Rescue operation in Okhotsk Sea..[ 2006 ]

Russian icebreakers start rescue of ice-trapped refrigerator ship in Okhotsk Sea

Topic: Rescue operation in Okhotsk Sea

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Russian icebreakers start rescue of ice-trapped refrigerator ship in Okhotsk Sea

12:19 16/01/2011

© Photo Far Eastern Regional Center of the Emergencies Ministry

MOSCOW, January 16 (RIA Novosti)

Russia's Krasin and Admiral Makarov icebreakers started an operation early on Sunday to free the ice-trapped Bereg Nadezdy refrigerator ship in the Sea of Okhotsk, the press office of the Russian Transport Ministry said.

"On instructions from the headquarters of rescue coordination in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the icebreakers approached at 05:00 a.m. Moscow time the Bereg Nadezhdy ship waiting for its rescue from the ice trap five miles to the south of the Sodruzhestvo mother fishery ship and started preparations for the ship's towing. At 09:25 a.m. Moscow time, the icebreakers started towing the refrigerator ship towards the Sodruzhestvo mother fishery ship," the press office said.

The Bereg Nadezhdy ship, the Professor Kizevetter research vessel, and the Sodruzhestvo mother fishery ship, carrying all together more than 400 people, became trapped in two-meter-thick ice in the Sea of Okhotsk on December 31. Two other ships, the Mys Yelizavety and the Anton Gurin, got stuck three days later.

On January 7 and 8, the Admiral Makarov released the Professor Kizevetter and the Mys Yelizavety vessels from the ice trap, while the Anton Gurin managed to cope with the situation on its own.

The rescue effort has been hampered by strong winds, low visibility and shifting ice floes in the area, the ministry said.

Now the icebreakers intend to bring the refrigerator to the Sodruzhestvo mother fishery ship and move toward clear waters in a single-file convoy.

Australia floods..[ 2005 ]

Australia floods sweep south, trail of disaster grows

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Residential areas west of Brisbane are inundated by flood waters January 13, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Tim Wimborne

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MELBOURNE | Sun Jan 16, 2011 3:54am EST

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MELBOURNE (Reuters)- Australian floods wreaked fresh havoc on rural communities in the south on Sunday, leaving a trail of destruction across four states, at least 17 dead and the prospect of reconstruction of historic proportions.

As tens of thousands of people in flood-stricken towns and cities in the north worked to clean out their homes and offices, heavy rains and floods meted out fresh disaster in southern Victoria state, the nation's second most populous.

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Four major rivers in Victoria were in full flood, with 43 towns, 3,500 people and 1,400 properties affected. Hundreds of people have evacuated their homes, though no one has been killed so far in that state.

"They had the army in town. They were sandbagging on the west side. It was flowing fairly quickly," Paula Ryan, 40, who runs a mobile coffee van, told Reuters by telephone from Echuca on Sunday as it prepared to be swamped by the Campaspe River.

The floods began in the northern mining state of Queensland last month and have caused billions of dollars in damage from broken infrastructure, lost commodity exports and the paralysis of the state capital, Brisbane, a city of two million.

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Queensland has accounted for all deaths so far, though the floods have also hit New South Wales and Tasmania states.

One central bank board member has estimated that the floods, linked by some scientists to global warming and rising sea temperatures, could shave up to 1 percent off economic growth in the December and March quarters, equal to around $A 13 billion. ($12.9 billion).

Victoria's State Emergency Service described flooding in the north of that state as probably its worst since records began, with spokesman Hugo Zoller saying it would continue for days.

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Gary Tonkin, 50, who runs an auto-electric business in the Victorian town of Charlton, said the Avoca River was running higher than in historic 1956 floods, inundating his business, his son's home and daughter-in-law's hair salon.

"Three-quarters of the town is still under water. Some of those houses will probably have tobe bulldozed. The force of the water was just unbelievable. Every street that the river was running down was just like a torrent," he said.

"It has uprooted fences and a lot of peoples' house fences are washed away. The power came back on half an hour ago. The water is just brown and stinks."

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BRISBANE CLEANUP IN FULL SWING

Further north, though, floods waters continued to recede, mainly fine weather prevailed and Brisbane's port reopened in some good news for coal and grain exporters.

Coal mines are working to reopen, with water still needing to be pumped from their pits and rail lines to the coast to be repaired. In New South Wales, completion of the grain harvest has been delayed and crop quality severely downgraded.

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Even in Queensland, where the cleanup is in full swing, some communities face new flood fears with the hamlet of Condamine largely evacuated for a second time.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said on Sunday the number of confirmed dead in the state had climbed to 17, but was likely to rise with more than a dozen people still missing.

(Editing by Mark Bendeich)

Brazil flooding..[ 2004 ]

Death toll rises to nearly 600 in Brazil flooding

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 15, 2011 10:11 p.m. EST

Teresopolis, Brazil (CNN) -- The death toll from flooding caused by torrential rains in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state rose to 591 people Saturday, Brazil's official news agency reported.

Most of the deaths were reported in the cities of Nova Friburgo and Teresopolis, located in a mountainous region northeast of Rio, according to Agencia Brasil.

Rescuers have not been able to reach some hard-hit areas and many more people are feared dead, the agency said Friday.

The rain is predicted to continue for several days in areas already submerged in water or slathered with mud. 

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Thousands of families are still living on mountain slopes or on riverbanks and face extreme risk of being washed away. One resident described the disaster as a tsunami that fell from the sky.

Chaos reigned in the especially hard-hit city of Teresopolis, where some residents donned masks and helped clean streets or deliver first aid. Others combed the city, searching desperately for missing loved ones. Schools and police stations turned into overflowing morgues, where people waited to identify their family and friends.

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Municipal worker Reginald de Oliveira came to see if he could find the body of his uncle, missing in the floods. He was trying to save his family when a wall of water washed him away.

 

Too early to place blame in Brazil

Red Cross volunteer Maria Helena de Jesus was helping with first aid.

"You have to almost have a heart of stone," she said. "It was very difficult."

Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek declared his city a natural disaster area.

At least 257 people died in Teresopolis, while 267 were killed in the town of Nova Friburgo, Agencia Brasil reported.

President Dilma Rousseff flew over flood-affected areas Thursday and landed in a slushy, trash-littered soccer field in Friburgo, the agency said. The floods are her first test as president.

She trudged through mud in her rain boots to talk to residents in a neighborhood where four of seven firefighters attempting to rescue people had been buried under mud. Three others were pulled out alive.

"We are going to take firm action," to help the devastated areas, said Rousseff, who assumed office at the first of the year.

Brazilian authorities have been criticized for a lack of disaster planning and allowing people to build homes in areas known to become treacherous in the rainy season.

They are under increasing pressure to show a strong response. Brazil is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

With more rain forecast, Brazilian authorities have ordered evacuations for at least 5,000 families living in especially perilous areas in Rio de Janeiro state, Agencia Brasil said. Another 3,000 families from a mountainous region were homeless and sheltered in schools and gymnasiums, the news agency said.

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"The most important thing right now is to assist the homeless population and reach the most critical points," said Rodrigo Neves, the state secretary of Social Welfare and Human Rights.

State health officials pleaded for people to donate blood that will be sent to the Serrana region, where only 36 units of blood remained for treatment of flood victims.

Rain has affected neighboring Sao Paulo as well, killing 24 people there, authorities said.

Journalists Fabiana Frayssinet and Helena DeMoura contributed to this report.

Japan: Osaka... "the kitchen of the nation,"[ 2003 ]

Soul searching in Osaka

Tourists pose for a snapshot

 

(Mainichi Japan) January 15, 2011 

Osaka, the third largest city in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama, boasts a long history of economic prosperity. It is the most important metropolis in western Japan, often contrasted with Tokyo in the east. Before the modernization of Japan, Osaka used to be called "the kitchen of the nation," reflecting its status as the center of the rice trade. The track record of excellence continued well into recent history. The Osaka Expo held in 1970, for example, is still regarded as the epitome of the postwar growth of Japan.

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In short, Osaka is a city difficult to avoid when one visits Japan. However, for some strange reasons, it seems that Osaka is not necessarily "on the map" when a visitor from abroad considers the itinerary for a Japan visit. This is an interesting enigma and needs some explanation, considering what a charming city Osaka actually is.

Recently, I had a chat with the public relations manager of an internationally recognized hotel in central Osaka. She said, with a hint of well-deserved pride, that its guests included many people from abroad. She then went on to say, however, that these people typically use the hotel as a "base" to explore Kyoto and Nara, two ancient capitals of Japan. "After all, these cities are just an hour's drive," she explained, with a broad smile. "But then, what about Osaka?" I asked her rather inquisitively, forgetting for a moment to keep my polite stance. "Well," she said, "these visitors from abroad hardly know what to see in Osaka."

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Her reply came as a shock to me, albeit admittedly somewhat expected. Although I was born and raised in Tokyo, which many people in Osaka regard as the archrival, I have always been an admirer of this western city, being enchanted by its deep and rich culture during my occasional visits. It seems to be true that the charm of Osaka is yet to capture the international imagination, dwarfed by its more glamorous neighbors: Kyoto, Nara, and perhaps even Kobe.

Osaka is not perfect in its public relations performance. However, I am pleased to say that Osaka is famous, at least within the nation, for a lucrative and rapidly growing trade: laughter.

Osaka is beyond any argument the "capital of laughter" in Japan. Many successful comedians come from this city. Typically, they make their name in their native town first, and becoming sufficiently successful, move to the much more rewarding Tokyo market. Some critics maintain that by "migrating" to Tokyo, the quality of comedy suffers. Such a comment demonstrates people's pride in the sense of humor, Osaka style.

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It is not easy to appreciate the Osaka style of comedy unless you have a sufficiently good command of the Japanese language. However, the vibrant life and quick mind behind the mirth can be appreciated while walking on an ordinary Osaka street.

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A good sense of humor comes with the ability to get to the point quickly. In Osaka, it is easy to have a nice meal without much fuss. The prices tend to be easy on your purse. One of the gibes that people in Osaka often say is that the Tokyoites are too pompous and authoritarian when it comes to judging life's pleasures. It is certainly true that residents of Tokyo make much of a Michelin star, whereas you would go for the substance in Osaka, regardless of what the authorities say.

One of my favorite pastimes in Osaka is to walk along the street at night, admiring the colorful neon signs and looking for a place to eat. Unless you are very fussy, a reservation is not necessary. Searching is easy, and any restaurant you casually walk into would provide a nourishing and tasty meal. Osaka thus makes you a very relaxed person.

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The sheer honesty and intensity of emotion you encounter on the street would also make you an honest and intense person. In Osaka, you can search your soul. 
(By Kenichiro Mogi, neuroscientist)

Tunisia: leader Ben Ali flees...[ 2002 ]

Tunisia: security stepped up after leader Ben Ali flees

 

Tanks have sealed off central Tunis

 

BBC.,,15 January 2011 Last updated at 10:32 GMT

Security has been stepped up in centre of the Tunisian capital, a day after President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power by street protests.

Hundreds of troops are patrolling Tunis and a state of emergency is in force. Interim leader Mohammed Ghannouchi has said his priority is restoring order.
There were scenes of looting overnight in several areas, witnesses said.
Mr Ghannouchi said he would hold talks with opposition groups to try to form a unity government.
The main thoroughfare in Tunis, Avenue Bourguiba, was blocked off by troops after the lifting of an overnight curfew.

The streets are largely deserted, AFP news agency reported.

Train station burnt There have been reports of overnight looting in the city's suburbs, with French-owned supermarkets among the properties targeted.
Tunis' main train station was burnt down, AP news agency reported.
Resident Zouhair Ben Jemaa told the BBC: "We couldn't sleep all night. We hear everything - the helicopters, the gunfire. It's quiet now. There are a few people out and about, but the troubles will probably start later."
However Tunis Carthage International Airport, which was closed amid Friday's unrest, re-opened on Saturday. Hundreds of tourists and other foreigners have been trapped there.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Tunis says people are now waiting for some indication that the interim administration is prepared to bring in widespread economic and political changes.

 

 

Mr Ben Ali's plane refuelled in Sardinia, before going on to Saudi Arabia

Late on Friday Mr Ghannouchi said his "absolute priority" was restoring security in the face of looting and robberies.
"We are at the service of the Tunisian people. Our country does not deserve everything that is happening. We must regain the trust of citizens in the government," he said.
In the past four weeks, protests have swept the country over unemployment, food price rises and corruption. Security forces used live ammunition against protesters and dozens of people died.
Mr Ben Ali, who had been in power for 23 years, conceded power on Friday after the unrest culminated in a giant rally against him in Tunis.
He flew out of Tunisia with his family amid widespread speculation about his destination.
The French government rejected a request for his plane to land in the country. It refuelled on the Italian island of Sardinia and later landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
A Saudi palace statement said: "Out of concern for the exceptional circumstances facing the brotherly Tunisian people and in support of the security and stability of their country... the Saudi government has welcomed President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family to the kingdom."
The UK, the US and France are among the countries advising against non-essential travel to Tunisia.
Mr Ben Ali was only Tunisia's second president since independence from France in 1956. He was last re-elected in 2009 with 89.62% of the vote.

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