen's eyewitnesses.

Kaishin in Japundit presents some data from a recent blogger survey: almost 70% of the people who took it responded that updating was too much of a trouble…

Fons Tuinstra from China Herald foresees that China will have more crazy growth for 2007.

Shang_kenneth from Shanghaiist reports that a 7 metre high statue of Chairman Mao has been recently erected in Changsha. It is a prelude to Mao's birthday next month.

ESWN puts togethers reports and translation on the media story about the resignation of a famous soccer commentator on CCTV, Huang Jianxiang. The case is significant as it touches upon the media system, a debate between two media workers.

China Media project translates an article from Southern Metropolis Daily which comments upon the recent sex scandals and discusses about free speech and social responsibility.

Joel Martinsen from DANWEI translated a blog post from Pingke, who tried to explain the 40 mins broadcasting dead air from nine stations, from his experience in working for radio.