10 August 2008

Stories from 10 August 2008

Bolivia: Covering the Recall Referendum

  10 August 2008

Mario Durán writes about his day covering the Recall Referendum in El Alto, Bolivia [es] for his citizen's newspaper Al Minuto where he took photos in 3 voting places, “I moved around on foot, bicycle, automobile, tricycle, what an odyssey.”

Blogger of the Week: Gilad Lotan

An artist, programmer and technology explorer, Gilad Lotan has been giving Global Voices Online's readers routine insights into the Hebrew blogosphere since May 2007, covering Israel, where arguments get heated and emotions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run high. How does this 30 year old manage? How does he select the conversations he wants to cover and why? Also, what are his other interests? Learn more about Gilad Lotan in this week's Blogger of the Week interview.

Georgia, Russia: Blogger From Poti Recounts the Bombing

  10 August 2008

Here is LJ user pepsikolka's account of what it felt like when the Russian planes were bombing Poti, her native city: "[...] Around midnight I heard some roaring, ran up to the window and saw shaft of fire, explosions at the port and heard a deafening noise. I didn't even have the time to get scared, I just knew that if a cistern with oil at the terminal gets hit, there'll be fire and an explosion, so I grabbed the phone, called Tengo, Vika answered, screaming [...]"

Georgia: Kutaisi Protest

  10 August 2008

Regional Reporters [RU] says that despite an air raid on Kutaisi which has meant local residents no longer gather in the city center, parks and markets of Georgia's second largest city, thousands turned out to attend a protest action against Russia's military action.

Georgia: Peace Corps Evacuation

  10 August 2008

With the evacuation of foreign citizens in Georgia now underway, B & C Go To Georgia reports that Peace Corps Volunteers are being moved and might be evacuated to Armenia [Note: Some PCVs are already being evacuated]. Meanwhile, Sound and Fury says that it is concerned about the local girlfriend...

South Ossetia: Who Supplies Georgia With Arms?

  10 August 2008

LJ user dizainer [Russian] reposts a list – from the Russian Defence Ministry – of which countries are supplying Georgia with military materiel and what these are. A comment asks that if there is no military embargo on Georgia, why is not a list of car suppliers posted as well?

Georgia: Armenian Economic Concerns

  10 August 2008

The Armenian Economist comments on the military confrontation between Georgia and Russia noting that 96 percent of Armenia's trade goes via its northern neighbor. The blog says that Armenia will suffer as a result and concludes that it is now effectively blockaded on all sides.

Georgia: Stop Russian Aggression

  10 August 2008

Writing on the newly renamed Peace in Georgia, Diana Chachua calls for immediate action from the international community. The blogger says that if the European Union and NATO tolerates Russian military action in Georgia “your country can be next.”

South Ossetia: Information blackout of Russian views?

  10 August 2008

Remetalk's Journal [Russian] writes about the information blackout Russian officials feel they are experiencing when trying to get their message through in Western media. As one Foreign Ministry official said: “We would like it if Western TV-screens showed not only Russian tanks, not only reports on how Russia brought troops...

Georgia: Russian Roulette

  10 August 2008

With the Georgian government reporting that Tbilisi International Airport has been bombed and that 6,000 Russian troops have entered its territory along with a further 4,000 landing in Abkhazia, A Fistful of Euros says that Moscow was well prepared for a conflict over South Ossetia. Indeed, the blog asks, was...