Global Voices Online

neweurasia discusses chilliness in relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, but says that the relationship is far from on the rocks.

Levan finds some Georgian websites that deal with subjects that are taboo in Georgia.

At Registan.net, Teo Kay shares some the political cartoons about Central Asia he co-created for an English-language newspaper distributed in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Bonnie Boyd notes that Rumi, the famous poet often associated with Sufism who was born in what is now Afghanistan, was born 800 years ago and she reports on a celebration of his work that took place in Washington, DC.

At Blogrel, Harmick has the latest Armenian entertainment and celebrity news.

Sohrab Kabuli has a video report of Navruz celebrations in Afghanistan.

“The blogosphere is certainly growing!” (ES) declares mi isla al mediodia (tongue firmly in cheek) as he notes that Fidel Castro has written an “entry” in his “blog” (ie, Granma, the Communist party paper) about the impact on the agricultural sector of using ethanol as a substitute for fossil fuels.

Six & Out refers to the comments of cricket fans who were actually there in order to dissect what many see as the failings of the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

George Salzman on the good and bad of the involvement of Manuel Stefanakis, Director of the Master of Public Administration Programs in the John F. Kennedy School of Government, in Oaxaca's long-standing conflict with the local and federal government.

Sitna Quiroz on “Biofuels, corn prices and food security in Mexico:” “Media reports attributed the rise in tortilla prices to dwindling imports of corn due to its increasing demand for ethanol production. Others argued that the problem was not lack of corn, but rather the monopolizing practices and speculation carried out by the main companies that have controlled corn commercialization in Mexico ever since president Salinas privatized CONASUPO, the major parastatal company that used to regulate prices and subsidize corn.”

Ricardo Carreón, General Manager of Intel for Latin America, describes a pilot test of Classmate PC (”laptop for kids in emerging markets”) that he attended in Costa Rica with Intel CEO Craig R. Barret. On a related note, Carreón points us to a collection of YouTube videos about Chile's “Un Computador por Niño” program [ES], which strives strives to provide free and unlimited access to PCs to 1 million children before 2010.

Bloggings by Boz links to a Miami Herald article about Eric Volz, a 27-year-old California native imprisoned in Nicaragua for rape and homicide. Writes Boz, “it doesn't sound like the Nicaraguan authorities have any evidence other than one convicted drug trafficker's statement to back up their arrest.” Citizen 192 has posted a documentary video from Volz's friends, families, and supporters. Revaz Ardesher meditates on the need for empathy in his effort to bring about Volz's release. Liestoppers and Loneprairie have more.

Geoffrey Philp's Blogspot covers Joel Gondim's presentation “Color, Identity, and Candomblé in Brazil,” in which he explores how the African connection to Brazil manifests itself in food, music, and religion.

El Comercio, one of Peru's leading newspapers, redesigned their website. Bloggers, no doubt, were quick to pen their opinion. Letra Suelta is glad to see the use of blogs [ES], video, tags, and RSS feeds. Waldo Dominguez points out some early coding hiccups [ES] and claims the redesign is a copy of El Clarin [ES] and El País [ES], but applauds the use of Movable Type blogs for each of the journalists and the inclusion of a “super personal” weblog.

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, Propaganda Press highlights Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo's call to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to “go one step further and support reparation.”

Pingmag has an interview with the editor of 3030: New Photography In China on Chinese Photoblogging culture.

You can choose between sexy body suit or powerful body suit in the beach this summer, Lee from Tokyo Times.

Writing in a View From Fez, Moroccan blogger Samir reports that a “Frenchman participating in the 22nd edition of the Sand Marathon died of heart attack in his tent Thursday at a campsite west of Jebl Kfiroune, about 40 kilometres from Rissani, in south-eastern Morocco.” “This is the second death in the history of the Sand Marathon, since its launch in 1986. Another Frenchman died during its third edition,” he explains.

Kaie compares the rise of America oil and China property price. Both are nescessary goods and both markets are monopolized (zh).

Jordanian blogger Tololy discovers the advantages of living in a patriarchal society after having car trouble and a total stranger came to her rescue without her having to ask for it.

Imagethief comments on China Bank's announcement of private banking service for local millionaires. He anticipates that fat money will still go to global banks.

Onemanbandwidth wrote a piece on China education system, in particular the “industrialization of education”: Investors, smart businessmen with no business being in the education business, are reaping huge profits by short-changing Chinese youth.

Gabriele Hadl and Sun-quan Huang has written a brief history of Taiwan IMC (2003-05) and tried to account for its failure. - from interlocals.net

With too much time on his hands, Jordanian blogger Naseem Tarawneh decided to balance an egg on the day of the vernal equinox to prove the relevance of a Chinese legend. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Jordanian blogger Lina Ejeilat calls for tougher laws to protect women migrant workers in her country after reading about yet another conference to discuss their plight.

Caribbean Public Relations reports on Coca-Cola's latest marketing concept for Caribbean teenagers - “a virtual city…called Caribbean Connection. The idea borrows from the Second Life concept, where you can go into the virtual world, interact with others, participate in activities, and create ‘a life'”.

A Politics.bm reader writes in, comparing presidential motorcades to “children playing dress up.”

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah believes that the US is spying on Arab blogs. “We are now officially tracked, monitored and harassed by a special team from the U.S. State Department calling themselves the ‘Digital Outreach Team',” he writes.

Weblog Bahamas.com thinks that Bahamians should get more vocal with regard to the situation in Zimbabwe.

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah announces the return of the Palestinian blog aggregator to life - after the performance of a major life-saving procedure!

“I find it really amusing that the laws and teachings of the Islam are respected and abided by as basic human rights more in the West than they are within the Islamic world itself,” writes Bahraini blogger emoodz.

MoldovAnn attends the opening of a photo exhibition of Belarus-based American photographer Kristina Brendel, held at the Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv; she discovers that the Belarusian government's treatment of the Chernobyl catastrophe differs drastically from that of the Ukrainian government: “…there is total denial by the Belarussian government that there is any problem associated with Chornobyl - they deny contamination and in fact, President Lukashenko has started a campaign to open up the Exclusion Zone and repopulate that territory.”

Lebanese blogger As'ad Abu Khalil shares with us his mother's opinion on the Arab Summit, held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“My mother was telling me about her opinions of the Arab summit. She said that she was happy about the Syrian-Saudi rapprochement but only because it will upset the March 14th people in Lebanon. She also praised Emile Lahhud. I asked her why she was praising him. She said that he was the only one in Riyadh who mentioned the Israeli war on Lebanon,” he wrote.

De Rebus Antiquis Et Novis notes that Leo Tolstoy's diary turned 160 years old yesterday: “In the complete set of his works the diaries occupy 13 volumes.”

“Thus, what is so fascinating about the cult of Lenin is the efforts of an atheist regime to create a kind of religion for political control,” writes Darkness at Noon in a lengthy post about his own very impressive collection of the Soviet busts of Lenin and a recent ordeal of sending the newest item - Bolshoi Lenin, photo included - from Moscow to the United States.

A new human rights treaty protecting the rights of persons with disabilities opens for signing today at the United Nations and Talk Antigua thinks it is a significant development: “How we as a progressive Caribbean people continue to treat such persons, will be the measure of our human development.”

Lyndon of Moscow Graffiti (and of Scraps of Moscow!) links to the online Museum of Ukrainian Graffiti.

Lex Libertas compares St. Petersburg's technological development to that of Moscow.

Don Mitchell at Corruption-Free Anguilla was invited by the Members of the House of Assembly to lead them through the Report of the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Commission as Anguilla begins the process of constitutional reform: “It is the consensus view that emerges from the series of public meetings that is the only important one. I am looking forward to hearing soon that the public meetings are about to begin.”

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif says a hotel security guard was shot dead in his country this morning after “..a scuffle broke out between drunks, purportedly American, and hotel security guards. It is reported that one of the servicemen drew his pistol and shot the Bahraini night-shift guard Abbas Ali Salman Al-Shakhoori in the head,” he explains.

Oil Wars wonders if the Venezuelan government could be spending their money more wisely than on the renovation of soccer stadiums throughout the country.

Miguel Octavio on “the looming Constitutional battle over Chavez poposal to allow his indefinite reelection.”

Given special access to Uruguay's usually restricted “el puerto de Montevideo” for a photography contest, Tali shares some beautiful black and white pictures of the harbor.

“Streets blocked, schools and universities closed, public transportation services suspended and violent demonstrations in front of the National Senate, all in the name of . . . what, exactly, I'm not too sure.” But Mark in Mexico does his best to find out. Ana Maria Salazar has more on the Senate's decision to increase the age for retirement and set up individual pensioner accounts.

La Gringa wonders with just what money Honduran Minister of Tourism Ricardo Martinez expects 50% of the Honduran population to travel this Easter week..

Both the Colombia Herald and Plan Colombia and Beyond take a closer look at a front page Sunday LA Times story alleging the chief of Colombia's army, Gen. Mario Montoya, has worked closely with paramilitary groups.