Global Voices Online

Pourquoi L'Afrique Claudique reflects (Fr) on the Lansana Konte dictatorship in Guinea: “This country, considered one of the 20 poorest in the world despite its economic potential, will only be hurt by a general strike which has been going on for a week along with daily arrests. May those who are in charge on this continent of acting to prevent conflicts that might hurt our peoples do so now in the interest of Guinea and of the continent. Help! Conakry is dying!”

Registan.net says that the term of Uzbekistan's president expires today, depending on how you look at it.

Ben Paarmann says that Kazakhstan, unlike other Central Asian states, is a home for world class sports.

Vadim reports that poverty and high prices for nonferrous metals are driving people in Tajikistan to steal telephone wires.

At neweurasia, Arthur reports on Roman Vassilenko, the spokesman of Kazakhstan's embassy to the United States and Canada, his innovative use of the internet, and his skillful handling of the press.

Roozmarigiha says Iranian people are so busy with high prices that pay no attention what is going on outside country's borders.The blogger says people just complain about inflation and do not listen to the news that USA is preparing for a war against Iran[Fa].

Mirko of Weblog de un chico GAY is tired of the ubiquitous “5 things meme” and so rebels by taking part in the more intimate sexual meme [ES]. We learn that he prefers the lights off, wears boxers, and his musical selection? “Bossa, Chill Out.” Could this be the start to a digerati sexual revolution? Or just too much info?

“Thursday marked four months from the disappearance of Jorge Julio Lopez, an elderly witness who has been missing since testifying in the trial against a police official from the last dictatorship. Displayed sporadically throughout the city are posters and graffiti serving as reminders that he is still missing. Despite these efforts, there seems to be little progress in actually finding the man.” Jeff Barry has an update with photographs of last week's protest march in Plaza de Mayo.

Andres Duque describes the murder of Mexican gay rights leader José Ernesto Leal Rodriguez who was stabbed to death in his Matamoros apartment. Federal deputy David Sanchez Camacho and commenters on Duque's blog are tired of police departments describing the murders of gays as “crimes of passion.”

Kamangir has created a banner with this slogan:Don't Nuke me I don't support him.The blogger used a creative way to say Iranians are not supposed to be attacked for Ahmadinejad's policy.

Ukraine List reports that a bridge has finally been constructed to connect two villages - one in Ukraine, the other in Romania: “The bridge was even the subject of a documentary by Romanian director, Ileana Stanculescu, called appropriately The Bridge. The short (75 min.) film came out in 2004 and documents the absurdity of a situation where friends and family have been separated for decades leaving people to literally communicate by shouting over the river.”

Much more on Yevhen Kushnaryov's somewhat mysterious death and other political matters - at Foreign Notes, here and here, and at Ukrainiana, here.

Both Robert Wright and Jeff Barry were able to photograph Comet McNaught as it passed over Buenos Aires' Sunday night sky and provide some valuable links for more info on the comet.

Trading in his motorcycle, The Bent Gringo explains why he has opted for a recumbent bicycle on this tour of Uruguay.

Jim Shultz and Boz each give their own analysis of Evo Morales' first year in office. Mark in Mexico takes a jab at Morales following his claim that Mexican President Felipe Calderón humiliated him at the Mercosur summit.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a reformist politician, talks about Ahmadinejad's trip to Latin America.He writes:”Mr Ahmadinejad’s trip to three anti-American courtiers was among the most cost-bearing and useless events in the foreign policy of the ninth government at present. These countries are neither political allies, nor ideological ones and they do not share the same benefits with Iran. While America is preparing public opinion for attacking Iran, how can we justify preparing the ground for such excuses?”

According to The Turkish Invasion, “you have been in Russia long time, when…” - when, for example, “you get suspiscious when someone smiles at you (rightly so)” (44 more items on this list).

Two-Zero has photos of the long-awaited snow in Moscow - which was almost completely gone the next day.

“From Knives to Bombs: The New Wave of Nazi Terror in Russia“: Sean's Russia Blog publishes a text by Vlad Tupikin (LJ user tupikin) - who “frequently writes on anti-fascism, Russian anarchism and the anti-globalization movement in Russia;” translated from Russian by Thomas Campbell.

David McDuff of A Step At A Time is translating parts of the conversation with Aleksandr Litvinenko's widow Marina, recorded by the Israeli journalist Natasha Mozgovaya (LJ user mozgovaya): part 1, part 2, part 3.

FarsiTube is based on YouTube and you can discover a lot of video clips about Iran or related stories.

ViewfromIran talks about a hot topic in Iran:the price of tomatoes.The blogger shares with us her connversation with a couple of friends. The blogger writes:“Why is everything suddenly so expensive?” “There are American warships in the Persian Gulf,” I say. By the way,“Ahmadinejad says If tomatoes are expensive then come to my neighborhood to buy them.”

Chinese and Japanese languages make an appearance on transport vehicles in Pakistan. Light Within says “Over the past few years, Chinese and Japanese characters have increasingly appeared on Pakistani public transport as decorations. .. I’ve been fortunate to have a Chinese language expert at home as my wife so we enjoy reading a lot of these decorative instructuction markings, which at times do not even make sense.

Nepali Voices has predictions for the Nepali Blogosphere in 2007. “The biggest catalyst in the increasing number of blogs will be the traditional media. It will be difficult to leave out the buzz of blogs. They will covering blogs and blogging thus promoting the ‘blog literacy’.

Deepak Adhikari on Kiran Desai's Inheritance of Loss. “It was nice to read the story of Gorkhaland movement at a time when the demand is resurfacing. …I was in this small hill station Kalimpong in mid 1990s. A religious group called Krishna Pranami from Itahari organized a tour to Kalimpong to attend to Mangaldham.”

Reacting to the Big Brother Racism controversy, Mezba says “The whole subcontinent. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. We discriminate daily based on caste, skin fairness, gender, religion (or inter-religion as in Sunni/Shia so on). Yet we are always the first ones to criticize.”

A mainstream media newspaper publishes a cartoon that seems to hint that bloggers are nothing but typing monkeys. Marketing Practice comments on the cartoon in the context of Consumer Generated Media. “The depiction of the blogger as a monkey also reveals another side of the arrogance: do the editors feel themselves as someone above the readers?”

Says Ouestaf.com (Fr): “A study commissioned by Benins' government came to the “bitter conclusion” that great anarchy prevails in the country's telecom sector, inciting the goverment to announce a series of drastic measures.”

Agamsgecko writes about the latest angle in the on-going investigation into the New Year's eve bombing in Bangkok. Investigators now suspect the involvement of a regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah's hand in the terrorist act.

Backwater Views urges those visiting Saigon to drop in on the Lantern festival happening at Saigon Zoo. “Supposedly about 40 artists worked on the lanterns that are on display during January, depicting famous sights from around the world. It's only 35 000 vnd if you're in town and well worth a visit.” . The blogger has pictures of some of the exhibits.

Lam Chun See and his friend Peter Tan remember the first fast food restaurant in Singapore.”I doubt many young people know that Singapore’s first fast food restaurant was not from MacDonald’s or KFC …”

Zarchka writes about mourning Hrant Dink and attending the vigil for him in Yerevan. Oneworld Multimedia has photos of the vigil as well as many more posts on Dink.

Vutha writes about the tradional marriages in Cambodia and the customs associated with such a marriage including the dowry that the groom's family has to pay to to the bride's family.

One Armenian World writes about bisexuality in Armenia.

Don Gilliland visits the Myanmarese capital city Yangoon (or Rangoon as it was formarly known) and gives us a glimpse into some of the fun things to do in Rangoon.

Vireak in Cambodia argues that for the regional group ASEAN(Association of South East Asian Nations) to succeed, it needs more involvement of the people living in the region rather than the politicians. “Politically, we’re divided but our people have generally been getting along well. Why not using the people power to great effect? Leave it to country leaders alone, things may never progress. People have to play a part. That’s why educating the mass about the benefit of ASEAN as a group is important. “