Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
Fear is the key: Pakistanis rush to buy firearms
Middle class Pakistanis in scores are now procuring guns and other arms to protect themselves, as a surge in Islamist violence has led
to fears that the country may be headed for a wave of violent kidnappings, extortions and other crimes.
Registrations of guns and rifles have recorded a new high, Wall Street Journal reported quoting officials who attributed this trend to rising sense of anxiety, fear and insecurity among the people, who now seeks arms for protection.
This has come in vogue among the middle-class people who foresee a wave of violent kidnappings and robberies that will target those who look like they might have money. These fears have been generated as over the past year, Pakistan has witnessed the assassination of popular political leader Benazir Bhutto and bloody bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel.
The recent terror strikes in Mumbai, allegedly carried out by 10 Pakistani militants trained here, has further frayed the nerves of the people here.
"The spreading Islamist insurgency in the country has led to a wave of insecurity, and people doubt the ability of the new civilian government to safeguard them," paper said. "People buy weapons because they're insecure," a senior interior ministry official told the paper. "No need denying it."
The 11,758 murders recorded in the first 11 months of 2008 were the highest in Pakistan in at least in a decade, it said quoting Islamabad police, who compile nationwide crime statistics. Arms licenses are issued by numerous Pakistani agencies. Local authorities and police hand out permits for weapons that can be used only within their states.
to fears that the country may be headed for a wave of violent kidnappings, extortions and other crimes.
Registrations of guns and rifles have recorded a new high, Wall Street Journal reported quoting officials who attributed this trend to rising sense of anxiety, fear and insecurity among the people, who now seeks arms for protection.
This has come in vogue among the middle-class people who foresee a wave of violent kidnappings and robberies that will target those who look like they might have money. These fears have been generated as over the past year, Pakistan has witnessed the assassination of popular political leader Benazir Bhutto and bloody bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel.
The recent terror strikes in Mumbai, allegedly carried out by 10 Pakistani militants trained here, has further frayed the nerves of the people here.
"The spreading Islamist insurgency in the country has led to a wave of insecurity, and people doubt the ability of the new civilian government to safeguard them," paper said. "People buy weapons because they're insecure," a senior interior ministry official told the paper. "No need denying it."
The 11,758 murders recorded in the first 11 months of 2008 were the highest in Pakistan in at least in a decade, it said quoting Islamabad police, who compile nationwide crime statistics. Arms licenses are issued by numerous Pakistani agencies. Local authorities and police hand out permits for weapons that can be used only within their states.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Michael Jackson Dead | Michael Jackson Dead Hoax Email Forward Dying | Latest News | Michael Jackson ill | Michael Jackson Close to Death
An email forward is circulating in which it is claimed that the real Michael Jackson is dead and that an impostor, possibly of supernatural origin, has taken his place. The message is disguised to resemble a genuine news report and includes images of the discovery and "the creature that claims to be Michael Jackson". According to this "news report" the corpse of the real Michael Jackson has been found buried under miniature-train tracks at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Supposedly, forensic tests indicated that the body has been there for many years. The story implies that the entity currently claiming to be Michael Jackson is in fact an otherworldly figure - perhaps a demon.
Excerpt from email forward
Subject: SHOCKING NEWS
SANTA BARBARA, CA-During a search for evidence at the Neverland Valley Ranch, investigators discovered a corpse that has been identified as that of Michael Jackson, Santa Barbara police officials announced Tuesday. "Coroners have officially pronounced Michael Jackson dead. From what we can tell, he died between 18 and 20 years ago," forensic investigator Tim Holbrooke said. "We are not certain, at this time, who-or what-has been standing trial in that Santa Maria courthouse."
Of course, there is not even a shred of truth in this far-fetched tale. The story is satire, and is presumably intended to amuse and entertain. This tale originates from a recent feature on the satirical news site, The Onion.
When viewed in it's original context on The Onion website, it is quite clear that the story is satirical and not intended to report a real incident. In fact, all stories featured on the Onion website are satirical in nature. Unfortunately, because the story is now circulating in the form of a sourceless email forward, some credulous recipients actually believe the story to be true in spite of its fantastic claims.
A closer examination of the information should reveal its satirical nature to even the most gullible of readers. Naturally, if true, such a story would be front-page news around the planet.
False reports about the deaths of celebrities are not uncommon. During 2004, a satirical "news" report about the death of American Idol's William Hung spread widely via email and the Internet and hoodwinked many readers.
Excerpt from email forward
Subject: SHOCKING NEWS
SANTA BARBARA, CA-During a search for evidence at the Neverland Valley Ranch, investigators discovered a corpse that has been identified as that of Michael Jackson, Santa Barbara police officials announced Tuesday. "Coroners have officially pronounced Michael Jackson dead. From what we can tell, he died between 18 and 20 years ago," forensic investigator Tim Holbrooke said. "We are not certain, at this time, who-or what-has been standing trial in that Santa Maria courthouse."
Of course, there is not even a shred of truth in this far-fetched tale. The story is satire, and is presumably intended to amuse and entertain. This tale originates from a recent feature on the satirical news site, The Onion.
When viewed in it's original context on The Onion website, it is quite clear that the story is satirical and not intended to report a real incident. In fact, all stories featured on the Onion website are satirical in nature. Unfortunately, because the story is now circulating in the form of a sourceless email forward, some credulous recipients actually believe the story to be true in spite of its fantastic claims.
A closer examination of the information should reveal its satirical nature to even the most gullible of readers. Naturally, if true, such a story would be front-page news around the planet.
False reports about the deaths of celebrities are not uncommon. During 2004, a satirical "news" report about the death of American Idol's William Hung spread widely via email and the Internet and hoodwinked many readers.
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Britain to probe shortage of Indian chefs
An inquiry has been launched by the department of Home Affairs to assess the impact of newly introduced points-based migration system which has hit three billion pound Indian restaurant and catering industry in Britain.
The Indian restaurant industry has been adversely affected by the new system as it had made difficult to recruit chefs from the Indian sub-continent.
Restaurant owners and representatives of the catering industry recently took to the streets in London and Edinburgh against the system.
The committee, launched by the Home Affairs Select Committee chaired by India-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz, will inquire into the implementation plans for the points-based migration system, including an examination of the impact of the proposed system on particular groups and sectors and an assessment of the introduction of new sponsorship arrangements.
"The catering industry has raised major concerns about the effect they believe this system will have on their employees. It is vital that we look at the validity of these concerns. It is vital that the Government effectively manages migration to and from the UK to meet the demands of our economy and manage pressures on our labour market," Vaz said while announcing the inquiry.
"We therefore wish to examine the Government's plans for simplifying existing migration routes into this country through the new points-based
The Indian restaurant industry has been adversely affected by the new system as it had made difficult to recruit chefs from the Indian sub-continent.
Restaurant owners and representatives of the catering industry recently took to the streets in London and Edinburgh against the system.
The committee, launched by the Home Affairs Select Committee chaired by India-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz, will inquire into the implementation plans for the points-based migration system, including an examination of the impact of the proposed system on particular groups and sectors and an assessment of the introduction of new sponsorship arrangements.
"The catering industry has raised major concerns about the effect they believe this system will have on their employees. It is vital that we look at the validity of these concerns. It is vital that the Government effectively manages migration to and from the UK to meet the demands of our economy and manage pressures on our labour market," Vaz said while announcing the inquiry.
"We therefore wish to examine the Government's plans for simplifying existing migration routes into this country through the new points-based
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Indian-origin boy wins Spelling Bee in US
A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy, Sameer Mishra, won the 81st annual Scripps National Spelling Bee on Friday. Mishra took home a cash prize of $35,000, while winning more than $5,000 in other prizes. ( Watch )
The boy from West Lafayette, Indiana, who often had the audience laughing with his one-line commentaries, aced "guerdon" - a word that appropriately means "something that one has earned or gained" - to win competition.
This was Sameer's fourth year in the competition. His previous attempts saw him finish at 98th, 14th and 16th places in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.
The second spot was bagged by Sidharth Chand, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, who stumbled on "prosopopoeia" (a word describing a type of figure of speech). This was Sidharth's first year at the bee.
A record 288 spellers were entered in this year's bee; the 45 semifinalists were the survivors from Thursday's preliminary and quarterfinal rounds. Twelve spellers advanced to the finals, which was aired live on ABC .
The boy from West Lafayette, Indiana, who often had the audience laughing with his one-line commentaries, aced "guerdon" - a word that appropriately means "something that one has earned or gained" - to win competition.
This was Sameer's fourth year in the competition. His previous attempts saw him finish at 98th, 14th and 16th places in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.
The second spot was bagged by Sidharth Chand, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, who stumbled on "prosopopoeia" (a word describing a type of figure of speech). This was Sidharth's first year at the bee.
A record 288 spellers were entered in this year's bee; the 45 semifinalists were the survivors from Thursday's preliminary and quarterfinal rounds. Twelve spellers advanced to the finals, which was aired live on ABC .
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Indians largest group to get British citizenship in 2007
Indians have turned out to be the largest group of immigrants, who have been granted British citizenship during 2007, according to the official figures released this week.
Last year, a record numbers of foreign nationals, 164,635 people, were granted citizenship, a seven per cent rise in 12 months. It was the highest since the Home Office began keeping comparable records in 1997, the figures reveal.
The biggest group was from India, who made up nine per cent of the total with 14,490. Filipinos constituted seven per cent with 10,840, Afghans six per cent with 10,555 and South Africans five per cent with 8,150.
A quarter of citizenships, about 41,000 were given to children, while about 29,000 became British nationals through marriage.
Last year, 160,980 people applied for citizenship while 14,725 applications were rejected.
According to the Home Office the reasons for increase in 2007 were not clear but suggested that speedier decision making had reduced the backlog of applicants.
While record numbers of people took citizenship, separate figures released by the Office of National Statistics showed that a record 400,000 people have left Britain in 2006, of which more than half were British citizens.
Of these, almost one-third went to live in Australia and New Zealand, a quarter to Spain or France and about one in twelve to the US.
An estimated 591,000 people came to Britain, resulting in net immigration in 2006 running at 191,000. Net immigration of New Commonwealth citizens was 115,000. It was the highest of all foreign citizenship groups coming to the country. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans made up 80 per cent of net migrants, with London being their most common destination, where they intended to stay.
Last year, a record numbers of foreign nationals, 164,635 people, were granted citizenship, a seven per cent rise in 12 months. It was the highest since the Home Office began keeping comparable records in 1997, the figures reveal.
The biggest group was from India, who made up nine per cent of the total with 14,490. Filipinos constituted seven per cent with 10,840, Afghans six per cent with 10,555 and South Africans five per cent with 8,150.
A quarter of citizenships, about 41,000 were given to children, while about 29,000 became British nationals through marriage.
Last year, 160,980 people applied for citizenship while 14,725 applications were rejected.
According to the Home Office the reasons for increase in 2007 were not clear but suggested that speedier decision making had reduced the backlog of applicants.
While record numbers of people took citizenship, separate figures released by the Office of National Statistics showed that a record 400,000 people have left Britain in 2006, of which more than half were British citizens.
Of these, almost one-third went to live in Australia and New Zealand, a quarter to Spain or France and about one in twelve to the US.
An estimated 591,000 people came to Britain, resulting in net immigration in 2006 running at 191,000. Net immigration of New Commonwealth citizens was 115,000. It was the highest of all foreign citizenship groups coming to the country. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans made up 80 per cent of net migrants, with London being their most common destination, where they intended to stay.
Friday, 9 May 2008
US govt 'gags' Congress on N-Deal: Repor
With the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement remaining stalled, the US State Department has issued a "virtual gag order" to the Congress asking it to keep even unclassified information "secret" out of fear that public disclosure could "torpedo" the deal.
Lynne Weil, a spokeswoman for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the State Department provided a lot of information on the deal, but the committee has agreed not to disclose the answers because "some data might be considered diplomatically sensitive."
However, the Washington Post said on Friday that the deal was in "such desperate" straits that the State Department had imposed the "unusually strict condition" asking the lawmakers to "keep secret" the answers it has provided.
The State Department made the request to Congress because though the answers were not classified, the officials fear that public disclosure would torpedo the deal, unnamed sources were quoted as saying by The Post.
Nearly 50 questions posed by Congress are highly technical, but they were carefully crafted to get to the heart of the balancing act the administration has performed between adhering to the letter of US non-proliferation law and assuaging Indian concerns that it was not being treated like a true nuclear power, the daily said.
One of the questions, it is said, pertains to whether the US would terminate nuclear trade if India resumes nuclear testing, a sensitive point in New Delhi.
Though it is required under US law, but the answer is not entirely clear from the text of the US-India agreement.
A group of prominent non-proliferation experts have decried the "virtual gag order", but so far the answers have not leaked as only a handful of lawmakers have been able to read them.
Lynne Weil, a spokeswoman for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the State Department provided a lot of information on the deal, but the committee has agreed not to disclose the answers because "some data might be considered diplomatically sensitive."
However, the Washington Post said on Friday that the deal was in "such desperate" straits that the State Department had imposed the "unusually strict condition" asking the lawmakers to "keep secret" the answers it has provided.
The State Department made the request to Congress because though the answers were not classified, the officials fear that public disclosure would torpedo the deal, unnamed sources were quoted as saying by The Post.
Nearly 50 questions posed by Congress are highly technical, but they were carefully crafted to get to the heart of the balancing act the administration has performed between adhering to the letter of US non-proliferation law and assuaging Indian concerns that it was not being treated like a true nuclear power, the daily said.
One of the questions, it is said, pertains to whether the US would terminate nuclear trade if India resumes nuclear testing, a sensitive point in New Delhi.
Though it is required under US law, but the answer is not entirely clear from the text of the US-India agreement.
A group of prominent non-proliferation experts have decried the "virtual gag order", but so far the answers have not leaked as only a handful of lawmakers have been able to read them.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
China puts onus on Dalai Lama to create conditions for talks
Refusing to set a date for the next round of parleys with the Dalai Lama's envoys, China on Tuesday said that Sunday's meeting was only a "beginning" and insisted that the Tibetan leader should take "concrete actions" to create conditions for further talks.
In the first comments on the meeting between the two sides that lasted only a few hours, the Chinese foreign ministry said, "the central government's policy is consistent and clear cut. The door for dialogue is always open".
"I want to stress that the current contact is only a beginning," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular bi-weekly media briefing.
At the meeting, the first since the unrest erupted in Tibet in March, Chinese officials talked about the riots in Lhasa and central government's policy towards the Dalai Lama and "we agreed to continue with the contact when appropriate", he said.
During the talks, officials had "clearly and comprehensively" expanded on China's position and "we believe that the Dalai's representatives have heard it very clearly", Qin said during the briefing.
Describing the current contact as "sincere", Qin said, "so long as the Dalai side exerts sincerity especially in actions, then the contact will continue".
He hoped that the Tibetan leader "will mean his words and really stop separatist activities, stop provoking violent activities and stop disrupting the Beijing Olympics so
In the first comments on the meeting between the two sides that lasted only a few hours, the Chinese foreign ministry said, "the central government's policy is consistent and clear cut. The door for dialogue is always open".
"I want to stress that the current contact is only a beginning," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a regular bi-weekly media briefing.
At the meeting, the first since the unrest erupted in Tibet in March, Chinese officials talked about the riots in Lhasa and central government's policy towards the Dalai Lama and "we agreed to continue with the contact when appropriate", he said.
During the talks, officials had "clearly and comprehensively" expanded on China's position and "we believe that the Dalai's representatives have heard it very clearly", Qin said during the briefing.
Describing the current contact as "sincere", Qin said, "so long as the Dalai side exerts sincerity especially in actions, then the contact will continue".
He hoped that the Tibetan leader "will mean his words and really stop separatist activities, stop provoking violent activities and stop disrupting the Beijing Olympics so
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
China silent on reports of nuke submarine base
China on Tuesday remained silent on reports it was building a major underground nuclear submarine base but insisted its military posed no threat to any country, a day after India voiced apprehensions over the build-up.
Beijing also stoutly defended its right to protect its maritime and territorial interests.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang at a bi-weekly media briefing would not confirm nor deny the existence of the base when asked about reports in this regard but said China's military posed no threat to the world.
"There is no need for the Western countries to be worried, or concerned, or make any irresponsible accusations," Qin said, adding "China's national defence and military building will not pose a threat to any countries."
"We have a vast territorial sea. It is the sacred duty of the Chinese army to safeguard our security on sea, the sovereignty of our territorial sea and maritime rights and interests," he said.
"China follows the path of peaceful development and pursues a national defence policy which is defensive in nature. China will always be the backbone of world peace."
India's Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta while reacting to the development said it was a "cause for security concern".
"It is not the nuclear submarine bases that matter, we are concerned over the number of nuclear submarines that are being built in our neighbourhood," he said on Monday.
Britain's Daily Telegraph while reporting on the base called it a "vast, James Bond-style edifice capable of concealing up to 20 nuclear-powered submarines and which will enable China to project its power across the region.
The base being built near the holiday resort of Sanya on southern China's Hainan island posed a major threat to Asian countries and US interests in the region, it said.
Beijing also stoutly defended its right to protect its maritime and territorial interests.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang at a bi-weekly media briefing would not confirm nor deny the existence of the base when asked about reports in this regard but said China's military posed no threat to the world.
"There is no need for the Western countries to be worried, or concerned, or make any irresponsible accusations," Qin said, adding "China's national defence and military building will not pose a threat to any countries."
"We have a vast territorial sea. It is the sacred duty of the Chinese army to safeguard our security on sea, the sovereignty of our territorial sea and maritime rights and interests," he said.
"China follows the path of peaceful development and pursues a national defence policy which is defensive in nature. China will always be the backbone of world peace."
India's Naval Chief Admiral Suresh Mehta while reacting to the development said it was a "cause for security concern".
"It is not the nuclear submarine bases that matter, we are concerned over the number of nuclear submarines that are being built in our neighbourhood," he said on Monday.
Britain's Daily Telegraph while reporting on the base called it a "vast, James Bond-style edifice capable of concealing up to 20 nuclear-powered submarines and which will enable China to project its power across the region.
The base being built near the holiday resort of Sanya on southern China's Hainan island posed a major threat to Asian countries and US interests in the region, it said.
Monday, 5 May 2008
Radio chips to check LPG diversion
Beware if you have multiple connections and use cooking gas cylinders to run a vehicle or a geyser. For these, you are supposed to use costlier commercial cylinders.
Similarly, unscrupulous dealers or delivery men will not be able to divert cylinders meant for domestic consumers to commercial establishments. Simply put, dealers cannot delay delivery, blaming it on short supply.
All this will be possible soon with state-owned oil marketing companies planning to tag cylinders with radio frequency ID (RFID) chips. This will help track the movement of each cylinder from the time it leaves the filling station and returns for a refill.
State-owned oil marketing companies are planning to tag cylinders with radio chips that will track the movement of LPG cylinder from the time it leaves the filling station and comes back for a refill.
After a test run, IndianOil Corporation is launching a pilot on the RFID (radio frequency identity) project in Coimbatore.
Simultaneously, it is rolling out indigenous software, IndSoft (short for Indane software), to merge all its dealers and supply points into a seamless network.
"IOC has about 5 crore cooking gas connections and 5,000 dealers serving them. Most dealers keep booking and delivery records on their own computers and the data is not transmitted to the company directly or in real time, leaving scope for diversion by unscrupulous elements. IndSoft will merge them into a common network linked to a central server. This will help monitor each dealer and detect any deviation either in delivery or use," G C Daga, IOC’s director (marketing), said.
Daga said the project would be in place by September-October, before the festival season begins when demand as well as diversions rise.
"We will then know the number of cylinders a dealer is receiving from us and delivering to customers. We will track the rollover pattern of cylinders against each consumer number. If a cylinder comes back for refill, say, in 10 days, we know there’s something amiss. With RFID, we can even identify the delivery boy for a particular cylinder. We can also detect ‘ghost’ or bogus connections or households which have multiple connections in the name of various members living together," he added.
Daga is, however, candid enough to admit that the success of RFID in detecting cylinders that have found their way into commercial establishments will depend on the number of ‘raids’ oil company executives are able to conduct. But the software will be nearly foolproof.
Similarly, unscrupulous dealers or delivery men will not be able to divert cylinders meant for domestic consumers to commercial establishments. Simply put, dealers cannot delay delivery, blaming it on short supply.
All this will be possible soon with state-owned oil marketing companies planning to tag cylinders with radio frequency ID (RFID) chips. This will help track the movement of each cylinder from the time it leaves the filling station and returns for a refill.
State-owned oil marketing companies are planning to tag cylinders with radio chips that will track the movement of LPG cylinder from the time it leaves the filling station and comes back for a refill.
After a test run, IndianOil Corporation is launching a pilot on the RFID (radio frequency identity) project in Coimbatore.
Simultaneously, it is rolling out indigenous software, IndSoft (short for Indane software), to merge all its dealers and supply points into a seamless network.
"IOC has about 5 crore cooking gas connections and 5,000 dealers serving them. Most dealers keep booking and delivery records on their own computers and the data is not transmitted to the company directly or in real time, leaving scope for diversion by unscrupulous elements. IndSoft will merge them into a common network linked to a central server. This will help monitor each dealer and detect any deviation either in delivery or use," G C Daga, IOC’s director (marketing), said.
Daga said the project would be in place by September-October, before the festival season begins when demand as well as diversions rise.
"We will then know the number of cylinders a dealer is receiving from us and delivering to customers. We will track the rollover pattern of cylinders against each consumer number. If a cylinder comes back for refill, say, in 10 days, we know there’s something amiss. With RFID, we can even identify the delivery boy for a particular cylinder. We can also detect ‘ghost’ or bogus connections or households which have multiple connections in the name of various members living together," he added.
Daga is, however, candid enough to admit that the success of RFID in detecting cylinders that have found their way into commercial establishments will depend on the number of ‘raids’ oil company executives are able to conduct. But the software will be nearly foolproof.
Red Cross rushes aid to Myanmar cyclone victims
Aid agencies on Monday rushed emergency food and water supplies to victims of a massive storm in Myanmar which killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless, a Red Cross spokesman said.
Tropical cyclone Nargis left at least 351 dead after hitting southwest Myanmar at the weekend, packing winds of 190 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, razing thousands of buildings and knocking out power lines, state media reported.
Several coastal villages had been destroyed according to a preliminary assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross, spokesman Michael Annear said.
The villages in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) delta bore the brunt of the storm which came in from the Bay of Bengal and combined with a sea surge before hitting the main city Yangon. State media said nearly 98,000 were homeless on the delta's Haing Gyi island alone.
Annear said teams in Myanmar were distributing essential supplies and would be bringing in more from Malaysia as soon as possible.
"We're distributing supplies for those who need shelter, plastic sheeting to cover roofs, water purification tablets, we are currently procuring 5,000 litres of water, cooking items, bednets, blankets and clothes for those in most need," he said.
"We went out as soon as possible but there were problems with mobility due to a lot of debris and power lines down. Authorities and the local community have been clearing the road networks so mobility has increased from Monday.
"Assessment teams have been a lot better getting through to affected areas but it's going to take a number of days to get an overall picture of the overall disaster," he said, adding that Yangon's airport was expected to reopen on Monday.
International Red Cross teams would be connecting with the local Myanmar Red Cross where more than 1,000 workers are trained in assessment and relief.
United Nations agencies and international charities were meeting later on Monday at the UN's Bangkok headquarters to coordinate their response to the disaster.
"We have called in the relief agencies and we will be discussing the overview of the situation, what we expect to happen over the course of the day and what activities are foreseen by the agencies," Terje Skavdal, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said.
All the major UN agencies involved in the disaster response were attending, including the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and World Food Programme, alongside the International Federation of the Red Cross and major aid organisations Save the Children and Oxfam.
Myanmar's national Red Cross was the only agency able to begin assessment of the damage on Sunday, but a number of other agencies had now started their own assessments, Skavdal said.
"Collating the data will take some time," he said. "Because of communication problems with phone lines down people will have to come back to Yangon to share their findings."
The IFRC has sent assessment teams to Yangon, the Ayeyawaddy, Karen, Bago regions and may also deploy to Mon state.
Tropical cyclone Nargis left at least 351 dead after hitting southwest Myanmar at the weekend, packing winds of 190 kilometres (120 miles) per hour, razing thousands of buildings and knocking out power lines, state media reported.
Several coastal villages had been destroyed according to a preliminary assessment by the International Federation of the Red Cross, spokesman Michael Annear said.
The villages in the Ayeyawaddy (Irrawaddy) delta bore the brunt of the storm which came in from the Bay of Bengal and combined with a sea surge before hitting the main city Yangon. State media said nearly 98,000 were homeless on the delta's Haing Gyi island alone.
Annear said teams in Myanmar were distributing essential supplies and would be bringing in more from Malaysia as soon as possible.
"We're distributing supplies for those who need shelter, plastic sheeting to cover roofs, water purification tablets, we are currently procuring 5,000 litres of water, cooking items, bednets, blankets and clothes for those in most need," he said.
"We went out as soon as possible but there were problems with mobility due to a lot of debris and power lines down. Authorities and the local community have been clearing the road networks so mobility has increased from Monday.
"Assessment teams have been a lot better getting through to affected areas but it's going to take a number of days to get an overall picture of the overall disaster," he said, adding that Yangon's airport was expected to reopen on Monday.
International Red Cross teams would be connecting with the local Myanmar Red Cross where more than 1,000 workers are trained in assessment and relief.
United Nations agencies and international charities were meeting later on Monday at the UN's Bangkok headquarters to coordinate their response to the disaster.
"We have called in the relief agencies and we will be discussing the overview of the situation, what we expect to happen over the course of the day and what activities are foreseen by the agencies," Terje Skavdal, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said.
All the major UN agencies involved in the disaster response were attending, including the World Health Organisation, the UN Children's Fund and World Food Programme, alongside the International Federation of the Red Cross and major aid organisations Save the Children and Oxfam.
Myanmar's national Red Cross was the only agency able to begin assessment of the damage on Sunday, but a number of other agencies had now started their own assessments, Skavdal said.
"Collating the data will take some time," he said. "Because of communication problems with phone lines down people will have to come back to Yangon to share their findings."
The IFRC has sent assessment teams to Yangon, the Ayeyawaddy, Karen, Bago regions and may also deploy to Mon state.
'Myanmar cyclone death toll tops 10,000'
Myanmar's military government has a provisional death toll of 10,000 from this weekend's devastating cyclone, with another 3,000 missing, a diplomat said on Monday after a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win. ( Watch )
"The basic message was that they believe the provisional death toll was about 10,000 with 3,000 missing," a Yangon-based diplomat said in Bangkok, summarising a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win. "It's a very serious toll."
The scale of the disaster from Saturday's devastating cyclone drew a rare acceptance of outside help from the diplomatically isolated generals, who spurned such approaches in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The secretive military, which has ruled the former Burma for 46 years, has moved even further into the shadows in the last six months due to the widespread outrage at its bloody crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks in September.
The official toll on state media stands at 3,394 dead and 2,879 missing, although those figures only cover two of the five declared disaster zones, where UN officials say hundreds of thousands are without shelter or drinking water.
The casualty count has been rising quickly as authorities reach hard-hit islands and villages in the Irrawaddy delta, the former "rice bowl of Asia" which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis's 190 km (120 miles) per hour winds.
After getting a "careful green light" from the government, the United Nations said it was pulling out all the stops to send in emergency aid such as food, clean water, blankets and plastic sheeting.
"The UN will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible," World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Paul Risley said.
India sends 2 naval ships carrying relief
India is sending two naval ships with relief and medical supplies to Myanmar.
The ships carrying food items, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines will sail to Yangon from Port Blair, the External Affairs Ministry announced in New Delhi.
President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee have sent messages of condolence, expressing their deep distress at the devastation caused by the natural disaster.
The top leadership has also conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief assistance and to assist Myanmar in its rehabilitation efforts.
"The basic message was that they believe the provisional death toll was about 10,000 with 3,000 missing," a Yangon-based diplomat said in Bangkok, summarising a briefing from Foreign Minister Nyan Win. "It's a very serious toll."
The scale of the disaster from Saturday's devastating cyclone drew a rare acceptance of outside help from the diplomatically isolated generals, who spurned such approaches in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The secretive military, which has ruled the former Burma for 46 years, has moved even further into the shadows in the last six months due to the widespread outrage at its bloody crackdown on protests led by Buddhist monks in September.
The official toll on state media stands at 3,394 dead and 2,879 missing, although those figures only cover two of the five declared disaster zones, where UN officials say hundreds of thousands are without shelter or drinking water.
The casualty count has been rising quickly as authorities reach hard-hit islands and villages in the Irrawaddy delta, the former "rice bowl of Asia" which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis's 190 km (120 miles) per hour winds.
After getting a "careful green light" from the government, the United Nations said it was pulling out all the stops to send in emergency aid such as food, clean water, blankets and plastic sheeting.
"The UN will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible," World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman Paul Risley said.
India sends 2 naval ships carrying relief
India is sending two naval ships with relief and medical supplies to Myanmar.
The ships carrying food items, tents, blankets, clothing and medicines will sail to Yangon from Port Blair, the External Affairs Ministry announced in New Delhi.
President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee have sent messages of condolence, expressing their deep distress at the devastation caused by the natural disaster.
The top leadership has also conveyed India's readiness to provide immediate emergency relief assistance and to assist Myanmar in its rehabilitation efforts.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Footballers fuel a ruder Britain: Poll
which long prided itself on a reputation for good manners, is becoming increasingly rude, according to a poll out on Monday.
Highly-paid footballers and celebrities are setting a bad example, according to the survey, which listed spitting and swearing as the most offensive forms of behaviour.
Almost nine out of 10 people — 86.2% — think Britons have become ruder than a decade ago, found the poll for ITV1 Tonight TV programme.
"I suppose it's part of the breakdown in society, the fact that we stopped having respect for figures in authority, partly because those in authority didn't command it," said etiquette coach Diana Mather.
The rise of football culture — and football hooligans creating mayhem — has long dented UK's good-mannered image abroad, and now Britons themselves acknowledge they have a major problem.
Highly-paid footballers and celebrities are setting a bad example, according to the survey, which listed spitting and swearing as the most offensive forms of behaviour.
Almost nine out of 10 people — 86.2% — think Britons have become ruder than a decade ago, found the poll for ITV1 Tonight TV programme.
"I suppose it's part of the breakdown in society, the fact that we stopped having respect for figures in authority, partly because those in authority didn't command it," said etiquette coach Diana Mather.
The rise of football culture — and football hooligans creating mayhem — has long dented UK's good-mannered image abroad, and now Britons themselves acknowledge they have a major problem.
Gas pipeline to be finalised in 45 days: Iran
India, Pakistan and Iran will finalise in 45 days all agreements for implementation of the long-delayed tri-nation gas pipeline project, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday night.
All pending issues and agreements would be finalised within 45 days and "given to the leadership of the three countries. Afterwards we will decide," he said addressing a news conference here after talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
On extending the pipeline to China, he said "we have recieved one proposal. We will evaluate it and consider its merit and evaluate all aspects of the proposal".
Describing Iran's relationship with India as "deep and historic", the President said the "two sides are too close to each other and hope in the future we will finalise the gas pipeline project."
All pending issues and agreements would be finalised within 45 days and "given to the leadership of the three countries. Afterwards we will decide," he said addressing a news conference here after talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
On extending the pipeline to China, he said "we have recieved one proposal. We will evaluate it and consider its merit and evaluate all aspects of the proposal".
Describing Iran's relationship with India as "deep and historic", the President said the "two sides are too close to each other and hope in the future we will finalise the gas pipeline project."
Monday, 28 April 2008
TV drama: Jane Austen a serial flirt
Jane Austen fans who think the novelist was a country mouse may be shocked by a new British TV drama which depicts her flirting, suffering from hangovers and reneging on the acceptance of a marriage proposal.
But the scriptwriter of 'Miss Austen Regrets' believes anybody who has read her books will recognize Austen as a woman of brilliant wit who knew her way around society.
"I am not dishing the dirt," said Gwyneth Hughes. "Some people might not like to see Austen with a hangover, but I am not out to shock."
Helen Lefroy, a distant relative of Tom Lefroy, a friend of Austen's, said the novelist may have been a livewire "but she wasn't wild."
"We know so little of her, but I do not think she was looking for marriage: she was looking to understand the relationship between men and women, which she used in her novels so well," Lefroy said.
The script for the BBC production, to be shown on Sunday, is based on the 100-plus surviving letters by Austen to her devoted sister Cassandra and to her young niece, Fanny.
Austen, who wrote the classics "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility," never found her own Mr. Darcy.
But the drama features a number of romances as well as a proposal of marriage, which the 27-year-old Austen initially accepted and then turned down after a night's reflection. "It would have been seen as incredibly rude and ill-brought up," Hughes said. "Fast, scandalous and wrong."
Later, a middle-aged Austen had a crush on a doctor 10 years her junior, who was treating her brother. "My judgment is she fancied him like mad," Hughes said.
Austen had been a tremendous flirt, and enjoyed partying, the scriptwriter added.
"She was a normal woman," Hughes said. "If she went to a party, she would have had some wine and woken up with a hangover."
Hughes believes many letters may have been destroyed by Cassandra to spare the feelings of friends, family and neighbors, and to protect her sister's privacy.
"She was lively and ferocious. Some of the comments about her neighbors make your eyes water." But there was enough in the letters to hint at "what might have been" in terms of romance, Hughes believes.
"We are very condescending nowadays, thinking they had buttoned-up and boring lives, but they were no more boring than ours, and some were more interesting. I am looking for Jane as she was, who we can relate to and understand in a modern world." said Hughes.
But the scriptwriter of 'Miss Austen Regrets' believes anybody who has read her books will recognize Austen as a woman of brilliant wit who knew her way around society.
"I am not dishing the dirt," said Gwyneth Hughes. "Some people might not like to see Austen with a hangover, but I am not out to shock."
Helen Lefroy, a distant relative of Tom Lefroy, a friend of Austen's, said the novelist may have been a livewire "but she wasn't wild."
"We know so little of her, but I do not think she was looking for marriage: she was looking to understand the relationship between men and women, which she used in her novels so well," Lefroy said.
The script for the BBC production, to be shown on Sunday, is based on the 100-plus surviving letters by Austen to her devoted sister Cassandra and to her young niece, Fanny.
Austen, who wrote the classics "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility," never found her own Mr. Darcy.
But the drama features a number of romances as well as a proposal of marriage, which the 27-year-old Austen initially accepted and then turned down after a night's reflection. "It would have been seen as incredibly rude and ill-brought up," Hughes said. "Fast, scandalous and wrong."
Later, a middle-aged Austen had a crush on a doctor 10 years her junior, who was treating her brother. "My judgment is she fancied him like mad," Hughes said.
Austen had been a tremendous flirt, and enjoyed partying, the scriptwriter added.
"She was a normal woman," Hughes said. "If she went to a party, she would have had some wine and woken up with a hangover."
Hughes believes many letters may have been destroyed by Cassandra to spare the feelings of friends, family and neighbors, and to protect her sister's privacy.
"She was lively and ferocious. Some of the comments about her neighbors make your eyes water." But there was enough in the letters to hint at "what might have been" in terms of romance, Hughes believes.
"We are very condescending nowadays, thinking they had buttoned-up and boring lives, but they were no more boring than ours, and some were more interesting. I am looking for Jane as she was, who we can relate to and understand in a modern world." said Hughes.
Lakshmi Mittal richest man in UK: Report
Indian steel baron Lakshmi Mittal has been ranked as Britain's richest resident for the fourth year in a row by a leading media house.
According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2008, to be published on Sunday, the London-based 57-year-old Mittal and his family's total fortune is worth an estimated 27,700 million pounds.
The steel baron consolidated his position at the top by acquiring world's leading steel company Arcelor last year. The combined business, Arcelor Mittal, produces 115 million tons of steel a year and accounts for ten per cent of market.
Mittal is followed in the list by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, with a 11,700-million-pound fortune, and the Duke of Westminster - the richest property developer in Britain, worth 7,000 million pounds.
The Hinduja brothers -- Sri and Gopi -- are at number four, and they will celebrate the 100th anniversary of their father's 6,200-million-pound industry in the year 2014.
Alisher Usmanov, a former prosecutor in Uzbekistan, who appears at number five, built his 5,726-million-pound fortune through steel and ore mines.
A former Miss United Kingdom from Staffordshire, Kirsty Bertarelli, is the highest placed woman, appearing at number six on the list, alongside her 42-year-old husband, Swiss biotechnology tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli.
Next on the list are Hans Rausing and family, who developed the Tetra Pak; the shipping owner John Fredriksen; the retail millionaires Sir Philip and Lady Green; and David and Simon Reuben, who have been active in the British property market for a decade.
According to The Sunday Times Rich List 2008, to be published on Sunday, the London-based 57-year-old Mittal and his family's total fortune is worth an estimated 27,700 million pounds.
The steel baron consolidated his position at the top by acquiring world's leading steel company Arcelor last year. The combined business, Arcelor Mittal, produces 115 million tons of steel a year and accounts for ten per cent of market.
Mittal is followed in the list by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, with a 11,700-million-pound fortune, and the Duke of Westminster - the richest property developer in Britain, worth 7,000 million pounds.
The Hinduja brothers -- Sri and Gopi -- are at number four, and they will celebrate the 100th anniversary of their father's 6,200-million-pound industry in the year 2014.
Alisher Usmanov, a former prosecutor in Uzbekistan, who appears at number five, built his 5,726-million-pound fortune through steel and ore mines.
A former Miss United Kingdom from Staffordshire, Kirsty Bertarelli, is the highest placed woman, appearing at number six on the list, alongside her 42-year-old husband, Swiss biotechnology tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli.
Next on the list are Hans Rausing and family, who developed the Tetra Pak; the shipping owner John Fredriksen; the retail millionaires Sir Philip and Lady Green; and David and Simon Reuben, who have been active in the British property market for a decade.
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