15 May 2008
Stories from 15 May 2008
Russia: Roses and Migrant Workers
Russian photographer Oleg Klimov visited a commercial greenhouse outside Moscow and posted his observations about a birthplace of the roses one buys in Russia's capital.
China: Seismologist Claims Sichuan Earthquake Was Predicted
Li Shihui, a researcher of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, exposed in his blog that the Sichuan earthquake was predicted at an earlier time. In spite of the various rumors of earthquake omens, Li's specialty and systematic statement have helped him gain many people's confidence, even after his controversial articles are deleted by the network administrator.
Notes From Berkman@10 Conference
At the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, attendees and special guests discussed “The Future of the Internet,” and its political dimensions and its affect on the global community. In addition, during the opening remarks there was an announcement that the Berkman Center will become a university-wide research center. GV author Renata Avila is attending the celebration and provides these notes.
Palestine: Sixty Years of Al Nakba
Celebrations are under way to mark Israel's 60th anniversary - but for millions of Palestinians whose grandparents and parents were made refugees in the process, today marks Al Nakba - a day they were forced to flee their lands or were forcefully expelled from their homes as the State of Israel was born. Following is a cross-section of reactions from Arab bloggers.
Lebanon: Back from the Abyss??
While the situation in Lebanon remains uncertain, Lebanese bloggers keep writing about their fears, pain and disappointment. Of course, there is new hope: a deal brokered by the Arab League to end the strikes which have brought Lebanon to the brink of second civil war is being finalized. But all signs point to a deal made on terms highly favorable to Hezbollah, which, according one blogger, means a return to peace is an “illusion.” Here is a small selection of what some of those who write in French have to say.
Macedonia: Bloggers Emphasize Need for Open Communication with Greece
Amid the internal turmoil caused by Greek actions to block Macedonia's accession to NATO and the EU, and due to an increasing number of reports of attacks over Macedonian truck drivers by nationalist mobs in Greece, many Macedonian bloggers are attempting to bridge the gap of ignorance existing between the two nations.
Israel: Iranian Grad Missiles Hit Ashkelon Mall
Hours after President George W Bush arrived in Israel, Iranian Grad missiles penetrated the roof of an Ashkelon mall. Four people, including a mother and her toddler, were seriously wounded. In addition, 87 others were transferred to a hospital. Gilad Lotan brings us the reactions of the Hebrew blogosphere.
Kazakhstan: Monuments, Economics, Gender and Media
The blogosphere of Kazakhstan was not too keen to discuss perturbations in the official government. The traditional May holidays have become a naturally most popular theme, however many other issues...
Japan: Views on the Sichuan Earthquake

The earthquake in China's Sichuan province, besides taking its toll on tens of thousands of Chinese citizens, has also had reverberations far away in the Japanese blogosphere, where the topic ranked top among blogging keyword lists and sparked conversations in forums over the past few days.
Ukraine: Moscow Mayor's Sevastopol Controversy
Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov got himself barred from Ukraine this week, after announcing during a trip to Sevastopol - "a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy" - that the city did not belong to Ukraine. Below are a few opinions from the Russophone blogosphere.




































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