Chinese President Hu Jintao has voiced his gratitude for the international aid following Monday's massive earthquake. "I express heartfelt thanks to the foreign governments and international friends," Mr Hu was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. Offers of help in the relief effort from home and abroad have now surpassed $800m, Chinese officials say. The number of confirmed deaths of the quake in the south-western Sichuan province has now risen to 28,881. More than 10,600 people are believed to be still trapped, Xinhua said, citing regional officials. The final death toll following the 7.9-magnitude quake is expected to reach at least 50,000 people, Chinese officials estimate.
Chinese President Hu Jintao has voiced his gratitude for the international aid following Monday's massive earthquake.
"I express heartfelt thanks to the foreign governments and international friends," Mr Hu was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Offers of help in the relief effort from home and abroad have now surpassed $800m, Chinese officials say.
The number of confirmed deaths of the quake in the south-western Sichuan province has now risen to 28,881.
More than 10,600 people are believed to be still trapped, Xinhua said, citing regional officials.
The final death toll following the 7.9-magnitude quake is expected to reach at least 50,000 people, Chinese officials estimate.
BEICHUAN, China (Reuters) - Thousands of soldiers and families looking for missing kin streamed into one of the worst affected areas of China's massive earthquake on Sunday, as a strong new aftershock hit and the death toll neared 30,000. Rescue workers have plucked more than 60 more survivors from the rubble following Monday's quake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, even as hopes fade for the estimated 10,000 people or so still trapped under the rubble. The United States Geological Survey reported a tremor of 6.1 magnitude early on Sunday centered 80 km (50 miles) west of Guangyuan, the latest in a series of aftershocks to hit Sichuan. The official Xinhua news agency said there was no immediate word of additional damage or casualties in the area. In the provincial capital, Chengdu, some 200 km south of the new tremor's epicenter, buildings swayed and people rushed out into the streets, risking a soaking from a passing storm. But nuclear facilities close to the affected zone, including China's chief nuclear weapons research lab, are "all in a safe and controllable state", Xinhua said.
BEICHUAN, China (Reuters) - Thousands of soldiers and families looking for missing kin streamed into one of the worst affected areas of China's massive earthquake on Sunday, as a strong new aftershock hit and the death toll neared 30,000.
Rescue workers have plucked more than 60 more survivors from the rubble following Monday's quake in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, even as hopes fade for the estimated 10,000 people or so still trapped under the rubble.
The United States Geological Survey reported a tremor of 6.1 magnitude early on Sunday centered 80 km (50 miles) west of Guangyuan, the latest in a series of aftershocks to hit Sichuan.
The official Xinhua news agency said there was no immediate word of additional damage or casualties in the area.
In the provincial capital, Chengdu, some 200 km south of the new tremor's epicenter, buildings swayed and people rushed out into the streets, risking a soaking from a passing storm.
But nuclear facilities close to the affected zone, including China's chief nuclear weapons research lab, are "all in a safe and controllable state", Xinhua said.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India's foreign minister travels to Pakistan this week for his first meeting with leaders of a new civilian government and to review a peace process that has been in the doldrums for more than a year. Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Wednesday, a day after their top civil servants hold talks. The nuclear-armed rivals launched peace efforts in 2004 after nearly going to war a fourth time after Islamist militant attacks in India linked to a nearly 20-year revolt, which Pakistan sympathizes with, against Indian rule in the Kashmir region. While ties have warmed, the two sides have made no significant progress on their main dispute over the divided, Muslim-majority Himalayan region they both claim. A heavy clash on their Kashmir border this month underscored just how tenuous the improvement in relations is.
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - India's foreign minister travels to Pakistan this week for his first meeting with leaders of a new civilian government and to review a peace process that has been in the doldrums for more than a year.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on Wednesday, a day after their top civil servants hold talks.
The nuclear-armed rivals launched peace efforts in 2004 after nearly going to war a fourth time after Islamist militant attacks in India linked to a nearly 20-year revolt, which Pakistan sympathizes with, against Indian rule in the Kashmir region.
While ties have warmed, the two sides have made no significant progress on their main dispute over the divided, Muslim-majority Himalayan region they both claim.
A heavy clash on their Kashmir border this month underscored just how tenuous the improvement in relations is.
East African maritime officials say pirates have hijacked a Jordanian ship off the coast of Somalia. The Victoria, sailing from India with 4,000 tonnes of sugar donated by Denmark on board, was seized early on Saturday as it neared Mogadishu. It has a crew of 12 from Pakistan, India, Tanzania and Bangladesh. The seas off Somalia have some of the highest rates of piracy in the world, with a dozen vessels attacked this year, and three in recent weeks. Last month the United States and France proposed a UN resolution allowing countries to chase and arrest pirates in Somalia's territorial waters.
The Victoria, sailing from India with 4,000 tonnes of sugar donated by Denmark on board, was seized early on Saturday as it neared Mogadishu.
It has a crew of 12 from Pakistan, India, Tanzania and Bangladesh.
The seas off Somalia have some of the highest rates of piracy in the world, with a dozen vessels attacked this year, and three in recent weeks.
Last month the United States and France proposed a UN resolution allowing countries to chase and arrest pirates in Somalia's territorial waters.
The annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) opened in Mozambique on Wednesday with the organisation's head warning that rising growth rates are having little impact on poverty levels. In his opening speech, AfDB president Donald Kaberuka said the economic impact of surging food prices, power shortages and global warming would all be debated during the two-day gathering of African finance ministers and experts. Kaberuka said that although the continent's overall economic performance was improving, more was needed to lift living standards for the average African. "The strong growth rate for Africa, which is averaging nearly six percent, has not yet been enough to translate into a big fall in poverty levels," said Kaberuka.
In his opening speech, AfDB president Donald Kaberuka said the economic impact of surging food prices, power shortages and global warming would all be debated during the two-day gathering of African finance ministers and experts.
Kaberuka said that although the continent's overall economic performance was improving, more was needed to lift living standards for the average African.
"The strong growth rate for Africa, which is averaging nearly six percent, has not yet been enough to translate into a big fall in poverty levels," said Kaberuka.
U.S. officials say a $770 food aid package proposed by President George Bush contains language promoting the use of bio-engineered food. Proponents say genetically modified crops can result in higher yields from plants that are hardier in harsh climates, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. "We certainly think that it is established fact that a number of bio-engineered crops have shown themselves to increase yields through their drought resistance and pest resistance," Dan Price, a White House food aid expert, told the newspaper. Opponents say genetically modified crops could cause medical problems and are being promoted to to help U.S. agribusiness. "I think it's pretty obvious at this point that genetically engineered crops -- they may do a number of things, but they don't increase yields, Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association told the newspaper.
Proponents say genetically modified crops can result in higher yields from plants that are hardier in harsh climates, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.
"We certainly think that it is established fact that a number of bio-engineered crops have shown themselves to increase yields through their drought resistance and pest resistance," Dan Price, a White House food aid expert, told the newspaper.
Opponents say genetically modified crops could cause medical problems and are being promoted to to help U.S. agribusiness. "I think it's pretty obvious at this point that genetically engineered crops -- they may do a number of things, but they don't increase yields, Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association told the newspaper.
Sat 17/05/08 - Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme called for the introduction of sustainable development criteria in the production of biofuels at the EU-Latin American summit in Lima, the capital of Peru. 60 European and Latin American leaders attended the two-yearly EU-Latin American summit. This was the fifth summit. With the exception of Ireland, all the EU member states were represented in Lima. The two big themes of the summit were poverty and climate change. A major element affecting both issues is the role biofuels can or should play. The European Union and Brazil, the world's top ethanol exporter, back biofuels, but many Latin American countries blame them for pushing up food prices and causing hunger in a region where a third of the population lives in poverty. ... On behalf of the EU, Belgian PM Yves Leterme held the opening speech for the second session of the summit. He was nuanced on the debate that is gaining momentum regarding biofuel as a viable alternative fuel. Like the European Commissioner for Sustainable Development Louis Michel (Belgian), PM Leterme spoke out in favour of a review of the EU goals, but made no further comment on this issue.
60 European and Latin American leaders attended the two-yearly EU-Latin American summit. This was the fifth summit. With the exception of Ireland, all the EU member states were represented in Lima.
The two big themes of the summit were poverty and climate change. A major element affecting both issues is the role biofuels can or should play. The European Union and Brazil, the world's top ethanol exporter, back biofuels, but many Latin American countries blame them for pushing up food prices and causing hunger in a region where a third of the population lives in poverty. ... On behalf of the EU, Belgian PM Yves Leterme held the opening speech for the second session of the summit. He was nuanced on the debate that is gaining momentum regarding biofuel as a viable alternative fuel.
Like the European Commissioner for Sustainable Development Louis Michel (Belgian), PM Leterme spoke out in favour of a review of the EU goals, but made no further comment on this issue.
A world-wide swarm of Has-Beens is flying from place to place like bees, all for one and one for all. This week they alighted in Jerusalem, on the invitation of Has-Been No. 1: Shimon Peres, a politician who in all the 84 years of his life has never won an election, and who was finally handed, out of sheer compassion, the largely meaningless title of President of Israel. The common denominator of this group is that their prestige at home is close to nil, while their standing abroad is sky-high. Their mutual adoration compensates them for the lack of respect in their own countries. One of the senior members of this club is Tony Blair, who has been pushed from power in his own country but is not content to enjoy his pension and raise roses. As a consolation prize he has been granted the pleasure of playing around with our conflict. Every few weeks he convenes a press conference to present the good tidings of his phenomenal success in ameliorating the lot of the Palestinians, while the actual situation in the occupied territories goes from bad to worse. Our security establishment treats him like a bore who has to be thrown a crumb from time to time to keep him happy.
The common denominator of this group is that their prestige at home is close to nil, while their standing abroad is sky-high. Their mutual adoration compensates them for the lack of respect in their own countries.
One of the senior members of this club is Tony Blair, who has been pushed from power in his own country but is not content to enjoy his pension and raise roses. As a consolation prize he has been granted the pleasure of playing around with our conflict. Every few weeks he convenes a press conference to present the good tidings of his phenomenal success in ameliorating the lot of the Palestinians, while the actual situation in the occupied territories goes from bad to worse. Our security establishment treats him like a bore who has to be thrown a crumb from time to time to keep him happy.
