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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Clean up begins in northeast Japan

A wasteland of debris, is all that is left of Minamisanriku, a fishing town in Miyagi prefecture. The town, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Sendai, was destroyed in the 9.0-maginitude earthquake and tsunami it triggered on March 11. Around 398 people in Minanisanriku are dead with another 800 missing, and close to 10,000 residents have evacuated the town leaving it deserted. On Wednesday, residents who stayed behind have begun to clear the pieces of debris and burning them. Several damaged buildings spared by the tsunami were scattered through the town, one had a car left perched on the edge of its roof. Around 5,000 houses were swept away. Authorities have started to lay cables in order to restore electricity a couple of days ago, but the work will take a few days more to complete. Although work is in progress to return the town to a semblance of normalcy, some residents are reluctant to stay on. A total of 11,168 people were confirmed dead by Japan s National Police Agency, while 16,407 were missing. The government is also struggling with an ongoing nuclear crisis, the worst the world has faced in 25 years, at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power plant. The government has said it estimated damage from the earthquake and tsunami at 16 trillion to 25 trillion yen ($198 billion-$309 billion), making it world s costliest natural disaster.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

World Cup 2011: India beat Pakistan to face Sri Lanka in final

India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the 2nd semi-final and reached the final of World Cup. Pakistan once again collapsed while chasing a target of 261 runs in the do-or-die match. Bowlers bowled superbly but batsmen could not manage to take the team home. India continued their winnings streak against Pakistan in the world cup matches. Now, India will play against Sri Lanka in the final to be played in Mumbai on April 2. It is the first time; two Asian teams will be fighting for the top prize. Chasing a target of 261 runs, Pakistani openers provided good start but Kamran fell at 44 after scoring 19 runs. Then, Hafeez provided some momentum before falling at 70. He scored 43 runs playing along with Asad. Asad was bowled by Yuvraj at 103 in 23.5 overs. Younis, soon after Asad, fell at 106, putting pressure on Pakistani team. Umar Akmal played excellent innings of 29 runs but his wicket turned the match into India’s favour. Razzaq and Afridi, the two big hitters, failed to pull off the match, losing nerves in the key game. Gul and Wahab, who took 5 wickets today, could not stay at the crease longer. Misbah played brilliant innings of 56 runs. Nehra, Harbhajan, Patel and Yuvraj picked two wickets each. Earlier, India set 260 runs target against Pakistan to win in the match being played at Mohali Stadium. India won the toss and elected to bat first at a flat batting wicket but Wahab Riaz’s 5-wicket haul didn’t allow them to put a huge total. Sehwag provided the much-needed flying start but Wahab magic bowling pushed India into a defensive mode. After Sehwag, he bowled out Kohli and Yuvraj, the two inform batsmen. Hafeez tossed the ball that enticed Gambhir to come forward but he missed and Kamran did the job. Gambhir made 27 off 32 and hit two boundaries in his innings. Bad fielding and dropping of five catches once again allowed Tendulkar to score 85 runs. Raina, at the end, grabbed India to past 250 scores. Pakistani spinners bowled superbly against strong Indian batting. Ajmal picked two wickets while Hafeez took one wicket.

A controversial book on Mahatma Gandhi

Lelyveld hints that Gandhi had an affair with German-Jewish architect Hermann Kallenbach. Reacting strongly to a new biography that claims that Mahatma Gandhi was bisexual, Gandhi followers in Ahmedabad city of India s western Gujarat state on Tuesday demanded strict action against writer Joseph Lelyveld, the Pulitzer prize-winning former New York Times executive editor. Lelyveld, quoting an extract from a letter written by Gandhi, in his book ‘Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and his Struggle with India’, hints that Gandhi had an affair with German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder Hermann Kallenbach. The claims on Gandhi’s sexual orientation has received criticism from his followers who assert Gandhi advocated truth, non-violence and celibacy, and such allegations are only made for the self-promotion of the writer. Another Gandhi brushed aside the controversy saying it is a price Gandhi is paying for being a public figure. Vaidya dismissed the allegations, saying Kallenbach was just another Gandhi follower. He added if Gandhi had an affair with Kallenbach, he would have confessed as Gandhi believed in telling the truth. The major part of the book follows Gandhi’s life and work in South Africa, but also alleges that Gandhi had racist attitudes towards the Africans. Gandhi and Kallenbach, who met in South Africa, got separated when Gandhi returned to India in 1914. But both remained in touch through letters. Gandhi pioneered a non-violent resistance to British rule in India and spent some of his early political years in South Africa, where he was involved in the struggle against racial discrimination and oppression. His decades-long non-violent movement inspired leaders like Nelson Mandela who led the movement against apartheid in South Africa. US civil rights leader Martin Luther King also looked up to Gandhi as his role model. Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948 in New Delhi by a Hindu radical.

Cricket World Cup 2011 Pakistan vs India (Update)

India set 260 runs total against Pakistan to win in the 2nd semi-final of the World Cup. India won the toss and elected to bat first at a flat batting wicket but Wahab Riaz’s 5-wicket haul didn’t allow them to put a huge total. Sehwag provided the much-needed flying start but Wahab magic bowling pushed India into a defensive mood. After Sehwag, he bowled out Kohli and Yuvraj, the two inform batsmen. Hafeez tossed the ball that enticed Gambhir to come forward but he missed and Kamran did the job. Gambhir made 27 off 32 and hit two boundaries in his innings. Bad fielding and dropping of five catches once again allowed Tendulkar to score 85 runs. Raina, at the end, grabbed India to past 250 score. Pakistani spinners bowled superbly against strong Indian batting. Ajmal picked two wickets while Hafeez took one wickets. After winning the toss, Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that he was not sure if this match was the biggest match he had ever played. He said that they had made one change in the team and Ashish Nehra has been called in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi said that winning or losing the toss did not matter. He said that they had made no changes in the squad. In the World Cup 2011, India and Pakistan have won four of their last five games but this will be the first time Pakistan is going to face India is semi finals. Collectively, both the teams have faced each other four times in the World Cups, with India winning all four matches. In the cricket ground in Mohali, Pakistan has played twice against India and won both the matches. Pakistan also has a better record in the One-Day-International matches as they have won 69 out of a total of 119 games while India only managed to win 46 matches. Any team that wins today’s match will face Sri Lanka in the final of the World Cup on April 2. This will be the first World Cup final in which two Asian teams will be fighting for the top prize. Regardless of who wins the match, the World Cup trophy will return to Asia after 12 years.

Flooding in Thailand

Severe flooding and mudslides in southern Thailand have killed 21 people, stranded thousands of tourists and threatened to delay shipments of rubber in the world’s largest rubber-producing country, authorities said on Wednesday. Trains to the region have been cancelled and three airports have been shut, including one on the popular island of Koh Samui. As well as Koh Samui, foreign tourists have also been stuck at resorts in Krabi and Koh Phangan. The Thai navy evacuated about 1,200 people from Koh Samui and Koh Tao, a remote island popular with backpackers. Thailand’s navy sent four vessels including an amphibious landing craft with on-board helicopters to deliver supplies and rescue tourists and villagers in areas severely hit. “More rain is expected in the next few days,” Satit Wongnongtoey, a minister in the prime minister’s office, told Reuters. British ambassador Asif Ahmad said Britain was in close contact with the Thai navy on the evacuation of tourists from the region. The flooding could delay shipments of between 1,000 and 1,500 tonnes of smoked rubber sheet, industry officials said. The region supplies 90 percent of the 3.2 million tonnes produced annually in Thailand, the world’s biggest producer and exporter. “Small producers along the upper south, who need to carry rubber by road to be shipped from Bangkok’s port are facing disruption as roads are cut off,” Prapas Uernontat, secretary general of the Thai Rubber Association, told Reuters. Nearly a million people have been affected by unseasonably heavy downpours across the region. Mudslides were reported in three areas in Krabi province. At least 10 people were killed in one village, with at least 10 others missing. Wiboon Sangruanpong, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said it was too soon to assess full damage and said more mudslides were possible. Along with the airport on Koh Samui, the Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani airports have also been shut.

Zaviews worldwide News (Iraq, Yeman, Syria, Italy, Thailand, Japan & Libya)

Iraq

Violence in Iraq has declined substantially since its peak in 2006-2007, but attacks remain common. Gunmen wearing military uniforms and suicide bomb belts stormed a local government headquarters in northern Iraq on Tuesday in an attempt to take hostages that killed at least 58 people. Three lawmakers who were inside the Salahuddin provincial council building in Tikrit when the gunmen overran the compound are missing, said provincial governor Ahmed Abdullah. He said the lawmakers were not answering their mobile phones and could not immediately be located indicating they may be held hostage. He described a fierce shootout between at least eight gunmen, who have overtaken the council headquarters  second floor, and Iraqi security forces who surrounded the building. He said the attackers were hurling grenades at Iraqi forces. Police immediately imposed a curfew to prevent all road and pedestrian traffic in Tikrit as security forces moved into the building. The senior intelligence official said forces began an operation to free any hostages about two hours after the start of the siege.

Yemen

Yemen's political crisis deepened on Tuesday as President Ali Abdullah Saleh refused to step down in the face of mounting desertions by his supporters and officials said the government had lost control of six of the country's 18 provinces. Saleh told a meeting today that he would not step down as 95% of the Yemenis backed his call for a unified Yemen and instead it should be his opponents, who should leave the country, Al Arabia channel reported. The President's refusal comes as the death toll in the massive blast and fire at an ammunition plant in south Yemen shot up to 150 and transition of power talks remained stalled. "95 bodies have been identified and many others were burnt beyond recognition," Mohsin Salem, a local government official in the Abyan province said, adding that the province where the incident had happened has been seized by the al Qaeda cadres. Yemeni official said, in recent days government forces has abandoned their force across the country, including areas where northern rebels have challenged the military and southern provinces where al Qaeda's Arabian branch has maintained sanctuaries. The collapse of the authority was acknowledged by the President himself, who told a committee from his political party that "six of the Yemen's 18 provinces had fallen". Saleh said the country was being ripped apart as he hardened his public stance declaring he would make no more concessions. The Yemeni strongman, who has been in power for the last 32 years has moved away from a dialogue with opposition mediated by American diplomats and Saudi Arabia. The opposition parties today released a statement saying that the ammunition factory blast had occurred as Saleh had withdrawn his military and security and allowed al Qaeda armed groups to take over. The President has also been rebuffed by his long time ally Saudi Arabia and Riyadh has turned down his SoS to send troops to Yemen on the pattern of Bahrain.

Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is to address the nation Wednesday in his first speech in two weeks of unprecedented dissent and one day after his cabinet resigned, a senior official said. "The president will address the country tomorrow Wednesday from parliament," the official told AFP, without giving further details. The news came shortly after Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri tendered his government's resignation and was tasked with acting in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. The president is expected to elaborate on a string of reforms announced last week, which came in response to two weeks of protests demanding reform and more freedoms in the country ruled by the Baath party since 1963. Presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban has told AFP the state decided to lift the state of emergency, which has been in force since the Baath seized power. Syrian authorities are also studying the liberalisation of laws on media and political parties as well as anti-corruption measures. The new cabinet, which is expected to be announced by the end of the week, will face the task of implementing the reforms. Otri had formed his government in 2003. It was reshuffled several times, most recently in October 2010. Assad, who rose to power after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000, is facing extreme pressure at home as the protests turn increasingly violent. Syrian authorities have accused fundamentalists and "armed gangs" of aiming to incite unrest in the country, particularly in the southern governorate of Daraa and the northern port city of Latakia which have emerged as the focal points of dissent. Small demonstrations demanding "freedom" also surfaced in the capital Damascus earlier this month, but were immediately quelled by security forces. Activists say more than 130 people have been killed and scores injured in clashes with security forces at the Daraa and Latakia rallies. Officials have put the death toll at around 30.

Italy

The immigration crisis facing Italy deepened on Tuesday as more boats arrived from North Africa. Thousands of migrants have poured into Lampedusa in small boats since the overthrow of former Tunisian President Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali in January loosened previously tight frontier controls that blocked the way into Europe. The quiet tourist island s normal population of 5,000 is now outnumbered by thousands of North African men living in improvised tent encampments on the hillsides and waiting to be taken to the mainland. In Lampedusa, the tiny island south of Sicily that has borne the brunt of the crisis, residents occupied the town hall and threatened to shut down supplies and services unless thousands of illegal migrants were moved off in the next day.

Thailand

Serious flooding in Thailand's south has left at least seven people dead, authorities said on Tuesday, as the country was struck by unseasonably cold weather. Almost one million people have been affected by the heavy downpours across the southern region, according to a statement from the department of disaster prevention and mitigation. Since the rains began six days ago, six people have died in Nakhon Si Thammarat -- the hardest hit province -- and one in Phatthalung, the statement said. Deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban said it was difficult to help flood victims due to the severe weather, including strong winds. "As soon as visibility returns to normal, the southern army regional headquarters will airlift necessary supplies to those who are stranded, and evacuate patients," he told reporters. Trains have been cancelled and airports closed in the region, including on the popular resort island of Samui, and emergency disaster zones have been declared in 63 districts across seven provinces. The cold snap has also spelt trouble for tourism, with 600 tourists unable to leave Samui owing to cancelled flights on Monday, and the airport still closed on Tuesday, the airport operator said. Devastating flooding across Thailand late last year left more than 220 people dead, damaging the homes or livelihoods of an estimated 8.6 million people in 51 of the kingdom's 76 provinces.

Japan

As a result of Japan's nuclear crisis, government regulators are reviewing a wide range of issues potentially affecting the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors, including their ability to protect against natural disasters and terrorist attacks, respond to complete power blackouts and cope with accidents involving spent fuel. A top official with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a 90-day review, ordered by President Barack Obama, will include recommendations for possible changes to inspection procedures, licensing review and emergency communications. Bill Borchardt, the NRC's executive director for operations, told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday that U.S. nuclear plants continue to operate safely. He said progress is being made at Japan's damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, but could not guess how long it will take to bring the plant under control.

Libya

World powers agreed Tuesday that Moammar Gadhafi should step down after 42 years as Libya's ruler but did not discuss arming the rebels who are seeking to oust him. Top diplomats from up to 40 countries, the United Nations, NATO and the Arab League came to that conclusion Tuesday at crisis talks in London on the future of the North African nation. "One thing is quite clear and has to be made very clear to Gadhafi: His time is over. He must go," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement. "We must destroy his illusion that there is a way back to business as usual if he manages to cling to power." British Foreign Secretary William Hague, however, told reporters the subject of arming rebels simply did not come up. "That was not one of the subjects for discussion," Hague said. "That was not raised at the conference and it was not on the agenda for discussion." Hague's comments suggest that the U.N.-backed coalition cobbled together to defend civilians from Gadhafi's onslaught is still hanging back from throwing its entire weight behind the ill-organized rebels, whose exact makeup and motives remain unclear. But Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabr al-Thani seemed to leave the door open to arms sales when he suggested that the issue might be revisited if the aerial campaign fell short of its stated goal of protecting Libyan civilians. "We have to evaluate the airstrike after a while to see if it's effective," he said. "We are not inviting any military ground (troops) ... but we have to evaluate the situation because we cannot let the people suffer for so long, you know, we have to find a way to stop this bloodshed." Qatar, which has recognized the rebels as Libya's legitimate representatives, also plans to help them sell crude on the international market. Yet while there has been talk of using Qatar to market Libya's oil for days, details have remained thin on the ground. Libya's production relies on joint ventures with foreign companies, like Italy's Eni SpA, that have evacuated employees from the country, and it's unclear how or when Qatar could help restart the country's now-paralyzed energy industry. Still even the possibility of renewed oil sales from Libya would affect the markets. While diplomats repeated their appeals for Gadhafi to leave Libya, there were few signs that the international community planned to apply any additional pressure on the Libyan ruler. Diplomats are considering more sanctions on Gadhafi associates to send a clear message to Gadhafi that he cannot attack civilians with impunity, Hague said. He said the possible new sanctions will be pursued in the United Nations and regional organizations, but did not elaborate. Britain, Germany, the U.S. and Switzerland have already moved to freeze assets belonging to Gadhafi and the Libyan government. In his speech opening the conference, Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain had received reports that Gadhafi was pounding Misrata, the main rebel holdout in the west, with attacks from land and sea, and relentlessly targeting civilians. "The reason for being here is because the Libyan people cannot reach that future on their own," Cameron said. "We are all here in one united purpose, that is to help the Libyan people in their hour of need." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the international community must support calls for democracy sweeping Libya and its neighbours, but warned that change would not be easily won.


Sri Lanka beat New Zealand, cruise to final of World Cup

Sri Lanka cruised into final of the ICC World Cup 2011 after beating New Zealand by 5 wickets. Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final with a five-wicket win against New Zealand on Tuesday as veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said goodbye to his home crowd. Sri Lanka, set a modest 218 to win, wobbled in the middle before reaching their target in 47.5 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (54) setting the foundation at a packed R. Premadasa stadium. Muralitharan took his 534th wicket off his last ball on home soil as New Zealand were bowled out for a below-par score of 217 in 48.5 overs. Muralitharan, who last year retired from Tests after finishing as the highest wicket-taker with 800, now aims to win his second title -- after being part of the 1996 Cup winning squad -- in Saturday s final in Mumbai. Sri Lanka, crusing along at 160-1, lost four wickets in the space of 25 runs to raise fears of an unlikely defeat before Thilan Samaraweera (23 not out) and Angelo Mathews (14 not out) guided them home with an unbroken 35-run stand. The victory took Sri Lanka into their second successive World Cup final, after finishing runners-up to Australia in 2007, as a capacity 35,000 celebrated with firecrackers. Sri Lanka play the winners of Wednesday s semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali. New Zealand, who for the sixth time failed in a World Cup semi-final, seemed to be succumbing like England did during their 10-wicket quarter-final defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, but they staged a brave rearguard action. It was 34-year-old Dilshan who was once again in rampaging mood, taking the co-hosts to 40 by the eighth over in the company of Upul Tharanga who fell after scoring a 31-ball 30 with four boundaries and a six. Dilshan then found an equally aggressive and in-form partner in captain Sangakkara as they added 120 for the second wicket, before Dilshan played straight into the hands of Jesse Ryder off Tim Southee. Dilshan hit 10 boundaries and a six during his 93-ball knock.   Sri Lanka then lost Mahela Jayawardene (one) and Sangakkara in the space of eight runs and then Chamara Silva (13) before the team held their nerve. Dilshan also became the top run-getter of the tournament with 467. It was Ajantha Mendis (3-35) and Lasith Malinga (3-55), along with Muralitharan (2-42), who kept New Zealand under control after Daniel Vettori won the toss and opted to bat. Scott Styris, who top scored with 57, added 77 for the fourth wicket with Ross Taylor (36) but the Sri Lankan bowlers never allowed them to run away with a big total, dismissing the Kiwis in 48.5 overs. Styris and Kane Williamson (22) added 42 in the batting powerplay but New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 56 runs. Sri Lanka once again dismissed hard-hitting Brendon McCullum through a spinner when left-armer Rangana Herath bowled him in the eighth over for 13. Martin Guptill (39) and Jesse Ryder (19) took the total to 69 before Muralitharan had the big left-hander caught off a quickish delivery. Soon it became 84-3 when Malinga bowled Guptill with a ferocious yorker after the opener had hit three boundaries off 65 balls. Styris hit five boundaries during his 77-ball knock.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Zaviews worldwide News (Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Japan)

Libya Constant air strikes of western allies compelled Gaddafi’s forces to retreat from Ajdabiy. Libyan rebels have overcome Muammar Gaddafi s forces in strategic oil town of Ajdabiya, seizing control of the city on Saturday. The US planes heavily bombed on the Libyan army and destroyed their tanks. A spokesman of Libyan opposition said that they had turned the battle field into a grave yard for Gaddafi’s forces. However, the regime forces said that they evacuated the town for the safety of citizens. The opposition accused that the regime forces were using civilians as human shield. They said that they had also taken control of Brega and were facing no resistance. They claimed that either Gaddafi’s forces were quitting him or joining opposition.

Syria At least 27 people have been left dead amid protests in Syria. A string of protests against President Bashar Al-Assad has been seen in Syria since March 15 and clashes between protesters and security forces marred these protests. The United Nations condemned the use of force against protesters by the regime and confirmed the death of 27 people in clashes with security people. The Syrian authorities called the demonstrations an act to destabilise the country. 

Afghanistan Taliban insurgents abducted around 50 off-duty Afghan policemen in an ambush in a volatile province in northeastern Afghanistan, the militant group and provincial officials said on Sunday. Taliban-led militants have stepped up their fight this year against the Afghan government and its Western backers at a time when Kabul has announced security responsibilities for seven areas will be handed to Afghan forces in July. The policemen were abducted by militants in the Chapa Dara district of remote northeastern Kunar province after returning from neighbouring Nuristan province where they had travelled to collect their salaries, Nuristan governor Jamaluddin Badr said. The latest incident highlights some of the difficulties faced by U.S. and NATO forces as they begin to hand over security responsibility to Afghan troops, allowing foreign troops to withdraw gradually from an unpopular war now almost 10 years old. The process announced this week is programmed to end with the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops from the country by 2014. The transition was agreed by NATO and US leaders last year when the war had reached its bloodiest phase since the Taliban were overthrown by US-led Afghan forces in late 2001, with record civilian and military casualties. Afghanistan’s police force has for years lagged behind the country’s better-trained army. Poorly equipped police are often the only face of the government in remote areas, making them vulnerable to insurgent attacks.


Bahrain largest Shia opposition group Wefaq has accepted Kuwait’s offer to mediate in talks with Bahrain’s government to end a political crisis gripping the tiny kingdom, a member of Wefaq said on Sunday. Bahrain on March 16 ended weeks of protests by mostly Shia protesters that had prompted the king to impose martial law and call in troops from fellow Sunni-ruled neighbours. Jasim Husain, a member of Wefaq, said Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah has offered to mediate between Bahrain’s Sunni al-Khalifa ruling family and Shia opposition groups. Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which view Bahrain’s ruling family as a bulwark against regional Shia power Iran, have sent troops to Bahrain to help it quell weeks of unrest following pro-democracy protests. Kuwait, which has a Shia minority of its own, has sent navy vessels to Bahrain under a Gulf security pact to patrol its Northern coast line. Wefaq and its allies also want an elected council to redraft the constitution, a demand over which preliminary talks with Khalifa collapsed shortly before Gulf troops arrived and Bahrain drove protesters off the streets and banned public gatherings. More than 60 per cent of Bahrainis are Shias, and most are campaigning for a constitutional monarchy, but calls by hardliners for the overthrow of the monarchy have alarmed Sunnis, who fear the unrest serves Iran, separated from Bahrain by just a short stretch of Gulf waters. The ferocity of the government crackdown has stunned Bahrain’s majority Shias and angered Iran. A Wefaq delegation is set to meet Kuwaiti politicians including Parliament Speaker Jassem al-Kharafi, Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah said on Sunday citing unnamed political sources.
Ali al-Matrook, a Kuwaiti Shia businessman is one of the Kuwaiti mediators, Wefaq’s Husain said. Bahrain cut curfew times again, by an hour, on Sunday. From Seef Mall through the financial district to the diplomatic area the curfew now runs from 11 p.m. (0200 GMT) to 4 a.m. (0700 GMT), cut gradually from 12 hours when it was first imposed.


Japan Extremely high levels of radiation were detected in water leaking from reactor two of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, forcing the evacuation of workers, its operator said Sunday. A spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said the level of radiation found in the leaked water in the turbine room was 10 million times higher than it should be for water inside the reactor, indicating damage to the fuel rods. We detected 1,000 millisieverts per hour of radiation in a puddle of water at the reactor number two. This figure is 10 million times higher than water usually kept in a reactor, the spokesman said. We are examining the cause of this, but no work is being done there because of the high level of radiation. High levels of caesium and other substances are being detected, which usually should not be found in reactor water. There is a high possibility that fuel rods are being damaged. A single dose of 1,000 millisieverts can cause temporary radiation sickness, including nausea and vomiting. An exposure of 100 millisieverts per year is considered the lowest level at which an increase in cancer risk is evident. It is an extremely high figure, nuclear safety agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said of the latest reading of radioactivity. There is high possibility that (the water) came from the reactor, he said. Last week three workers with inadequate protection for their feet suffered burns when they stepped in highly radioactive water at reactor three. The trio, aged in their 20s and 30s, were placing electric cables in a basement as part of efforts to rebuild cooling systems at the quake and tsunami damaged reactor three to prevent high-level radiation from spewing out. Radioactivity levels are soaring in seawater near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, Japan’s nuclear safety agency said on Saturday, two weeks after the nuclear power plant was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Even as engineers tried to pump puddles of radioactive water from the power plant 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, the nuclear safety agency said tests on Friday showed radioactive iodine had spiked 1,250 times higher than normal in the seawater just offshore the plant. A senior official from Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Hidehiko Nishiyama, said the contamination posed little risk to aquatic life. “Ocean currents will disperse radiation particles and so it will be very diluted by the time it gets consumed by fish and seaweed,” he said. Despite that reassurance, the disclosure may well heighten international concern over Japanese seafood exports. Several countries have already banned milk and produce from areas around the Fukushima Daiichi plant, while others have been monitoring Japanese seafood. The prolonged efforts to prevent a catastrophic meltdown at the plant have also intensified concerns around the world about nuclear power. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said it was time to reassess the international atomic safety regime. Radioactive water was found in buildings housing three of the six reactors at the crippled plant. On Thursday, three workers sustained burns at reactor No. 3 after being exposed to radiation levels 10,000 times higher than usually found in a reactor. The crisis at the nuclear plant has overshadowed the massive relief and recovery effort from the magnitude 9.0 quake and the huge tsunami it triggered on March 11 that left more than 27,500 people dead or missing in northeast Japan. The U.S. Department of Energy said on its website that no significant quantities of radiological material had been deposited in the area around the plant since March 19, according to tests on Friday. Nishiyama said Japanese agencies were trying to work out ways of “safely bailing out the water so that it does not get out into the environment, and we are making preparations.” He initially said the high radiation reading inside reactor 3, where the workers were injured, could indicate damage to the reactor. He later said it could be from venting operations to release pressure or water leakage from pipes or valves. “There is no data suggesting a crack,” Nishiyama said. Reactor number 3 is the only one of the six that uses a fuel mixture of plutonium and uranium. Plutonium is the most deadly radioactive isotope. On Friday, Nishiyama chided plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) for not following safety procedures inside the turbine building. More than 700 engineers have been working in shifts to stabilise the plant and work has been advancing to restart water pumps to cool their fuel rods. Two of the plant’s reactors are now seen as safe but the other four are volatile, occasionally emitting steam and smoke. However, the nuclear safety agency said on Saturday that temperature and pressure in all reactors had stabilised. When TEPCO restored power to the plant late last week, some thought the crisis would soon be over. But Lingering high levels of radiation from the damaged reactors has hampered progress. At Three Mile Island, the worst nuclear power accident in the United States, workers took just four days to stabilise the reactor, which suffered a partial meltdown. No one was injured and there was no radiation release above the legal limit. At Chernobyl in Ukraine, the worst nuclear accident in the world, it took weeks to “stabilise” what remained of the plant and months to clean up radioactive materials and cover the site with a concrete and steel sarcophagus. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Friday the situation at Fukushima was “nowhere near” being resolved. “We are making efforts to prevent it from getting worse, but I feel we cannot become complacent,” Kan told reporters. “We must continue to be on our guard.” In Tokyo, a metropolis of 13 million people, a Reuters reading on Saturday morning showed ambient radiation of 0.22 microsieverts per hour, about six times normal for the city. That was well within the global average of naturally occurring background radiation of 0.17-0.39 microsieverts per hour, a range given by the World Nuclear Association. An official at the Science Ministry, however, confirmed that daily radiation levels in an area 30 km (18 miles) northwest of the stricken plant had exceeded the annual limit. But experts say it is still below levels of exposure from medical X-rays. The Japanese government has prodded tens of thousands of people living in a 20 km-30 km (12-18 mile) zone beyond the stricken complex to leave. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the residents should move because it was difficult to get supplies to the area, and not because of elevated radiation. Kazuo Suzuki, 56, who has moved from his house near the plant to an evacuation centre, said neighbours he has talked with by telephone say delivery trucks won’t go to the exclusion zone because of radiation worries. “So goods are running out, meaning people have to drive to the next town to buy things. But there is a fuel shortage there too, so they have to wait in long queues for gasoline to use the car.” In Japan’s northeast, more than a quarter of a million people are in shelters. Exhausted rescuers are still sifting through the wreckage of towns and villages, retrieving bodies. Amid the suffering, though, there was a sense the corner was being turned. Aid is flowing and phone, electricity, postal and bank services have resumed, though they can still be patchy.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Are you ready? Pakistan vs India

WikiLeaks newsworthiness


The top Yemeni general backing pro-democracy protesters is, like Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a crafty survivor who has wielded power for his own benefit, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks. General Ali Mohsen, a powerful figure close to Saleh, threw his support behind the democracy movement earlier this week and sent in troops to protect protesters in the capital of Sanaa, where they have gathered in the tens of thousands to pressure Saleh into giving up his grip on power after 32 years. Yet as far back as 2005, Thomas Krajeski, then the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa, painted a picture in diplomatic cables of a brutal military commander likely to back a more radical Islamic political agenda and draw little public support. "Ali Mohsen's name is mentioned in hushed tones among most Yemenis, and he rarely appears in public," Krajeski wrote in a cable obtained by Reuters. "Ali Mohsen... is generally perceived to be the second most powerful man in Yemen. Those that know him say he is charming and gregarious." Noting Mohsen's role in ruling Yemen with an "iron fist," the cable said he controls at least half of Yemen's military. Despite its detail and strong opinions, other parts of the cable contained key inaccuracies, such as Mohsen's estimated age as well as the region he commands. The United States and Saudi Arabia have long relied on Saleh to try and stop al Qaeda from using Yemen as a base to plot attacks on both countries. The impoverished Arabian Peninsula country is deeply divided, and was already on the brink of becoming a failed state before protests erupted in January, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. After Mohsen's defection on March 21, Saleh reacted by warning against a "coup" that would lead to civil war and beefed up his personal security for fear of an assassination attempt. Days later, Mohsen told Reuters that he had no desire to take power or hold office, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life in "tranquility, peace and relaxation far from the problems of politics and the demands of the job." The diplomatic cable also indicates that Mohsen would be viewed by the public as an unpalatable successor to Saleh. "Ali Mohsen would likely face domestic as well as international opposition if he sought the presidency... Yemenis generally view him as cynical and self-interested." One reason, according to the U.S. ambassador at the time, was because of his side business in smuggling. "A major beneficiary of diesel smuggling in recent years, he also appears to have amassed a fortune in the smuggling of arms, food staples, and consumer products," his cable said. Although the opposition welcomed Mohsen's support earlier this week, they are also wary of his loyalties, which fall along the country's tribal and ideological fault lines. Northern Shi'ite rebels see Mohsen as a ruthless military leader who led the military campaign against them in a bloody civil war. Leftists and southerners worry that their goals for democracy will be overtaken in a military power struggle, while the Islamist opposition is thought to view Mohsen more favorably.More than likely, Krajeski wrote in the cable, Mohsen would try and orchestrate a transition where he could anoint Saleh's successor: "If he holds true to form, Mohsen would likely prefer to play kingmaker, choosing another loyal military officer to hold the presidency."

The desecration of the Holy Quran "an abhorrent act”

As the US State Department condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in Florida, one of the two controversial pastors responsible for this act said on Friday he would now visit America’s largest mosque to protest against ‘radical’ Islam. Pastors Terry Jones and Wayne Sapp, who run a fringe church in Florida with less than a dozen followers, have stirred an international controversy by burning a copy of the holy book inside their establishment on March 20. Sate Department’s deputy spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing in Washington that the Obama administration strongly condemned the burning. Speaking at a press conference on the situation in Libya, the US official termed the burning of the Holy Quran an “abhorrent act”. Pastor Jones, who created a similar controversy in September last year but later rescinded his plans to burn the book, apparently is enjoying the notoriety the burning has brought to him and his small religious outfit. On Friday, he said he would visit the Islamic Centre of America, in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 22. The centre is one of the largest mosques in North America and services much of Dearborn’s large Muslim population. He said he would protest outside the mosque “against Shariah laws and radical Islam”. “It is necessary that we set very clear lines for Muslims that are here in America,” Pastor Jones said in a written statement. “They are welcome to be here. They are welcome to worship. They are welcome to build mosques. But we do expect them to honour and obey our Constitution. “If they desire to change our Constitution, in other words to institute Shariah, then these Muslims are no longer welcome in our country. Now is the time that we make a very, very clear statement to radical Islam.”

Worldnews (Canada's conservative government, Obama, Cherry Blossom Festival, Fresh revelations by Wikileaks & Japan)

Canada's conservative government is toppled by the opposition with accusations of mismanagement. This now sets the scene for a May general election -- the fourth in less than seven years. The leader of the main opposition party said enough was enough. Opposition legislators reacted with delight at the vote result, 156 -145. But opinion polls indicate the conservatives are well ahead of the main opposition Liberal Party. Canada s Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he did not believe people wanted another election. The election is likely to be fought on two main themes, ethics and economy.

US President Barack Obama said Saturday the international mission in Libya was clear and focused, and succeeding by saving countless innocents from a “bloodbath” threatened by Muammar Qadhafi. Under increasing pressure to explain his strategy to Americans, Obama gave his most detailed review of the conflict so far, and insisted American national interests were behind his decision to order US forces into UN-mandated combat. “Make no mistake, because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians —innocent men, women and children —have been saved,” Obama said in his radio and online address. The president said a week into the operation that when innocent people were brutalized, by a leader like Qadhafi threatening a “bloodbath” and when nations were prepared to respond together “it’s in our national interest to act.” “And it’s our responsibility. This is one of those times,” Obama said. “Every American can be proud of the lives we’ve saved in Libya,” he said. The president has faced criticism that the mission to set up a no-fly zone is ill-conceived and has no clear end date or exit strategy, but he previewed arguments he is likely to muster in a national televised address on Monday. “Our military mission in Libya is clear and focused,” Obama said, noting the no-fly zone was mandated by the UN Security Council and that an international coalition was protecting Libyans to prevent “further atrocities.” “We’re succeeding in our mission. We’ve taken out Libya’s air defenses. Qadhafi’s forces are no longer advancing across Libya. “In places like Benghazi, a city of some 700,000 that Qadhafi threatened to show ‘no mercy’ his forces have been pushed back,” Obama said. Obama made clear to Americans wary of yet another foreign military adventure however that the goals of the mission were limited and that “responsibility for this operation” would be transferred to US allies and Nato partners.



The two week National Cherry Blossom Festival opens in Washington on Saturday. This cherry blossom event begins with donation and solemn DC tribute to Japan. The flowering trees that symbolize friendship between the United States and Japan are blooming for the 99th time in Washington in the wake of one of the world s worst natural disasters. Before the opening of the festival, organizers held a fundraising walk and vigil on Thursday among the trees for victims of Japan s March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Several hundred people gathered at the Washington Monument to donate money, with some holding Japanese flags or signs of support. The donation will be used by American Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan. Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki attended the donation ceremony and gave a speech, expressing his appreciation of the support from the American people. The festival director Diana Mayhew said, "Tonight, two days before the festival starts, we are just gathering people, inviting people for moment of reflection here at the Washington Monument and then walk the Tidal Basin in the spirit of hoping rebuilding for Japan." This event has also attracted people from all walks of lives, including John R. Malott, president and CEO of Japan America Society of Washington. "I think at this time the Japanese people need encouragement from us, they need to know that all of the friends overseas, whether in China or the United States, are thinking about them. And we all want to do anything we can to help them recover and rebuild their nation," he said.

India's ruling Congress party on Saturday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party for denying revelations India s ruling Congress party on Saturday slammed the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for denying the fresh revelations by Wikileaks that one of their leaders said that Hindu nationalism was an opportunistic issue for the party. The latest Wikileaks expose published by a national newspaper said BJP leader Arun Jaitley in May 2005 spoke to an American diplomat and expressed his view saying Hindu nationalism was an opportunistic issue for the party. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Shakeel Ahmed, spokesperson of India s ruling Congress party said parties like BJP and Hindu ideologue Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteers Corps) have always used religion for their own selfish means. Ahmed also said BJP and RSS have again proved that they make comments to suit their needs. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the party only disagreed to the word  opportunistic  being used and that the party did not take an opportunistic stand. BJP had been demanding the Congress party to clarify its stand on the cash-for-vote scandal, wherein the federal government was accused of buying lawmakers in 2004 to win their confidence in the Indo-U.S nuclear deal, as revealed by Wikileaks. But the Congress, siting an Indian magazine, said, the cash-for-scam was engineered by the BJP in collusion with a television news channel.

Japan's government has revealed a series of missteps by the operator of a radiation-leaking nuclear plant, including sending workers in without protective footwear in its faltering efforts to control a monumental crisis. The US Navy, meanwhile, rushed to deliver fresh water to replace corrosive saltwater now being used in a desperate bid to cool the plant's overheated reactors. Government spokesman Yukio Edano urged Tokyo Electric Power Co to be more transparent, two days after two workers at the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi plant suffered skin burns when they stepped in water that was 10,000 times more radioactive than levels normally found near the reactors. "We strongly urge TEPCO to provide information to the government more promptly," Edano said. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, or NISA, said TEPCO was aware there was high radiation in the air at one of the plant's six units several days before the accident. And the two workers injured were wearing boots that only came up to their ankles - hardly high enough to protect their legs, agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said.

Sri Lanka thump sorry England, enter World Cup semis

Sri Lanka ended England’s gruelling five-month global getaway with a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph on Saturday to set up a World Cup semi-final showdown against New Zealand. Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan, with 108 not out, and Upul Tharanga who hit an unbeaten 102, enjoyed their second 200-plus partnership of the tournament, wrapping up victory in Colombo in the 40th over. The win also allowed Muttiah Muralitharan, the most successful bowler in history, to extend his 19-year career by at least three more days with Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, facing the Kiwis in Colombo on Tuesday. England, who have been on the road virtually non-stop since embarking on their successful Ashes tour in October, made a dogged 229 for six in their 50 overs. Jonathan Trott (86) and Eoin Morgan (50), who was dropped three times, provided much-needed backbone on a slow, flat R. Premadasa stadium pitch. Patience was the key word for Trott, who hit his fourth half-century of the tournament, as he negotiated the four-pronged Sri Lankan spin attack. But he was unable to lift the innings in the final overs as England managed just 23 in the batting power-play. Trott fell in the 49th over, caught off Muralitharan who finished with 2-54, after a 115-ball innings which featured just two boundaries.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Myanmar earthquake

At least 75 people were killed when a strong earthquake struck Myanmar, officials said Friday, with fears that the toll would rise as news filtered through from remote areas still cut off. Tremors were felt as far away as Bangkok, almost 800 kilometres from the epicentre, Hanoi and parts of China when the earthquake hit late on Thursday, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) measured at magnitude 6.8. A Myanmar official said 74 people were killed and 110 were injured in five areas close to the epicentre. More than 240 buildings had collapsed. “We are trying to reach the remote areas,” the official said. “The military, police and local authorities are trying to find some people injured in those affected areas but the roads are still closed.” Across the border, Thai authorities said a 52-year-old woman was killed in Mae Sai district after a wall in her house collapsed. Terrified residents across the region fled their homes, tall buildings swayed and hospitals and schools were evacuated. In Yangon Chris Herink, Myanmar country director for the charity World Vision, said there did not appear to be “catastrophic infrastructure damage” in the affected areas of Kengtung and Tachileik, although buildings were cracked and water supplies disrupted in some parts. “Of real concern though are the more rural areas. There will be more, I am afraid to say, unhappy information coming throughout the day,” he said. “It is a hilly area near the border between Thailand and Laos, the so-called Golden Triangle. There is a lot of commerce that goes on in the area.” World Vision helps care for around 7,000 children sponsored by overseas donors in the affected areas. “We want to ensure that they and their families are safe, secure and accounted for and to offer assistance to them as a first priority but also to help anyone in the area that has humanitarian needs,” he said. The quake struck 90 kilometres north of Chiang Rai and 235 kilometres north-northeast of Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city and a popular tourist destination. Thailand’s meteorological department on Friday said it had registered six large aftershocks following the initial quake. Residents in Chiang Rai city raced from their homes again on Friday morning as a large tremor again shook the ground. Four pagodas in the historic town of Chiang Saen near the northern Thai border were damaged, including Chedi Luang, where its three-metre long pinnacle crashed to the ground. The shaking was felt throughout China’s southwestern province of Yunnan, according to state-run China National Radio, but no casualties or major structural damage had been reported as of Friday morning.
However, the earthquake reportedly caused cracks in some homes and schools in and around the rugged Xishuangbanna region that borders Myanmar, and fear of aftershocks forced many people in the area to spend the night outdoors. Some residents of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi fled their homes when the quake shook the city. Le Huy Minh, assistant director of the national Global Geophysics Institute in the capital, reported no victims or damage. “There was big panic among the local residents,” as high buildings shook for half a minute, said Nguyen Thai Son, of the institute’s office in northwestern Dien Bien town, 350 kilometres from the epicentre. But he added there were “neither victims nor material losses here”. Laos government spokesman Khenthong Nuanthasing said there had been no reports of casualties in his country from the earthquake. “In Vientiane it was not strong,” he said. The quake comes two weeks after Japan was hit by a monster earthquake and tsunami that left around 27,000 people dead or missing and triggered a crisis at its Fukushima nuclear plant. Myanmar and Japan sit on different tectonic plates, separated by the vast Eurasian plate. No tsunami warning was issued after the Myanmar quake as US seismologists said it was too far inland to generate a devastating wave in the Indian Ocean. The USGS initially recorded the quake as magnitude 7.0, but later revised it down to 6.8.