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Powerful quake hits north Japan
Dozens of people have been injured as a powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 hit Japan's northern island of Honshu.
The quake's epicentre was very deep, but it still caused damage to buildings and left thousands without power.
A number of cars were buried in a landslide, local television said, and reports suggested as many as 56 people were injured.
The tremor also caused traffic disruption, with motorways closed and train services cancelled.
Hundreds of people were trapped in stranded trains, reports said.
The earthquake, which struck at 0030 local time (1530GMT) on Thursday, was centred 120km (75 miles) underground, in the Iwate prefecture near Morioka, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.
The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, which was felt as far away as Tokyo, some 500km (310 miles) to the south.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda called on officials to "do their best" to rescue anyone trapped by the earthquake.
Emergency officials were deployed to the area as military planes flew over the worst-hit region in an attempt to assess the extent of the damage.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and experiences thousands of tremors each year. Dozens of people have been injured as a powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 hit Japan's northern island of Honshu. ... more -
Fake Officers Sell Fake Smokes
Three men dressed as PAP officers (Chinese police force) have been arrested by real officers for trying to sell fake brand-name cigarettes to store owners in Guangdong province. Apparently the men tried to persuade store owners to buy their Shuangxi brand cigarettes, which they claimed were "gifts" their commanding officer received from favor-seekers (not an uncommon practise) and wanted to get rid of them at a knock-off price. By the time of their arrest, they'd sold only two cartons of fake cigarettes for 75 yuan each. Fifty more cartons of the fake cigarettes were found in their car. Three men dressed as PAP officers (Chinese police force) have been arrested by real officers for trying to sell fake brand-name cigare... more
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Three official protest zones for the Olympics
So finally protestors will be allowed into Beijing - I guess that's providing they get their visas and don't have banners larger than the restricted size and or with the wrong message and don't gather in larger groups than is allowed at present..
These 'special demonstration zones for protesters to express themselves' will be situated in three parks, all of which are pretty near the competition arenas and city centre, a decided improvement from the 1995 U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing, when the city government set up similar protest zones, but in Huairou, way outside the city. So finally protestors will be allowed into Beijing - I guess that's providing they get their visas and don't have banners larger than ... more -
Six websites criticized for being "vulgar"
An organisation called the 'Internet Society of China' has accused six websites of "spreading low and vulgar content". The sites are mostly China-based community and picture-sharing forums. The ISC is rather like an additional tool for the government to keep websites in line and has previously required Chinese websites to sign self-discipline pledges when they're found to transgress.
'Spreading low and vulgar content? Welcome to the internet, baby! An organisation called the 'Internet Society of China' has accused six websites of "spreading low and vulgar content". The sites are ... more -
Chinese police wage war on 'emulational' guns
Xinhua reports that Chinese police have launched a one-month crackdown on the production, sale and trafficking of emulational guns to ensure security in the run up to the August Olympics.
Police are cracking down on such imitations by destroying the production and trafficking sites. Chinese law states that those caught producing, trafficking or selling such imitation weapons could be detained for a maximum of 15 days and face harsher punishment if their products lead to casualties.
Makes a nice change from those synonymous shooting soldier toys that seem to be everywhere, though I think they're probably not talking plastic toys here. Xinhua reports that Chinese police have launched a one-month crackdown on the production, sale and trafficking of emulational guns to ... more -
The Business of AIDS
In southern Africa, the most dangerous thing an uninfected man can do is get married. Elizabeth Pisani explains why, and debunks other conventional wisdom about HIV and AIDS. Pisani is an epidemiologist and the author of “The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS.” She spoke with New America Media editor and UpFront host Sandip Roy.
The numbers of reported AIDS patients were recently dramatically downsized for different countries. Why was this?
Downsizing the numbers was actually related to getting better data, particularly in India, the second most populous country. Small differences there can make very big differences in the numbers. The data is improving, and so they’re getting better estimates.
The World Health Organization’s department of HIV/AIDS also said there would be no generalized epidemic of AIDS in the heterosexual population outside of Africa, so there wouldn’t be a big, ticking time bomb in China.
We now know that HIV is not going to rage through the general populations of any continent outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Frankly, we’ve known that for 10 years or more, but we haven’t been able to say so because there are huge vested interests in keeping people worried. We have to face the fact that it’s essentially concentrated among men who have sex with one another, among people who buy and sell sex and among people who inject drugs.
None of which are popular government constituencies.
Exactly. Unless we can pretend it’s going to affect innocent women and babies, it’s very difficult to get governments to take an interest. That’s one side of the story. The other is that if it’s not everybody’s problem, then UN agencies, NGOs or government agencies that don’t want to deal with sex and drugs, can’t get a crack at that huge and ballooning AIDS funding.
In cities like San Francisco and New York, activists, gay men mostly, really forced the establishment to pay attention to the disease. But you’re suggesting that it has also created its own brand of orthodoxies that have been exported around the world and don’t necessarily fit the way HIV is spreading in different parts of the world.
That’s exactly right. One of the things that activists did was they forced governments to take it seriously. They also turned it into an issue of individual rights, and the rights of people who may be in marginalized communities.
How was it different for someone getting diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s compared to today?
In the mid 1980s, an HIV diagnosis was like having ‘wicked person’ branded across your forehead. It meant that you were quite likely to lose your insurance, your job, possibly be thrown out of your family, rejected by your friends and there was not a single thing we could for you, because there was no treatment.
Today, we have quite effective treatment in much of the world. So the idea that we shouldn’t test people unless they specifically ask to be tested is one that we now call into question.
So what is the message we are giving people today?
We’re really giving people mixed messages. We’re saying, ‘Don’t worry, HIV’s completely normal, you can live healthfully with it for many years.’ But on the other hand we’re saying, ‘Don’t worry, if we test you, you don’t have to tell anyone, and it can be a big secret.”
***Article Continues, click link to read***
In southern Africa, the most dangerous thing an uninfected man can do is get married. Elizabeth Pisani explains why, and debunks other... more -
Bees battle crows in the skies over Tokyo
Part of the problem is garbage – having no large landfills, Tokyo's garbage tends to sit outside until carted away, and in the interval becomes a fetid feast for the winged scavengers. It should also be mentioned that Tokyo crows aren't like the crows most of us are familiar with. Nope, these are crows on steroids, Terminator crows, Corvus Maximus as it were. They're big, mean, sport wickedly curved beaks and travel in flying wolf packs. Part of the problem is garbage – having no large landfills, Tokyo's garbage tends to sit outside until carted away, and in the interva... more
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New unreleased video of Benazir Bhutto murder
A rare unreleased video of the murder of Benazir Bhutto in the last few seconds before the shooting.
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Tropical storm leaves 18 dead in Taiwan
Tropical Storm Kalmaegi, killed 18 people and injured another eight, while seven are still missing after it hit the island, an official from the National Fire Agency said on Sunday.
Kalmaegi, a Korean word meaning seagull, brought heavy rains, causing floods, landslides and agricultural losses of around T$500 million ($16 million) throughout the island.
Kalmaegi, the first typhoon to hit Taiwan this year, left Taiwan on Friday and was weakening over China after being downgraded to a tropical storm, an official from Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said. Tropical Storm Kalmaegi, killed 18 people and injured another eight, while seven are still missing after it hit the island, an officia... more -
AFP: Cambodia and Thailand further increase troops in border standoff
"Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temple on the border, officials said on Saturday.
More than 500 Thai troops and well over 1,000 Cambodian soldiers are stationed around a small Buddhist pagoda on the slope of a mountain leading to the ruins of 11th century Preah Vihear temple...
...The standoff nearly erupted into violence late Thursday, when witnesses said troops twice pointed their guns at each other during 10 tense minutes at the pagoda when 50 Cambodian troops entered the pagoda compound to protect food supplies for dozens of monks.
Officials from both countries plan to meet Monday to resolve the standoff. But Premier Hun Sen and told his Thai counterpart in a letter Thursday that the dispute was worsening and harming their relations."
(End of excerpt)
Full article at link.
"Cambodia and Thailand further increased their forces in the fifth day of a tense standoff on disputed land near an ancient Hindu temp... more -
Al-Qaida draws more foreign recruits to Afghan war
Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign that al-Qaida is regrouping on what is fast becoming the most active front of the war on terror groups.
More foreigners are infiltrating Afghanistan because of a recruitment drive by al-Qaida as well as a burgeoning insurgency that has made movement easier across the border from Pakistan, U.S. officials, militants and experts say.
For the past two months, Afghanistan has overtaken Iraq in deaths of U.S. and allied troops, and nine American soldiers were killed at a remote base in Kunar province Sunday in the deadliest attack in years.
Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign ... more -
China Sex Blogger Reveals Identity
A British blogger who caused a storm of controversy by posting explicit accounts of his sexual exploits with Chinese women online has revealed his identity in the hope of drumming up publicity for his new book on the subject 'Fault Lines on the Face of China: 50 Reasons Why China May Never Be Great'. The book itself it set to cause further controversy and it's now revealed author, a David Marriott, who claims to be a Cambridge graduate, has recieved numerous angry responses to his blog site 'Chinabounder' since his announcement.
"ChinaBounder said he had fifty reasons to assume China will not be great," said Zhang in an online statement. "In contrary, I have at least one reason to say Britain can be great. The reason is Cambridge University can train citizens like Mr China Bounder who love to show off the great thing inside his pants. Of course, by saying he is from Cambridge University is another piece of performance art. But one thing I believe in is that there is a chance for China to become great again, a far greater chance than for Britain."
So the verdict on Mr Marriott..? A British blogger who caused a storm of controversy by posting explicit accounts of his sexual exploits with Chinese women online has ... more -
Lucky Number 8
"The Beijing Olympics start at 8pm on the 8th day of the 8th month in 2008. In case you didn't get it, China has a thing for the number 8."
But why 8??
James Reynolds explains the cultural reasons behind China's obsession with the number 8 and other numbers of significance in Chinese culture. "The Beijing Olympics start at 8pm on the 8th day of the 8th month in 2008. In case you didn't get it, China has a thing for the numbe... more -
'If we have guns we will shoot back'
Guardian reports from inside Burma on plans for a new uprising against the military regime, and hears some monks calling for more western intervention and an an armed insurrection. Guardian reports from inside Burma on plans for a new uprising against the military regime, and hears some monks calling for more west... more
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South Korean Metro Bans Japanese Condoms
A row between South Korea and Japan over the territorial right of two islands in the Sea of Japan has spilled over to the rather absurd, after authorities in Seoul ordered the removal of posters on the subway system advertising Japanese condoms. The order has come amid tension over a new guideline published in Japan for schoolteachers which reportedly states that the islands belong to Japan, while noting that South Korea also have sovreignty. Such was the nationalist backlash in Seoul that the Japanese embassy in Seoul was pelted with rotten eggs and tomatoes. A spokesman for the Seoul Metro said, "Having condom ads in a public space might not be acceptable for some people. Secondly, there is an anti-Japanese sentiment brewing among citizens over the Dokdo issue," A row between South Korea and Japan over the territorial right of two islands in the Sea of Japan has spilled over to the rather absur... more
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Burmese opposition ready to escalate pro-democracy fight
Members of Burma's battered and disparate opposition are growing disillusioned with the old methods of the pro-democracy movement and are seeking ways to escalate their armed struggle with the help of covert western support.
"There is a very real debate among us about how to begin a more sustained armed struggle," an organiser of last September's failed uprising told the Guardian. "We are ready for that kind of action, if we can get the supplies and training that we need." Members of Burma's battered and disparate opposition are growing disillusioned with the old methods of the pro-democracy movement and ... more -
The Dark Cloak of Cancer Over China
China's cancer rate has risen alarmingly over the last 30 years, up over 80% from the mid-seventies. Such is the rise that the disease is now the No.1 killer in Chinese cities and No.2 in the countryside, raising numerous questions about why incidents of the disease are increasing so much and whether changing lifestyles have influenced this trend. Health experts have emphasised that the effects of an ageing population should not be underestimated, since more elderly people in society would increase the cases of cancer. However, the numbers have not yet peaked and there are fears that inadequate information about the dangers of tobacco, changing dietry habits and pollution are also taking their toll. China's cancer rate has risen alarmingly over the last 30 years, up over 80% from the mid-seventies. Such is the rise that the diseas... more
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Global Warming Sand Sculpture in Indian Record Book
Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik will find his mention in the Limca Book of Records 2009 for the third time next year for being the first Indian to win the world champion title twice at the USF World Double Championship in Berlin.
On the second year of the championship, the artist created a 25ft high sculpture based on the theme of global warming depicting a polar bear sitting on a globe and praying with three faces representing Africa, Europe and Asia supporting the base.
for full story
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com
Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik will find his mention in the Limca Book of Records 2009 for the third time next year for being the firs... more -
Obama and McCain turn focus toward Afghanistan
John McCain and Barack Obama are turning their foreign policy focus toward the war in Afghanistan, as new poll results show Americans consider that battleground more critical to the overall war on terror than Iraq.
The presidential contenders gave back-to-back addresses Tuesday on national security and foreign policy. Obama restated his pledge to end the Iraq war by the summer of 2010, while McCain and his surrogates accused Obama of wanting to concede defeat.
But both candidates devoted much of their speeches to staking out their strategies for Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise.
Obama and McCain both said they would send more brigades to Afghanistan as troops are removed from Iraq — but they differed over the details and over how they would pursue terrorists operating next door in Pakistan.
Offering fresh criticism of Afghanistan, McCain told reporters Tuesday that there is serious corruption in the Afghanistan government and that President Hamid Karzai has not been the leader he would have hoped.
Obama said he, too, would send at least two more brigades to Afghanistan, but said the Iraq war, which he called a distraction, has prevented the United States from making progress in the region. He said in the 18 months since the troop surge in Iraq began, “the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated — June was our highest casualty month of the war.”
John McCain and Barack Obama are turning their foreign policy focus toward the war in Afghanistan, as new poll results show Americans ... more -
Nepal to name its first president
In Nepal's capitol city, Kathmandu, lawmakers will this Saturday vote on who is to become the country's first president.
Nepal became a republic in April, after an election decided to abolish the country's 239-year monarchy,deposing King Gyanendra Shah from office.
There are divisions between the three main political parties over who should be president, with the Nepali Congress, Communists, and Maoists, opting for different men. The position will however, be "largely ceremonial", and the new president's main duty will be to swear in whoever is elected as the new prime minister: as yet undecided, after the first round of public elections failed to decide a majority leader. In Nepal's capitol city, Kathmandu, lawmakers will this Saturday vote on who is to become the country's first president. ... more
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