IOC leaves Rio de Janeiro impressed by 2016 Olympic bid

Per Reuters, the International Olympic Committee left its official visit to Rio de Janeiro "impressed" by the 2016 candidate city's bid for the Summer Games. It also said it was content with security plans for the crime-ridden city.

But many Twitterers in Rio are saying that the IOC was tricked into thinking the city is better than it really is.

1. 
   marques_samyn (Rio de Janeiro) O Rio nao tem mais favelas! Ao menos no vídeo exibido para o COI... http://tinyurl.com/cty87e RT @JucaKfouri (Rio has no slums! At least in the video shown to the IOC ... http://tinyurl.com/cty87e RT @JucaKfouri) 30 Apr 2009 from web
2. 
   belzinhaaaaa (Rio de Janeiro) @adrianovinagre mas hoje o COI vai ver o lixo debaixo do tapete. o caminho de ônibus até o Engenhão é tão biiiiiito... (@adrianovinagre but now the IOC will see the garbage under the rug. the path of the bus to Engenhão is so biiiiiito ...) 01 May 2009 from web in reply to adrianovinagre
3. 
   PamelaKopp (Rio de Janeiro) Comitê Olímpico Internacional - COI - conhece a cidade dos sonhos de todo carioca. #2016 #fail http://migre.me/PSA (International Olympic Committee - IOC - know the city of dreams throughout Rio. #2016 #fail http://migre.me/PSA) 02 May 2009 from web
4. 
   matheustiburcio (Rio de Janeiro) @JucaKfouri Nós, cariocas, não vamos disfarçar a realidade do RJ. Por acaso o COI viu o velódromo do Pan abandonado? Uma lástima ... (@JucaKfouri We, the people, we will not disguise the reality of RJ. Did the IOC saw the Pan Velódromo the left? A shame ...) 03 May 2009 from web in reply to JucaKfouri
5. 
   mrmarona (Rio de Janeiro) O COI devia verificar tudo o que o Rio prometeu e deixou de fazer na cidade para o PAN. Cada promessa não cumprida, um ponto perdido. (The IOC should verify all that the Rio has promised to do in the city for the NAP. Each promises not fulfilled, a point lost.) 03 May 2009 from web

Not all were negative. Some did tweet support for the bid.

1. 
   ricardosolo (Rio de Janeiro) http://twurl.nl/0zduyn Com certeza uma ótima impressão para o comitê do COI. (http://twurl.nl/0zduyn Definitely a good impression to the committee of the IOC.) 01 May 2009 from twhirl
2. 
   VictorPencak (Rio de Janeiro) Os integrantes do COI estão visitando as instalações esportivas do Rio.Vamos torcer pela nossa cidade! http://migre.me/PsO #Rio2016 #euquero (The members of the IOC are visiting the sports facilities of Rio.Let's go cheering for our city! http://migre.me/PsO #Rio2016 #euquero) 01 May 2009 from TwitterFox
3. 
   mpbella (Rio de Janeiro) He visto a los del COI convencidos... Río va a llegar a Copenhague en primera línea (I have seen the conviction of IOC ... Rio will come to Copenhagen in the front line) 02 May 2009 from web

Rio 2016's official Twitter account, @vivasuapaixao, which translates to "Live your passion" in English, posted updates during the visit.

1. 
   vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) A presidente da Comissão de Avalição do COI ficou impressionada com a quantidade de pessoas que praticam exercícios na orla de Copacabana. (The chairman of the Commission of the IOC evaluation was impressed with the amount of people who practice exercises on the edge of Copacabana.) 29 Apr 2009 from web
2. 
   vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) 4 dos 8 membros da Comiissão do COI sentiram a emoção de atirar no stand de Deodoro (4 of 8 members of the IOC COMMISSION felt the thrill of shooting the stand of Deodoro) 01 May 2009 from web
3. 
   vivasuapaixao (Rio de Janeiro) Presidente da Comissão de Avaliação do COI bate bola com Pelé na visita ao Maracanã (President of the IOC Evaluation Commission for hits ball with Pele on visit to Maracanã) 01 May 2009 from web

Rio is hoping to host South America's first ever Games, and is competing with Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. The winner will be announced in October.

IOC leaves Rio de Janeiro impressed by 2016 Olympic bid

Featured TwitPic: Stormy day in Texas

"iPhone photo of the day- my son's baseball game was just rained out." (Posted by @nontrivialmatt, Garland, Texas, May 2, 2009)

Featured TwitPic: Stormy day in Texas

Violence escalates in Karachi, Pakistan

Per Dawn in Pakistan, three more people have been killed today in Karachi, where violence the last four days has been on the rise. At least 37 have died since Wednesday in what local officials have attributed to ethnic tensions.

Karachi Twitterers have been discussing the spike in violence, which has mostly consisted of shootings:

1. 
   pakjourno (Karachi, Pakistan) Editing story on recent Karachi violence. When you look at the root causes, this is something that will take years to fully resolve. 02 May 2009 from web
2. 
   jadoon88 (Karachi, Pakistan) people of #karachi don't get fooled by the word talibinazation attatched to the violence. Its something else. 29 Apr 2009 from DestroyTwitter
3. 
   Jamash (Karachi, Pakistan) Violence, unrest, firing, bloodshed # Karachi had been chaotic all day - very little signs that tomorrow will be peaceful :s 29 Apr 2009 from TweetDeck
4. 
   ucofkan (Karachi, Pakistan) i've heard of "shootings" before but "gun attacks" are new 30 Apr 2009 from TwitterFox
5. 
   sid_iij (Karachi, Pakistan) the senseless violence in karachi continues. the victims r all the poor and the innocent, young and old: http://tinyurl.com/d92dbn 30 Apr 2009 from web

Violence escalates in Karachi, Pakistan

Helicopters in Edinburgh cause a stir on Twitter

Dozens of Twitterers near Edinburgh, Scotland, were all atwitter today about multiple helicopters hovering in and around the city for at least 45 minutes.

The incident was similar to the Twitter buzz in another city, Melbourne, Australia, where helicopters circled on March 19. That case ended up being anti-terrorism training.

The reason the Edinburgh helicopters were in the sky was still unknown at the time of this post, but speculation was rampant:

1. 
   andrewghayes (Edinburgh) Hmmm - the royals must be in Edinburgh. A whole entourage of helicopters doing some 'maneuvering' over at the palace. 02 May 2009 from TweetDeck
2. 
   queens_hall (Edinburgh) #edinburgh Helicopter over Edinburgh could be scoping for tomorrow's 10K TV coverage? 02 May 2009 from Nambu
3. 
   blip2 (Edinburgh) @breakingtweets Helicopters over Edinburgh owned by PLM DOLLAR GROUP LTD -> http://tinyurl.com/cp3uzv -> http://twitpic.com/4f1x5 02 May 2009 from web in reply to breakingtweets
4. 
   14zombies (Edinburgh) Adding to the list of tweets about the mysterious helicopters over Edinburgh, escaped con? Govt conspiracy? aliens in disguise? I hope all 3 02 May 2009 from web

The helicopters puzzled and even agitated some Twitterers.

1. 
   gonzo_rosco (Edinburgh) What's with all the helicopters hovering overhead? It's like apocalypse now outside 02 May 2009 from txt
2. 
   flickitten (Edinburgh) I can still hear those sinister helicopters... Why are they here? What do they want?! Edinburgh is not the sort of place you see this! 02 May 2009 from TwitKit
3. 
   maniacyak (Edinburgh) 3 helicopters hovering in the vicinity of my flat. Beginning to get paranoid. 02 May 2009 from Tweetie
4. 
   thatscottisheng (Edinburgh) Though royals are in edinburgh - these helicopters aren't hovering over the same bits of town - over medows now 02 May 2009 from twidroid
5. 
   flickitten (Edinburgh) why are the helicopters STILL HERE?! 02 May 2009 from web
6. 
   chrisdonia (Edinburgh) Helicopters circling overhead and slowly lowering themselves is a surefire route to paranoia. 02 May 2009 from twidroid
7. 
   iamloes (Edinburgh) Wondering why there's 3 helicopters hovering above Edinburgh... 02 May 2009 from TwitterFon
8. 
   alitheg (Edinburgh) #Helicopters have left #edinburgh now, so it seems. As well as a camera, one seemed to have a bright light underneath 02 May 2009 from web
9. 
   dnwood (Edinburgh) Watched the helicopters with Alistair up on the Crags until they left... that was very nearly 45 minutes of hovering. Bizarre. 02 May 2009 from web

If you have information on why the incident occurred, please contact us @breakingtweets or leave a comment.

Helicopters in Edinburgh cause a stir on Twitter

May Day protests spark violence across Europe

Per the Financial Times, demonstrations turned violent in city streets across Europe yesterday, as thousands of protesters voiced their discontent with the current state of the economy. Some of the worst incidents occurred in Germany, Greece and Turkey, where clashes between demonstrators and police occurred.

Many Europeans also found time to tweet about their May Day experiences, posting observations and TwitPics to put a personal touch on the news.

In Germany:

1. 
   IrinaEs (Berlin, Germany) today in berlin, the police arrested a man who hail-hitlered the anti-nazi demo outside his house. old berlin-made may day tradition. 01 May 2009 from web
2. 
   alexanderljung (Berlin, Germany) uh oh, now bottles, stones and fire crackers are being thrown at the police (& random other targets) 01 May 2009 from TwitterFon
3. 
   TB09 (Berlin, Germany) Survived Berlin-Kreuzberg today!First it was fun all along,then it just went mad - stones and bottles and panic and I was right there, crazy 01 May 2009 from web

In France:

1. 
   holychic (Paris, France) All the peepl in Paris are on the street today to demonstrate at May Day protest. TU @maopapa for the pics http://twitpic.com/4c2un #paris 01 May 2009 from TweetDeck
2. 
   ineshorneij (Paris, France) went to the protest at the bastille today. it was [expletive]. a bunch of people wearing sandals and playing drums. france sucks. :( 01 May 2009 from web

In England:

1. 
   martinrsmith (London, U.K.) It must be May Day // Student protest ambles past // Nice weather for it
   #twaiku 01 May 2009 from web
2. 
   RWC1 (London, U.K.) May day protest trotting by the office 01 May 2009 from web
3. 
   stefan171 (London, U.K.) Oh go on, here's a picture from the bank of enlgnad may day protest http://twitpic.com/4cdk7 01 May 2009 from TwitterFon

In the Netherlands:

1. 
   pndsimpson (Den Haag, Netherlands) Working on this fine Mayday. Can someone riot on my behalf? I'm against everything. so take you pick. Much appreciated. 01 May 2009 from TweetDeck
2. 
   SmokeRH (Rotterdam, Netherlands) Everythin going easy at 1 may demo in Rdam - some police, some on horses, no presence yet of riot cops 01 May 2009 from mobile web

In Greece:

1. 
   tsimitakis (Athens, Greece) Το μπλόκ των αναρχικών με πολιτικά χαρακτηριστικά, χωρίς βίαια στοιχεία (όπως δείχνει), χωρίς κουκούλες, ακολουθείται απο μεγάλη αστυνομική (The bloc of anarchists with political characteristics, without violent elements (as shown) without hoods, followed by large police) 01 May 2009 from web
2. 
   kapsali (Athens, Greece) Greek police fire tear gas in May Day protest clash http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5402ZZ20090501 01 May 2009 from EventBox

In Turkey:

1. 
   fgeerdink (Istanbul, Turkey) authorities finally gave permission for unions to gather at taksim square for may 1 celebrations, thousands of people gather now, #istanbul 01 May 2009 from web
2. 
   ldbster (Istanbul, Turkey) watching 1st May riots from my balcony in cihangir. Cihangir Cad. is kind of trashed. 01 May 2009 from web

May Day protests spark violence across Europe