Global Voices Online

Edo at Pink Tentacle reports that Hitachi had unveiled a tiny, new “powder” type RFID chip measuring 0.05 x 0.05 mm which they aimed to begin marketing in 2 to 3 years.

Michael Hurt from Scribblings of the Metropolitician maps the changing notion of beauty with the development of plastic surgery in South Korea.

Peijin Chen from Shanghaiist shows how local governments “greenify” the landscape.

Onemanbandwidth holds a caption contest of a striking photo which puts soldiers and heart together.

An interview with mainland China independent film maker Ai Xiao-ming on the Vagina Monologue at interlocals.net.

“Guyana is abuzz like we have never seen before for a product or service,” writes MediaCritic in his report on the frenzy which has enveloped Guyana in anticipation of today's launch of the new cellular service provider Digicel.

Karlito previews this year's carnaval celebrations in Haiti, predicting that singer Sweet Micky, “will rock Champs de Mars”. He also reports that the new web site http://www.haiticarnaval.org/ will carry a live feed and frequently updated photos for “the diaspora’s viewing pleasure.”

Francis Wade posts an email from a reader who wishes to return to Jamaica but is concerned about crime, along with his response.

Steve Suphan blogs about Thai Culture Ministry's recently launched 10 commandments of love. The ministry feels that the 10 points will help them discipline teenagers.

Caribbean Free Radio announces the arrival of a new Caribbean online literary magazine; Nicholas Laughlin provides an excerpt from one of the pieces in the inaugural issue.

de cooler: soca news announces the arrival of Faluma Digital, a new Caribbean music download site.

Trinidad blogger Mani wonders how the people behind a new energy drink being subtly advertised as having the power to alleviate the effect of alcohol can sleep at night.

The beatroot writes about corruption and hooliganism in Polish football.

Ukraine List writes about the adaptation of Richard Scarry's The Best Word Book Ever into Ukrainian and French.

Roman Abramovich news at Siberian Light - here and here. (He's no longer Russia's richest man but is still the governor of Chukotka.)

Lyndon of Scraps of Moscow translates a 2005 article by Yuri Saprykin on the Russian TV and blogging: “Of course, I can't say I agree with all of the author's conclusions, and maybe not even with his main point. After all, I'm not one to criticize people for sitting in front of their computers - or their TV's - from dawn to dusk (or vice versa). Glass houses and all that.”

Copydude continues to write about the attempts to rebuild Kaliningrad: “Kaliningrad is a complete paradox. After the war, while German prisoners of war were rebuilding whole Russian town centres like Novgorod completely in the elegant German style, Russians were busy reprocessing Konigsberg into the poured concrete, Soviet mould.”

Kourosh Ziabari says that easily you can find and consume ecstasy in Tehran[Fa].He shares his experience where a friend of his invited him to a ecstasy party.The blogger did not consume ecstasy but got surprised to see how easily you can get it.

Jordanian blogger The Black Iris is spearheading a campaign to protect a forest from destruction. Click here to support the drive.

Senegalese blogger Alex Seck resumes his watch of Guinean developments (Fr): “Dictator Lansana Conté has … appeared in a radio and tv broadcast during which he announced a Presidential decree instituting the state of siege until Feb. 23 … In short, Conté is choosing escalation … All evidence indicates that Guinea is falling into inexorable anarchy and chaos. Lansana Conté will not be able to avoid his despot's destiny. “

Adloyada reports on a war on Israeli flowers in the UK. ‘Yes, that's the word from the spokesperson from Britain's Boycott Israeli Goods Campaign, justifying his group's publicity stunt for the oxymoronically named “Israel Apartheid Week”
in which they chained themselves to the fence outside Carmel-Agrexco, the wholesaler which distributes the bulk of the million-pound plus worth of Israeli flowers imported by the UK.' she writes.

Israeli blogger Sultan Knish trashes Jimmy Carter for visiting Sudan here.
“Jimmy Carter, freelance moral ambassador to the world, vociferous critic of any free country trying to protect itself from the menace of terrorism, particularly the United States and Israel… is taking a little trip to Africa,” he writes.

Kiran writes on his experience with loaning money at Kiva. “Row after row of picture, description and loan status. Who do I loan to? How do I tell who is more deserving? I might as well have rolled dice and picked the corresponding row. I can’t imagine what Kiva could do to make this better apart from signing up with partners in geographic areas I’m more familiar with, like India or Southeast Asia.”

In Small Pieces on the dismal state of affairs in Delhi. “The same day, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) razes a Mughal era monument in Gurgaon to acquire land for the Delhi Metro. The same day, the Delhi govt unveils Master Plan 2021, which imagines, improbably, endless skyscrapers and pedestrian and cycle tracks.”

The Arabist praises Saudi Arabia for developing a clear succession mechanism for its monarchy. “Contrast that with the utter confusion over Egypt’s own succession system — the refusal of President Mubarak to appoint a vice-president in 25 years and the uncertainty about whether Gamal Mubarak, Omar Suleiman, or someone else altogether will succeed Mubarak,” writes Issandr El Amrani.

The Pope's benediction for Nepal - a bishop. Nepali Netbook says “If anyone had it all worked out these bewildering past months, it surely was Pope Benedict XVI. Nine months after the secularization of the Nepali state, the pontiff has elevated the Apostolic Prefecture of Nepal to the rank of apostolic vicariate. This means Nepal will now have its very own bishop.”

Reflections on what Valentine's Day is in Bangladesh at Unheard Voices. “Bangladeshis by their own admission have a reputation of being extremely emotional, but quite prudent about showing affection in public — a stark opposite of their western counterparts.”

Egypt-based blogger Tom Gara is still in stitches over Hugo Chavez's description of George Bush Junior. “I really think that describing George Bush as “More dangerous than a monkey with a razor blade” is a perfect, beautifully descriptive analogy. Spot on. Anyone know if this is a common turn of phrase in Spanish? Never heard it before in English…I laughed out loud when I first read it,” he writes.

With Blogdai one never knows the line between sarcasm and pragmatism. The post presents some radical ideas for Nepal. “Make Nepal and international tax haven. Rich foreigners fleeing tax reporting rules in their home country will take a keen interest in preserving Nepal should their little tax shelter be compromised. Allow corporate and maritime registration, if possible, to further benefit the greedy dodgers. “

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif reports a human rights tragedy in Bahrain - where the police are holding a man ransom, until his brother surrenders himself.

The new oil law planned by the Iraqi government is controversial to say the least. The fact that it is being discussed in secret is doubly so. New blog Al-Ghad gets a leaked copy of the new draft law and publishes the document together with an expert commentary (in Arabic).

Onnik Krikorian reports seeing soldiers manning security at Armenia's Constitutional Court and says that for a country that is supposed to be heading toward democracy, it sends the wrong message.

Sassna Dzrer publishes a press release from Armenian artists criticizing the Armenian government for limiting freedom of artistic expression.

Registan.net discovers a law proposed in the United States Congress that would slap all of Central Asia and the Caucasus except Kazakhstan with extra tariffs because they would be considered to be economies not functioning on market principles.

Tolkun Umaraliev notes that Kulov is not only the former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan but also a popular vodka in many parts of the world.

Onnik Krikorian has another roundup of Armenian parliamentary election news that covers media restrictions and party recruitment at CRD/TI Election Monitor 2007.

The war on terrorism in Algeria continues, writes Algerian blogger Nouri. “The Interior Ministry released a statement in early February stating that al-Qaeda in Algeria would be eradicated (as is often the terminology used for defeating “terrorist” groups); this has clearly not been the case; sporadic acts of violence against police and military personnel have gone on over the past several years,” he adds.

Oluniyi Ajao blogs about his experience in Nigeria, “I’ve been in Nigeria since Sunday, so I am well-informed about what I am writing about right now. I just saw an ad on CNN, about Nigeria - the Heartbeat of Africa. I am sad to say that this is just another waste of public funds my the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.”

After Ma Yin-Jou, the chair of opposition party KMT got sued for corruption, prominent Taiwanese blogger, munch, immediately expressed his thoughts in a blog post titled “Ma gets sued! The Justice won again!“(zh) In the post he mentions that right now the Justice in Taiwan has finally proved its gut against the upper class and bigwigs after suing the President's wife, his son in law, and the popular Presidential candidate Ma Yin-Jou.

Saudi blogger Khloud tells us about an Islamic swimsuit developed in Australia for Muslim life guards.

Sudanese Thinker

Sub-Saharan Africa