The World is Talking. Global Politics

“The media was instrumental is getting this country to where it is today. There were white journalists who risked their lives and even paid the ultimate price to give this country its democracy. What were these black journalists discussing, closeted together with Zuma, that they didn’t want white journalists to hear???,” writes ONC Today following the decision by the Forum of Black Journalists (FBJ) to exclude White journalists from covering an off-the-record briefing by Jacob Zuma.

Despite months of investigating a possible White House bid, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg writes in the New York Times that he’s out.

“And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I’ll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.”

Bangkok Pundit looks the issues surrounding former Thai prime minister Thaksin's diplomatic passport. Thaksin is set to return to Thailand from his exile after he was overthrown in a coup back in 2006.

New Critics will be hosting a live-blog hootenanny of tonight’s nail-biting semi-finale episode of Project Runway, in which the drapery-mad Rami and rumpled Chris vie to reach the final three for the Fashion Week throwdown showdown. The suspense–it’s too much!…

Sen. Barack Obama has widened his lead nationally over Sen. Hillary Clinton in the latest Gallup tracking poll, 48% to 43%. For much of the last week the race has been virtually even.

In the GOP race, Sen. John McCain leads Mike Huckabee, 63% to 22%.

A Civitas Institute poll in North Carolina shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. Hillary Clinton, 38% to 24%, in the Democratic presidential race.

On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain leads Mike Huckabee, 50% to 23%.

North Carolina’s primary is held on May 6.

In general election match ups, McCain beats either Democrat by double-digits.

A MTSU poll in Tennessee shows Sen. Hillary Clinton does better againts Sen. John McCain in a general election matchup than Sen. Barack Obama. However, McCain wins both pairings.

McCain tops Clinton, 45% to 41%, beats Obama, 53% to 37%.

Bermudan blogger Vexed Bermoothes, on learning that the Cayman Islands is updating its Constitution following “rigorous public consultation”, asks: “Are we just so used to corrupt governance that normalcy seems unusual?”

Jamaica and the World puts in her two cents' worth on everything from a Minister being charged with fraud to the island's roller-coaster crime rate.

Ukrainiana writes about president Yushchenko's views on Ukrainian public education.