Stories about Breaking News from May, 2008
Brazil: Visible and Invisible Indians and Scoops
Brazilian Indians were in the spotlight of world media this week. From the images of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon, to the enraged protest caught on camera against the building of dams along the Xingu River in the Amazon basin where an official of Brazil’s national electric company got slashed by traditional machetes and clubs.
China: After the quake, hoping for aid
From inside and outside China, concerned citizens are helping, and putting their hands out to help the victims of the devastating 7.9 in the Richter scale earthquake that leveled out industrial cities, transforming them into refugee camps where people are living under plastic bags, trying to find out their relatives and remake their lives. Four different videos bring us perspectives on how people are dealing with their losses all around the world, and how reaching out to help others could help help ease the pain.
Malawi's Ex-President Under House Arrest
Following recent reports of alleged coup plotters, police picked up and put Malawi's former president Bakili Muluzi under house arrest. Lilongwe-based Journalist Bright Sonani gives eyewitness accounts as events unfolded at Kamuzu International Aiport in Lilongwe where Muluzi was picked as he arrived from a trip from the UK.
China: Relief tents embezzled, while stoppers got arrested
Diaster-relief tents were found in up-scale community and college campus in Chengdu city rather than any refugee site where they should be. Activists took action to check out the fact, while at the night of 21st, a conflict strangely burst out between police and embezzlement stoppers.
Lebanon: A deal is reached in Doha
“Beirut – Lebanon is where the action will be after a deal was reached yesterday to end the political crises in Lebanon. Finally Lebanon this week will have a president and the tent city will disappear … hurray …what a break …The Lebanese will never forget Qatar,” reports tearsforlebanon in...
Brazil: Images of the ‘Invisible Indians’ in the Amazon
Altino Machado presents pictures [PT] of what could be the last isolated ethnic group in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, the so called ‘Invisible Indians’. The pictures were taken from a plane by José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Jr., coordinator of FUNAI's [Brazilian National Indian Foundation] Ethno-environmental Protection Front, in the...
Philippines in mourning over death of legendary labor leader
The death of Filipino veteran labor leader, street parliamentarian and legislator Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran at 11:48 am Tuesday due to massive head injuries saddened and shocked many Filipinos. He was 75.
Government confiscates Cambodia Daily supplement
deathpower reports about the government's confiscation of Cambodia Daily newspaper because of its “Burma Daily” supplement. details are sketchy writes: “The speculation is that the government is worried that the Cambodia Daily will, if it hasn’t already, print embarrassing revelations about the Burmese government, thus causing a fast ally to...
Earthquake in Malaysia and Indonesia
An earthquake was felt in Indonesia and Malaysia yesterday. nicster^ rants v.3 wrote: “Barely a couple of hours ago, I suddenly felt nauseous. At first, I thought that it was just a reaction from the bad tummy I’ve had all afternoon.” Read also some Twitter posts about the tremor in...
Malaysia: Mahathir quits ruling party
Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad has resigned from the ruling party. Tumpang sekole asks: Will Mahathir's move spark off the possibility of a snap election?
Malawi: To believe or not to believe rumors of a coup plot
Following Victor Kaonga's Monday May 12th breaking news post of the unusual arrests in Malawi of high ranking former and current military and police officers, as well as opposition figures, amid government accusations of a coup plot, Malawian bloggers and netizens have been reacting to the news with shock, skepticism, bewilderment, and ambivalence.
China:国殇; survival stories in QUAKE
No pen could suffice to write out all those happened and happening in where the quake struck. But undeniable, numerous common people created one after another legends of life,survival and sacrifice on this unprecedented crisis, transcending even the most formidable disaster. They are record-worthy. In memory of this trauma of China.
Paraguay: Marginalized Sectors Drawing Attention to Demands
As the start of Paraguayan president-elect Fernando Lugo's government approaches, many marginalized sectors of society are making their demands heard. RESCATAR [es] writes that there are “positive social tensions”, as some groups such as the landless movements are occupying lands in order to draw attention to their demands.
Storm batters north Philippines
Pine for Pine and My Journal wrote about the strong typhoon which battered north Philippines last weekend
Japan: Earthquake aid starts healing process
The largest ever dispatch of aid to China from Japan took place last week when Japanese rescue teams were dispatched to Chongqing. Thanks expressed by Chinese in bulletin boards made it back to articles on the Japanese-language Internet and sparked hopeful reactions among many bloggers, some finding a common understanding in a shared history of earthquake disasters.
Japan: Bloggers criticize Greenpeace over whale-meat theft
The reputation of Greenpeace Japan appears to have dropped a few notches this week, with news that the organization, in order to expose the theft of whale meat by crew members of a whaling research ship, itself stole meat to use as evidence of the crime. Members of Greenpeace Japan admitted to having entered a delivery company's distribution center in Tokyo on April 15th without permission in order to seize packages of whale meat.
Bangladesh: Child Labour
Unheard Voices on the increasing trend of child labour in Bangladesh.
India: Dr Binayak Sen and the Government
Break All Chains on the case of Dr Binayak Sen, who is a public health specialist and currently jailed in India on charges of being associated with the Naxalite movement.
Zimbabwe: Taking your power back
Taking power back to the people in Zimbabwe: “As Zimbabweans, we also have to start taking our power – from the politicians and unelected ministers and military authorities who are running the country instead of the democratically elected parliament.”
Myanmar: Citizen videos in Cyclone Nargis’ aftermath
Despite restrictions on journalists imposed by the Burmese junta who govern the country, people have been going out and recording what is really happening to the victims of this natural disaster. On May 2nd, 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma), generating massive damage and tens of thousands dead or missing.
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.
