Stories about Breaking News from November, 2008
India: Blasts, Gunfire and Terror in Mumbai
In a series of blasts and shoot outs, the city of Mumbai appears to have come under attack. According to the news, there appear to be at least seven different...
Afghanistan: Rocket Attack in Kabul
Joshua Foust says that reported roadside bomb and a rocket attack in Kabul didn't seem to be burning up the international agencies’ wires.
Egypt: Getting High on Obama
Barack Obama's popularity in Egypt reaches a new high - with the introduction of a narcotic to the market bearing the President-elect's name. According to bloggers, dealers in the Mediterranean town of Marsa Matrouh are selling Obama branded hashish.
Thailand: Airport chaos and travel advisory
Surawut at Thai Blogs reports on the chaos at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok Pundit reports the Australian government has put out a new travel advisory.
Japan: Employment promised and then revoked
Using the excuse of financial instability, new graduates in Japan, after being hired initially, are finding that unofficial promises of employment are then being revoked, a trend that blogger Akinori...
Thailand: Rallies and Twitter updates
Thailand’s anti-government protesters have surrounded the Parliament building; they are demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. Thai bloggers and Twitter users have been sending updates about the protest actions in Bangkok.
DRC: Didace Namujimbo Radio Okapi Journalist Murdered
Cedric Kalonji writes about the tragic shooting death of Didace Namujimbo [Fr], the second Radio Okapi journalist to be murdered in Bukavu: “After learning this news, I was torn between pain, sadness...
Thailand: Protesters surround Parliament building
Anti-government protesters have surrounded the Parliament building of Thailand. They are demanding the removal of the Prime Minister.
Japan: Bloggers debate prohibition of cannabis
Starting with the case of two sumo wrestlers who tested positive for marijuana at the beginning of September and continuing with the announcement last week by Waseda University that three students were arrested over suspicions of growing cannabis, scandals related to the use of cannabis have topped the headlines in the media over the last few weeks in Japan.
Egypt: Uproar as Lawyer Suggests Raping Israeli Women
Voice of Egypt is ashamed of Egyptian Lawyer Nagla Al Imam, the same lawyer who made Egyptians angry, for encouraging Arab men to sexually harass Israeli women during her interview on Al Arabia TV (Ar). Marwa Rakha translates from Arabic.
Madagascar: South Korean Land Deal Sparks Controversy
South Korea has just leased half of all the arable land in Madagascar according to the Financial Times. This has stirred quite a debate in the Malagasy blogosphere about land sovereignty and economic development. It is still unclear whether the land deal has actually been signed by both parties. Meanwhile, bloggers are arguing whether this sort of deal should be considered “neo-colonialism”.
China: Deadly subway tunnel collapse – who to blame?
On 15, Nov, a 100-meters-long--50m-wide section of the subway tunnel under construction collapsed. The most serious subway accident ever in China claimed more than 21. But far more than that, the accident might imply more incoming tragedies, since the danger is not simply lurking in tunnels, steel rods, or under roadbeds, but deeply in our system.
Japan: Suginami Ward proposes removal of Street View images
Following on a request by the Machida city council for regulation of Google's Street View service, recently introduced in Japan, Asiajin reports that the ward of Suginami in central Tokyo...
China: Baidu's new scandal.
CCTV reported that Baidu, referred to as China's Google, had accepted money from illegal medical companies and placed their Web links on top of search results. Baidu’s marketing employees were...
Japan: Economic recession? A dejavue.
id:norikku225 at Let's survive the subprime shock! (サブプライムショックを生き残ろう！) [ja] comments on news that the Japanese economy has entered a recession, as reported by national [ja] andinternational [en] media. The blogger...
Thailand: Blast inside protest site
An anti-government protester was killed and scores were wounded in a bomb blast Thursday inside a demonstration site in Bangkok. The blast was dropped in the Government House complex. Check...
Egypt: No More Natural Gas to Israel
An Egyptian court has banned the export of natural gas to Israel. Marwa Rakha briefs us about the deal, and what an Egyptian blogger is writing about the court order in this post.
Colombia: Government, banking and pyramid schemes
Colombians are buzzing in outrage after the collapse last week of several investment offices which were operating as Ponzi schemes and pyramids, where people would deposit their savings and receive up to 300% in return. The last company standing was DMG, which has a massive following and is now being investigated and its owners arrested for alleged connections with drug trafficking cartels, money laundry and unlawful acquisition of funds. Surprising though, is that their followers have been unfailing in their support, defending DMG and its strategies on forums, comments and websites.
Jamaica: March for Peace
A recent upsurge in crime over the last few weeks has Jamaicans gravely concerned. Last week's discovery of the body of an eleven (11) year old boy was the latest...
Costa Rica: Earthquake Felt and Reported on Twitter
Cristian Cambronero of @fusildechispas [es] felt the recent earthquake in San José, Costa Rica and noticed others on Twitter did too, “16 tweets in the first minute after a strong...
China: Protest and Repression at Earthquake Area, Gansu Longnan
According to mainstream news report, around 30 peasants from Wudu（武都） district Dongjiang（東江） town paid a petition visit to the Longnan（隴南） city committee yesterday (17-18 of Nov), but it ended with...
