Thailand’s Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned residents in 18 provinces of heavy rains and flash floods as tropical storm Ketsana is expected to reach the country’s northeast region Wednesday.
Philippine
On Tuesday morning, the Philippine government confirmed a total of 240 people were dead, nearly 40 people were still missing and 1.87 million affected
following devastating floods and landslides in Luzon caused by Ketsana, Xinhua reported.
The number of deaths from Tropical Storm Ketsana increased to 140, plus 32 missing with many more expected to be confirmed as rescue workers and medical
teams continue to reach flooded areas.
The extent of the destruction, and the scale of the clean up job which remains to be carried out, became clear as residents emerged from the roofs and upper
floors of their home where some had been stranded for as long as 48 hours.
Foreign governments promised aid for he victims of the disaster and health workers hurried to anticipate outbreaks of infectious disease, as the city of 12
million people struggled to clean up the mud and water dumped by the worst storm to hit the area in a generation.
“We are concentrating on massive relief operations, [but] the system is overwhelmed, local government units are overwhelmed,” said Anthony Golez, the head of
the National Disaster Coordinating Council, “Our assets and people are spread too thinly.”
In Nigeria so many people dying because they not enough foods. Difficult to growth foods because Weather and no rain to plant a tree.
Every year, malnutrition kills five million children - that’s one child every six seconds. But now, the Nobel Prize-winning relief group “Doctors Without
Borders” says it finally has something that can save millions of these children.
“It’s a revolution in nutritional affairs,” says Dr. Milton Tectonidis, the chief nutritionist for Doctors Without Borders.
“Now we have something. It is like an essential medicine. In three weeks, we can cure a kid that is looked like they’re half dead. We can cure them just like
an antibiotic. It’s just, boom! It’s a spectacular response,” Dr. Tectonidis says.
The Plumpy’nut product is a high protein and high energy peanut-based paste in a foil wrapper. It tastes slightly sweeter than peanut butter. It is
categorized by the WHO as a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
Plumpy’nut requires no water preparation or refrigeration, making it easy to deploy in difficult conditions to treat severe acute malnutrition. However it
must be used under medical supervision and the nutritional status of the children has to be clearly identified by a doctor or a nutritionist.
It has a 2 year shelf life when unopened. The product was inspired by the popular Nutella spread. It is manufactured by Nutriset, a French company based
in Normandy Rouen, fully dedicated to humanitarian relief, specialized in products to treat malnutrition, used by humanitarian stakeholders (international
organizations and non-governmental organizations basically) for distribution. The ingredients are: peanut paste, vegetable oil, powdered milk, powdered
sugar, vitamins, and minerals, combined in a foil pouch. Each 92g pack provides 500 kcal or 2.1 MJ.
Barack Obama released a comprehensive space policy Saturday that endorsed sending astronauts back to the moon by 2020 as a possible precursor for going to Mars
The first time he has committed to that goal and said the reach for the stars should be a U.S.-led international effort.
“Human exploration beyond low-earth orbit should be a long-term goal and investment for all space-faring countries, with America in the lead,” the policy paper said.
The paper promises funding for an additional flight after the space shuttle’s planned retirement in 2010 and to “expedite” development of a successor.
But beyond promising funding to “minimize” the gap until a new rocket flies — now not scheduled until 2015 — the plan makes no specific financial commitment.
Plans are underway to establish a permanent human presence on the moon by the year 2020.
Earth & Sky spoke with Pete Worden, Director of NASA’s Ames Research Center. We asked him why humanity should return to the moon.
Pete Worden: There are a lot of different reasons to go to the moon. First and foremost, it’s our first step in expanding into the solar system. But along that journey, there’s unbelievable scientific opportunities. The moon itself is a very interesting body. It holds the clues to how the solar system was formed, clues that we can’t find on Earth.
A new manned lunar spacecraft, called Orion, is being developed to fly by the year 2015. The idea is to construct a lunar habitat capable of withstanding the harsh environment and also utilizing natural resources, such as moon rocks with ore for nuclear fuel.
Pete Worden: I think it’s very important to understand that space programs are part of the American psyche. I think that if the space program disappeared tomorrow, each citizen would say they’ve lost something, that America is less than it was. Clearly, human exploration is an interesting and important point. I think most people would agree at some point that humanity is expanding into the solar system, into the universe. This is the first step, and that’s an important aspect of it.
Taliban rebels were driven out of Mingora on Saturday by Pakistan government troops.
The defence secretary says operations in the whole Swat valley region should end in the next few days, though military chiefs are more cautious.
A BBC correspondent who went to Mingora has reported widespread damage.
Rifatullah Orakzai, reporting for the BBC’s Urdu Service, said that all the buildings and shops in the town square had been completely destroyed.
However, local people have now been able to seek supplies in the town’s market after the lifting of a curfew.
Pakistan’s army said essential services were being restored to the city.
The International Red Cross said it was “gravely concerned” by the humanitarian situation in Swat.
Water and electricity were not available, there was no fuel for generators, most medical facilities had stopped operating and food was scarce, it said.
Earlier, the Pakistani Defence Minister, Syed Athar Ali, told a meeting of Asian nations in Singapore that only “5% to 10% of the job” of clearing the Taliban from the Swat valley remained.
The army has said it will pursue “hardcore” rebels after recapturing Mingora, the main town in Swat.
Mingora was home to 300,000 people before the fighting began.
“The main cities in the Swat valley stand clear today. The operation is being conducted in the countryside to the right and left of the valley and to the North… so the operation is ongoing and it will take a little more time,” army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told
Russia try to detect any radiation come to their country
It appears to have been a much more powerful blast than North Korea’s first nuclear test, in October 2006.
The test would “contribute to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism”, the communique said
The North gave no details of the test location, but South Korean officials said that a seismic tremor was detected in the north-eastern region around the town of Kilju - the site of North Korea’s first nuclear test.
A US official in Washington, who spoke to Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity, said Pyongyang had given less than an hour’s notice of the test, and had made no demands.
The message was conveyed through the “New York channel”, the official added, referring to contacts between North Korean diplomats and US officials at the UN.
Geological recordings of the tremor suggest it was much larger than the 2006 test. That was backed up by the Russian defence ministry, which detected a blast of up to 20 kilotons - comparable to the American bombs that flattened Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Just hours after the test, North Korea appeared to have test-fired two short-range missiles, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, but this was not confirmed.
In a strongly worded statement, President Obama said the North’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatened peace and was in “blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council”.
The North says it remains under military threat from its historic rival, South Korea, and South Korea’s allies, primarily the US - citing such examples as the annual US-South Korean military exercises undertaken in South Korea.
It says it is entitled to retain a military deterrent.
Six-party disarmament talks involving the US, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas have stalled over Pyongyang’s failure to agree how information it has handed over on its nuclear activities and facilities should be verified.
Pyongyang pulled out of the talks last month, in protest against international condemnation of its rocket launch.
North Korea
Population:
22,665,345 (July 2009 est.)
Military branches:
North Korean People’s Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age (2004)
North Korea have poor economy GDP - real growth rate is -2.3% (2008 est.)
But we still look at their building like modern.
They faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Severe flooding in the summer of 2007 aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions.
The richest people in the world have gotten poorer, just like the rest of us. This year the world’s billionaires have an average net worth of $3 billion, down 23% in 12 months. The world now has 793 billionaires, down from 1,125 a year ago.
After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list’s slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Bill Gates lost $18 billion but regained his title as the world’s richest man. Warren Buffett, last year’s No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway fell nearly 50% in 12 months. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú maintains his spot in the top three but lost $25 billion.
Now ranking:
1 - Bill gates - net worth = $40 bil with $18 bil down
2 - Warren buffet net worth = $37 bil with $25 bil down
3 - Carlos Slim Heti net worth = $35 bil with $25 bil down
Japan announced a $5 billion loan fund on Saturday to help developing nations, hard hit by the global credit crisis, to put in place running water, solar power systems and other environmental infrastructure.
Capital flight is plaguing emerging economies as U.S. and European investors retreat to repair their balance sheets and lending at home.
The outflow of funds from emerging markets — and the accompanying economic pain — was a major concern when financial leaders of the G20 developed and big emerging economies met over the weekend in the south of England.
“The G20 confirmed the importance of supporting economies, boosting bank capital, enhancing infrastructure and ensuring smooth trade finance to deal with a sharp change in fund flows to emerging nations,” Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano told a news conference after the meeting.
TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced on Sunday that the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Zionist regime signified its defeat in the face of “heroic resistance” shown by the Gaza people.
The ceasefire shows that the Zionist regime has failed to “achieve its goals”, Mottaki said in a statement on Monday.
The remarks come as Israel declared a ceasefire which began at 2:00 am (0000 GMT) on Sunday.
The foreign minister said the Gaza people’s victory over the Israeli forces during the past 22 days finally made the political and military leaders of the Zionist regime make such a decision.
“The reason behind the decision taken by the political and military leaders of the Zionist regime was the regime’s failure to accomplish the goals it had announced and that the valiant people of Gaza and Islamic resistance have emerged the victors during the past 22 days in the battle against the Israeli army (which is) armed to the teeth,” he pointed out.
Palestinian resistance forces declared on Sunday that they will stop their fight against Israel to give the invading forces the time to leave Gaza.
Mottaki also insisted that Israel must withdraw its troops from the enclave.
“Just halting air, ground and sea attacks is not enough” and Tel Aviv must pull out its troops from the occupied areas, he added.
The presence of the Zionist forces in the region is “provocative” and as long as the Israeli forces have not pulled out “there is no guarantee” for a halt to the clashes.
“Reopening of the border crossings and the withdrawal of the Zionist regime troops from Gaza” can pave the way for the situation to calm down, he noted.
Hamas victory keeps it in political scene for ever: expert
International expert Ahmad Bakhshayeshi Ardestani said on Sunday that the victory of Hamas will perpetuate the presence of Hamas in the political scene of Palestine.
“With its victory in Gaza, Hamas will remain for ever in the political scene of Palestine.”
Pointing to the ceasefire declared in Gaza, the expert said, “Surely, Israel has suffered a defeat in Gaza. This is the second failure of this regime and will not be the last one.”
Bakhshayeshi made a reference to the failure of the Zionist regime to achieve its objectives in invading Gaza, saying, “Israel did whatever it could but we saw that it did not succeed. This is the beginning of the historical downturn of the Zionist regime.”
Helping Gazans, a ‘humanitarian and Islamic duty’
MP Ali Motahhari stated helping the innocent Palestinian nation is a “humanitarian and Islamic duty”.
“We have both humanitarian and Islamic duties with regard to the Palestinian people. We can institutionalize this in the world to frustrate the negative propaganda campaign of the Zionist regime.”
Pointing to the propaganda campaign of the Western media on relations between Iran and Hamas, he said, “Strengthening the defense power is a legal right of all governments.”
On the Egyptian government’s cooperation with Israel, the MP said Cairo’s cooperation with Israel and its refusal to open the Rafah crossing is a “greatest betrayal”.
Israel faced a humiliating defeat in Gaza
Deputy Interior Minister for Social and Cultural Affairs Alireza Afshar insisted that Israel suffered a humiliating defeat in the Gaza Strip.
“The failure of the Zionist regime in Gaza is in fact its failure in face of the Palestinian nation and the resistance groups especially Hamas.”
Afshar added Israel “should have learned a lesson” from its 33-day war with Hezbollah.
“Israel did not learn a lesson from the 33-day war… and today we see that this regime (despite) having so many military facilities was not able to defeat the resistance groups.”
He made a reference to the Iran’s political measures during the conflict, saying, “Iran was able to involve the international, Arab and Islamic community in the Gaza issue.”
The North Korean military declared an “all-out confrontational posture” against South Korea on Saturday as an American scholar said he was told by officials in North Korea that it had “weaponized” 30.8 kilograms of plutonium.
South Korea ordered its military to heighten vigilance along the border with North Korea, the world’s most heavily armed frontier, said a spokesman of the South Korean military Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
North Korea’s saber-rattling oratory against the South has been common, especially after Lee Myung Bak came to office as president of South Korea a year ago vowing to take a tougher stance on the North in a reversal from 10 years of his liberal predecessors’ efforts to engage Pyongyang with economic aid. But what made the threat on Saturday unusual was the way it was delivered: a statement read on North Korean television by a uniformed spokesman for the North Korean military Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Strong military measures will follow from our revolutionary armed force,” the spokesman, a colonel, said, according to Yonhap, South Korea’s national news agency, which monitors North Korean broadcasts.
The spokesman did not elaborate. But he warned of clash along a disputed western sea border between the two Koreas. The two navies had skirmishes there in 1999 and 2002.
