Global Voices Online

Scott Relyea in Frog in a well introduces the world's biggest online Chinese used book website: Kongfz.com.

Non violent resistance reports on a client protest against Baidu, the biggest internet search engine in China, of its fraud in paid search engine ranking.

Registan.net speculates on the possible reasons for today's meeting between Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov and US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher.

Onnik Krikorian reports that internet connections in Armenia are still spotty after last weekend's loss of service. He says that if the Armenian blogosphere suddenly goes silent, the poor connection is the reason.

Leila of neweurasia writes about doing business in Kazakhstan and interviews a manager from a firm supplying IT equipment to Kazakhstan for additional perspective.

Onnik Krikorian reports on mixed race marriages in Armenia, public attitudes against them, and the difficulties that such couples face.

Zenia, writing from Pinar del Rio, Cuba, critiques (ES) the ways Cuba is viewed by the right-wing press: “‘In Cuba many people don't have MP3 players or cell phones.' That's one of the criticisms circulating in cyberspace these days from the right. . . . “

Charlotte Andrews reports on a public meeting convened to dicuss the Bermuda Government's Draft Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan.

Barbados Free Press reports that the Caribbean Broadcasting Company (CBC), Barbados' national television, network, has committed to running one HIV/AIDS public service announcement during every hour of broadcast, as well as embedding HIV/AIDS messages in the plots and scripts of regular television programming.

Larry Smith writes about the potential long-term effects of Fidel Castro's exit on the Bahamas, notably in the area of tourism.

Living Guyana posts five short entries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) linking to and commenting stories about the brutal slaying of eight people, including four journalists, by gunmen in Guyana yesterday evening. The journalists were killed in the newsroom of the Kaieteur News. Guyana has a general election scheduled for August 28.

The debate over whether to find a diplomatic solution to the Lebanon conflict or to press for a total military victory is becoming ever more heated. More and more analysts are pressing President Bush to talk to Damascus. Joshua Landis sums up the arguments for and against.

The rising cost of lentils in the US has quite a few people of Indian origin more than just a bit worried. Arzan on why lentils are such an important part of the Indian diet and why loopholes will be found.

“WHY is the oil spill in Lebanon not receiving prominence in the media? Israel have destroyed the majority of Lebanon's infrastructure, Lebanon's economy, murdered Lebanon's civilians and now Israel has created an environmental disaster that threatens the sea, marine life and coastline of Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Cyprus,” nourahayaam said.

It's clearly begun. The big offensive. Channel 2 news just did its midnight update. The defense correspondent was reporting live from Metulla on the northern border… He did say, though, that it sounded “very aggressive.” allisonks Said. Shortly after the blogger prayed for minimal IDF casualties and as few innocent civilian deaths as possible, he got an update reporting that 15 Israeli soldiers were killed.

“In all the previous wars of Israel with the Arabs countries , the Arab countries usually blocked the media from covering the news and Israel usually showed all what it got ,now Israel is blocking the media from covering the news and we are showing everything,” Zeinobia quoting Hezbollah leader in his recent televised speech. She also lists almost all points of his speech in order.

“While the whole world is preoccupied with the situation in Lebanon, Israel has been taking this chance to kill more civilians in Gaza, and kidnap the odd cabinet minister from the democratically elected Hamas government. Israel's latest victim is the speaker of the parliament, Aziz Dwaik, who was abducted from his home and tortured in an Israeli prison. In fact, Dwaik was beaten so badly, he had to be taken to a hospital. To add to that his lawyers were not allowed to visit him in the hospital,” Omar said.

Nepali Netbook on the political choices in Nepal and why it would take quite some effort to sidetrack the issue of reinstating monarchy.

In Sri Lanka yesterday, there was a bomb blast. Roam Digital on how life goes on and with links to photographs.

Deshapalana on the escalating conflict in Sri Lanka, and why the people of Sri Lanka must make themselves heard and communicate to the conflict actors.

Tuk to the Road is a blog about “the trials and tukulations of Jo, Ants and Ting Tong the tuk tuk and our three-wheeled odyssey from Bangkok to Brighton…in aid of the mental health charity Mind. […] On May 20th we're off on the trip of a lifetime, a 10,000 mile road trip from Bangkok to Brighton in a tuk tuk. Yes, you read right, a tuk tuk. One of those noisy, slightly uncomfortable machines you get catapulted around Thailand and India on.” Jo and Ants have just finished the Russia leg of their “tukathon” and are on their way into Ukraine.

Mat Savelli of Roma Roma posts a Romanian tourism commercial and, as if to illustrate how inaccurate it is, follows up with an account of his stay in the town of Satu Mare.

Warsaw Station writes about Poland's “budget blues” and other financial matters.

The beatroot writes about Poland's attempts to look like “Israel's best friend in Europe.”

Douglas Arellanes writes on how his mother nearly failed to enter the Czech Republic because her passport was to expire in fewer than 90 days: “Her passport expires in October, but apparently in an effort at tit-for-tat over the continuation of visa requirements for Czechs who want to visit the US, Czech authorities are requiring passports to be at least 90 days ahead of their expiration.”

Eric Gordy of East Ethnia posts mini-reviews of the Balkan books he's read.

Loogic introduces (ES) Fresa.tv, a bilingual gossip blog with regular broadcasts in Spanish and English.

Boz asks “what's the matter with… Ecuador?” as 60 to 80% of surveyed voters remain undecided just two months before elections.

Guest author Carlos X pens his memories of the 1990 Bajada, a religious observance which culminates the week of August festivals in El Salvador. “It was my first return to El Salvador more than a decade after leaving the country on the eve of the Civil War as a ten year-old child …”

Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo explains why a country not known for its citizens' height has such gigantic doorways.

Ki Media blog is reporting the death of veteran Cambodian actor Loto. Loto managed to survive the the Khmer Rouge regime regime and was seen recently on screen in Matt Dillon's 2002 film “City of Ghosts“

The blogger at Daily Brunei Resources relates the

East Asia