الأحد، 26 فبراير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

The Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

UPDATE 1 — Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits southern Taiwan
Minister: India taken off WHO polio list
Clashes erupt between Israeli forces and Palestinians after protester’s funeral
Three soldiers killed, several injured in Colombia blast
Bird flu claims another life in Indonesia

UPDATE 1 — Strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits southern Taiwan

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 07:29 PM PST

TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck southern Taiwan on late Sunday morning, with shaking felt as far away as Taipei City in the north, seismologists and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake at 10:35 a.m. local time (02:35 GMT) was centered about 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) east of Wutai, a rural township in Pingtung County. It struck about 20.4 kilometers (12.6 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the country's Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.9 on the regional moment magnitude (Mw) scale, estimated that some 214,000 people near the epicenter may have felt 'very strong' shaking. It said 6.3 million others may have felt moderate to strong shaking.

Sunday's earthquake struck about 32.4 kilometers (20.1 miles) southeast of Kaohsiung, the island's second-largest city with a population of about 2.9 million. Shaking could be felt as far away as Taipei City, the country's capital in the north, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

Located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Taiwan is frequently rattled by moderate and strong earthquakes. On April 26, 2010, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Taiwan, injuring 96 people and damaging at least 340 buildings throughout the island.

And on September 21, 1999, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing at least 2,297 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The quake, the second-deadliest earthquake in the island's history, also left some 600,000 people homeless.

The only earthquake more deadly than the earthquake in 1999 was a powerful earthquake that struck western Taiwan on April 21, 1935. It left at least 3,276 people killed and injured more than 12,000 others. Railways were left destroyed, iron bridges were fractured and tunnels cracked.

Minister: India taken off WHO polio list

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 06:25 PM PST

NEW DELHI, India (BNO NEWS) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has removed India from its list of polio-endemic countries, Health and Family Planning Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Saturday.

The decision came after India successfully completed an entire year without an incidence of polio. The disease paralyzed thousands of children every year for several decades, the Hindu newspaper reported.

"WHO has taken India's name off the list of polio endemic countries in view of the remarkable progress that we have made during the past one year," Azad said at the Polio Summit 2012 in the Indian capital. However, India will have to remain polio free for two more years before it can be declared polio-free by the WHO in 2014.

"We have, therefore, put in place an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan across the country. Under this plan, there is going to be zero tolerance for any new polio case and such a case will be declared as a public health emergency," Azad said. In addition, all states bordering the neighboring countries have been alerted to strengthen surveillance for early detection of any imported polio virus.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also emphasized the need for providing nutritious food, safe drinking water, proper sanitation and education, in addition to universal access to safe vaccines. "We must ensure every child, rich or poor, whether living in Ladakh or in Delhi, has equal access to the best immunization," he said.

There were only four countries in the WHO endemic list, including Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan. India last reported a polio case on January 13, 2011 in West Bengal state.

In 2009, it reported 741 polio cases, more than anywhere else in the world. In 2010 only 42 cases were reported against 50,000 cases in 1995.

Clashes erupt between Israeli forces and Palestinians after protester’s funeral

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 06:23 PM PST

RAMALLAH, West Bank (BNO NEWS) -- At least twelve Palestinians were injured on Saturday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern Jerusalem town of al-Ram, following the funeral of a Palestinian killed on Friday in the West Bank.

Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and rubber-coated bullets to disperse protesters throwing stones and bottles at them. The violence erupted near the eastern entrance to al-Ram after hundreds of mourners buried 25-year-old Talat Ramia, who died in surgery late Friday after Israeli soldiers shot him in the chest during a protest, Ma'an news agency reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the protester had fired fireworks at the soldiers. An initial investigation indicated that 20 Palestinians gathered next to the Ramah camp southeast of Ramallah in the West Bank, and threw stones at IDF forces.

The soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians as per military orders. The IDF explained that the youth was hit in the shoulder, and was taken to the hospital in Ramallah where he later died, Haaretz newspaper reported.   

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Saturday that he held the Israeli government "completely responsible" for the incident. "We have already warned all components of the international community, especially the international Quartet, on several occasions of the dangers of maintaining silence while Israel's violence continues against non-violent protests our people carry out," Ma'an quoted Fayyad's statement as saying.

"While the international community and the Quartet issues statements only, the killing of Palestinians, settlement expansion, land confiscation, house demolitions and settler terrorism among other violations of international law seem to continue," he added.

Tensions have been rising in Jerusalem in recent days. Israeli police on Friday clashed with Palestinian worshippers at Temple Mount in Jerusalem, leaving eleven policemen and fifteen Palestinians wounded.

Police heightened their presence at the site on Friday morning after several violent incidents were reported this week. Light clashes erupted two weeks ago when right-wing leaders called on Jews to visit the Temple Mount, which houses the Al-Aqsa mosque, and cleanse the area of Muslims.

Three soldiers killed, several injured in Colombia blast

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 06:21 PM PST

BOGOTA, Colombia (BNO NEWS) -- Three soldiers were killed and several others were injured when a grenade exploded in northwestern Colombia, authorities said on Saturday.

The army is investigating whether or not the explosion, which happened in the municipality of Dabeiba in western Antioquia, was an accident or intentional. A soldier was allegedly handling the grenade when it exploded, killing three soldiers, the El Tiempo newspaper reported.

According to the Colombian Army's Seventh Division, a sergeant and six soldiers sustained injuries and were transferred to nearby hospitals. However, a doctor at Dabeiba hospital said that they received 22 soldiers with shrapnel wounds.

The soldier handling the grenade was not injured. According to reports, the soldier was arrested after the incident.

Bird flu claims another life in Indonesia

Posted: 25 Feb 2012 06:18 PM PST

JAKARTA, Indonesia (BNO NEWS) -- A 12-year-old boy has died of bird flu on the Indonesian island of Bali, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to 154 since 2005, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday.

According to a press release from the ministry, the boy, identified only as DWM from Badung regency, fell ill on February 11. He was rushed to the nearest hospital four days later because his feverish condition had shown no signs of improvement, the Jakarta Post reported.

The boy's condition continued to worsen until the boy passed away on Tuesday, officials said. The ministry had deployed officials to screen the family house but could not find definitive evidence to confirm the origin of the bird flu.

DWM is the fourth person to die of bird flu in Indonesia this year, according to official figures. To date, the country's ministry has recorded 186 bird flu cases with 154 cases resulting in death.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the bird flu virus has infected 565 people since it first appeared, killing 331 of them. Most cases and deaths were recorded in Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt and China.

health

الأحد، 26 فبراير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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