Among other things, we all seem to share a love for silly photographs. Like this one – Juliana, our environment editor and Renata from Guatemala decided to pose in a decidedly Bollywoodesque pose near a flower bed. Among other things, I discovered that Juliana laughs at just about everything, and that Renata could easily be a Bollywood star, given her ease with the dancing style. Here they are – gazing into each other’s eyes, which I photographed with much mirth.

Liveblogging the summit as it unfolds in Budapest. More updates on this post –

Session 2

Session 3

GV has been amazing really. From the lean crowd in London in 2005, to this sudden swell of over 200 people sitting here in Budapest. (Any many more mailing in from their respective living rooms).

I got here yesterday afternoon, and since I had the day to myself, went off to soak in the city and all the sunniness it offers. It’s a relief to not see the usual grey skies of London bearing down on one’s shoulders. Old buildings right next to the ugliness of the sixties and seventies. An aesthetic mish-mash of old aristocracy and the communist monstrosities. Yesterday, riding the metro here, I suddenly realized how much a city can be felt and understood by just using public transport. Dim florescent-ish lights in blue-green coaches.

Bangladeshi blogger and journalist Tasneem Khalil has been arrested by the joint forces tonight. One of his colleagues (also a renowned blogger) broke the news requesting anonymity. They are afraid to speak out. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Tasneem Khalil (26) is an editorial assistant of the Daily Star , a popular news daily in Bangladesh. He is also the representative of CNN and Human Rights Watch in Bangladesh. His recent articles concentrated on the extra judicial killings in Bangladesh by the joint forces and other human rights issues. After the declaration of the state of emergency in January 11, it is apparent that army is behind the Care taker (interim) Government in Bangladesh. There is an emergency act in place in the country curtailing civil rights which gives power to the authority to arrest any person without conviction. He was called in for questioning by military intelligence last week.

I think to a certain extent in India, it’s so easy for us to be cynical about blogs. Be dismissive. Because there’s a relatively greater degree of freedom of the press. But if you look closely at countries where press freedom is severely curtailed, blogs offer so much freedom to journalists to express and articulate opinions, which wouldn’t otherwise be published by the press. That aside, the interim government also appears to have poor PR skills. In the last three weeks, an ex-prime minister (who has better PR skills) isn’t initially allowed back into the country and now a journalist is arrested. Not to mention, election dates that are nowhere in sight.

Update – He’s no longer in custody. Yay!

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And the latest addition – Gaurav Mishra (who is insanely fond of linking) who will subject Lit Blogs to his unfailing scrutiny. Sadly though, his first post hits a sombre note.

On that note, Global Voices has a nice surprise up its rather global sleeves that should be out in a few days. Hee Hee!