In the latest wrap-up from news outlets and bloggers across the globe:

  • Guardian – China dissidents hope Olympics not like Berlin Games
    One of China's leading dissidents, Chen Ziming, hopes the Beijing Olympics will be like the Seoul Games in 1988 and lead to political reform and not like the Nazi propaganda-driven Berlin Olympics of 1936 …

  • Ninemsn – Amnesty worried about crackdown in China
    China is using the Beijing Olympics as a pretext to pursue - and in some cases tighten - a crackdown on human rights, notably ridding the capital of "undesirables", Amnesty International charged .

  • Telegraph – China plans sweeping purge of Tibetan monasteries
    Monks with "attitude problems", or who refuse to change their thinking in line with official demands, will be dismissed or jailed …

  • Telegraph – BBC banned but pornography for sale in Olympic village
    The blocking of politically sensitive sites, including those dealing with Tibet and Taiwan, remained in place today despite government assurances that censorship would be lifted during the Games …

  • Radio Australia – Beijing Olympic village opens
    Olympic organisers say the haze which has been virtually blocking out the sun in Beijing over the past few days isn't that bad …

  • Globe and Mail – Beijing lockdown
    In the small Beijing suburb of Hongxialu, there's a new force in town. The government has recruited a special unit of 288 residents, mostly middle-aged or elderly, to work as "security volunteers" in the lead-up to the Olympics …

  • Wall St Journal – Beijing organizers say promises fulfilled for summer Olympics
    Organizers of the Beijing Olympics said they had met the commitments they made to host the Summer Games, even as they face criticism over media access, Internet censorship and air quality ...

  • Danwei Blog – 253 million Internet users and counting
    CNNIC is a state-owned organization that put out official figures about China's Internet …

  • Time Blog – BOCOG says sorry
    Seeing that this generated a fair bit of commentary--and argument--I think it's worth noting that the Beijing Olympic Committee apologized for the behavior of the police during the scuffles at the Olympic ticket sales last week …