Global Voices Online

Helio Paz, from Palanque do Blackão[Pt], writes a big post about the Brazilian political media, mainstream and alternative alike, and tells us what he does read, and what he doesn't, and why. There's even a very nice citation[Pt] about Global Voices on the post.

The Armenian Observer questions why prices for natural gas will rise. In particular, the blog examines the end of a government subsidy based on the dollar-dram exchange rate despite fluctuations in the currency exchange market.

Social Science in the Caucasus examines Georgia's fledgling post-Soviet tourism industry and takes one ski resort as an example. After previously failed attempts at privatization, the blog says that with each step of progress, other problems emerge which reflect many of the issues facing the former Soviet republic.

Social Science in the Caucasus examines statistics used to determine the performance of Armenia and Azerbaijan by the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Three main policy categories — namely, Ruling Justly, Investing in People, and Economic Freedom — are examined. While the blog says that Georgia is showing progress, the two other South Caucasus republics are another matter entirely.

Marilisa Lorusso's Blog examines the post-state of emergency situation in Armenia now that the prime minister, Serge Sargsyan, has taken up the presidency. In particular, the blog examines his inaugural address and questions some of its content. Nevertheless, the blog says that there might be some cause for hope.

Najma, from Mosul, Iraq, writes about how her cousin's graduation ceremony was called off because of threats on campus.

Mama, from Iraq, writes a touching post about why Iraqis are forced to move out of their homes. Some leave to escape bad memories, while others leave under threat. Many leave the country altogether.

Alive in Baghdad updates us about the oil refining facilities in Doura district in this video. Built in 1953 and partially destroyed from mortar attacks in December 2007, the refinery is located in the dangerous Doura District of Baghdad, where the lives of workers is under constant threat.

“The battle between criminal gangs and the state continues, yet the war is far from being over. Public statements keep coming from both sides and they don’t seem to promise a diplomatic resolution for the crisis,” reports Iraq the Model, on the latest situation in his country.

Iraqi Ladybird reports from a seminar about how there are 210 Israeli companies working in Iraq.

Hareega updates us about the latest deals of the Jordanian government - which has been selling prime property to foreign investors.

From Jordan, Khalaf asks: “How would a prime minister who is presiding over an economy with over 10% inflation, slow economic growth, failing public education and health services and an inability to execute any important public projects prove his worthiness?”

Zeid Nasser, from Jordan, writes about 'smart' mosques, with high-speed Internet, cropping up in Malaysia and Indonesia.

All Things Pakistan introduces a series on rare photographs by F.E Choudhry.

Jamaican Geoffrey Philp links to Guyanese poet Fred D’Aguiar's poem for Virginia Tech on the one-year anniversary of the shootings.

CHUP! on the new government in Pakistan lifting harsh restrictions on the media that were imposed by President Pervez Musharraf during his emergency rule in November 2007.

Deepak's Diary on meeting Obama and how the man is quite different from the breed of politicians in Nepal.

In which blogdai from Nepal interviews Kadfly, described as ” None but a single young traveler who happened to be in Lhasa when the uprising began.”

Straight Angle on the communist inclinations of a national newspaper in India that celebrates the Maoist victory in Nepal.

Midnight Monkey Monitor invites everyone to join the Cyrene Blogging Carnival. The Cyrene Reef is a mysterious submerged reef in Singapore that only appears semi-diurnally.

Mr Wang Says So believes that the contagious hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) outbreak in Singapore is a good reason for his children to skip classes for a few days.

Details are Sketchy questions the poverty statistics released by the Cambodian government

Blogger Faster than the Fastest has a question: “Every Vietnamese know that we have 18 Hung Kings during the 4000-year long history, why there is only one day to memorize them? Did 18 of them “die” on the same day?”

Senor Pablo writes about his choice for this year's search for the blog of the year in Brunei

Emma Good Egg checks out a popular internet game called Miss Bimbo which is receiving some adverse publicity online.

A hard-hitting Philippine Catholic Archbishop was sued for libel by allies of the government because of something he wrote in his blog a few years ago.

The Volcanism Blog reports that Mount Egon on Flores Island, Indonesia, erupted a 4 kilometer ash plume late on Tuesday 15 April, causing the evacuation of hundreds of villagers from nearby communities.

Notes from Port of Spain weighs in on everything from the Pope's visit to the US: “It's not enough for the Pope to be ‘ashamed' of his American paedophile priests…he also has to do something about them” to international politics: “It's a lesson to every crook in office or aspiring to it: just brazen it out long enough and the world will lose interest.”

The Haitian Blogger says that “amid food riots in Haiti, US claims of 'success' in Haiti sound hollow.”

Trinidadian blogger Now is Wow draws a musical sketch.

Blogging from Havana, Circles Robinson Online writes about Cuba's “new freedoms”.

Vexed Bermoothes is “appalled by the multiple deaths on Bermuda’s roads” and says that “police enforcement will improve driving behaviour.”

Both A Radical In Bermuda and Politics.bm blog about the “outrage” surrounding the government's decision to “axe the Queen's Birthday as a June holiday”.

Living Guyana issues a national warning about the Demerara Harbour Bridge, calling it “a floating disaster waiting to happen.”

Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp highlights three new books from West Indian writers.

Guyana-Gyal's lime tree is leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Dominic in Armenia writes about some of the many cultural nuances experienced by foreigners living in country. From outbreaks of spontaneous dancing to having to contend with chains of people walking on the street, the Peace Corps Volunteer particularly notes that Armenians can be quite frank in their criticism of others.

Hecaito commented that instead of boycotting Carrefour, patriotic youths should participate in grassroots media and produce video such as “Tell me Why?”

Edo from Pink Tentacle introduces another Japanese artist Naoto Hattori. Edo has selected Mona Lisa Mutants collection in his post.

Mutant palm gives more details to the witch hunt on the “Tibetan” (mis) identified as Lobsang Gendun who attacked Jin Jing.

ESWN translated an article from Southern Metropolis Daily on netizen's call for Carrefour boycott. DANWEI translated Wang Xiaofeng's comments on the boycott.

Arman discusses reports that India may be planning to increase its presence in Caspian and Central Asian energy markets by purchasing oil assests in Kazakhstan.

Joshua Foust analyzes the latest moves undertaken by the Kazakhstan government in fighting two-digit inflation by suspending wheat exports.

Peter Marton reports that India offered Afghanistan counterinsurgency trainings of the Afghan officers.

Unzipped weighs in with its own opinion on whether or not Armenia's entry to the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest should be supported given the active involvement of local pop stars in the pre-election campaign of the new president, Serge Sargsyan. Some had been considering a boycott of the competition, but the blog concludes that such a move is inappropriate.

Matrix reposted a censored blog post by Ah Ken which commented on the ideological struggle of the recent attack on Chang Ping who urged for media freedom in Tibet issues.

Strange Pants posts about a new public service blog, “Fiji Trash“, which aims to “showcase people who insist on ignoring all common sense and who believe that rubbish thrown onto the street will magically disappear or, better yet, grow into a tree.”

“You may recall the case of the Iranian police chief who was on the other side of an arrest after being found nude in a local brothel with six naked prostitutes. Well, now it looks like the next time he will be in the same room as 6 naked people, it will likely be the men’s shower room in prison,” writes Aussie Dave, from Israel.

Bint Battuta in Bahrain links to Palestine Remembered and No Time to Celebrate - Jews Remember Al Nakba (Catastrophe), which draw attention to the plight of Palestinians since the establishment of Israel 60 years ago.

“One of the main grievances people of Bahrain have is the iniquitous distribution of the electoral districts… Lawyer Abdulla Al-Shamlawi is suing the government in its own courts [Arabic] for this iniquitous distribution of electoral districts on behalf of a citizen in District 1 in the Northern Governate, a Mr. Mattar Ibrahim Al-Mattar,” reports Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif.

Japanese blogger Dr-Seton describes an urban legend [ja] about children in public housing who were kept inside, only allowed out to play in a small park. When one day the children were let free outside, rather than run around, they stuck to a very small space. He uses this story to discuss the issue of private and public space in the Tachikawa Flier case, in which three Japanese anti-war activists were arrested for distributing fliers in the Tachikawa army barracks. The Japanese Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the three activists on April 11th.

Nouri the Moor updates us about the outbreak of inter-communal violence in the Algerian town of Berriane, in Ghardaia province.

Japanese podcaster Morley Robertson at i-morley makes an appeal to the global press to take up video footage from Tibet and East Turkestan. Part of the footage is of the home of the Dalai Lama, shot in 2007, a building which he explains was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution (later rebuilt) and may be destroyed again. He also offers other footage of ethnic Uyghur farmers protesting being forced to work without pay.