Global Voices Online

Sepia Mutiny on the status of HIV/ AIDS in India - including recent positive news in securing treatment. However, the issue of awareness remains a problem. “Meanwhile, a study of 252 Indian truckers finds that over 40 percent have passed an STD to their wives, and that many believe that AIDS is a white man’s disease from which they are racially immune. Only 11 percent use condoms.”

The desecration of a statue causes unrest and violence. a reader's words writes “Once again, it is the rage against the Dalit rage that makes me side with those who are at the receiving end of society. There are dozens of blog posts expressing anger against the riots, very few that introspect or distinguish between the violence of the powerful and the violence of the dispossessed.”

All Things Pakistan looks at some lines of poetry written on the back of a bus with initial amusement and then with a slight sense of horror. The post and the comments discuss expectations from Pakistani women. “Roughly translated, it says: Girls these days are so proud of their beauty. They don’t know the first kalma, but speak in English.”

Metroblogs the world over are focusing on the gifts each city has given to the world. Metroblogging Lahore has a wonderful post focusing on the cuisine and delights for the foodies and Metroblogging Chennai has a series of delightful posts - including this one on Chennai's gift of Indo Saracenic Architecture.

On World AIDS Day, Metroblogging Islamabad on why Pakistan needs to be careful about HIV and get its awareness programs going. “A third of Pakistani truck drivers recently surveyed had never heard of condoms and 19 out of 20 who bought sex from women did not use condoms, according to UNAIDS.”

morris the pen on a ten year old child who was rescued from a life of abuse. “Let’s not forget: we are talking here about a very young child, whose life experience already includes beating, torture and the threat of murder.

Salam Dhaka in a very brief post points to the growing number of videos on video sharing sites relating to Bangladesh. “On-line video is becoming a political tool for the growing web savy youths of Bangladesh. Political parties, social organizations, musicians are using it to spread their messages.”