Australia fires rage on

Per The Courier-Mail, "The death toll in Australia's worst ever bushfires has risen to 108 and is likely to rise as Kevin Rudd calls the arsonists who lit the fires 'mass murderers.'" Entire towns have been wiped out and 750 homes lost, but Australia's prime minister said the full impact of the fires is yet to be seen.

A huge outreach effort is underway on Twitter, and it has been spreading quickly under #bushfires.

@ShayneT (Melbourne): RT @DrCris: Via (@774melbourne) Donations of money and blood for #bushfires needed at this stage. (Via local banks and red cross).


@TunaCrust (Glen Waverley): Australians rock. Check out http://tinyurl.com/aussiesrock Victorians asking/offering (mostly offering) for help re bushfire #bushfire


@sagart relayed personal accounts.

@sagart (Melbourne): A friend in hurstbridge who's husband is fighting St Andrew's fires says to prepare for #bushfires toll to sky rocket; days of fighting


@sagart (Melbourne): Another friend is now crying (with some relief) because rain has come to St Andrews where they live #bushfires


Some twitterers posted pictures, like @ben and @coliwilso.

@ben (Melbourne): I took a photo of the sky over #Melbourne after the #bushfire. Looks apocalyptic: http://is.gd/iNYm


@coliwilso has been posting a series of pictures from Kinglake, Victoria to his TwitPic account.

One twitterer lamented the death of longtime Australian journalist Brian Naylor.

@lukeii (Melbourne): #bushfires Brian's death makes it more personal, a man I grew up seeing on TV has had their life cut short But never forget all we have lost

Australia fires rage on

A Day in Moscow

Every now and then, Breaking Tweets will highlight tweets from a specific city on a specific day. Those picked will tell a story of some sort, giving you a glimpse into life in that city.

First is Moscow, Russia. Here's some interesting Moscow tweets on Sat., Feb. 7, 2009:

@george68: Today, take a walk with my child, go to the sledge, painted and updated the theme for my tweeter.Well, saturday was successful :-), and your?


@sunset_heat: сегодня в институте 10-летний корейский мальчик упал в пролет между лестницами с высоты 5ого этажа, на кафель. крики до сих пор стоят в ушах ... (Today at the institute 10-year-old Korean boy fell into the passage between the staircases to the height of the 5th floor, on the tiles. screams are still standing in the ears ...)

@sunset_heat: на момент приезда скорой он был жив. (at the time of first arrival, he was still alive.)



@rfilippov:Прогуливаюсь как арестант вокруг катка, пока все развлекаются http://twitpic.com/1detg (Walking around as a prisoner roller, until all the fun http://twitpic.com/1detg)


@Phil_Meyer: My wife's returning from Ukraine today. Whooohoo! Uh - I suppose I'd better get things tidied up a bit around here


@ksenofontova: wanna be a student again (((so hard want it ... but no one else want it of course ... maybe after working years ... poor.


@prostophotos: iPhone pic of the day: Billboard in snow http://twitpic.com/1dail


Note: If popular, this may become a daily feature.

A Day in Moscow

More than 100 rescued in Great Lakes

Per the Sandusky Register in Ohio, more than 100 fishermen and snowmobilers were hauled to safety Saturday afternoon after being stranded when a slab of ice on Lake Erie drifted offshore. Ottawa County Sheriff's deputies and Coast Guard members had all the people off the ice within four hours, though one man died.

Those who live by Lake Erie were shocked by the news.

@katlet (Toledo, Ohio): @priestlychick I know better than to go out on Lake Erie in this weather! Silly people! It was almost 50 degrees today!


@thechrismyers (Toledo, Ohio): Who would go out on the ice today? Apparently a lot. They should pay for the rescue.


The event was more personal for one twitterer.

@MyGirlFermi (Luna Pier, Mich.): We heard the rescue helicopters flying overhead a little while ago to check on the Lake Erie fisherman.


@MyGirlFermi (Luna Pier, Mich.): Sounds like everyone was rescued from the ice with minimal issue. Glad my guy didn't get up early as planned to head out

More than 100 rescued in Great Lakes

Madagascar protest turns deadly

Per Reuters, as many as 25 people were killed by security forces outside the presidential palace in Antananarivo, Madagascar, in an anti-government protest on Saturday. Some 125 people have died in civil unrest in the nation the last two weeks.

Within the last hour, @ariniaina provided an update from the capital city after listening to President Marc Ravalomanana speak on radio.

@ariniaina (Antananarivo): Ravalomanana ordered the force army to restore peace, declared he's sad for the deaths. He also asked the collaboration of the population.

She live chronicled the events as they were happening from the Palace of Ambohitsirohitra, though it is not clear if she was at the scene or relying on reports.

@ariniaina: TGV Protest: A truck pull of military officers are coming to Ambohitsirohitra (6 hours ago)

@ariniaina: TGV Protest: The Police invited the journalists to stay away from the place reported a journalist from Radio antsiva (5 hours ago)

@ariniaina: TGV Protest: Militaries are prepared to fire if needed (5 hours ago)

@ariniaina: Militaries shot (5 hours ago)

@ariniaina: TGV Protest: The shooting goes on. Till now 20 death and 200 injuries are registered. (3 hours ago)

Others also provided updates from the city, including @thierry_ratsiz, who texted based on what he was hearing through local media.

@thierry_ratsiz (Antananarivo): #madagascar Des corps gisent par terre...beaucoup de blesses (Bodies lying on the floor ... many wounded)


One man monitoring "Madagascar" tweets was not happy with what he saw.

@tandriamirado (Antananarivo): ALL: PLEASE STOP talking about Madagascar THE MOVIE, there's very serious things happening in Madagascar now. PLEASE!

Madagascar protest turns deadly

Toyota hit harder than first thought

Per the Japan Times, Toyota Motor Corp. announced Friday it expects to sustain a group operating loss of ¥350 billion ($3.9 billion) in 2008, three times more than initially projected. It marks the company's biggest loss in a year since 1937.

Only one person in Japan has tweeted about this so far.

@kei_shimada (Shibuya, Japan): on Performance: Toyota just announced they're positively in the red this FY, but McDJ, Suntory, Nintendo are forecasting all time high.


There was a larger response to the news internationally.

@michaelq (Mildura, Australia): @wolfcat I dont get how Toyota and GM can sell almost 9 mill cars each and lose money. Side note - KIA and Hyundai both making profits.

@JonathanHutter (Portland, Ore.): Toyota's got a brand that can withstand net loss. Because they've always made good cars. Can't say that about all the automakers. (0 left)


@dyphan (Hoffman Estates, Ill.): It's so bad, even Toyota is losing money. First time since 1950. http://tinyurl.com/cd4y5h

Toyota hit harder than first thought