Global Voices Online

Trinidadian blogger saucydiva, who's been making the rounds of the “mas' camps” in Port of Spain in search of a Carnival costume, pays a visit to the headquarters of Pulse 8, whose “Wicked Waitress” costume is priced at US$400.

Luis M. Garcia reports that the Cuban National Ballet is receiving mixed reviews on its tour of Europe and notes that a visit to Cuba by Evo Morales has been reported on Cuban television.

Malaysian blogger Volume of Interactions watches a documentary on trafficking of women while on a visit to Australia. The blogger is disturbed by the fact that most of the trafficking transits through Malaysia. “What irks me so much is that these things are happening right now within our very borders, perhaps no further than a stone's throw from where i work. Its an issue of terrifying proportions yet i had to travel to a foreign country to learn and listen from a frank discussion of the problem. Why don't we hear about these things in our local news? “

Collectif Haiti de Provence links (Fr) to a metropolehaiti.com article explaining the hurdles that parents and children alike faced today in going back to school. Namely, according to the Minister of Education Gabriel Bien-Aime, only 10% of schoolchildren will be able to start school this week, a number lower than usual. He cites the lack of security as a major hurdle in neighborhoods affected by gangs. He also announced the government's plan to decrease discrimination in book distribution; the plan entails favoring the neediest schools and the most remote areas.

Faced with evidence that the French soccer team wore blue jerseys in 1998 and 2000 when the team had better World Cup luck, Le Blog de [Moi] theorizes (Fr) that the team's choice of a white jersey for this year's World Cup final was unwise.

Robert Mayer of Publius Pundit interviews a 22-year-old Belarusian activist who now lives in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Le Blog de [Moi] marvels (Fr) at the amount of attention her blog received for a video of an Ursula Martinez act at the Juste Pour Rire festival in Montreal. She says: “I was linked to from all countries and in all languages.”

All About Latvia writes about Sandra Kalniete, the newest candidate for president: “Kalniete’s biography represents Latvian history before and after the fall of the Soviet Union.”

Bored in Brno writes about trams and records a tram ride soundscape/podcast.