Japan,The film "Hori no Shima"..[ 663 ]

Film tells story of islanders' battle to preserve way of life

Film director Aya Hanabusa

Mainichi,20-2-10, Director Aya Hanabusa recently finished filming her first production "Hori no Shima" (Island of Shinto Priest) on a small island in the Seto Inland Sea. The documentary portrays the struggle of the islanders against the construction of a nuclear power plant nearby.

The documentary was filmed on Iwaishima Island off the coast of Kaminoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, where the plant is set to be built. An old legend tells that the island is named after hori -- a type of Shinto priest dedicated to praying for safe maritime voyages -- that once existed on the island (and can also be pronounced "iwai.")

"The sea is the lifeblood of the people here. The residents say they don't need a nuclear plant because they want to protect their way of life, rather than because they are against the use of nuclear power," said the 35-year-old director, who traveled back and forth between Tokyo and Iwaishima to record their campaign against the project.

The nuclear plant project first emerged 28 years ago, and most residents have since been campaigning against the proposed construction. Hanabusa visited the island for the first time in 2003, when a film company she was working for screened a documentary film on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident for the Iwaishima residents. After the screening, one of the audience members said: "We are all the same. We are all humans," which Hanabusa says she could not forget, even after she left the production company in 2007.

Hanabusa changed jobs, but could not give up her hope of working on a movie again. It was just around that time that she happened to see a photograph collection of Iwaishima residents campaigning against the nuclear plant project. She returned to the island in the summer of 2008 and started recording people's lives, and recently finished filming.

"I love this island more than anywhere else. I would die if I was forced to leave my hometown," one resident said. Hanabusa hopes that her documentary will explain why.

Accepting the nuclear plant means compensation money for the local fishery industry. Fish catches and their prices have dropped in recent years. However, local people say: "We love the island and want to protect it just the way it is now. We cannot exchange the sea for money."

The film will be released in April in the Setouchi area and in June in other regions.

Madeira floods kill 32 [ 662 ]

Madeira floods and mudslides kill 32

Advertisement Devastation as flash floods hit the island of Madeira BBC 21:34 GMT, Saturday, 20 February 2010 At least 32 people have been killed in floods and mudslides after torrential rains hit the Portuguese island of Madeira, local authorities say. Sixty-eight others were reported to have been taken to hospital for treatment on the Atlantic island, which is popular with foreign tourists. It is not yet clear whether tourists are among the casualties. The local civil protection service was "overwhelmed" by calls for help, a duty officer told Reuters news agency. According to Portuguese media, the storms were the deadliest on Madeira since October 1993, when eight people died. 'Ghost town' The main city, Funchal, and other towns and villages on the south coast are thought to have been worst affected after strong winds and heavy rain early on Saturday caused flooding and landslides. Television pictures showed muddy torrents coursing down narrow channels and spilling over the sides, roads awash with water and streets littered with debris. In pictures: Flood aftermath The island's airport was closed and Funchal mayor Miguel Albuquerque advised people to stay at home. Trees have been brought down and rocks carried away by the floodwaters, blocking roads and hampering emergency services. Some bridges and roads have been washed away and cars were swept away. One woman was killed when the roof of her house caved in. Some residents had to be evacuated. Power and telephone services were disrupted in some places. British holidaymaker Cathy Sayers told the BBC Funchal was like a ghost town. She said the infrastructure had been "decimated" by the water. "The drains just cannot cope with the water that's coming down from the mountains - they are just overfilled with sludge." There had not really been any warning that it would be quite so bad, she said. "I think everyone is extremely shocked that this has happened at this time of year," she said. Local media say the authorities' main concern now is for residents of Nuns valley - an isolated mountainous region that rescue workers have been unable to reach. National response Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates said he was "absolutely saddened and shocked with the images, with the consequences of this calamity", Reuters reported. MADEIRA FACTS Autonomous region of Portugal with population of around 250,000 Lies just over 480km (300 miles) from West African coast The European continent is more than 900km away He is expected to go to Madeira shortly to inspect the worst-affected areas and co-ordinate aid. "The problem requires a response on the national level," Interior Minister Rui Pereira was quoted as saying. He said Lisbon was considering declaring a state of emergency in the region. Regional government leader Alberto Joao Jardim said the authorities were making temporary shelters available for hundreds of people left homeless. The BBC Weather Centre says the severe weather was due a low pressure system, and that while Madeira can expect further rain with heavy downpours on Sunday, there is no danger of a repeat of the flash floods.

Morocco. at least 36 people were killed .[ 661 ]

Dozens die in Morocco minaret collapse

Advertisement The aftermath of the collapse of the minaret in Meknes, Morocco BBC,, 00:22 GMT, Saturday, 20 February 2010 At least 36 people were killed in Morocco when a minaret collapsed at a mosque in the central town of Meknes, officials say. More than 60 people were injured in the accident at the Berdieyinne mosque in Meknes' old city during Friday prayers, according to Moroccan state television. The TV report said that the collapse came after heavy rains which lashed the region for several days. The minaret is said to have been four centuries old. Many people are said to be buried under the rubble of the collapsed tower. A resident, Khaled Rahmouni, told Reuters news agency that about 300 worshippers had gathered inside the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. "When the imam was about to start his sermon, the minaret fell down," he said. Moroccan television added that the interior and religious affairs ministers had visited the site to supervise rescue operations. The officials visited the injured, who had been taken to hospitals in Meknes and the nearby city of Fez. Observers say that while neglected buildings in the old quarters of Morocco's cities collapse fairly often, the fall of a minaret is rare. King Mohammed VI ordered the minaret to rebuilt. Meknes is on Unesco's world heritage list.

China - Dalai Lama-Obama ...[ 660 ]

China anger at Dalai Lama-Obama meeting

Advertisement Dalai Lama talks about his meeting with President Obama BBC 06:48 GMT, Friday, 19 February 2010 A visit by the Dalai Lama to Washington has "seriously undermined" relations between the US and China, Beijing says. It released a strongly worded statement in response to US President Barack Obama's meeting with Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. China had earlier expressed "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the meeting with a man they see as a separatist. It said the US should "take effective steps to eradicate the malign effects". Washington had kept the Dalai Lama's meeting low-key to emphasis it was private rather than political. Hurt feelings Despite that, China's Vice-Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned ambassador Jon Huntsman to lodge a "solemn representation". The talks were held in the White House Map Room instead of the Oval Office "The behaviour of the US side seriously interferes in China's internal politics and seriously hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people," a ministry statement said. China never reacts well to these meetings, which have been taking place for nearly two decades, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Beijing. But this time it has expressed its dissatisfaction in stronger terms than ever before. The meetings highlight Beijing's terrible human rights record, and remind the world that many Tibetans are deeply unhappy with China's heavy-handed rule in Tibet, our correspondent adds. The White House meeting was held amid recent tensions, mainly over a US arms sale to Taiwan and allegations of Chinese cyber-spying. MARDELL'S AMERICA The real test of US-China relations will not be the Dalai Lama but what happens on sanctions against Iran Read Mark's thoughts in full Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement that the meeting between President Obama and the exiled Tibetan leader "violated the US government's repeated acceptance that Tibet is a part of China and it does not support Tibetan independence". He added: "Use concrete actions to promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations." During the low-key meeting, President Obama expressed his "strong support" for Tibetan rights, his spokesman said. The closed talks were held at the White House's Map Room instead of the more official Oval Office, in an attempt to signal to China that it was a private, not a political meeting. Mr Obama praised the Dalai Lama's commitment to non-violence and "his pursuit of dialogue with the Chinese government", the spokesman said. The Dalai Lama told reporters outside the White House that he expressed to the president his admiration for the US as a "champion of democracy, freedom, human values" and creativity. 'Deteriorating relations' The White House had defended the decision to receive the Dalai Lama, saying he was "an internationally respected religious leader". On the streets of Beijing, residents criticised the US to the BBC. US-CHINA TENSIONS Google - China denies being behind an alleged cyber attack on the US search engine Taiwan - a US sale of $6.4bn (£4bn) of defensive arms to Taiwan has angered Beijing Tibet - China says a US meeting with the Dalai Lama would "undermine relations" Trade - rows over imports and exports of meat, media, car tyres and raw materials Iran - the US fears China will not back tougher sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme Climate - the US is disappointed at China's tough position at the Copenhagen Summit Flip-flop diplomacy The US-China power balance Welcomed by the West Zhong An Huan, a university lecturer, said China's attitude on the issue was "clear and resolute". "We have already warned [the US] and if they continue in this way, they will have to bear the consequences," he said. Jin Canrong, from the School of International Studies at Renmin University, said the political atmosphere would get worse. "For the short term, I think the political atmosphere will deteriorate to some extent and some kind of dialogue will be suspended and Chinese willingness to cooperate on international issues will be weakened," he said. China, which sent troops into Tibet in 1950 but has long claimed it as its own, considers the Dalai Lama a separatist. Beijing tries to isolate the spiritual leader by asking foreign leaders not to see him. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and has since been living in India. The Dalai Lama has met every sitting US president since 1991, with each visit drawing Chinese ire. But George W Bush's meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2007 was the first time a sitting US president had appeared in public with the exiled Tibetan leader.

Military coup in Niger [ 659 ]

Military coup ousts Niger president

Advertisement The 'patriotic' military announcement was made on TV BBC 23:34 GMT, Thursday, 18 February 2010 A coup has taken place in Niger and the president has been captured after a gun battle in the capital, Niamey. In a television announcement, a spokesman for the plotters said Niger's constitution had been suspended and all state institutions dissolved. The country was now being led by a group called the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), the spokesman said. President Mamadou Tandja is believed to be in captivity at a military barracks. Reports say government ministers are also being held. Making the announcement on television, the spokesman for the coup leaders, wearing a military uniform, was surrounded by a large group of soldiers. He called on the people of Niger to "remain calm and stay united around the ideals postulated by the CSRD", to "make Niger an example of democracy and good governance". "We call on national and international opinions to support us in our patriotic action to save Niger and its population from poverty, deception and corruption," he added. A newsreader on Niger television said the country's borders had been closed and a curfew was now in force. Tensions have been growing since last year in the uranium-rich nation. Mr Tandja was widely criticised when he changed the constitution in August to allow him to stand for a third term. Long-term tensions A BBC correspondent said earlier that tanks were firing and witnesses reported seeing injured people being taken to hospital. AT THE SCENE Idy Baraou BBC News, Niamey The exchange of gunfire has been between soldiers but it is confusing and one cannot tell one side from another. I saw tanks being fired and soldiers on the streets using machine guns. The area near the presidential palace is where the business of government takes place and at least four military barracks are based there. People have fled the area and some civil servants have locked themselves inside their offices. Earlier, smoke could be seen from the roof of the office where President Mamadou Tandja was holding his cabinet meeting. An unnamed French official told AFP that the president had been seized. "All I can say is that it would appear that Tandja is not in a good position," he told the news agency on condition of anonymity. Soldiers captured Mr Tandja while he was chairing his weekly cabinet meeting, a government source told the BBC. AFP later reported an official as saying Mr Tandja was possibly being held at a military barracks about 20km (13 miles) west of Niamey. A witness told the news agency that the bodies of three soldiers had been taken to a military mortuary. The situation in Niamey remains unclear - there has apparently been no large-scale deployment of military personnel. The government and opposition have been holding on-off talks since December - mediated by the regional body Ecowas - to try to resolve the country's political crisis. Constructive engagement Ecowas has told the BBC that it is closely following developments in Niger. The organisation's political director, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said that, if needed, Ecowas would be in the country as quickly as it could to ensure order was maintained and constitutional order restored as soon as possible. Mr Musah said that while Ecowas would never recognise a military takeover, it would maintain a constructive engagement with those in authority in Niger. Mr Tandja, a former army officer, was first voted into office in 1999 and was returned to power in an election in 2004. Niger has experienced long periods of military rule since independence from France in 1960. It is one of the world's poorest countries, but Mr Tandja's supporters argue that his decade in power has brought a measure of economic stability. Under his tenure, work has begun on the world's second-biggest uranium mine, and energy deals have been signed with Chinese firms