CHINA: Quake jolts China’s Sichuan, killing 56

BEIJING (AP) — A powerful earthquake jolted China’s Sichuan province Saturday near where a devastating quake struck five years ago, leaving at least 56 dead and more than 600 injured and prompting state media to warn of higher casualties.

The quake — measured by China’s seismological bureau at magnitude-7 and the U.S. Geological Survey at 6.6 — struck the steep hills of Lushan county shortly after 8 a.m. toppling buildings, many of them older brick structures. Tiles fell from roofs, and walls collapsed, sending people into the streets in their underwear and wrapped in blankets.

Rescue workers turned a square outside the Lushan’s county hospital into a triage center with medical personnel treating the wounded, according to footage on China Central Television.
Hard-hit parts of the county remained unreachable by road, with phone services cut off, but some text and Internet services continuing, state media said.

A person whose posts to a micro-blogging account “Qingyi Riverside” on Sina Corp.’s Twitter-like Weibo service carried a Lushan geotag said that many buildings collapsed buildings and that people could spot helicopters hovering above.

Aerial photos released by China’s military and shown on state television showed individual houses in ruins and some stretches of the county seat and villages flattened into rubble. The roofs of some taller buildings appeared to have slipped off exposing the floors beneath them.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that 56 people died. Xu Mengjia, Communist Party secretary for Ya’an, which administers Lushan, told CCTV that more than 600 people were injured.
The quake’s shallow depth, less than 13 kilometers (8 miles), likely magnified the impact and CCTV showed footages from local security cameras shaking. The official Xinhua News Agency said that the quake rattled buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu 115 kilometers (70 miles), to the east. It caused the shutdown of the city’s airport for about an hour before reopening, state media said.

Lushan, where the quake struck, is home to 1.5 million people where the fertile Sichuan plain meets foothills that eventually rise to the Tibetan plateau. The area is near a well-known preserve for pandas, Bifengxia, which Xinhua said was not affected by the quake. Dozens of pandas were moved to Bifengxia from another preserve, Wolong, after its habitat was wrecked by the 2008 quake.

Xinhua reported that more than 2,000 soldiers were being sent to the disaster area, along with specialized crews to restore telecommunications. Premier Li Keqiang flew to Ya’an to direct rescue efforts, and he and President Xi Jinping ordered officials and rescuers to make saving people the top priority, Xinhua said.

Social media users who said they were in Lushan county posted photos of collapsed buildings and reported that water and electricity had been cut off. At least 10 aftershocks some of them at magnitude-5 or higher shook the area.

“It’s too dangerous,” said a person with the Weibo account Chengduxinglin and with a Lushan geotag.
“Even the aftershocks are scary.”  The area lies near the same Longmenshan fault where the devastating 7.9-magnitude quake struck May 12, 2008, leaving more than 90,000 people dead or missing and presumed dead.

“It was just like May 12,” said Liu Xi, a writer in Ya’an city, who was jolted awake by Saturday’s quake. “All the home decorations fell at once, and the old house cracked.”

Friday Asia Update: Top Five Stories for the Week of April 19, 2013

Sharone Tobias and Will Piekos look at the top five stories in Asia this week.

1. China released a white paper on defense on Tuesday. The 2013 National Defense White Paper blamed Japan and the United States for the rise in tensions in the region (in so many words). It complained about neighboring countries for “making trouble over the Diaoyu islands,” referring to Japan. It also referenced the United States, saying, “some country has strengthened its Asia-Pacific military alliances, expanded its military presence in the region, and frequently makes the situation tenser.”

The white paper omitted any reference to a “no-first use” policy on nuclear weapons for the first time, a possible change in China’s nuclear policy. It is unclear what the significance of this omission is, though, as experts have questioned China’s commitment to this policy in the past.

2. Shifts in North Korea policy? China’s special envoy on North Korea, Wu Dawei, will travel to Washington, DC, next week for “an in-depth exchange of views” on the “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” The announcement comes after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Beijing and urged China to help convince the North to get rid of its nuclear weapons. Kerry has also indicated a readiness to talk with North Korea, as long as it takes steps toward denuclearization. Meanwhile, Pyongyang announced its own preconditions for resuming talks with Washington and Seoul, demanding the withdrawal of UN sanctions and the end of U.S.-South Korea military drills. North Korea’s willingness to discuss even the possibility of dialogue hopefully signals a desire to deescalate the tensions that have plagued the Korean Peninsula.

3. China GDP growth slows to 7.7 percent. New economic data in the first quarter of 2013 showed slower-than-expected growth that surprised analysts, who had forecasted growth of around 8 percent. It’s possible that even that number is inflated, given that there are strong incentives for local government officials to inflate their numbers for promotions; the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics only takes two weeks to compile its data, compared to six weeks in Hong Kong and eight weeks in the United States. For years, China’s stated goal was to secure 8 percent GDP growth, in a policy called “bao ba (保八),” or “protect the eight,” on the premise that the country needed that level of GDP growth to maintain domestic stability.

4. Bird flu fears increase. The numbers keep rising, as China has now confirmed ninety-one cases of H7N9 and raised the death toll to seventeen. Meanwhile, fears of human-to-human transmission have intensified—the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 40 percent of people who have tested positive for H7N9 had no recent contact with poultry. Still, such fears seem premature, and the World Health Organization has stated that there is “no evidence of ongoing human-to-human transmission.”

5. Chinese national killed in Boston bombing. Lu Lingzi, a graduate student at Boston University from Shenyang, was confirmed as a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing issued visas to her parents, as well as to the parents of a second Chinese student injured in the attack. China’s new ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, stated that “We strongly condemn such an act of terror targeted at innocent civilians. We stand with the United States. We are ready to further our cooperation with the United States in fighting terror.”

Bonus: Rodman to return to North Korea, says Kim Jung-un just needs a hug. The basketball star is planning his second “diplomatic” visit to North Korea. Dennis Rodman claims that the most recent increase in tensions is because “[Kim] just wants to be loved. He just wants to sit down and talk. That’s all.” The Worm, as Rodman is affectionately known, also says he’s been approached by the FBI for insider information into the North Korean regime. In unrelated news, North Korea recently released its most hilarious propaganda video yet, claiming that Americans drink coffee made out of snow and that North Korean aid workers hand out cakes in the streets. Watch it here, dubbed in English. (Update: the video is a hoax, but the comedic factor remains. Enjoy!)

HONG KONG: Six people missing after river boats collide off Stanley

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AUSTRALIA: New Cruise Terminal in Sydney Welcomes First Ship

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CHINA Reports 13 Bird Flu Deaths; Cases Climb To 60

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PORT OF HAKATA, JAPAN: Dazaifu's rich past still delights today

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I turn to the other visitor on the temple's back porch, poised to share an observation, but the words die unsaid in my throat. To voice them would be to break the silence of this restful place and, after a few days in nearby Fukuoka's bustling downtown, silence is suddenly a commodity not to be trifled with.

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When Briton Neil Heywood was found dead in a Chinese hotel in 2011, police at first blamed alcohol. In fact, he had been murdered – and top Chinese politicians were involved, as Pin Ho and Wenguang Huang reveal.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/circle-of-poison-20130325-2goq0.html#ixzz2Qmj73OLrhttp://www.smh.com.au/world/circle-of-poison-20130325-2goq0.html

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The ...

How foreign languages mutate English words

 
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Sound changes
Different languages have different sets of sounds and different things you can do with those sounds. An English word may have a sound that's not used in the language, or it may have combination of sounds...
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JAPAN & RUSSIA: Bridgestone to spend $375m to build first tire plant in Russia

The project will cost $375 million and is scheduled to be complete in three years time and be Bridgestone's 47th plant in the world the company said in a statement.
Japan's Mitsubishi will be Bridgestone’s partner in the project with a 10% stake in the joint venture.
The plant will be built on an 800,000 square meter site in one of the first three certified Russian industrial parks - the Zavolzhye Industrial Zone in Russia's Ulyanovsk region.
Once up and running the factory will have a capacity of 12,000 units a day (or roughly 4.4 million units per year) and will focus mainly on winter tire production to serve the growing demand on the Russian domestic market and the CIS states.
The tire giant aims to reach full capacity by the second half of 2018. The plant will provide a total of 800 jobs.
In connection with the decision to build a tire plant, Mitsubishi Corp. will buy a 20-percent stake in Bridgestone C.I.S. L.L.C., the tire company's Moscow-based sales company. This will leave Bridgestone C.I.S. with a capital of about $180 million.
Bridgestone will be the sixth international tire company to set up a manufacturing plant in Russia after Continental A.G. with a plant in Kaluga, Michelin with a joint venture in Davydovo; Nokian Tyres P.L.C. with a plant in Vsevolozhsk, and Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. With a production facility in Liptesk. Pirelli is also producing tires in Russia at a plant it co-owns with Russia's CJSC Sibur Holding in Kirov and a joint venture in Voronezh co-owned with partner Russian Technologies.
“The fact that we come to the market after our main competitors have already done so, does not weaken our positions: customer confidence in our brand is comparable with or even stronger than in some of our competitors,” Vedomosti daily quotes a Bridgestone spokesperson as saying.

Beijing concerned about 4-year-old bird flu 'carrier'

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CDC Travelers' Health: Avian Flu (H7N9) in China update

Watch: Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions Avian Flu (H7N9) in China 
This information is current as of today, April 16, 2013 at 21:26 EDT Updated: April 15, 2013

What is the current situation? 

On April 1, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that influenza A (H7N9), a type of flu usually seen in birds, has been identified in a number of people in China. Cases have been confirmed in the following provinces and municipalities: Anhui, Beijing, Henan, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. This is the first time this virus has been seen in people. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Infection with the new virus has resulted in severe respiratory illness and, in some cases, death. Chinese health authorities are conducting investigations to learn the source of the infections with this virus and to find other cases. CDC is following this situation closely and coordinating with domestic and international partners in a number of areas. More information will be posted as it becomes available. There is no recommendation against travel to China at this time.

 What can travelers and Americans living in China do to protect themselves? 

There is currently no vaccine to prevent H7N9. At this time, we do not know the source of this virus. CDC is repeating its standard advice to travelers and Americans living in China to follow good hand hygiene and food safety practices and to avoid contact with animals.

Do not touch birds, pigs, or other animals.

• Do not touch animals whether they are alive or dead. 
• Avoid live bird or poultry markets. 
• Avoid other markets or farms with animals (wet markets). 

Eat food that is fully cooked.

• Eat meat and poultry that is fully cooked (not pink) and served hot.
• Eat hard-cooked eggs (not runny). 
• Don’t eat or drink dishes that include blood from any animal. 
• Don’t eat food from street vendors. 

Practice hygiene and cleanliness: 

• Wash your hands often. 
• If soap and water aren’t available, clean your hands with hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. 
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. If you need to touch your face, make sure your hands are clean. 
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. 
• Try to avoid close contact, such as kissing, hugging or sharing eating utensils or cups, with people who are sick. 

See a doctor if you become sick during or after travel to China. 

See a doctor right away if you become sick with fever, coughing, or shortness of breath. If you get sick while you are still in China, visit the US Department of State website to find a list of local doctors and hospitals. Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available at their website (www.jointcommissioninternational.org). Delay your travel home until after you have recovered or your doctor says it is ok to travel. If you get sick with fever, coughing, or shortness of breath after you return to the United States, be sure to tell your doctor about your recent travel to China.

Clinician information:

Clinicians should consider the possibility of novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infection in persons presenting with respiratory illness within 10 days of an appropriate travel or exposure history. Although the majority of novel influenza A (H7N9) cases have resulted in severe respiratory illness in adults, infection with this virus may cause mild illness in some and may cause illness in children as well. Influenza diagnostic testing in patients with respiratory illness for whom an etiology has not been confirmed may identify human cases of avian influenza A virus infection or new cases of variant influenza in the United States. Patients with novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infections should have a positive test result for influenza A virus via reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing but be unsubtypeable. Clinicians suspecting novel influenza A (H7N9) should obtain appropriate specimens and notify their local or state health department promptly. State health departments should notify CDC of suspected cases within 24 hours. For more information, see the Health Alert Notice issued April 5, 2013.

N. Korea Lashes Out Anew Over Protest in Seoul

N. Korea Lashes Out Anew Over Protest in Seoul: (PYONGYANG, North Korea) — North Korea said it was open to talks, but not as long as the United States is “brandishing a nuclear stick,” while Washington insisted that the burden for renewed negotiations now rests with Pyongyang. North Korea also warned that it will intensify unspecified “military countermeasures” unless the U.S. stops conducting military drills on the peninsula and withdraws the military assets that Pyongyang says threaten the North with a nuclear attack. The statements Tuesday came amid international fears that the North is preparing to conduct a medium-range missile test and also as North Korea marked the second day of festivities in honor of the April 15 birthday of its first leader, Kim Il Sung. The renewed vitriol began after a Monday protest by about 250 people in downtown Seoul, where effigies of Kim Il Sung and his late son and successor, Kim Jong Il, were burned. Such protests are fairly common in South Korea, and though Monday’s was held on the holiday that North Korea calls “The Day of the Sun,” some analysts suggested North Korea was using it as a pretext to reject calls for a dialogue with the South, at least for the time being. North Korea often denounces protests like the one held Monday, but this time responded with a statement from the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army, which is headed by Kim Il Sung’s grandson and North Korea’s overall leader, Kim Jong Un. The North’s statement said it would refuse any offers of talks with the South until it apologized for the “monstrous criminal act.” “If the puppet authorities truly want dialogue and negotiations, they should apologize for all anti-DPRK hostile acts, big and small, and show the compatriots their will to stop all these acts in practice,” the statement said. North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK. (MORE: North Korea Marks Founder’s Birthday, Issues More Ire) Later in the day, its state media quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying North Korea has no intention

Chinese student killed in Boston blast

Chinese student killed in Boston blast: A Chinese student is the third person killed in the Boston Marathon blasts, the Chinese Consulate in New York says.

North Korea: We won't give any warning

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Princess Cruises Brand to Enter Singapore Market with Largest Deployment Ever by a Premium Cruise Line

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Obama praised the Sultan as “a key leader in the Southeast Asian region” and thanked him for trying to ease tensions between China and Japan and the Philippines over ownership of islands in the South China and East China Seas. China has recently increased patrols near those islands.

Obama said Asian countries involved in the maritime ...

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The good news is that the Chinese people finally know what they are up against. The bad news is that addressing these problems requires not only the technical fixes that are typically proposed but also the proper policy environment for the technical fixes to work. These problems are emblematic of a systemic challenge, and nothing short of an overhaul in how the environmental protection is managed from top to bottom will suffice. Here are a few things that the Chinese people appear to be seeking.

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