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The Guardian's Jack Shenker writes about the use of online technologies in the struggle against Egypt's repressive regime.

In today's roundup: China, Tibet, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Iran, Nauru and the USA. Photo of pro-Tibet demonstration by Flickr user mejules.

The sad reality is that Zimbabwe’s downward spiral seems to be hitting new lows every day.

Robert Mugabe, a despot so astute in playing on the anti-colonial
sentiments of his younger democratic neighbours, has managed to
manipulate his skewered view of the world on a helpless country. 

In today's roundup: Zimbabwe, Egypt, Italy, Burma, Australia and China.

Photo of Pangsau, Burma, by Flickr user Artisteinconnu-back.

In today's roundup: Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nepal, China and Italy.

In today's roundup: Zimbabwe, Uganda, China and the IOC, Burma, Nepal, Slovakia and the EU. Image of Zimbabwe abuse from Sokwanele's Flickr stream.

Asia: The Olympic torch relay moves to San Francisco, yet another venue for a growing protest against China's human rights abuses, treatment of Tibet and complicity in Darfur. This probably isn't exactly what China was hoping for. BBC also offers a point-counterpoint. In South Korea, turnout is low at parliamentary elections, in spite of freebies being used to lure voters to the polls. Some worry that Maoists in Nepal have been intimidating the population as it prepares to elect an assembly on Thursday that will create a new constitution. 

Africa: While Zimbabwe waits for election results, opposition party MDC says supporters of Robert Mugabe, including police and militia, are now attacking its members. Sokwanele has a first-person account from a volunteer who helped the MDC during the election. ANC leader Jacob Zuma slammed the delay in releasing results, while current President Thabo Mbeki was criticized for his stance. Kenya's opposition party has walked away from talks over forming a cabinet, prompting riots and fear of a return to the post-election chaos that gripped the country in January. Turnout at municipal elections in Egypt - which are rigged, as usual - has been low.

Caribbean: High food prices prompt mobs to attack the presidential palace in Haiti. 

As we, your trusted democracy bloggers, scour the internet for democracy related articles/news/ stories etc, we often come across pieces of text/video/ multimedia that keep us amused and inspired.
One video that has got a fair amount of attention (and well worth listening to) is a speech made by US Senator, Barack Obama on race issues in America.

Another (less serious) find is a website dedicated to democracy games. In a simple and fun way, issues surrounding citizenship and responsibility are explored in games such as “Councillor Quest II” and “Captain Campaign”. Enjoy!

Africa: Curiously, with official results still not released, Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party is demanding a recount. If this odd development does not indicate Mugabe's weakening hold, then perhaps the increasingly firm resistance by the MDC party -- including this letter by leader Morgan Tsvangirai to the Guardian -- does. My allusion to a cabinet agreement in Kenya last week proved premature, although the power-sharing leaders insist they're still working on it. In Egypt, long-running (and largely unreported in Western media) protests and demonstrations by striking textile workers led to police clashes.

Asia: More riots in Tibet, while thousands turned out to jeer the Olympic torch as it made the rounds of London (picture from Flickr user dantesinferno).

Further reading: The Guardian documents changes in Cuba, and in the NY Times Magazine, a journalist returns to Liberia.