Global Voices Online

Marilisa Lorusso's Blog comments on the conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia and says that the military solution has brought the world closer to a new Cold War. However, the blog notes, while the Georgian president continues to survive defeat on the battlefield, a political solution would have led to a situation that benefitted more of those involved — and not least hundreds of thousands of IDPs without homes in Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Kurdish blogger Rasti questions the motives behind Turkey's nuclear program: “Although there has been no official proof that Turkey is actively building a nuclear weapons, some experts on Turkey's nuclear program have recounted their support, suspicious that the energy program is a cover for a weapons program.”

Egyptian Blogger Zeinobia, wrote her reactions regarding the recent news stating that a group of high class Egyptian ladies led a protest all over Marina against the Imam of Marina’s mosque after his attack on the Turkish TV series “Nour”.

Security in the Caucasus, a new blog established by a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics currently undertaking field work in the region, says that the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia was largely the result of a major miscalculation by Tbilisi. The blog also says that the confrontation was one by proxy between the West and a re-assertive Russia.

LJ user olegpanfilov2 links (RUS) to a newspaper story (ENG) on Michael Lee White, a China-based U.S. citizen whose passport was allegedly stolen “during a flight from Moscow to New York” in Dec. 2005. Last week, “a Russian general […] displayed a blown-up photo” of the passport and claimed that it was found in Georgia. PM Putin said in a CNN interview that “the passport gave him reason to suspect U.S. military involvement in the Russia-Georgia conflict over South Ossetia.”

While discussing the plight of unrecognized states, blog Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus states that “If Russia does decide to recognize Georgia’s two separatist regions, they’d be in a diplomatic situation similar to North Cyprus.”

LJ user tema is one of the many Cyrillic bloggers who are unhappy with how the new LJ ads interrupt the flow of their posts; he shares a screenshot (RUS) of his blog to illustrate his point. Others are sharing a way to get rid of LJ ads in their posts; LJ user hydrargentum is one of them (RUS). At least 18 posts in today's Top 30 at Yandex Blogs (RUS) are about LJ ads and what to do about them. LJ user horinalex writes (RUS): “If they had introduced LJ ads on Aug. 8 (the day the war started in S. Ossetia), there would've been no war, everyone would've been discussing ads!”

Degrowchyowl from Pakistan on the intricacies of wearing a hijab - as an assertion of identity or as a reminder of one's faith.

All Things Pakistan asserts why tradition or religion does not justify or sanction honor killing.

Mash writes on the Sarah Palin being chosen as the running mate for McCain and feels that something doesn't quite fit.

Conversations with Dina has links to the web-based volunteer efforts for Hurricane Gustav in the US.

Behind the Poti Lines, a blog by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, reports on the recent visit by the Georgian president to the Russian-occupied port. The blog also notes that Russian soldiers are keeping interaction with residents to a minumum and no longer buying bread and vodka from local shops in the town. Poti is operating at 35 percent of its capacity because of the Russian bombing and occupation. Increasingly resembling a ghost town, local residents meet at people's homes rather than on the streets.

Cho identifies a costly constitutional blunder in Zambia: “A simple requirement in the constitution to have a presidential running mate would have saved Zambia (and its donor partners) a staggering $70m dollars - that is the estimated administrative cost of the upcoming bye-elections.”

Dirty, dirty politics in Zimbabwe: The MDC has unearthed a plot by the Attorney General’s office and members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) to secure convictions against MDC MPs in a bid to reverse the MDC majority in Parliament.

Damaria writes about the annual Digital Citizen Indaba in South Africa where she is the keynote speaker.