Global Voices Online

Japan and Google Street View 2008

Google Street View arrived in Japan in August, one year after its debut in the United States. The photo mapping service immediately drew criticism. Despite the Google's generally positive image in this country, Japanese online bulletin board threads and blogs were filled with comments about how Street View was rolled out. more »

U.S. Presidential Election 2008

Americans are the only ones who can elect the United States president, but the 2008 election offers a unique opportunity to harvest global commentary on America's politics and foreign policy and how it affects the rest of the world. more »

Ghosts, ghouls, myths and legends

Throughout most of the western world, Halloween is celebrated on October 31st and All Saints Day is commemorated on November 2nd. These couple of days are ones where the living think back on the dead, and when ghosts, ghouls, myths and legends are remembered in stories and tales. more »

China Poisonous Milk Scandal 2008

On September 11, 2008 China's biggest milk powder producer, the Sanlu Group ordered a recall of its milk products because melamine, a chemical used in plastics, was found in their products. The incident resulted in enormous public outrage in China, when it turned out that Sanlu was notified about the melamine several weeks earlier. At least 3 babies have died as a result of poisoning. more »

South Ossetia Crisis 2008

On August 8, 2008 fighting intensified between the Georgian and Russian military on the outskirts of Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Earlier in the week, Georgia and the South Ossetian separatist government had concluded a truce after an outbreak of fighting for which each side blamed the other. more »

Beijing Oympics 2008

The Olympics in Beijing have begun! Thanks to support from Reuters, Global Voices is covering citizen media reactions to the Olympics from citizens in China and around the world on our special coverage page and in our Olympics Twitter feed. more »

AIDS 2008 Conference

The XVII International AIDS Conference is taking place in Mexico City from August 3rd to 8th, 2008. The event, which is the largest international meeting on a global health issue, occurs every two years in a different city. more »

Open Culture /iSummit 2008

The fourth global iSummit will be held by in Sapporo, Japan from 29 July to 1 August, 2008. The meeting, convened by iCommons, will bring together pioneers of the free Internet from over 60 countries to discuss open education, access to knowledge, free software, open access publishing and free culture communities. Several Global Voices contributors will be attending and blogging the iSummit. more »

Radovan Karadžić's Arrest 2008

Radovan Karadžić was arrested in Belgrade by Serbian security officers in July 2008 on charges of genocide after evading capture for more than 13 years. He lived under the alias Dr. Dragan David Dabić and practiced alternative medicine. Read the astonished reactions of Balkan bloggers. more »

Israel-Lebanon Prisoner Exchange 2008

They say one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter, and seldom has it been more apparent than in the aftermath of the exchange of prisoners between Israel and Lebanon on July 16, 2008. Bloggers across the Middle East are the witnesses of events unfolding in parallel emotional universes, with shared physical borders. more »

Colombia Hostage Rescue 2008

On July 2, 2008, Colombian security forces launched a rescue operation that successfully freed 15 hostages taken by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Among the liberated were former presidential candidate Íngrid Betancourt, 11 members of the Colombian security forces and 3 U.S. citizens. more »

Sichuan Earthquake 2008

On May 12, an earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter scale struck in southwestern China's Sichuan province, centered in Wenchuan county, with tremors felt as far away as Beijing and Hong Kong. Thousands have died. Citizens have distributed videos, pictures, and comments in the aftermath. more »

Myanmar Cyclone 2008

A deadly cyclone hit Myanmar (Burma) at the beginning of May, causing massive human loss of life and environmental destruction. International controversy has followed over the military junta's refusals and delays to allow aid workers and journalists to enter the country or reach disaster areas. more »

Global Food Crisis 2008

Bloggers around the world have noticed the global increase in food prices. Global Voices authors translate and link to the observations of ordinary people writing in blogs in many different countries. For some it's a matter of life and death, for others a mere inconvenience. more »

Egypt General Strike 2008

What started as a day of general strike in Egypt on April 6, to protest inflation, low wages, and the ongoing bread crisis, has sprawled into a face-off between authorities and the masses. Now Egyptian bloggers are working around the clock to tell the world about the workers' revolt that is shaking their country. more »

Zimbabwe Elections 2008

On March 29, 2008 Zimbabweans cast their votes in the presidential election. Days later, the official result has still not been declared. MDF opposition leader Morgan Tsvagirai, has claimed victory over the incumbent president Robert Mugabe of Zanu (PF), but power may not change hands without a fight. more »

Tibet Protests 2008

On March 10, 2008 hundreds of Tibetans in Lhasa began protesting on the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Beijing rule. Police arrested protesters, and violence in the streets has escalated in the following days. Bloggers across the region have responded. more »

Border Crisis in South America 2008

On March 1, 2008 the Colombian Armed Forces attacked a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) located in the territory of Ecuador, killing a high-ranking leader, Raúl Reyes. As a result, the neighboring countries Venezuela and Ecuador publicly questioned the incursion into Ecuador, which ultimately led to the breaking of diplomatic ties. more »

Kenya Elections Aftermath 2008

On Dec. 27 a surprise victory for former president Mwai Kibaki (PNU) in the Kenyan presidential election was followed by arson and violence aroused by suspicions of vote rigging. More than 200 have been killed (mostly from the Kikuyu tribe) and tens of thousands displaced. more »

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The death of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan comes at a crucial time for Pakistan, as a political emergency period was recently lifted, and elections are scheduled for January 2008. Bloggers writing from Pakistan and around the world have expressed shock and concern. more »

Climate Change 2007

Global warming is already a life and death matter for many world citizens. Without new political solutions, the environmental crisis will grow beyond control. From 3-14 December representatives of more than 180 countries are meeting at a UN Summit in Bali, Indonesia to discuss a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. more »

Middle East Peace 2007

Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Leaders of Israel and Palestine once again showed up for peace negotiations in the United States at the end of November, but evidence of true progress is lacking. Bloggers in the Middle East vent their frustrations, hopes, and first hand experiences on the long, bumpy road towards peace. more »

Pakistan Emergency 2007

On 3rd Nov 2007, the President of Pakistan and Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. Private television channels were taken off air, local phones and internet were blocked. Bloggers in Pakistan have responded to the situation, even as criticizing the government or mobilizing action could pose a risk to their personal safety. more »

Burmese protests 2007

Democracy activists aligned with Buddhist monks led massive protests of civilians throughout the streets of Myanmar. Burmese bloggers and citizen media were the main source for images, videos and live reports, in a country where Western media has virtually no access. more »