· May, 2008

Stories about Breaking News from May, 2008

Iraq: Stop the massacre in Sadr City…

… so says Al-Ghad. In the weeks following the high profile attack on Basra by the Iraqi army and its high profile failure something of a low-level war has been going on across Iraq much behind the scenes of the mainstream media. Yet now the situation seems to be coming to a head.

Myanmar: Unprecedented cyclone disaster

  6 May 2008

Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last weekend which devastated five regions. State-run media reported that more than 22,000 people are found dead with another 41,000 missing. The death toll could still rise. Residents and bloggers are condemning the slow relief work of the ruling Junta.

Myanmar: The perfect storm

  5 May 2008

More than 4,000 people are dead after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar last weekend. It was the world’s deadliest storm in ten years. The cyclone could also worsen the food crisis in the world. Relief is arriving but the ruling Junta is putting restrictions on foreign aid teams.

Haiti: finding relief for hunger in children

  5 May 2008

Reasons not to Overeat by BreezeDebris The international food shortage and crisis is doing its rounds on the blogosphere, and videos are no exception. From Haiti: people eating dirt to survive, and a plan to help feed the hungry Haitian children. Haiti is the poorest country in the American continent,...

Qatar: Jailed AL Jazeera Cameraman Free

“Our colleague Sami Al Hajj, who was detained in Guantanamo for more than six years has been released. His plane has just landed in Khartoum airport. Like many others, Sami Al Hajj was never charged. His only crime was practicing journalism and telling the stories of the voiceless in Afghanistan...

Jordan: Gearing Up for Strike

Jordan is gearing up for a strike on May 4, according to bloggers. Just like in Egypt, the message to strike was posted on Facebook, and later picked up by blogs, in protest against increasing prices and calling for better living conditions.

Japan: Return of the Gas Tax

  2 May 2008

Japan's “temporary” gasoline tax of 25 yen per liter of gas, extended for over 30 years and funding some 5000 road construction programs, has been re-instated after a short-lived battle with the opposition, and people aren't happy about it. Bloggers describe their experiences trying to fill up at gas stations in the last day before the gas hike came back into effect on May 1st.