The World is Talking. Global Politics

“Slowly but steadily, a string of Democratic Party figures is taking Barack Obama’s side in the presidential nominating race and raising the pressure on Hillary Clinton to give up,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “is expected to endorse Sen. Obama Monday, according to a Democrat familiar with her plans. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s seven Democratic House members are poised to endorse Sen. Obama as a group — just one has so far — before that state’s May 6 primary, several Democrats say.”

“Helping to drive the endorsements is a fear that the Obama-Clinton contest has grown toxic and threatens the Democratic Party’s chances against Republican John McCain in the fall.”

Update: The Raleigh News and Observer reports Obama endorsements by North Carolina Democrats are coming — but that it’s not likely to be the full seven in the congressional delegation.

Zimbabwe elections in pictures: “The Netherlands Institute of Southern Africa (NiZA) kindly gave us a grant to capture the Zimbabwe election in pictures. Using that grant a team of 3 journalists (two in Zimbabwe and one in South Africa) have been bringing you all the drama and action of the election - in PICTURES!!!”

First six seats to be announced officially in Zimbabwe elections: “Chegutu West MDC MT 6772 / ZPF 3713 / MDC AM 750 /, Chipinge Central ZPF 6377 / MDC MT 5862 /, Goromonzi West ZPF 6193 / MDC MT 5931 /”

Bev Clark writes about elections in Zimbabwe:”But what now? What is the MDC waiting for . . . the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s “official” results which everyone is suspicious of? It seems odd to temper a wonderfully audacious move (claiming victory) with the predictable path of comparing results.”

DANWEI has organized a panel discussion on foreign media's news coverage of China. Here is a sum up.

Mansurhon tries to understand the purpose of the Center for Political studies founded by Gulnara Karimova, daughter of Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov and rumored successor of the country's leader.

Adam Kesher meets Joanna Lillis, a journalist working in Kazakhstan for Eurasianet.Org and Al-Jazeera television. She’s been living in Kazakhstan for 3 years already, and they talk about her first impressions about the country and how they changed over these years.

A documentary film about the controversial Yasukuni shrine, shot by a Chinese filmmaker through funding by a Japanese government agency, has sparked debate and discussion after a group within the ruling LDP party convened a screening to assess its “neutrality”. Bloggers offer differing views on the move and on the idea of their government subsidizing what some see as a “political” film.

Shangguan from Tianya blog felt that the Chinese government campaign against western media in the report of Tibet riot has stirred up nationalistic sentiment in China [zh].

Blog worker wrote a letter to gutsy youths who vote to use counter culture spirit for changes in Taiwan [zh].