Stories about Disaster from July, 2008
Hungary: Bomb Scare
Hungarian Spectrum writes about bomb scares in Budapest and the response and reactions to the latest one, caused by the discovery of a 2-ton “monster of a bomb.”
Moldova, Ukraine: Floods
A Fistful of Euros writes about “huge floods across southeastern Europe” and the lack of reliable information in English from this region.
Turkey is Typing….Bomb Blasts in Istanbul
While the city of Istanbul enjoyed itself with a Metallica concert, the party died down with the news of a bombing in the Istanbul neighborhood of Güngören, leaving at least 17 people dead and over 150 people injured. Reactions to the news in the Turkish blogosphere were slow, but between speculation as to who is behind the attacks and protests against terrorism, one thing has become quite clear....this hasn't been the first time, and it sure won't be the last.
Not Guilty: Egypt's Ferry Disaster
On February 3, 2006 Al-Salam ferry sank in the middle of the Red Sea killing more than 1,000 people who were coming to Safaga, Egypt from Saudi Arabia. The passengers were mainly Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia, who were returning home on vacation or who were bringing their savings home to retire in their homeland. The Egyptian criminal court has found the owner of a Red Sea ferry and four others not guilty of manslaughter. The families of the victims as well as Egyptian bloggers were shocked and angered.
China: Earthquake Survivors
One man bandwidth posts some Sichuan earthquake survivors’ stories collected by volunteer teachers.
Ukraine: Flooding
Ukrainiana reviews media reports on the flooding in Western Ukraine, which has killed at least 22 people, including six children.
Soviet History: Nuclear Disaster Areas
The Turkish Invasion posts a link to a documentary photo site on nuclear disaster areas in the former Soviet Union.
Turkey: Disgusting Bombings
“Every news channel right now is running the breaking news on Istanbul’s bomb blasts, in what the city governor calls a ‘terrorist attack.’ Whoever did it, and whatever message they...
Jamaica, India: Signs of the Times
The recent bombings in India trigger Jamaican blogger Annie Paul‘s memory about “one piece of graffiti by a Muslim group that had struck me with the simple force and stridency...
China: 1950s Starvation
1Bao posted several exclusive pieces on the nationwide starvation during the 1950s (Great Leap Forward).
Ukraine: Iraqi Scientists Trained in Pripyat
Chernobyl and Eastern Europe writes that “three Texas Tech professors and their graduate students trained 27 Iraqi scientists about processes needed to clean up radioactive debris” this past June in...
Lebanon: “Lebanon Cluster Bomb”, the Film
“The film is a primer on the cluster munition problem in Lebanon, but much more so an intimate portrait of those struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastating 2006...
Poland: A Land of Earthquakes?
Polandian accounts for Polish earhquake zones and points to the fact that Poland in the last two weeks has had 17 earthquakes, whereas California none.
Lebanon: Forest Fires and Land Mines
“Wild fires near Aley are causing civil-war-era mines to explode and are proving hard for the firefighters to contain,” reports Mustapha with photos of the fires.
Lebanon: Flashmobbers
Lebanese Flashmobbers hit the streets of Beirut on Saturday (July 19) and slept on the sidewalks of Ain el Mreisseh for five minutes and that was captured in photos by...
Israel: Jerusalem Suffers Copycat Terrorist Attack
Jerusalem Terror Attack– Breaking news in the Israeli mainstream news and blogosphere reports that a man driving a bulldozer ploughed down the streets of Jerusalem in a mad rampage, mimicking...
China: Mine Accident
Dedric Lam form Shanghaiist reports on the mine accident in Guangxi.
China: Bus-bomb attack creates panic and indignation
The bus-bomb attack on 17 shocked not only the city but also China, that people suddenly feel how close terrorism is. The attack is characterized by that it is against innocent people rather than the authority, making it special among the recent unrests. Is it a harbinger, or just another ramdom event?
China: Search for the Kunming bus bombers
Following the bus explosions in Kunming yesterday, a report from a local news website there on the armed police roadside ID checks has been made a feature story on Netease's...
Kenya: School fires
In Ritch's World is alarmed by the recent “spate of mysterious fires” in Kenyan schools. He says: “Most of these schools do not have warning systems that would help to...
China: Bloggers take stand against web activist's arrest
"We would hate to see this case become yet another dismal human rights record raising international attention in the midst of this Olympic year. We regret to suspect, however, that the Chengdu police are at present committed to doing as much."
