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Pakistan: Blog-o-comments · Global Voices
Omer Alvie

Like phoenix rising from the ashes, I return renewed, refreshed and rejuvenated into a new, enthused blogger self. Actually, that is a slight exaggeration, it is more like panic rising from a crisis, I return depleted, drained and depressed added to my existing procrastinating blogger self. Not wanting to disappoint my legion of admirers from around the world (it could happen!),  I write this insightful post not just to highlight the riches from the Pakistani blogosphere but to give something back to my fans that have given me so much (anonymous insults, veiled threats and colourfully worded hate mails) over the years.
In this post, I shall be revealing my successful techniques and etiquette for commenting on blogs. But before I get into that, Glass House details the recent blatant censorship incident in Pakistan.
Confronted by the sight of thousands of Punjabis hailing the arrival of the Chief Justice apparently proved to be too much for the Establishment – Aaj, both channels of ARY and all three channels of Geo suddenly disappeared off our screens.
On reading a uniquely enjoyable and well written blog post, it is imperative that one must shower the author with praise in order to encourage the blogger to remain committed to producing excellent content. For female bloggers (between the ages of 20 to 40), I prefer to comment thus, “I love you and I think we should start a family, immediately!” For all other bloggers, I comment, “Oh, c'mon, you can do better than that!”
Teeth Maestro, puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of MQM for the TV censorship.
For posts that one considers ‘average’, it is considered good blog manners to comment on the content and give constructive feedback to the blogger to improve his/her writing skills. I choose to be subtle when commenting on such posts; “Try a photoblog next time, Shakespeare!”
Fountainhead expertly pens his latest piece on the situation in the Middle East.
Unless pulled back, the world is now at the very brink of entering one grizzly global battle. The battle ground is the Middle East. And the two chief adversaries in this upcoming battle are the Muslims and the Western forces marshaled by the Zionist Jews.
Raza Rumi delves into Pakistan's past to highlight Kafka-esque moments in the country's history.
On occasion, one encounters a blog post that is so below par that it results in headache and nausea even upon a brief perusal. For such posts, it is still proper etiquette to point out the shortcomings to the blogger in a polite, appropriate manner. I prefer, “You are dumber than an opossum's IQ. Perhaps you should consider giving up blogging and take up a career at Fox News.”
Finally, I'd like to highlight my recent post about a Pakistani play that was banned by the government. After reading this post, the only appropriate comment you should post is, “Wow! That was such an insightful and interesting article that I'd like to immediately wire transfer large sums of money to your personal bank account.”

author: Omer Alvie


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Panama: 1000 Polleras Festival · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

The Panama Report describes and provides pictures of the 1000 Polleras Festival that takes place on Calle 50 where “(it) might resemble Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after sniffing one too many whip cream canisters”

source: news-globalvoices

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Eduardo Avila


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Panama: Counterfeit Glycerin Leads to Deaths · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

IT Buda [ES] links to a recent New York Times article about the substitution of “El Guayacolato” in commonly-found medicines, which led to the deaths of close to 400 Panamanians.  The Panama Investor Blog  writes that earlier many were concerned that these deaths were caused by a rare virus, but now it is becoming apparent that they are due to this counterfeit ingredient.


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Peru: Art Week Begins in Lima · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Apunta la Placa Plis [ES] is excited about Art Week in Lima that begins on May 7th.   In addition to lectures, art exhibits, and concerts, the best part is that all activities are all free.


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Predictable Politics – Not Much Happening in Armenian Parliament Pre-Election Campaign · Global Voices
Artur Papyan

“Less then a week to go” for the elections, says Onnik Krikoryan finding himself sitting in a restaurant with other foreign journalists, “Nobody is expecting post-election street protests to achieve anything if only because the opposition is divided”, and also because the people attending the “impressive rally in Liberty Square last week” are middle aged people and pensioners – you just don’t do revolutions with those people.
ICHD blog (am) is literally disgusted by how predictable these elections are going laying out the scenario of just how everything will look in Armenia on May 13, 2007 – the day after elections:
Rulling elite: a couple of cosmetic  changes []
TV: soap opera; soap opera; news: a couple of reports on official meetings and news from abroad; some scare movie
Public life: troubled faces thinking of making a living[] …and slumber: steady and absorbing.
“Not much happening” says Notes from Hairenik,  “political climate is pretty boring” – and gives an account of what the biggest Pro-Government parties are up to:
The Republican Party of Armenia is being very arrogant in its confidence that it will by far win the majority of seats. Prosperous Armenia also feels it will win a sizable share, but seems to be more humble in its claims as its leader, Gagik Tsarukian, who is arguably the richest man in Armenia, is a fairly down-to-earth guy. []The ARF-Dashnaktsutiun had another rally yesterday in front of Moscow Cinema claiming that it promises to raise the minimum wage and the average monthly pension…
Oneworld Multimedia is of course much more eloquent on reporting the elections, covering all sides of the political spectrum with stunning photos and commentary, although I don’t think all these boring talking heads of different parties are worth any of Onnik’s efforts. Some of the recent campaign trails covered by the blogger are On The Campaign Trail — Heritage [party] – about which Onnik says “Given the small number of people in attendance it’s hard to believe that Raffi Hovannisian or Heritage could become the controlling party in the National Assembly after 12 May”; On The Campaign Trail — Republican Party – where the blogger notes, that “as the 12 May poll draws ever closer, we’re still not sure as to the real level of support for the ruling party in Armenia with some polls indicating it might be as high as 34 percent, while others say 13 percent”; Radical Opposition Rally Attracts Thousands – remarking about this joint rally of Impeachment block, Republic and New Times parties: “RFE/RL says that the event, held to prepare opponents of the government for post-election street protests, was the largest held by any party to date”. This last rally surely did attract a lot more attention also from other bloggers, some sounding exalted like Aramazd(am), some unimpressed like the freedomfight777(am) and E-channel(am).
So, here’s the last, but not least from Oneworld Multimedia campaign trails: Thousands Attend Another Opposition Rally – about the “Orinats Yerkir” party, which calls itself opposition, and about which Onnik Krikoryan has a lot of kind words:
Although many opposition and civil society activists dislike him, the party led by former National Assembly Speaker Artur Baghdasarian managed to attract thousands.
More significantly and unlike those opposition parties calling for revolution instead of trying to campaign, most of those attending were young.
Probably it is the only genuine pro-Western political party in Armenia.
Well, looks like even the recent spy scandal didn’t hurt Orinats Yerkir. The last word belongs to the voters: May 12, 2007 – is the deadline and let the best win.

author: Artur Papyan


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Russia: Kovalyov’s Article Translated · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Scraps of Moscow translates into English an article by Sergei Kovalyov about Russia's relations with the outside world.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Russia: Skate Boarders at Victory Park · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Darkness at Noon visits Moscow's Victory Park and finds it filled with “boarders, bikers, and skaters.” He writes: “But if the [members of the pro-Kremlin Nashi movement] are indignant enough to demonstrate at the Estonian embassy for days on end, then whey aren't they out at Victory Park guarding the honor of their own war memorial?”


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Russia: St. Pete is Ready for Victory Day · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Russian Kafe posts pictures of how St. Petersburg is preparing for Victory Day celebrations.


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Sierra Leone: elections will be delayed for two weeks · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

The National Electoral Commission in Sierra Leone has announced that elections will be delayed for two weeks. Sweet Sierra Leone hopes that the delay is not a political strategy by the ruling party: “But what does this postponement mean to the political parties. Can two weeks make a difference to a political campaign? i dont think so….It would be helpful to know where the APC party and the PMDC stand on the new election date.
We're all hoping that this is not a tactic by the current regime to delay the process. we'll see what happens from here on out.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Singapore: Credit Cards Evil · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

Cowboy Caleb warns readers to stay away from Credit cards. “Teach your children well. Live within your means. Do not apply for more than 1 credit card unless you really have to. Save and invest all your money.”

author: Preetam Rai


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South Africa: blogs are the air guitars of journalism · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Vincent Maher responds to columnist David Bullard‘s attack on bloggers: “I hereby dub this Bullardgate. David Bullard launched an attack on bloggers in the Sunday Times today that cannot be allowed to stand. His invective is simply not acceptable from a journalist of the calibre he claims to be.”


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St. Vincent & the Grenadines: VAT Introduced  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I swear I have to get into back yard planting,” writes Abeni, as the introduction of Value Added Tax sends food prices in St. Vincent and the Grenadines soaring.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Sudan: Sudanese father and daughter on guitar · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Amazing Sudanese guitarists: “Father and daughter. 2 classical guitars. Skill level required to play? Not much at all. Creativity level required to come up with those super unique Sudanese tunes? Pretty damn high I think. I was blown away by this. It took me right back home and I felt at peace listening to it. It’s so simple yet so powerful. It’s so Sudanese.”


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Trinidad & Tobago: Verizon Cuts Ties with Akon  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The Manicou Report, IZATRINI and ttgapers.com are all talking about the latest fallout over rapper Akon's simulated sex dance with a Trinidadian teen – Verizon Wireless has ended its association with the singer.


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Ukraine: Pre-Election Power Struggle · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes translates parts of an article on the upcoming power struggle in Ukraine.


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Ukraine: Tribute to Grandmother · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Natalia Antonova posts a wonderful tribute to her grandmother on her 80th birthday: “[…] My grandmother and my grandfather knew the meaning of devotion. When I was learning how to talk, I called my grandmother “Tolechka,” because it was the word that she said most often, the word that was an affectionate diminutive for my grandfather’s name. […]”


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Ukraine: Tymoshenko Speaks · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Ukrainiana writes about Yulia Tymoshenko's recent public statements.


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Vietnam: Linux Group Launched · Global Voices
Preetam Rai

SaigonNezumi says people in Vietnam are getting interested in Linux.


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Afghanistan: Qawm · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Afghanistanica discusses “qawm,” a term for bounded social groups of various types, and what this means for identity in Afghanistan.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Armenia: Thousands Show for Opposition · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian reports that thousands have again rallied in support of the opposition Orinats Yerkir party.


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Bahamas: The Electorate’s Victory  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“I want to congratulate my countrymen for this new government we have elected. It’s not just the change that impresses me; it’s what I suspect lies behind the change, the message it sends, and the implications for the way ahead.”  Nicolette Bethel thinks the results of the recently held elections are a reflection of the Bahamian electorate's maturity.


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Bangladesh: The Military and the Government · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying on the precarious political situation in Bangladesh. “The situation in Bangladesh looks and feels like the period of coups and counter-coups in 1975. It has been widely reported that junior officers in the Bangladesh army, majors and colonels, had been intimidating the press recently – that in itself has echoes of 1975. However, the press in Bangladesh has begun to openly challenge this military government. The situation is ostensibly calm but highly unstable and fluid. “

author: Neha Viswanathan


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Barbados: World Obesity Ranking  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“According to Forbes Barbados weighs in at #12 in the world obesity ranking and at #2 in the Caribbean,” writes What crazy looks like as she embarks on her own health and fitness regime.


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Bolivia: Cocalero Film · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Sebastian Molina writes in Plan B [ES] that the new documentary Cocalero about President Evo Morales’ rise to the presidency “gives many insights to better understand the character and the process.”


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Bolivia: Sidewalk Trouble for Wheelchairs · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Josh Renaud wonders how people in wheelchairs can navigate the rough sidewalks and high curbsides in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  This is an observation during a visit with a friend during a recent trip to his wife's home country and documents in Amazing Adventures.


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Burkina Faso: You census people are evil! · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

A conversation showing mistrust of census in Burkina Faso from Voices in the Desert: It was Samba who started the argument. He downed his shot-glass of tea (traditionally ‘bitter like death’) and turned to Idi. ‘Onon yimbe resonsmon mbooda,’ he declared. ‘You census people are evil.’
Idrissa looked hurt. ‘Why do you say that?’


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China: Distorted Representation · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Sun bin protested against the distortion of the image of Chinese people and culture at the article, China's Mental Default, in Forbes written by Rich Karlgaard. “How a prejudiced pair of eyes got fixated on some outlying examples and reached certain ridiculous conclusions”.

author: Oiwan Lam


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Croatia: Composer’s Obit · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Illyrian Gazette writes about the recently-deceased composer Djordje Novkovic, who was “a pioneer of the Croatian style of pop/folk crossover.”


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Croatia: View on the French Election · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Neretva River writes on what some Croatian bloggers think of the French election and expresses his own view on the candidates.


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D.R. of Congo: Army to train at World Heritage Site · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Congo Rangers report that the Congolese Army is planning on setting up a military training camp at a World Heritage Site:
The Congolese military are going to set up a military training camp at Nyaleke, inside Virunga National Park. I was told today that after huge efforts by UNESCO, the European Union, the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) and other conservation NGOs over many many months, all efforts have failed and we are soon going to see thousands of Congolese soldiers receiving training within the borders of one of the world’s most spectacular national parks.


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Eastern & Central Europe: Eurovision 2007 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Illyrian Gazette writes on the drama surrounding some of this year's Eurovision entries.


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Egypt: Ahmadinejad Busted · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia posts photographs featuring Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad kissing the hand of his former school teacher. “A 70-year-something old lady wearing black from top to down except the head scarf. Najidi kissed her hand and she kissed his head. Seriously it is a very respectable civilized act from gratitude and honor – gratitude from Najidi towards this lady who taught him and honor from the teacher with her student who became a president. But as the brain heads of the conservatives didn't like, well I like it and it turned out that many Iranians and also the West liked it,” she writes.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Egypt: Free Prisoners of Conscience · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“An international campaign to free Monem was launched by a group of activist bloggers from several countries. Reporters Without Borders released a petition calling for the release of bloggers Abdel Monem Mahmoud and Karim Amer (Abdel Karim Soliman). Several other activities are taking place in New York and Europe to line up more international support for prisoners of conscience in Egypt and to bring more attention to the human rights violations by the Egyptian government and its assault on freedom of expression and peaceful opposition,” announces  Ikwan Web, a Muslim Brotherhood website in English.


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Egypt: open war on bloggers · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

“The war on bloggers started in Egypt and every morning brings a new episode” wrote Nora Younis on her blog today. Nora linked to a SMS/Twitter alert sent to her by blogger Amr Gharbeia: “I was summoned by the prosecutor general to appear on Thursday next in North Cairo interrogator office“.

author: sami ben gharbia


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Egypt: Royal Wedding Gossip · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia brings us up-to-date with the latest gossip surrounding the extravagant wedding of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal. The ‘juicy’ bits include the venue, menu, dress and ring and honeymoon destination.
‘Vanessa Williams sang in the wedding a whole hour before Amer Diab “I love her in Ugly Betty but is she now a wedding singer!?”‘ quips the blogger.


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Estonia: May 9 Rally · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Itching for Eestimaa writes on how Estonian authorities should react to the rally that is likely to take place on May 9 in Tallinn: “To let them wear red, of course. Let them lay flowers, let them sing Communist songs. And when their moment of irritating the authorities is over, roundly denounce them for what they are: Communists. They may not consider themselves such, but if you are wearing red, and singing songs of the USSR, then I think it's fair game to be called a Communist. And once they become known as young Communists, they will become even less politically relevant because Communism is a corpse.”


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Georgia: Ossetia Talent Scouting · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Joshua Kucera posts videos of acts from a Victory Day rehearsal in South Ossetia, a separatist region in Georgia.


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Guyana: Sarwan Predicts Victory · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

West Indies Cricket Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan predicts that his team will emerge triumphant in the upcoming tour of England, according to this post from Voice of Guyana International.


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Hong Kong: Why IDAHO but not Gay Pride? · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

An article at inmediahk.net about the history of organizing International Day against Homophobia (IDAHO). According to the writer (a lesbian activist), HK gay activists organized the event in 2005 as a response to the homophobic mobilization against the legislation to stop discrimination against sexual orientation. The gay and lesbian movement is more reactive than proactive, gay pride is yet to be an agenda (zh).


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India, Bangladesh: Borders and Fences · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Wanabehuman on fences and borders in South Asia. “But concern here is the fencing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, countries which are not only unmatched in size, population and resources but more importantly are friendly states with a solid record of their friendship track. Apart from very localised border shootouts, and that again, without them having even been properly sanctioned by their respective governments, there has never been a war-like conflict between these two countries. Why then fence Bangladesh and more interestingly, why the entire length of Indo-Bangladesh border?”


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Iran:Calls to Execute the Father of Animation in Iran  · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

According to Azarmehr, Baseej pressure groups have called for the 70 year old Nooredin Zarrin-kelk , the father of animation in Iran, to be executed.
Zarrin-kelk is accused of having ridiculed a female student's chador, the head to toe Islamic cover, after she drew an angel with no hair. The incident led to organised protests by state backed fundamentalist Baseej students, who once again exploited the situation in favour of their recent demand for a second “cultural revolution”.

author: Fred Petrossian


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Iran:Prisoner of Tehran · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

ZaneIrani writes about a new book:Prisoner of Tehran.The blogger talks about the story:”Marina Nemat was arrested on January 15, 1982, at about nine o'clock at night. She was sixteen. A prison guard named Ali had fallen in love with Nemat and used his father's connection to the Ayatollah to commute her sentence to life in prison. Threatening to harm her family and friends, he forced Nemat — a Christian — to marry him and convert to Islam.”


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Iraq: Paintings on the Walls · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi Konfused Kid lives up to his name  and is confused about the paintings coming up on the walls in Iraq. “My gut insisted for a second that it was weird that those painting would spring up in the land of Baathies and al-Qaeda, who as I hear are killing people for sins such as wearing shorts or smoking cigarettes, what about drawing infidel art, anonymous dude commented here saying it's in Sa3doon Street, while his report is unverified it makes more common sense to me there than Adhamiya. Adhamiya is a rough neighborhood with a mentality that shuns art (and this kind of art is usually negliglble for most Iraqis anyway),” he writes.


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Iraq: Why a Saudi-Egypt Bridge Would Worry Israel · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Iraqi blogger Ladybird  puts one and one together to explain why the construction of a bridge connecting Egypt to Saudi Arabia would get the Israelis worried.


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Israel: The Discovery of King Herod’s Tomb  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Israeli blog Israelity  briefs us about the latest discovery in Israel – King Herod's tomb. “Herod “King of the Jews” around 40 BCE was known for good relations with Rome and for building: Masada, temples in Cesaria and expanding Jerusalem’s 2nd Temple.
“The find on Monday was announced briefly by Hebrew University reps who said the tomb was discovered in Herod’s ancient fortress Herodium outside Jerusalem,” it says.


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Jamaica: Dennis Scott · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Geoffrey Philp examines Jamaican poet Dennis Scott's Epitaph, in which “the speaker examines the difficulty of writing about historical events by using the language of composition to describe the physical and emotional effects of slavery.”


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Jamaica: Keeping Air Jamaica?   · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“There is no argument that we need airlift for the success of our economy. However, does it need to be provided by Air Jamaica?” asks Francis Wade as he questions the viability of the national airline.


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Japan: Golden Facial Treatment · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

A Japanese beauty and skin care products company, has developed a facial treatmenet that uses 24-carat gold.–JP from Japundit.


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Japan: Vending machines · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Lee from Tokyo Times blogs about the phenomena of the expanding market of vending machines: Now that would be an indicator of societal indifference.


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Kazakhstan: Kazakh Manti American-Style · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

News from the Caravan shows how to adapt the recipe for manti, a classic Kazakh dish to be easier to make for the time-pressed.


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Latvia: Falsification of History · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Peteris Cedrins of Marginalia writes: “On 8 May, I always read Peteris Ermanis’ poem about the rejoicing when the War ended — driven into exile (like my parents — my mother studied under him in a displaced persons camp), he wept; he saw and felt how happy everyone in Prague and The Hague and Paris was that the horrors brought about by Hitler and Stalin had ended, but he knew all too well that the horrors had only begun for his nation.” Read more of this lengthy post about May 9 and the falsification of history.


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Latvia: Independence Anniversary · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Somewhat belatedly, a link to the post on Latvia's independence anniversary, over at Marginalia.


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Latvia: Interview with Peters Janis Vecrumba · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Marginalia interviews Peters Janis Vecrumba, the founder and maintainer of latvians.com – “one of the oldest, biggest, and best Latvian-related sites on the Web.”


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Latvia: May 9 · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

All About Latvia writes on what May 9 will be like in Latvia and how this differs from Estonia.


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Malawi: feel-good factor, bumper harvest, and vampire stories · Global Voices
Steve Sharra

Having just returned from a short visit to Malawi, it is almost impossible not to write about the general sense of optimism the country is awash in especially in the cities, among the middle class.  The one thing that no one fails to mention is the strength of the economy, which has been rising since the current president, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, was elected in May 2004. The maize crop is promising a very high yield, and tobacco, Malawi’s biggest foreign exchange earner to date, is fetching good prices at the auction floors. President wa Mutharika’s biggest project so far has been the Shire-Zambezi Waterway, seen as a way to open up the land-locked country through the Shire River which flows into the mighty Zambezi River.  The plan is to create a direct sea route to the Indian Ocean. In the last two weeks a memorandum of understanding has been signed amongst the countries involved in the project: Mozambique, Zambia, and Malawi herself.
The Shire-Zambezi Water-way, bumper harvests and press freedom
It will therefore be of no surprise that Malawian blogs are also in on the feel-good factor. The blog Anti-Bakili Muluzi captures this sense of hope with a comment on the signing of the Shire-Zambezi Waterway memorandum of understanding:
At first when I heard President Bingu wa Mutharika pronouncing his dream about the Shire-Zambezi waterway, I thought it was one of the jokes presidents make when addressing mass rallies. When I heard it for the second time, I really believed the power of dreaming in colour.
It was last week when I saw this dream slowly coming to light with the signing in ceremony of the memorandum of association for the implementation of the project. No wonder, the President's dream is really in colour. Thumbs up not only to the President but also to the people of Malawi. Congratulations to Malawi's development.
Cryton Chikoko adds to the atmosphere of hope in Malawi, observing that the good maize crop harvest is coming after severe droughts in recent years that caused starvation among many ordinary Malawians:
It cannot be disputed that Malawi is going through a period of change. I am talking about economic change. In the next 5 years, if everything accelerates along the same way, we are going to see significant changes in the country – the social life our people will improve.
It is encouraging to see remarkable attempts by donors to stop the vicious circle of debt repayments being stopped by the cancellation of our debts.
What with the grace of God who has given us enough rains for our agriculture-based economy. We have experienced a good harvest for our staple food maize in the past two years. This has assured us, for the first time after a long time of starvation for most of our people, of enough food. This is a great development for most of our people who starving has been part of their lives.
Chikoko ends his post with remarks on rumours that Malawi is now bartering its surplus maize with sugar from Zimbabwe, to help Zimbabwe, which is suffering from acute shortages of maize. The Malawian newspaper, The Daily Times quotes the Malawian Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe, as denying the rumor, saying that Zimbabwe is going to pay in cash, not in sugar.
And the sense of optimism is not restricted to the economy and food security only; it is also extended to press freedom, as Victor Kaonga, Global Voices Author, writes in a post to commemorate Press Freedom Day on May 3:
Honestly speaking, I find Malawi to be much better now than it was years ago. It is also much better than some countries which claim to have the press freedom for ages. But as the fight for more freedom rages on, we cannot keep quiet but fight on and ensure that our audiences and readers get the best information we can possibly manage to provide.
Elsewhere, I salute those who have suffered for the freedom. Many have also died. This is how risky our job can be. My parents had to warn me against being a journalist because as I was growing up in primary school, journalists were taken to be ‘spies.’ And you know the risk a spy faces!
Interview with the Vampire; Sugar  profits
Be that as it may, it will be false to end there and leave the impression that every single Malawian is full, fat and happy. Malawi is still experiencing problems, one of which has always been human safety. Hastings Maloya writes about rumors of a vampire that is said to be going about Ndirande and other Blantyre townships, terrorizing people. Maloya also lists other problems that have wrought terror into the hearts of Malawians, including the defilement of young girls:
Just come to think of it; a 57-year old man defiles a six-month old baby. A seven-year old girl is defiled by her own teacher, let alone a headmaster. And a woman has her arms chopped by her husband or has her private parts disfigured by someone who was supposed to be her lover.
How about issues of well-dressed men caught with private parts in their bags. Talk of news of unknown assailants removing women’s breasts and gouging their eyes. Then there is the-now famous Ndirande vampire who has the audacity of changing locations in Blantyre and targeting innocent women at will. The stories are endless and they do not make good reading. Each passing day we realize that Malawi is not as safe a place to live in as it was supposed to be especially for women and children.
Maloya ends by commending President Mutharika for suggesting that there be detention camps to incarcerate people convicted of these horrendous crimes. Maloya is not the only Malawian blogger to comment on the illusive vampire; Joe Mlenga writes about being visited by the vampire in his dream, and writes about the strange claims that have been made about it:
The beast/apparition/spiritual being has been terrorising people for the past year and two women have been killed and several other people have been left injured.
People say the culprit is a tall man with a mask who goes about in white underwear. The clergy says it is a spiritual being, while some herbalists say the police are in the know because they haven't allowed the traditional leaders to attack the ‘ghost’ with their charms!! Some local chiefs in Ndirande were last month arrested allegedly for being behind the monster. And there have been many other interesting claims over ‘ownership’ of this supernatural entity.
For blogger Austin Madinga, the news of economic success in Malawi comes with a hidden side. He comments on how the sugar company Illovo is reported to have made billions of profit, but notes that inside that success story is the possibility that the company is ripping off Malawians:
Recently in the news, Illovo Sugar Malawi reported that it had made K6.8 billion pre-tax profit. After tax profit was K4.8 billion up from K2.8 billion in the previous year. It is reported elsewhere that Illovo Malawi contributed the most to Illovo Groups profits ahead of all the others (South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Swaziland).
Now someone tell me that local Malawians are not being riped off by Illovo! In the next few months, I bet, Illovo will increase their sugar prices ‘due to rising production costs’ yet they are making such obscene profits on the backs of the poor. Shame!
TV on your computer: Joost
It is rare for the Malawian blogosphere to go for even a week without news of technological innovations. Clement Nyirenda writes about Joost, an application that lets people watch TV on their computers:
Today, I received a Joost invite, courtesy of Adi wong. Joost is a new way of watching TV on the internet. It gives you all the things you love about TV, including a high-quality full-screen picture, hundreds of full-length shows and easy channel-flipping. With Joost, you are in complete control-no need of schedules, you watch what you like at anytime. Besides that, Joost combines the TV experience with your traditional online activities such as chat, instant messaging, search etc. Joost is completely free, and works with most modern PCs and Intel Mac-based computers with a broadband connection.
Clement closes his post by mentioning that so far Joost is by invitation only. He welcomes requests for invitations by dropping him a line on his blog.
Paudah Paf writes about the ICT Association of Malawi, ICTAM, and announces that the executive committee of the association met recently with the cabinet minister responsible for ICT, who has booked for them an appearance on national TV:
The association has been registered in Malawi and our Executive committee met the the Minister responsible for ICT and hse [sic] booked us an appointment with the National TV carrier, Television Malawi!
We'll have a stand at an upcoming IT fair to espouse our vision and more people join everyday.
As we build up to the inaugural General conference I feel this tremendous sense of belonging…Truly the pioneering spirit is an arduous but very rewarding one.
Journalist quits national radio station
And finally, after months of silent battles with his bosses at the national broadcaster, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Malawian journalist and blogger Joe Mlenga announces on his blog God is Good that he has finally resigned from the radio station, and will soon be heading to South Africa:
It's like taking a plunge into an unknown abyss when one resigns from a job that they have been at for nine years. Talk about leaving a comfort zone.
I quit MBC three weeks ago and it was a stressing moment. My superiors said I should change my mind because the broadcaster has big plans for me. Considering how I have been pushed around for the past six months or so, I fail to see what these plans are because I felt my input was no longer appreciated, and I had to jump or be pushed overboard.

author: Steve Sharra


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Mali: Presidential Election · Global Voices
Alice Backer

Mali-based French expat Mali Café deplores [Fr] that the French election eclipsed the Malian one: ” Malians went to the polls a week day for day after the first round of the French presidential election … Amadou Toumani Touré, the incumbent  was elected since the first round with more than 68.5% of the vote for a participation of about 30% … Weird things happened here! Such as electoral cards delivery… One thing for sure, France inspired the Malian model… To make a longs story short, for some in the country, the election was rigged … “

author: Alice Backer


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Morocco: Backstreet Viagara  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Moroccan blogger Samir takes us to the bazaar in Fez, where you can buy a traditional composition of the impotence drug Viagara over the counter. Don't miss the exciting photographs Samir has in store for you. “Now, you probably think that Viagra is not a usual item on a tourist's shopping list in the old Medina of Fez. Maybe right – however, when you go into a traditional medicine shop, you can be surprised,” he writes.


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Morocco: Lalla Mimouna Market · Global Voices
Alice Backer

France/Maroc à VTT posts [fr]  vibrant pictures of the Souk of Lalla Mimouna and writes of the market: “When I was 15, the Souk of Lalla Mimouna took place on Fridays. Today in Morocco, souks are no longer held on Fridays. The Lalla Mimouna market takes place Saturday and is still as colorful and authentic.  Except I couldn't find the tooth puller or the jar seller … “


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Myanmar: Photos and Links Roundup · Global Voices
May Hnin Phyu

This week I came across a few good photos from Myanmar Bloggers so I compiled them as photo and link round up post.
This image is from fifty viss blog where blogger Aung Kyaw posted his collection of billboards and poster messages seen around the country.
Poster around Myanmar
Image via: Fifty Viss
I’ve noticed how pervasive these “desire(s)” are in online and print publications in   Burma. From what I’ve heard, not even an Internet chatroom can get away without posting the   “objectives”, “desire(s)” and “national causes” of the country. No publication would be complete or legal   without this stamp of approval (namely the dictates of the government).
Blogger Barnyar posted the recent photos of the flood and resulting damage around Yangon city after the heavy rains a few days ago. May11 also mentioned that the rain has been going on since 30th April till 4th May and there is even news about the possibility of a storm hitting the city.
Flooded car park and damaged phone boot
Image via: Barnyarbanyar
Mr.Pooh has composed a poem relating the rain and his far away lover.
Kothurein compares his childhood rainy day experiences with what he feels now.
A small compound of our house filled with rain up to our knees. So my brother, sister and I turned a two-foot-long wooden tub, which had been intended to store the water, into a boat for us to have a ride around the house. (The only problem was that snails also liked to take a ride in the tub.)
Now, twenty years later, I no longer get excited when it pours day after day. Rather, I get upset   about all the mud and rain, especially at rush hour.
Across the globe, Bluegyi posted the photos of his trip to British Museum where he discovered an ancient artifact from Burma.
British Museum
Image via: Bluegyi
It is also good to read about Gyittu's challanging  engineering career and why she chose to become one.
When I entered the workforce 4 years ago, I had great ambitions of becoming a great engineer. Now,   as I struggle in climbing the corporate ladder, I witness how engineers are becoming the “tortoise” of that   world. In MNCs, many engineers moved to Marketing, Sales, and Management fields in order to climb higher at the fastest rate.
I joined engineering out of interest and passion and those factors are what kept me motivated in this   endless rounds of projects. Solving the mystery behind each circuit, each problem is what kept me going in   this job.
And I'm ending this week round up with photos from May11 about Shwe Dagon Pagoda Kason Festival.
Shwe Dagon Pagoda at night
Kason Festival at Shwe Dagon Pagoda
Images via: emotionalcorner

author: May Hnin Phyu


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Nepal: Nepali Congress and the Monarchy · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Nepali Netbook on the politics of perspectives on the monarchy. “The district chiefs of the country’s pre-eminent – some would say only – democratic party had assembled in Kathmandu to hear their president enunciate a clear line on the monarchy ahead of the constituent assembly elections. What they got from Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala instead was a theorization of the fuzziness that has passed for party policy for the past year.”


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Palestine: Israel Lobby Debate  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah  writes about the Doha Debate  held at Oxford and hosted by Tim Sebastian , which “took place amid mounting controversy over the role of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States and accusations that it has suppressed criticism of Israel – a charge that the lobby vigorously denies.”
“The motion of the debate was: ‘This house believes the pro-Israel lobby has successfully stifled Western debate about Israel’s actions.’ Debaters: Norman Finkelstein, Andrew Cockburn, Martin Indyk, David Aaronovitch….At the end of the debate, two-thirds of the student audience approved a motion claiming that Israel’s supporters are stifling western debate,” he writes.


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Russia: “Motives & Misperceptions” · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Vilhelm Konnander posts a lengthy comment on the West's bewilderment with Russia's motives and actions.


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Saudi Arabia: Don’t Drive in Colorado! · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi blogger Serendipity  warns people against driving in Colorado, US. “You know how they say that you shouldn’t speed towards the end of the month because Police try to meet their quota then? Well, in Colorado, I would suggest you don’t drive at all! Police in Colorado have issued a ‘16 tickets per shift‘ quota! That’s 2 tickets per hour. And, for those officers who don’t meet the quota, they are questioned to find out why they have been ’slacking’,” she writes.


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Serbia: Roma at Eurovision · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Serbia will be represented by a Roma singer at this year's Eurovision, writes TOL's Romantic.


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Sri Lanka: Be Lankan, Buy Lankan · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Sampath's Mindspace on Micro Trend, an indigenous car. “Maybe the deep down reason is that we do not trust our local makes. This lack of trust is keeping us away from the Trend. When I saw the Trend for the first time, I thought it was a pretty good looking car. There were two things that kept me away from it, it’s size (I need a bigger car due to my long limbs) and the lack of automatic transmission (it’s a luxury that I have come to enjoy too much with the bumper to bumper traffic on Colombo roads).”


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Taiwan: Olympic torch relay-through Taiwan or not? · Global Voices
I-fan Lin

2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China will have a fabulous start: the route of the Olympic torch relay will be the longest in the history (85000 miles, 130 days).  However, the plan was rejected by Taiwan on April 26, 2007.  The current proposed route related to Taiwan can be seen on BBC news: the Olympic torch was supposed to be relayed from Pyongyang (North Korea) to Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Taipei (Taiwan), and to Hong Kong and Macau (China).  It will then be brought to other cities in China, including Lhasa in Tibet.
Taiwan's officials said Taiwan wanted to participate as part of the ‘international’ route.  For example, Taiwan would like to join the Olympic torch relay if it is relayed from Pyongyang to Taipei, and to Ho Chi Minh City.  If Taiwan relays Olympic torch to Hong Kong and Macau, as Jiang Xiaoyu, the executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, said, Taipei might be referred to one of ‘the overseas Chinese cities’ like Hong Kong and Macau.
tzuhuai objected the Taiwan's officials’ rejection:
政府只不過是為了某種程度上的政治考量才去拒絕， 作秀程度大於真正的實質意義！……體育界的人士說的好：讓政治歸政治、體育歸體育！ 本來就不能混為一談。 越是這樣的逃避拒絕，對岸還沒矮化我們我們救自我矮化了， 我們應該要正面回擊才是！ 而不是一直用以前的手法、手段， 去逃避對岸的措施！ 對岸越是想矮化我們， 我們應該要讓國際知道台灣的聲音、地位以及特有性！ 而不是每每在國際舞台上自我退出， 喪失許多珍貴的機會！
On the other hand, Chen, Yung-Chih supported this decision made by Taiwan's government.
由Temple Preah Vihear我們便可瞭解到，無論任何形式之「默示」都有可能造成國家領土的損失；既然這樣，當瀕臨絕種動物之跨國運送活動須像CITES公約組織通報 的情況下，大陸當局主張將團團與圓圓送到台灣不必向CITES公約組織通報之舉動時，以及，奧運聖火離開台灣後隨即轉向香港或澳門等一國兩制之地區時，我 們是否該思考一下，我們是否落入了「默示」的圈套裡了呢？聖火不是完全不能來，但是唯有進出台灣均行經第三第對台灣之現況才是最有利的處理方式！
Norya II talked about the effect of international media coverage of the story:
國際媒體也都精確而不含糊的指出，支那聖火的傳遞路線是將台灣矮化為屬於支那一個地區的路線，因此，讓國際人士更加知道原來台灣與支那是二個不相同的國家。
In China, some bloggers were not happy about Taiwan's rejection because they though it was an alternative claim that Taiwan and China are different countries.  For example, in maozhuxi1312's article:
陈SB及那些妄图搞分裂的激进派,告诉你们,地球就一个,中国也只有一个,它的名字叫”中华人民共和国”.回头掂量一下自己,害怕的话就早早的归顺,顽抗到底,是死路一条!
In addition to the blame and threat, maozhuxi1312 analyzed why Taiwan rejected:
其实这样的结果在刚刚听说圣火路经台北市的时候,就可以预知.
台湾目前正搞正名化，主体化，而在奥运火炬问题上早就有明确态度，从第三国进，再从第四国出。 那么目前的这个路线与台湾的想法差距比较大，我们说是意识形态也好，是防止矮化也罢，反正是谈不拢的，既然早知道谈不拢，它拒绝又有什么奇怪的，体育本身就有政治性，我们协商的对象竟然是个民间组织，这样怎么可能不失败，毕竟目前代表台湾人的是台湾政府。 如果务实的化，真的想促进两岸关系，这些问题又算什么问题，从那里进，从那里出又有什么关系，释放些善意难道就那么难？
There is a Chinese idiom ‘yin zhen zhi ke,’ which means drinking poison to quench thirst.  It seems that China plans to set up this kind of difficult condition for Taiwan.  Taiwanese hope to join the Olympic torch relay because Taiwan has been isolated from the international society because of China for so long.  dAb said:
我的腦海裡在幻想著…未來台灣代表隊出場的時候說不定只能孬屈地舉著中國台北的牌子。雖然我並不是所謂的台獨派或國統派，但我不認為有誰可以接受；或是有誰應該能夠接受這樣的可能性。所以新聞至此，我茫然失措。
In the middle of all the controversies, maybe we should read the story about how Olympic torch relay was first proposed.  In 1936, before World War II, Nazis government in German gave birth to this modern Olympics symbol–a series of torch-bearing runners carrying the inspirational flame cross country to the stadium for the lighting ceremony.  Was it political?  The torch relay were planned to link Olympiad's origin and its modern rebirth in the Aryan ideal.  Based on the book ‘Nazi Games’ written by American historian David Clay Large, the relay was turned into an advertisement for Nazi across southeastern and central Europe, a region coveted by Nazi. The seemingly innocuous torch relay to Berlin prefigured the naked aggression to come.
There is a Taiwanese proverb ‘when blind people eat dumplings, they know the number (of the dumplings that have been eaten) in their minds.’  I am sure both Taiwan's and China's officials know why they made this and that decisions.  Although the slogan for 2008 Olympic Games in Beijian is ‘one world, one dream,’ both Taiwanese and Tibetan seem to have different dreams from China's.

author: I-fan Lin


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The Balkans: VIP Big Brother · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Belgrade 2.0 reviews the first “Serbian-Bosnian-Montenegrin VIP version of the popular reality show Big Brother.”


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Guatemala: Town’s oldest school to be demolished…and teachers on strike · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Public school teachers in Guatemala will protest “again” today, and this time they will ask for “amnesty.” They want the government to eliminate the sanctions imposed on them, because they took illegal actions when they were  “on strike”. Such illegal actions took place just before Holy Week break, which was the second time in the year. They were not asking for a better system or nicer schools, but for a raise of 12% in their salaries. This is a contrast with two situations:
1. In San Pedro La Laguna, a group of teachers are working for free, supporting a little school located in the middle of town, a school that the Mayor of San Pedro wants to demolish.
That was denounced [ES] by blogger and journalist Claudia Navas:
El alcalde de San Pedro La Laguna, Guillermo Magdalena Batz González, abusando del poder que le otorga la municipalidad, intenta cometer una arbitrariedad al pretender derrumbar la Escuela Oficial Urbana Mixta Humberto Corzo Guzmán, para construir en su lugar un mercado, con lo cual limita la posibilidad de muchos niños y niñas de estudiar, viola además sus derechos humanos y los de toda la población
The mayor of San Pedro La Laguna, Guillermo Magdalena Batz González is abusing his position in the municipality by arbitrarily trying to demolish the Co-ed Urban School Humberto Corzo Guzmán, and trying to build in its place, a market.  This will limit the possibility that many children have to study, which violates their human rights and those of the entire village.
Her opinion is supported by Blogger Pablo on “depuis d´Europe [ES]”  where he narrates the whole story and contrasts it with the protests of teachers.
El país ya tiene suficientes  problemas, para venir a acarrear uno mas y este que es tan sin sentido (según mi punto de vista) de querer hacer un mercado en lugar de una escuela…”
The country has enough problems already for another one to be solved and this one is senseless (in my opinion) to build a market in place of a school
2. Even when they are “on strike” the Ministry of Education will give them PC´s for US$100.00 with Windows Software, and a lot of bloggers discussed the topic:
Javier Aroche [ES] said:
Es falta de visión por parte de las autoridades a cargo del proyecto, que bien pudieron optar por el uso de Software Libre y con el dinero ahorado en Software comprar más equipo. Lo que me da tristeza es que en realidad no exista un grupo de promotores del Software Libre que haya podido hacer esta propuesta al Gobierno
This opinion is supported by the post of Ermita [ES]:
Para quienes creen que el tema de software libre y open souce es cuestión de filosofías o de extraños gustos informáticos, me pareció interesente continuar en la linea de presentar números interesantes para los tomadores de decisiones
For those who might think that free software and open source is just a philosophy or weird informatic tastes, it is interesting to show interesting statistics for the decision makers”.
Also, there´s a debate on whether they deserve or not the benefits of such system. Luis Figueroa [ES] said that if the government will sponsor those teachers that had been on strike, it would be a waste of money even when costs only US$100.
…si se les va a dar una compu a los maestros s que han estado en huelga, a esos que chantajean a los tributarios, a esos que hacen pancartas mucas, a esos que creen que tienen derecho a vivir del presupuesto del Estado…pues yo digo que darles compu a esos maestros, aunque sea una compu de US$100, es un desperdicio
In Albedrio [ES], the author argues that is absolutely absurd to think in a country lacking in public education that a modernization process and building capacities of teachers is urgent.
Es totalmente absurdo pensar que un país carezca de educación pública…La modernización de la institución y la capacitación de sus empleados son urgentes
So, the education scenario in Guatemala is: teachers are concerned about themselve worried about the Ministry giving them a raise, as well as an amnesty for their wrongdoings and cheap computers. On the other hand we have kids staying at home while they should be at a school, learning only with Microsoft software, and parents facing situations such as the one described by Bloggers in San Pedro La Laguna.

author: Renata Avila


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Trinidad & Tobago: Backyard Paradise · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Laura Dowrich-Phillips of Caribbean Beat Blog went to Tobago for the Plymouth Jazz Festival and came away with a new appreciation of the island.


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Trinidad & Tobago: The Enigma of V.S. Naipaul · Global Voices
Jonathan Ali

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He is the single most gifted and important writer ever produced by Trinidad and Tobago, and, arguably, the English-speaking Caribbean, having written such classics as A House for Mr Biswas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. He is also the most controversial writer to have come out of the Caribbean.
Recently, Nobel-prize-winning author Sir VS Naipaul paid a visit to Trinidad and Tobago, the country of his birth, the place from which he migrated as a young man to England, where he has lived ever since. He was in Trinidad as a guest of the University of the West Indies for a week of celebrations (April 16 to 20) in honour of the 75th year of his birth.
Naipaul has an infamously tortured relationship with Trinidad, and this visit was his first official visit in over 15 years. It was also his first official visit since winning the Nobel Prize in 2001. Yet despite this, and the extensive media coverage, the Trinidadian blogosphere was fairly quiet over Sir Vidia’s return.
Those who did blog had mixed feelings about the visit, and in particular, the actions of Naipaul’s wife, Lady Nadira Naipaul. Georgia Popplewell, writing at Caribbean Free Radio, thought the “Evening of Appreciation” held on April 18 was a “near-disaster”, yet went on the 20th to hear Naipaul read and sign his books. She was impressed by the reading:
Naipaul’s reading style isn’t particularly good, in the classic sense, but his stilted, slightly quaint delivery is oddly effective, and easy on the ear. Even his attempts at reading the Trinidadian dialect which he rendered so adeptly in his early novels — and which is clearly now so alien to him — worked, after their own manner. It was also remarked by at least one member of my party that Half A Life [one of Naipaul’s more recent novels] sounds better read aloud.
But then the book-signing left a bitter taste in her mouth:
When the reading was over, Lady Naipaul leapt to the front of the stage and assumed command of the proceedings. “The book signing begins now!” she announced. “Form a queue. And only new books will be signed. That is the form.”
What form was this? we wondered. My heart went out to the throngs clutching their well-thumbed copies of early Naipaul novels and first editions which, on being subjected to the newness test by an advance guard comprising Naipaul’s agent, Gillon Aitken, and Lady Naipaul’s daughter, Maliha, were deemed too old for signing, and turned away.
Over at Trinidad Media Arts & Culture, Raymond Ramcharitar also remarked on Lady Naipaul’s handling of the book-signing, after what was an obviously enjoyable reading, both for Naipaul and the audience:
[T]he crowd of about two thousand, who had surged out of their seats, bore down on [Naipaul] to sign their books at UWI’s Sport and Physical Education Centre on Friday 20, and Mrs Naipaul’s voice rang out: “No old books, please. Only new books.” I’m not sure if she said “please”, but it killed the moment. Vidia had read from Miguel Street, displaying what sounded and looked like a few minutes of unforced happiness—a real treat from a man whose favourite adjectives to describe his process include “painful” and “exhausting”.
Jeremy Taylor, meanwhile, gave the “Naipaul circus” a very wide berth. He wondered why Naipaul bothered to accept the invitation to come to Trinidad in the first place:
Why did he fall for it, I wonder, given his well-known disdain for his once-native land? Does he secretly crave reconciliation, a prophet finally honoured in his own country? He can't need the money, surely. Or the dubious glory and attention. It can only be that he enjoys performing.
And he is surprised that other people were surprised by Naipaul’s often boorish behaviour during his visit:
[A]nyone who knows anything about Naipaul — which should surely include Trinidad's literati, academics and literature teachers — should have known what role the great man most likes to play. Oscar the Grouch has nothing on the old Naipaul. Once he was asked by an interviewer what the little coloured dot means on a Hindu woman's forehead, and he replied that it means her head is empty.
Finally, yours truly had only one observation to make about the whole affair. It concerned the answer Naipaul gave to a reporter’s question. When asked about the hardships he had to suffer during his career, Sir Vidia replied that he regretted nothing, and that he would do it all over again. A newspaper headline the next day proclaimed: “Naipaul vows: Despite hardships, I’ll do it again”, which prompted me to ask:
He will do it again? At the age of 75? That's going to take some doing. Or perhaps they think he'll do it in his next life. What with Naipaul's cozying up to the religion of his birth in recent years, maybe they think he believes in reincarnation?
Which makes one think: if the oldest daily newspaper still in existence in Trinidad and Tobago can make such an error in a headline, is it surprising if Naipaul has nothing but contempt for the land of his birth?

author: Jonathan Ali


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Ukraine: Another Chernobyl Employee · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Michael Forster Rothbart posts photos of another Ukrainian man whose health was affected by Chernobyl.


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Ukraine: The Media’s Role · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Foreign Notes writes on the media's role in the recent political crisis: “Yush has reason to be grateful to Ukrainian investigative journos. By peeping into letter boxes, following leads, and publicizing leaked documents, they revealed Constitutional Court judge Syuzanna Stanik's 76-year old mum had recently become the owner of real estate valued many millions of dollars, raising suspicions that her daughter had been bribed.”


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Ukraine: View From Russia · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Leopolis writes about Russia's distorted view of the events in Ukraine: “As Ukraine resolves another crisis, the hope is that the blue camp is empowered – not by empty Russophilic slogans, but by their own political capacity as citizens of Ukraine. Someday soon, perhaps Russia will take notice.”


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Uruguay: Top Ten Things to Hate · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Gabo from Uruguay lists in no particular order the top ten things he hates about living in Uruguay.  He acknowledges that he is complaining and writes “There's a good graffiti here that reads: ‘Don't complain, emigrate!” He will, however, write a similar post of the things he loves about Uruguay.

author: Eduardo Avila


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Uzbekistan: Border Zone · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

neweurasia reports that the Uzbek government will soon evict people from homes on the border with Kyrgyzstan to create a buffer zone between the two countries.


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Website for Persian Jews  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Writing in Jewlicious , blogger Esther  announces the launch of a website which provides religious advice to Persian Jews. ‘I can’t say I really “have a rabbi” in the sense that I consult any rabbinic authority on matters in my life. Maybe I suffer for lack of rabbinic advice. Maybe I just haven’t found the right rabbi yet. (I guess I’ll add that to the “Eternal Quest” list.)
Well, if you’re Persian, and you want to ask a rabbi a question from your uniquely urgin’ for Persian perspective, now you’ve got a website of your own,’ she writes.


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Afghanistan: Insurgency Premium · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Safrang asks whether or not there is an insurgency premium involved in attracting reconstruction funds in Afghanistan.


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Afghanistan: Looking Inward · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Mohammad Fahim Khairy writes that Afghans must look to themselves rather than to the West to find answers for solving Afghanistan's problems.


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Armenia: On the Campaign Trail · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes From Hareinik and Oneworld Multimedia report from the Armenian election campaign trail on a Prosperous Armenia party rally.


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Bahamas, Cuba: Shooting Incident  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

“The discussion to resolve this issue should be very interesting,” writes WeblogBahamas.com, commenting on reports that the Cuban Coast Guard has shot two Bahamians that were “reportedly trafficking drugs through Cuban waters”.


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Bahrain: MPs Walk Out of Session in Protest · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al Yousif keeps us up-to-date with the latest fiasco in the Bahraini Parliament. Eighteen MPs walked out from a session yesterday in protest. “What apparently happened this morning according to an informed source is that the Asala bloc said that the Wefaq demand for interrogation was unconstitutional as it is construed as interfering in the judicial powers. The 17+1 Wefaq members withdrew in protest and to discuss the matter further,” he explains.


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Bangladesh: The “revenge” tour · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Cricket played between India and Bangladesh promises high emotions says 3rd world view. “On the other hand it was a great moral booster for Bangladesh although they have beaten India earlier. But Indian fans see this opportunity to show Bangladesh where India stands. Bangladesh is still two ranks below India in the official LG ICC rankings. To add a pinch of salt in the wounds another unofficial ranking showed India below Bangladesh.”


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Bhutan: Film Awards · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Visit Bhutan on the National Filmfare awards. “The Bhutan National Film Awards for the year 2007 saw a stunning packed Clock Tower Square on 2nd May night coinciding with the Birth Anniversary of Third King , His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. The events was organized by the Motion Picture Association of Bhutan and sponsored by Zimdra Automobiles. There were various actors who performed the dance on the stages with crowd going crazy as their favorite singer blazed the night with full swing.”


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Brazil: The Pope’s First Visit to Latin America · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

Libardo Buitrago [ES] is looking forward to Pope Benedict's first trip to the region, when he visits Brazil on a five-day visit.  The pontiff has received criticisms for not caring about poverty reduction as much as his predecessor. Coverage about the Catholic Church in Brazil usually revolves around three storylines observes Bloggings by Boz.


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Central Asia: Bloggers Unite · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Sue Sypko shares thoughts on Central Asia blogs, bloggers, and their impact in the region.


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China: Wen’s talk on culture · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Chai jing blogs about Prime Minister Wen Jia-bo talk with the cultural circle: No matter whether it is academic or artistic performance, its superiority cannot be judged by administrative order. It depends on hard academic exporation, artistic practice and democratic discussion, in the end, it is judged by practice, history and people.


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Egypt: Monem sends SOS · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

‘Today, blogger Monem was ordered 15 days extended detention in Torah Mahkoum prison under conditions he described as “unbearable by any human being”. Monem sends SOS to Rights and Civil Society Organisations,’ writes Egyptian blogger Nora Younis. Abdulmonem Mahmood, a Muslim Brotherhood blogger, was arrested for articles he wrote online.


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Egypt: War on Bloggers  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Egyptian blogger Nora Younis reports  about a full-fledged war against bloggers in her country. “The war on bloggers started in Egypt and every morning brings a new episode. While we are campaigning to get our fellow blogger Monem out of jail we get the news he goes on hunger strike for maltreatment and sexual harassement inside prison. But this is old news, namely yesterday’s. Today I wake up on this sms from blogger Amr Gharbeia ‘I was summoned by the prosecutor general to appear on Thursday next in North Cairo interrogator office.’ Few minutes later Rights lawyers Gamal Eid and Ahmed Seif el Islam receive similar notes,” she writes.


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Free Monem Podcast · Global Voices
sami ben gharbia

Free Monem campaign member Mary Joyce was interviewed yesterday, on May 8, by the activist-blogger and podjournalist at CitizenReporter.org, Mark Fonseca Rendeiro. They talked about Monem and his work, the Muslim Brotherhood, the crackdown on Egyptian bloggers and the Free Monem campaign. You can listen to the resulting podcast here.


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Hong Kong: Student Press on Sex · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

The Chinese University Student Press recently put a sex column in their magazine. The mainstream media has picked up the issue and condemn the student press obscene. Charles picked up the discussion at inmediahk.net and commented that the student press shouldn't be market oriented [zh]. While the Chinese University student press issued a statement to criticise the mainstream's reports in stimagtizing sex, while on the other hand commercialize sex in their entertainment pages (also from inmediahk.net) [zh].


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India: Calcutta Coffee House · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Trivial Matters has a delightful photo-post on the Calcutta Coffee House. “Situated in the heart of Calcutta, opposite the Presidency College, commissioned in 1942 by The Indian Coffee Workers’ Co-operative Society, the coffee house quickly developed on the lines of a student Literaten Kaffeehaus. Satyajit Ray would dream up films here, while many a writer consumed coffee beneath its the vaulted arches. Noise, gossip and cup-carrying waiters seethed between the writers and their subjects.”


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Iraq: A Second Adhamiya Wall · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

A second wall is being built around Adhamiya, in Baghdad, Iraq, announces  Iraqi blogger Ladybird. “This is a dream comes true to the Iranians, Ahdamiya right now and in this unusual circumstances is the last hold for the Sunnis in Baghdad Rasafa half , all this problems in Ahdamiya because the Iranians wants to capture this part of Baghdad for its significant location, [on the other side of the river there is Al-Khadim Shrine which is “ultra” holy for the Iranians]. The Americans are implementing the Iranians plans perfectly,” she writes.


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Jamaica: How to Become a Poet/Problogger · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Want to become a major poet or problogger?  Jamaican literary guru Geoffrey Philp shares a few tips on how to do just that.


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Jamaica: Walking the Talk  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

Jamaican Francis Wade encourages managers to walk the talk in order to achieve desired results:  “If authenticity is the currency use to build trust, then the managers who demonstrate these behaviours are more likely to be followed by their employees.”


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Japan: On PM Abe’s Yasukuni offering · Global Voices
Hanako Tokita

Japanese blogger shigeto2004  comments on PM Abe's recent offering of “masakaki” to Yasukuni shrine during the shrine's spring festival last month. He also criticises the ambiguity of the series of statements the PM has made over the past months. [Ja]

author: Hanako Tokita


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Japan: Voter Turnout Lift-Up Bra · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Edo from Pink Tectacle introduces a newly designed bra for boosting vote.


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Kenya: No e-waste for Kenya · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Video journalist Africa posts a video, No E-Waste for Kenya: “They re-furbish obsolete computers from Western countries and Kenya, and then deliver them to schools. Still also a second hand computer has a limited life span. The emergence of E-Waste is looming, but not at Computers for Schools Kenya.”

author: Ndesanjo Macha


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Kuwait: What Doesn’t Kill You · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Right?” debates  Kuwait-based blogger Ansam. “Agreeing on that it will make you stronger…
So more experiences throughout life may hurt you more and more… and when in the process of getting hurt, you are somehow less vulnerable every time it hits… It makes you more aware of life, and you can learn from your mistake and avoid'em next time around, but that doesnt mean that you will get hurt less,” she argues.


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Madagascar: Lack of Activity in Local Blogs in Times of Crisis Sparks Debate · Global Voices
Lova Rakotomalala

Much has been written about the series of natural disasters that  have hit Madagascar recently. Tomavana sheds some light on yet another crisis in the North-West region of Madagascar now plagued by famine.
Le Programme alimentaire mondial [PAM] a lancé un nouvel appel en faveur des 190′000 Malagasy victimes des récentes intempéries et cyclones qui ont frappé Madagascar. Le PAM a aussi communiqué l’envoi d’urgence de 100 tonnes de nourriture et de matériel de secours par hélicoptère au cours des quatre prochaines semaines depuis une base dans la ville d’Antsohihy.
The post prompted this reaction from a reader of the blog, Lamako,  who is disappointed that there are too few of such kind of
actions or posts:
C’ était à prévoir même si les médias malgaches n’en parlent qu’avec parcimonie voire pas du tout.
Ce qui est triste, c’est le manque de solidarité des malgaches de la diaspora envers ces milliers de de sinistrés.
Les sites web malgaches parlent de tout sauf de ces risques de famine. Les reportages vidéos et photos se concentrent sur des sujets “people”. Il faut aller sur le site de l’UNICEF pour en voir. Pas d’appel à la solidarité non plus.
C’est comme si la réalité du cyclone est niée. Et c’est cette même diaspora malgache qui hurle au loup contre un reportage de FR3 un tant soit peu critique (?) envers le pays.
On croit rêver !!!
Tomavana agrees that there could have been more calls for action but points out that more actions were undertaken by other organizations.
Tattum notes that the trust in charitable actions have decreased because so many times humanitarian projects were spoiled by corruption. She would rather act on her own to have more control over the projects.
Lamako responds that there still could have been more publicity in the Malagasy blogs to promote solidarity as it was seen during the Tsunami or Katrina.
Vola points out that the very idea behind a blog is that the subject and ideas posted on it are up to the blogger only. There is no  moral or economic duty to fulfill nor should there be a moral judgment imposed upon bloggers’ choice of subjects. A blog does not have a mission to save the world unless it wants to.  Is there really a need to justify what we are not writing about?
In related news, no Malagasy bloggers commented on the alleged attempted assassination of the Malagasy President last week.

author: Lova Rakotomalala


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Mexico: Is Mexico Safe? · Global Voices
Eduardo Avila

John Calypso of Viva Veracruz is an ex-pat living in Mexico and one of the inquires he most often receives from readers “is Mexico safe?”  He shares his thoughts and his own experiences on the matter.


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Morocco: French Elections Edition · Global Voices
Jillian C. York

Morocco, as a former protectorate of France, is still well connected to the country.  Beyond French cars and French baguettes, Morocco's law and education systems are influenced by France, and more than half of its citizens speak French fluently.  Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the presidential elections in France were a popular subject in the blogosphere this week.
Ibn Kafka, writes in his blog Obiter Dicta (fr):
Concernant le tropisme droitier de l'élite marocaine, il ne doit pas étonner. Notons tout d'abord que si une large part de l'opinion marocaine est informée de la tenue des présidentielles françaises et de la personnalité de Nicolas Sarkozy et de Ségolène Royal, seule une minorité (dont je fais partie) suit le déroulement de la campagne au jour le jour. Cette minorité est généralement francophone, urbaine, aisée, et scolarisée dans les écoles de la mission française ou ayant fait des études supérieures en France. Ces caractéristiques dénotent son appartenance aux catégories socio-professionnelles supérieures de la société marocaines, appartenance qui l'incline sans doute assez peu au trotskysme. La culture politique marocaine est en outre autoritaire, et l'ordre socio-politique marocain actuel est adossé à un “partenariat” structurel avec les alliés occidentaux du Maroc, dont la France est le premier, tant au plan économique que politique. D'autre part, le contexte politique marocain est caractérisé par l'émergence irrésistible des islamistes en général et du PJD particulier en tant que première force politique du Royaume – islamistes dont les caractéristiques socio-culturelles sont à l'opposé de celles de l'élite urbaine francophone, qui a dès lors intérêt au statu quo politique.
>
Earlier this week Reda (fr) had posted:
Le 1er tour des présidentielles françaises aura lieu dimanche prochain. Normalement, j’essaie le moins possible de m’immiscer dans les affaires politiques internes d’un pays  (je parle de la France bien sûr) pour lequel je n’ai pas d’attaches particulières à part le fait que le Maroc (mon pays natal) avait fait les frais des visées expansionnistes de la France pendant 50 ans et surtout qu’il y a pas mal de marocains ou de leurs descendants (2 millions disons) qui sont installés dans l’hexagone.
Mais voilà, Sarkozy-le leader actuel dans les sondages pour ces élections-a commis l’impair de prendre position dans une affaire maroco-marocaine: Apparemment qu’il aurait convaincu les autorités marocaines de ne pas accorder le droit de vote aux marocains résidants à l’étranger. Il est vrai que le fait que celles-ci accordent la moindre importance à ce qu’un ministre de l’intérieur d’un pays même pas voisin du Maroc m’échappe mais là n’est pas mon propos, Sarkozy aurait dû se mêler de ce qui le regarde.
Unfortunately, Sarkozy, the current leader in the surveys for these elections – has made the mistake of taking a stand in a Morocco-Moroccan affair; Apparently he may have convinced the Moroccan authorities not to grant voting rights to Moroccan residents abroad.  The fact that they give more importance to the Interior Minister  of a country which is not even close to Morocco escapes me, but it's not my business; Sarkozy should worry about his own business.
As the results that Sarkozy had won were announced, Kahina (fr) wrote:
Le choix des français s'est porté sur Nicolas SARKOZY par plus de 53,5% des voix, bonne chance donc à notre nouveau président et acceptons cette belle leçon de démocratie.L'heure de la réforme a enfin sonné…
Laila Lalami was less congratulatory, saying “53% of French voters have decided to let Sarkozy ‘water-hose’ more ‘scum’ from the projects.”
Lastly, Label Ash (fr) summed it up nicely by saying “Et comme il faut être bon joueur, Bravo Monsieur le Président, même si je n'ai pas voté pour vous.”
In other words, “And as it is necessary to be a good sport, Bravo Mr. President, even if I did not vote for you.”

author: Jillian C. York


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Myanmar: Military trainings for locals · Global Voices
May Hnin Phyu

BurmaNet reported about locals being ordered for military trainings in Ayataw Township.”The authorities of Ayataw Township, Monywa district in central Burma’s Sagaing Division, ordered local people to supply one person from each village for military trainings.” People are puzzled and suspicious about this military action.


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Nepal: The forgotten elderly · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Deepak's Diary on the plight of senior citizens in the country. “Abandoned and ostracized from their home and family, these septuagenarians and octogenarians live a meager existence. Death is at their doorstep and they are simply waiting for it. As I hopped from one Day Care Center to another (there are at least a dozen day care centers and old age home in Kathmandu Valley), I realized the elderly are being grossly marginalized. This too in a society that venerates its senior citizens.”


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Nicaragua: Open Source Software, Machisimo in the Park, and an Immigration Rally · Global Voices
GV Contributor

This is a round-up for blogs in Nicaragua in the last week.
Spreading Open Source Philosophy
On March 28th the Grupo Ubuntu Nicaragua (an open source community) coordinated the Festival Latinoamericano de Instalación de Software Libre (FLISOL 2007) for Nicaragua. The Festival is an effort across Latin America to help spread the knowledge of Open Source Technologies. The Group Ubuntu ran the event in León and Managua, with conferences explaining the advantages of Linux and Open Source softwares compared to propietary software and licenses.
Many volunteers were installing and giving away discs with samples of free software, even installing complete linux distributions for the visitors for free.
Barricada.com.ni reported on the event:
Hace falta ver a más gente No Dedicada a esas areas tecnicas exponer sus experiencas; y se hablo poco o nada sobre varios fenómenos web que están sucediendo hoy en dia: Blogs, ciberperiodismo, medios independientes, generación de contenido, etc. Pero esta fue la primera experiencia de este tipo, y todo el esfuerzo fue hecho de manera gratuita por el Grupo UBUNTU de Nicaragua y el Grupo Pro Software Libre, por lo que creemos positivo el esfuerzo.
There's a need for people Non Dedicated to IT to share their experiences, and many trends of the web were not part of the conferences: blogs, ciberjournalism, independent media, user generated content, etc. But this is the first experience of its kind in Nicaragua, and the Grupo Ubuntu gave their time for free, so we think its a positive effort.
Watch more photos on Flickr and a video on Youtube. More comments for the group were made on the Universidad Nacional de Ingeneria Computing Forums
Working With Meat
A new blog called Working With Meat by “Christiane” tells us:
Saturday's field investigations led to the shocking conclusions:
1. Patriarchy is still the foundation of our society
2. It sucks to be a woman in said society
Christiane and Glow went for a photography session at a local park in Managua only to find themselves sexually harassed by “machistas” all day long.
So, that's the sad story of two girls who had the audacity of being young, female, and pedestrians, but more importantly, young female pedestrians with NO MALE CHAPERONE! The horror!
The whole cronicle gives evidence of how far are we from getting a totally equal and respectful societies for ALL our citizens.
Morterazos en Los Angeles
Luciano Cuadra Waters (a nicaraguan in Los Angeles) writes in NacionGueguence [ES] and La Prensa about a Pro Immigration Rally in Los Angeles, which ended with police violence.
Por lo que pude ver, parece que LAPD pretendía obligar a la multitud a evacuar hacia el lado Nor, nor-oeste del parque MacArthur, pero por alguna razón, los agentes que tenían ubicados en ese sector, empezaron a agredir a los manifestantes, los que se sintieron acorralados. En la televisión se puede notar claramente a los oficiales de policía golpeando a personas mayores de edad, también a personas que cargaban con sus hijos pequeños, e incluso a periodistas claramente identificados.
La nicaragüense Martha Lorena Guillén me asegura que uno de los agentes intentó golpearla sin razón alguna, quizá por que ella había filmado a este oficial mientra agredía a otra persona. Aproximadamente una hora más tarde, mientras caminaba en dirección al lugar donde había dejado mi vehículo, me encontré con un muchacho que había sido impactado por una bala de goma en su costado derecho “Fue sin motivo alguno. Yo solo llegué a reclamar mis derechos”…
For what i could see, the LAPD pretended to move the crowd toward the Northwestern area of the MacArthur Park, but for some reason the policemen started to hit the demonstrators… On television you can see the officers hitting elderly people, small children and even properly identified journalists.
The Nicaraguan Martha Lorena Guillén assures me that the officers tried to hit her without any apparent reason; maybe for a video she filmed of an officer using extreme force on other person. About a hour later, while I was walking to my vehicle, I found a boy who had been impacted by a rubber bullet in the backside. “It was without reason” said the boy. “I only showed up to demand my rights”
Biodiesel
The MEL-info mailing list posted this article by Arturo M. Lozza about the use of Biodiesel:
Los movimientos sociales lanzan voces de alerta y no son pocos los investigadores con visiones muy distintas a las planteadas por las petroleras ahora devenidas destiladoras del combustible verde. El periodista británico George Monbiot, por ejemplo, hizo cálculos y descubrió que para mover solamente nuestros coches y autobuses con agrodiesel se requerirían sembrar 25,9 millones de hectáreas. Sin embargo, existen en el Reino Unido solo 5,7 millones de hectáreas.
MEL-Info is a mailing list with 5000 suscribers dedicated to enviromental and cultural discussion in the country. Sometimes the editors post articles relevant to local events.
On the other side, Sofonías Martín Cisneros Argeñal writes an apology for the biodiesel project in Nicaragua:
La actual campaña de demonización en contra de los proyectos de producción de biodiesel tempate es totalmente infundada, malintencionada e irresponsable.
…Los costos de producción y mantenimiento del tempate y de la palma africana son convenientemente mucho más bajos que los costos por hectárea de maíz. Las ventajas de estos cultivos no se limitan solamente a la simple producción del bendito aceite. Por ejemplo, en el caso del tempate, está conjuntamente ayudando a prevenir y revitalizar exitosamente suelos perdidos por la erosión y desertificación de zonas desérticas de África, Australia, China, India y Latinoamérica.
The La Prensa blogs sometimes serves as ideological supporters of the editorial line of the newspaper, which at this moment is serving as an opposition media to the goverment.

author: GV Contributor


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Nigeria: Wikipedia in Ibo, Yoruba, and Hausa · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Temi Kolawole on Wikipedia in Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba: “If you speak/write any of the above languages (I dont), feel free to add content on wikipedia.”


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Qatar: Al Jazeera Trial Continues in London · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Friend of Al Jazeera, Karim, updates us about the continuing Qatar-based Al Jazeera Trial in London, UK. To check out the details, click on the link.


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Qatar: Iraq’s Shias Protest Against Al Jazeera  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Friend of Al Jazeera, Karim, links to a news article about Shia Iraqis protesting against the Qatar-based television station.


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Qatar: The Wages of Hard Labour · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Qatar-based blogger e46M3 sheds light on wages workers in Qatar reap for their hard labour.
“From today's Arabic daily al-Raya:
* Labor foreman, salary 800 Riyals (approx $220), working hours 5am to 5pm.
* Builder, salary 700 Riyals (approx $190), working hours 6am to 6pm. No off day.
* Builder, salary 700 Riyals, working hours 6am to 4-5pm.
* Road builder, salary 500 Riyals (approx $137) , 11 working hours a day. No off day.
* Road building foreman, salary 800 Riyals (approx $220) includes 4 overtime hours/day at 4 Riyals/hour. 2 off days a month,” he writes.


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Saudi Arabia: The Death of a Prince, Water Shortages and Making a Splash · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi-American blogger Rasheed Abou-Alsamh sums up a few developments in Saudi this week. They include the death of a Saudi prince, water shortages in Jeddah and criticism of a BBC report on the status of women in the Kingdom. “Finally, I'd like to nominate the BBC's Rachel Reid for writing the most idiotic story on Saudi Arabia this month so far. Entitled “Making a splash in Saudi”, the first person piece relates how the reporter thinks she made history by forcing her 5-star hotel in Riyadh to allow her to swim in their swimming pool from 6-7 a.m. every morning,” he writes.


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Saudi Arabia: The Weak-End · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“It wasn't unexpected at all, at least not to me: several members of the Shoura Council decided to use the religion card against a proposal to change the Kingdom’s official Thursday-Friday weekend to Friday and Saturday. It is truly a pity how some people in this country would shove religion in everything even when it has nothing to do with it,” writes Saudi blogger Saudi Jeans.


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Saudi: Cooling off in a Swimming Pool · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Saudi-based blogger Nzingha ridicules a report by a BBC correspondent about life in Saudi. “You will all be happy to know that as you plunge yourself deeply into the pools across the country to escape the summer heat you are not only cooling off but you are part of a major revolution taking place in Saudi. In case you didn't know women swimming in Saudi Arabia accounts for a major revolution that was lead up by, you guessed it, a foreigner. A BBC correspondent is reportedly the one who has paved the way for us webbed feet Mamas who take the plunge into the cool pool waters.
Pay no attention to the fact she arrived only six months ago and I've been swimming here for six years. And pipe down all you ladies who have been swimming three times more than me,” she rants.


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Somalia: Fighting over Kismayo · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Abdurahman Warsame writes, “War on Kismayo“:
“Kismayo must be the most disputed city in Somalia. Just recently two militias, claiming to be loyal to the government, fought over Kismayo. The government claims that it's been attacked by Islamic terrorists but I doubt that member of this militia even know how to pray.”


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South Korea: Allow Chaebol to Own Bank · Global Voices
Oiwan Lam

Jamie from Two Koreas comments about the recent agreement between Chaebol (national corporates) and right wing presidential candidates to own financial institutions such as bank: at the moment the banking sector is overwhelmingly foreign owned, but even where the government owns banks it runs them in the same way, investing in mostly speculative ventures like mortgage and consumer credit…


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Trinidad & Tobago: Asa Wright Photos · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

DeidreAnne posts a flickr photoset of images from the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Trinidad.

author: Janine Mendes-Franco


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Trinidad & Tobago: Public Art  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The bookmann compares a termite treatment process commonly seen in Trinidad and Tobago to the public art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.


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Turkey is Typing…Winding Down from May Day · Global Voices
Deborah Ann Dilley

The days before May Day were marked by presidential protests in Turkey, but somehow with the coming of the new month, those peaceful protests became marred by violence.  This week on Turkey is Typing we discuss the lasting impressions of the presidential protests, May Day, and the reform that the country is talking about.
Let's begin with Carpetblogger who sums up her impressions of marches, of any type:
In ripening and mature democracies, I hate marches. I think they are pointless tactical efforts that divert energy and resources from more productive organizing activities. They look good on teevee, especially when there are lots of women and pretty flags, but strategically, they accomplish very little.
I make a huge exception in repressive places where public gatherings require serious courage. In the old Ukraine, Belarus and Azerbaijan, gathering in a large groups can help move the ball down the field, provided there's a strategic objective……..
The worst part about marches like the one in Istanbul on Sunday and in Ankara a few weeks back is that they give participants the false impression that they are actually doing something to change the situation. No one got organized as a result of those marches. Not one nurse in Izmir or office worker in Bursa decided, “well, AKP had done a lot to improve the economy, but I've been told secular values are important and those Istanbul secularists can organize a pretty good march, so I guess they deserve my vote.” It's like a bunch of smug San Francisco liberals holding anti-war march on Market Street. Breaking! San Francisco Liberals oppose the war in Iraq!
As the only functioning Muslim democracy with a growing economy in the region, there's a lot at stake here. The prospect of Sharia scares me and so does the prospect of a military coup. What scares me the most, however, is that the secularists are allowing this opportunity to slip out of their hands.
If either scenario develops, Turkey's secularists have no one to blame but themselves and their marches.
The question is, were the Presidential protests a waste of time?  Erkan's Field Diary lists all of the international news coverage on the subject, so in that sense Turkey's citizenry was heard.  Ignore Me If You Can fills us on in on the new found action of the parliament and the news that the general elections have been moved up:
It looks like we’re getting the elections that we’ve been waiting for sooner than we thought. This is when we will see what the people really want. Hopefully, more than 30% of Turkey will have finally gotten the message and will go use their legal right and voice their opinion at the ballot. This time there is no room to screw this up.
Any good that was done with the Presidential protests was damaged by the May Day riots in Istanbul, where just days earlier marches were peaceful, now hundreds have been detained by police.  Talk Turkey posts about the negative press this generates:
Distress calls’ are going out in Turkey once again, and the country is definitely in chaos mode. It seems like everytime Turkey makes front page news in the global media (and I mean really makes the headlines, not the ones Turkish press makes it sound ike the whole world is talking about us when they're not,) it's all negative. And the Turks then think the whole world is out to get us. I guess the Turks of Turkey don't realize they're more guilty for making the news than those who report it, even if it is biased.
Negative press…and as Turkey and My Foreign Perspectives points out, negative traffic:
Can you imagine a city the size of Istanbul having the main arteries of travel cut off during morning commute traffic? On purpose! This is exactly what happened when the police closed transportation corridors on the ferries and Metro and added to it the thoroughfare to the Bosphorus Bridge along with closure of Besiktas, an area which sits on the Bosphorus and leads to Taksim Square.
Not only did it create mass traffic problems, but many employers told their employees to stay home, so no work today (or rather yesterday).
We have recently seen two weeks of thousands in the streets here in Istanbul, making it seem to outsiders that Turkey is on meltdown with everyone running riot in the streets. This is just not true!
And of course, as Me and Others illustrates, not all public opinion on the recent marches is the same:
my father in-law had asked the most ridiculous question to my wife when he learned that we attended the caglayan rally in Istanbul. he asked “what were you doing there? are you a commy? you were like that when you were a kid too.”
even though it is the most ridiculous comment, it is perfectly understandable. there is a very solid image in this country that only the leftists and communists attend street demonstrations. the fields were left to people who demanded things which didn't necessarily meet with the demands of the public which is the consequence of the simple fact that the leftists failed to understand the real nature of the Turkish people for most cases. so, even though my father-in-law prefers to define himself as a democrat, he seems not to understand what we were trying to do in the rally, because I am quite sure that he would appreciate it if he understood. but the thing is, it was really better that I didn't go to that barbecue party because my father-in-law is too old to accept anything new in his political views, and he would just refuse to listen to me when I said his comment was not even close. That's why I don't like getting into political debates. Nobody cares to listen but only wants the others to accept his views as the ultimate truth.
We will end today with the White Path who outlines the latest “Jewish conspiracy”, you will probably find it as hard to believe as he did:
Did you know that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife are crypto-Jews who secretly collaborate with the Mossad? And that they are trying to cook-up “moderate Islam” and destroy Turkish secularism for the sake of serving the elders of Zion?
Well, I had no clue about that terrible conspiracy either, until I went into a major Istanbul bookstore last weekend and checked the bestsellers list. There were a few usual titles telling stories about how the beloved Secular Turkish Republic is targeted by internal and external plots — a highly popular and powerful paranoia in the country these days — but none of them were as informative as the one penned by a die-secularist named Ergün Poyraz.
Ahhh….politics…

author: Deborah Ann Dilley


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Uzbekistan: GM in Andijon · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Bonnie Boyd discusses General Motors’ new operations in Uzbekistan.

author: Nathan Hamm


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Korea: 90-day girl · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

“I just live for 90 days”
Holding a written sign, a pretty girl stands in the middle of one of the most crowded streets in downtown Seoul. She sometimes walks around without any expression. A blogger, rlaalswjdwjd, posted a video clip of the girl and wonders who this “90il nyeo” (90 day girl) is (ko). It has been one of the most popular key words on the Korean internet.

author: Hyejin Kim


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Korea: Conquered by Spiderman · Global Voices
Hyejin Kim

Korean movies are conquered by a spider man from the U.S.A.!
The Movie, “Spiderman 3″ occupies more than 30 percent of all screens of Korean movie theaters, 816 screens. It brought out the issue of monopoly of Hollywood films in Korean movie theaters and people who are engaged in the Korean movie industry are preparing a proposal against the Screen quota system. A blogger, Yurika, Spiderman against the background of the American national flag, but criticizes the attitude of the Korean movie industry (ko). (another link (ko).


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Albania: Berat · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Stepping Stones writes about and posts pictures from her trip to the Albanian city of Berat.

author: Veronica Khokhlova


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Albania: Fast Driving, etc. · Global Voices
Veronica Khokhlova

Our Man in Tirana posts pictures of Albania's capital taken from the Sky Tower, and writes about the problem of fast driving in his neighborhood, the recent ‘Gumball Rally,’ which resulted in two deaths, and the upcoming visit of George W. Bush.


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Anguilla:  A Lost Generation? · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

In the context of a recently published World Bank report on the impact of crime in the West Indies, Corruption-free Anguilla writes: “The pervasive violence in our school system warps and distorts the values of our youth. Good teachers are driven away. Well-behaved pupils are sent away to other countries for their education.”


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Arabeyes: Jordan’s Open Air Toilets · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

The picture above was taken by Jordanian blogger Sha3teely, whose office provides him with a bird's view of the action going on outside.
Although incensed by the practise, Sha3teely comes up with suggestions to curb this phenomena in Amman.
1- حاول أن تجد أقرب مسجد، فندق أو مطعم، إعمل حالك زبون وخش على الحمام على طول.
2- حول ان تجد شجرة أو حائط يسترك وتأكد من أن جميع الزوايا مغلقة.
3- لا تشرب سؤال كثير إذا عندك مراجعة في إحدى الدوائر الحكومية.

author: Amira Al Hussaini


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Armenia: Printing Ballots · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Onnik Krikorian posts photos of Armenian election ballots being printed.


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Armenia: Shushi Independence · Global Voices
Nathan Hamm

Notes From Hareinik marks the 15th anniversary of Armenia's capture of Shushi during the Nagorno-Karabakh War.


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Bangladesh: Justice and Farce · Global Voices
Neha Viswanathan

Mash on the farce of justice and process in Bangladesh. “The military government, under the guise of an “anti-corruption drive”, is purging the political class in Bangladesh. Leading political figures in the country are being rounded up on all sorts of charges. The military has created special “summary courts” to expeditiously try the “corrupt” politicians.”

author: Neha Viswanathan