NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16497747

 

10 January 2012 Last updated at 21:43 GMT

 

Indonesia quake triggers brief tsunami alert

 

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province, prompting officials to issue a brief tsunami warning.

 

Residents ran into the streets after the 7.3 magnitude quake struck 423km (262 miles) south-west of Banda Aceh. No damage has been reported.

 

Officials lifted the tsunami alert two hours later.

 

A quake off Indonesia in 2004 triggered a tsunami killing 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean. Half were in Aceh.

 

The latest quake struck shortly after midnight on Wednesday local time (18:37GMT Tuesday) and had a depth of 29.1km (18.1 miles), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

 

The USGS put the earthquake's magnitude at 7.3. Indonesia's earthquake agency initially estimated the quake at 7.6 but later revised it down to 7.1.

 

In Banda Aceh, sirens blared from mosques and people fled their homes, waiting outside or in some cases heading for higher ground in cars or on motorcycles.

 

Witnesses said about 100 people gathered on a bridge in the city to see if the quake triggered any significant change in its height.

 

Patients at a hospital in the town of Seumele were evacuated as a precaution.

 

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" - one of the most seismically active regions on earth.

 

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16492494

 

10 January 2012 Last updated at 15:06 GMT

 

Brazil rescuers find more landslide dead in Rio state

 

Brazilian rescuers digging through mud that buried homes in Rio de Janeiro state have found a further four bodies, bringing the number of victims to 12.

 

It is believed several people could still be buried in Jamapara.

 

The landslide happened in the same area where a dam burst last week, forcing thousands from their homes.

 

The government on Monday launched an emergency plan to deal with the torrential rains which have also hit Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo states.

 

Rescuers in Jamapara, in Sapucaia, some 145km (90 miles) north of Rio, have been using machinery to dig through the mounds of soil and debris.

 

Sniffer dogs have also been trying to locate people in the mud.

 

The hillside collapsed onto several homes, with a sound like an explosion, local residents said.

 

Among the victims was family who had taken shelter in their car, fearing their house could be swept away by floodwaters.

 

Heavy rains and landslides are not uncommon in the mountainous area of Rio de Janeiro state.

 

A year ago, more than 1,300 people died or went missing during a particularly wet season.

[Cobalt]

> Wow, that must have been one powerful windstorm to break 200 roof tiles, usually the toughest roofing for storms of all sorts! Sounds like a mess Emma, I sure hope things are a bit better there for you now. :hug:

I finally fixed the storm damaged stoop roof, damaged from the summer's freak shear wind we had here - I know how it can be, it's bizarre to see big tree limbs in front of your door, debris scattered everywhere, and water pouring in! Hope you can get tiles up on the roof asap, and things back to normal.;)

 

It wasn't a windstorm though, it was hailstones up to the size of billiard balls. There's seriously marks in the footpath where the impact of the hail hitting was so great it acted like a high pressured water jet and took off a couple of layers of ingrained dirt from the concrete.

 

House is tarped at the moment, just waiting for insurance to pick up the pace. The car got a little dented too but nothing like other cars in the street - they had windscreens smashed = unroadworthy...

Also heard of some ceilings collapsing in houses up the street

[Cascading Waterfall]

Christchurch is still having earthquakes. They had another big one 2 days before Christmas. This one has done further damage to the Cathedral and city.

[nancyk58]

another big one 2 days before Christmas[/color]. This one has done further damage to the Cathedral and city.

 

 

Thanks for your post. In my post on 23.12.11 I mentioned 2 earthquakes in Christchurch.

[nancyk58]

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/120115/somalia-famine-death-toll-un-child-malnutrition

 

Somalia famine: "Tens of thousands will have died," UN says

 

A quarter of a million Somalis are still suffering from the famine, and child malnutrition rates remain the highest in the world

 

The Somalia famine will have killed tens of thousands of people by the time it ends, the BBC has reported.

 

The UN declared a famine in the Horn of Africa six months ago. Delivery of aid has been disrupted by Al Shabaab, an Islamist group with ties to Al Qaeda.

 

The UN aid chief in Somalia, Mark Bowden, told the BBC that a quarter of a million Somalis are still suffering from the famine.

 

Bowden told the BBC:

 

"We know that tens of thousands of people will have died over the last year ... Children will have suffered the most, malnutrition rates in Somalia were the highest in the world, and I think the highest recorded... up to 50 percent of the child population suffered from severe or acute malnutrition."

 

In July, the UN declared a famine in three parts of southern Somalia controlled by Al Shabaab. By September the famine had spread into another three areas of Somalia, and 750,000 people were affected, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

 

In November, with food aid beginning to reach Somalis and rainfall returning to East Africa, the UN downgraded the famine in some areas, and said that 250,000 people were now affected.

 

Malnutrition rates have started to drop, but the food crisis is expected to continue for the next six months, Bowden said.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 17 JANUARY, 2012

 

COLDWAVE KILLS AT LEAST 15 IN ANDHRA PRADESH PROVINCE IN INDIA

 

This past week-end, at least 15 people have lost their lives in the southern Indian Andhra Pradesh province due to unusually low temperatures.

 

Around 180 people in India - mainly old / elderly people and homeless - have died so far in the hard weather, according to the local media.

 

The southern provinces are well-known for their tropical climate, and deaths caused by cold weather is quite unusual in the Andhra Pradesh province.

 

Source: Danish text-tv (DR1)

[nancyk58]

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120116p2a00m0na015000c.html

 

Radioactive gravel likely shipped to over 200 companies

 

Radioactive gravel thought responsible for high radiation readings in a new apartment complex in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, was likely shipped to over 200 companies, making its way into apartments, bridges, and possibly temporary homes for evacuees, according to government investigators.

 

The gravel was kept in a part of the town of Namie, in an area near the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.

 

From the time the nuclear disaster began to the establishment of the area as an evacuation zone on April 22, the company owning the gravel had shipped 5,200 metric tons of it to 19 companies, according to national and local government sources.

 

Two of the receiving companies were ready-mix concrete companies and the rest were construction companies. However, the gravel was then reportedly sent on to over 200 other companies, where it was used in building materials.

 

On Jan. 16, Fukushima Prefectural Government officials agreed at a meeting to work to help move residents from the homes affected by the radioactive gravel, investigate the source of the contamination, and check for other places where contaminated building materials may have been used.

 

After the nuclear disaster began, standards were set for reuse of sludge and debris that may have been irradiated, but none were set for gravel used in concrete. The gravel industry is regulated by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The ministry investigated the gravel industry in areas near the plant in May of last year, but after being told that "the businesses have evacuated and no one is making shipments," it took no special measures.

 

Since the problem with the gravel surfaced, many calls criticizing the slowness of the government's response have reportedly come in to a call center for the national government set up in Fukushima Prefecture.

 

Kinki University professor Hideo Yamazaki compared the gravel problem to the one of irradiated straw being sent out around the country: "It's exactly the same problem. The stone quarry is inside the evacuation zone, and what happened was something the government could have predicted. It's frustrating that the government does not think about the movement of materials, including gravel. The ones I feel sorry for are the gravel producers. It was impossible for them to notice the contamination at the time of shipping, and it's not right for them to be blamed. The government's actions have all been reactionary, and the locals are paying for it."

 

(Mainichi Japan) January 16, 2012

[chuck kottke]

I have to wonder, what was the decision maker at the company that owned the gravel thinking? :thinking:

[nancyk58]

302 natural disasters in 2011 caused the loss of around 30,000 human lives (29,782) and resulted in devastation in 2011 at as much as 366 billion dollars according to UN agency UNISDR - and that is a record-high amount.

 

In particular the gigantic earthquake and ensuing tsunami in Japan that triggered the disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima resulted in a gigantic bill.

 

Source: Danish text-tv on TV2

 

 

 

North-eastern Iran hit by powerful earthquake - magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale. It hit 10 km outside the town of Neyshabur which is about 70 km from the holy city of Mashhad.

 

There is no report of casualties so far according to a spokesman for the aid agency Red Crescent who spoke to the news agency Fars.

 

According to News agency Ilna, the 7-second-long earthquake was the most powerful earthquake hitting the region for 10 years.

 

Source: Danish text-TV (DR)

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-16668563

 

21 January 2012 Last updated at 20:08 GMT

 

Mexico earthquake in Chiapas shakes region

 

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has hit the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, shattering windows and sending frightened residents into the streets.

 

The quake struck in the Pacific Ocean about 35 miles (55km) south-west of the city of Mapastepec, near Mexico's border with Guatemala.

 

The tremor was felt hundreds of miles away in El Salvador's capital, San Salvador.

 

There were no early reports of major damage or casualties.

 

The US Geological survey said on its website that the quake struck at 12:27 local time (18:47 GMT) at a depth of 40 miles.

 

Residents reported feeling the impact of the quake all across the region.

 

Mexico lies on the so-called Pacific Rim of Fire, where continental plates meet, and is regularly shaken by tremors.

[nancyk58]

New television means access to text-tv from Sweden, Norway and Germany again. YEAH!

 

 

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 27 JANUARY 2012

 

AFRICA: FEAR OF HUNGER DRAMA!!

 

After the drought disaster in the Horn of Africa last year / in 2011, then a new hunger drama threatens on the African continent.

 

In the western Sahel zone? more than 9 million people could soon be threatened by starvation according to the United Nations.

 

In the worst hit countries alone, i.e. in NIGER and MAURETANIA, 6 million people are already suffering from SHORTAGE OF FOOD. It is important that the international community responds promptly.

 

Source: German text-tv on ZDFtext

[nancyk58]

UNICEF: 1 MILLION CHILDREN AT RISK OF MALNOURISHMENT AND STARVATION IN THE SAHEL ZONE

 

 

UNICEF - United Nations' organization for children - sounded the alarm yesterday, Friday 27 January, 2012:

 

1 MILLION CHILDREN IN THE SAHEL ZONE along Sahara's southern border ARE AT RISK OF ACUTE MALNOURISHMENT VERY SOON.

 

UNICEF asked for 67 MILLION DOLLARS to deal with this situation. The money is to go to people in the 8 countries in the Sahel zone haunted by drought, attacks of insects, bad harvest and armed conflicts.

 

If nothing is done, the situation may become just as difficult as in Somalia according to UNICEF.

 

Source: Swedish text-TV (SVT text)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 30 JANUARY, 2012

 

MORE THAN 100 INJURED IN EARTHQUAKE IN PERU (Source: Danish DR text-TV)

 

No deaths have been reported in connection with the earthquake, but it has been estimated that 119 have been injured according to the authorities in Peru. Noone has suffered lifethreatening injuries, but today doctors have treated people who had broken legs, concussions and cuts.

 

The quake was measured at 6.3 on the Moment Magnitude scale used by US seismologists.

 

The epicenter was at 39 km depth in the Pacific about 23 km southeast of the town of ICA. At least 10 of the 16 damaged houses are uninhabitable after the quake according to the Peruvian authorities.

 

 

AT LEAST 40 PEOPLE DEAD IN COLD SNAP ACROSS EAST EUROPE

 

Bitterly cold winter weather with heavy snowfall and sudden drops in temperatures has cost at least 40 human lives in east Europe and south-east Europe this past week-end. The temperatures are falling even more according to meteorologists.

 

At least 18 died in UKRAINE where temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius in many areas - and that in only 4 days. 6 died last night (= night between Sunday and Monday) when the temperature showed minus 20 degrees C.

 

Most of the victims were homeless, but there were also some elderly people who were found dead in their homes according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian officials said nearly 500 people had sought treatment for frostbite and hypothermia in justs 3 days. And over that time, more than 17,000 sought refuge in some 1,500 shelters, Ukrainian media reported.

In POLAND 10 died during the week-end when the temperature dropped to minus 27 degrees Celsius.

 

3 died in Lithuania this week-end, and 3 deaths were also reported in Serbia. According to the news agency Tanjug, a state of emergency has been declared in 14 Serbian municipalities.

 

Deaths were also reported in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Rumania.

 

The cold weather is expected to continue for some days - and it will become even colder - also in Central Europe.

 

Sources: Danish text-tv (DR1), Swedish text-TV (SVT text) and BBC World's text-TV

 

 

Danish DR Text-TV: RED CROSS ASKED TO LEAVE SOMALIA

 

The International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) has been ordered to close its offices and to stop all humanitarian work in the war-ravaged and hunger-hit provinces in the southern Somalia.

 

The islamistic group al-Shabaab says that it has decided to "terminate the contract2 with the ICRC, because it has distributed food that was too old - the date expiry was passed according to al-Shabaab - and "the ICRC has wrongly accused the mujahedin of preventing the distribution of food".

 

The islamists in al-Shabaab control great parts of the central and southern Somalia.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 31 JANUARY, 2012

 

 

THOUSANDS MAY STARVE TO DEATH IN NORTH KOREA (source: Danish text-TV on DR)

 

North Korea faces an enormous hunger disaster, but the transition of power after the death of Kim Jong-il in December 2011 has slowed down the supplies of emergency aid from abroad. That must have fatal consequences according to secretary-general Kim Hartzner from Mission East - one of the few western aid agencies in North Korea.

 

If the USA, Denmark and other countries do not triple their aid, then between 400,000 and 500,000 people will die, so this is very dramatic. So Kim Hartzner says to DR News.

 

 

 

AT LEAST 60 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED IN EAST EUROPE DUE TO THE VERY COLD WINTER WEATHER (source: Danish TV2 News)

 

At least 60 people have died in East Europe due to the cold snap. 30 people have died in Ukraine. Also Serbia and Rumania have been hard hit with state of emergency declared.

 

 

 

RED CROSS ASKED TO LEAVE SOMALIA, BUT DOES NOT GIVE UP

 

The islamistic al-Shabaab militsia has asked Red Cross to leave Somalia.

 

This means that 1.1 million malnourished people are at risk of starving to death. So the general-secretary of Danish Red Cross, Anders Ladekarl, says to DR News.

 

This means that the children and adults who are 100 percent dependent on our supplies will get no food!!

 

This also means that the 2 big hospitals run by us in Mogadishu will not get supplies - and that the many clinics for malnourished children and their mothers do not get medicine or food. This will have grave consequences, says Anders Ladekarl.

 

Source: Danish text-TV on DR on 31 January, 2012

[nancyk58]

News in relation to natural disasters on 1 February, 2012

 

German ZDFtext: Deaths due to the cold weather also reported in Ukraine, Poland, Serbia and Russia.

 

German ARD text: Istanbul in Turkey paralyzed by snow masses: 2 m snow disrupted the bus traffic temporarily, and many people left their cars in the streets and walked to their work place.

 

Norwegian NRK text: At least 80 people have frozen to death in East Europe this past week. In UKRAINE 43 have died. In POLAND 20 have died. 14 have died in Rumania. 3 have died in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 10 have died in Bulgaria.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16830034

 

1 February 2012 Last updated at 16:33 GMT

 

Europe freeze: Heavy snow across continent

 

Heavy snow has caused disruption across Europe, carpeting much of Italy to the south and Turkey to the east.

 

The freeze that has swept south through the continent has caused at least 80 deaths, mainly in Ukraine and Poland.

 

In central Italy, heavy goods lorries were barred from motorways and several top-flight football matches have fallen victim to the wintry conditions.

 

Schools and colleges in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, were shut on Wednesday because of the severe cold.

 

Ukrainian officials reported that the number of deaths attributed to the freeze had risen to 43, with 13 people falling victim to hypothermia in the past 24 hours.

 

School closures were reported in northern Greece, where temperatures of -16C (3F) were recorded.

 

Black Sea freeze

 

Several towns and cities in Bulgaria saw record lows, with -29C reported in Kneja in the north-east for the second day running. For much of the country an "orange" alert was in place, warning of dangerously low temperatures.

 

A 57-year-old man froze to death in a village in the north-west and 450 schools were closed across the country.

 

Temperatures were so low that some areas of Romania's Black Sea coastline froze and in Bosnia and Serbia helicopters were used to airlift supplies to villages cut off by drifting snow.

 

Seven more deaths were reported in Poland, bringing to more than 20 the number who have fallen victim to the cold snap. Five were said to have been homeless people.

 

German media reported that ice and sub-zero temperatures had led to the deaths of two women: a pedestrian froze after falling into a drainage ditch and a driver was killed when she lost control of her car on an icy road.

 

In Turkey, three crew-members from a ship that sank during a storm in the Black Sea were pulled out alive by coastguard near the north-western port of Eregli but eight others were missing.

 

The bulk carrier Vera, with a crew of 10 Ukrainians and a Georgian, had been carrying a cargo of scrap metal from Rostov in Russia to Izmir in western Turkey.

 

Snowfalls were recorded as far south as southern Italy and Corsica, where at least 20cm of snow covered the centre of the Mediterranean island.

 

Italian rail services were reduced because of the wintry conditions. In Sicily, a one-year-old boy was fatally injured when his mother's car went into a stream swollen by torrential rain.

 

Several football matches in Italy's Serie A were postponed on Tuesday night and there were doubts that Wednesday's clash between Inter Milan and Palermo would take place. Workers cleared snow from the pitch at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna but the match against Fiorentina was later postponed.

 

The cold snap, according to forecasters, is due to an area of high pressure that has extended across Europe from Siberia and is expected to reach its peak at the weekend.

 

BBC weather presenter Peter Gibbs said he expected the bitter weather to continue for several more days across most of Europe, with cold winds and snow also spreading further south to affect the Balearic Islands and parts of northwest Africa by the weekend.

 

 

 

Danish text-TV / TV2 News: THE COLD WEATHER CONTINUES TO COST HUMAN LIVES IN EAST EUROPE

 

The cold weather in UKRAINE has cost 43 human lives during the last 6 days when the country has experienced extreme cold according to the authorities on Wednesday.

 

Most victims were homeless freezing to death in the streets, but 7 were found dead in their homes.

 

More than 800 people had to consult their doctor for treatment against frostbite and severe cooling.

 

With temperatures of down to minus 30 degrees Celsius, the authorities have been busy trying to find shelter, food and water for the needy.

 

24 Timer (a free Danish paper): Yesterday 3,000 schools in Ukraine were closed due to cold class rooms, and 4,000 pupils were sent home again.

 

In POLAND many have been treated for frostbite.

 

In SERBIA the death toll has risen to (at least) 5. The authorities have declared state of EMERGENCY in 14 municipalities in mountainous areas where the electricity and water supplies have experienced difficulties.

 

At least 4 have died in BULGARIA that has reported that this is the worst cold experienced in the country for several decades.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 2 FEBRUARY, 2012

 

 

THICK SNOW COST 55 HUMAN LIVES IN JAPAN

 

43 have died trying to remove a thick layer of snow from the roofs and streets, whereas others have been hit by avalanches in mountainous areas. 7 were hit by falling snow masses from high buildings. 4 died in the northern province, Atika when their tent camp was hit by a massive avalanche.

 

JAPAN is experiencing one of its coldest winters for many years. The cold and the snow have created big difficulties for the traffic. Worst hit is the northern parts of Japan.

 

 

 

AT LEAST 110 DEAD DUE TO THE COLD SNAP IN EUROPE

 

Last night POLAND experienced temperatures at minus 32 degrees Celsius - additional 9 people died according to the police bringing the death toll up to 29 in the cold weather this past week.

 

63 have frozen to death in UKRAINE where many people have taken refuge to shelters. More than 850 have sought help and treatment for frostbite.

 

In RUMANIA 14 have died this past week.

 

In the CZECH REPUBLIC the cold weather has cost 4 human lives since the beginning of this week. 1 homeless froze to death last night.

 

Sources: text-tv on Swedish SVT Text and German ZDF text

[Cobalt]

Lot of flooding up in northern NSW and southern QLD right now (up the top of the country)...

...aaaand in an extraordinary case of bad timing, while driving en route from Brisbane to Melbourne, my sister and her family have become stuck in Moree. A town that is possibly going to have the worst flooding since only two flood events prior in '74 and '55. Snapshot of the severity: the river usually seems to be 1.30m, it is tipped to peak 10.6 in about five hours, and all ways out of the town are cut... :cooky:

 

This is further awkward because she also nearly got stranded in Toowoomba last year when the insane flash flooding went through there. Last I heard they're safe at least. It's terribly annoying for the family, considering we also went through the super hailstorm and resulting thunderstorms last month. Things should be fine if they managed to get out of Toowoomba, fingers crossed tho. ><

Feel awful for the surrounding towns as I have also travelled that route, and Moree is a pretty town, as are the others :bigcry:

[nancyk58]

^ I cross my fingers for your sister and her family. Please keep us informed, EMMA.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 3 FEBRUARY, 2012

 

 

Danish text-tv on TV2 News:

 

Cold kills more than 200 across Europe

 

In Ukraine more than 100 have now died due to the extremely cold weather.

 

9 have died of frostbite in POLAND. 29 Polish people have thus died as a consequence of the very cold weather. The temp in Poland is now minus 32 degrees C in some areas.

 

 

German ZDFtext: MORE THAN 220 DEAD DUE TO THE COLD SNAP IN EUROPE

 

More than 220 people have frozen to death - mainly in East-Europe. More than 100 cold-weather deaths have been recorded in UKRAINE, and in RUSSIA the authorities have recorded more than 64 cold-weather deaths. Numerous other countries are also affected by the cold weather.

 

In Germany several people froze to death last night.

 

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16868194

 

3 February 2012 Last updated at 12:29 GMT

 

Cold weather death toll passes 100 in Ukraine

 

More than 100 people have now died as a result of freezing weather in Ukraine since last Friday, the government has announced in Kiev.

 

Most of the 101 who died were homeless people and 64 of them were found dead on the streets, the emergencies ministry said.

 

Hundreds of others have been treated in hospital for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related conditions.

 

Temperatures plunged to below -35C in parts of eastern Europe this week.

 

At least eight more deaths were reported in Poland on Thursday, bringing the death toll there since last week to 37.

 

Cold weather deaths have been reported across eastern and central Europe.

 

Russia recorded 64 cold weather deaths for the whole of January, Interfax news agency reports, but it is unclear if this is related directly to the hard frosts which began last week.

 

In Serbia at least 11,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in mountainous areas, the Associated Press reports

 

In Italy, weather experts said it was the coldest week for 27 years.

 

Gas burn

 

In Ukraine, more freezing weather was forecast for Friday, with overnight temperatures set to fall to as low as -32C in the north and west.

 

The authorities closed schools and colleges and set up nearly 3,000 heating and food shelters across the country.

 

Health officials instructed hospitals not to discharge homeless patients, even after treatment, in order to save them from the cold.

 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov announced that the country had burnt 1bn cu m of gas in just three days.

 

The country's gas order from Russia for the whole of 2012 is 27bn cu m.

 

"It's a very hard time for the country," he said, promising that the difficulties would be overcome.

 

The Russian gas supplier, Gazprom, said Ukraine was exceeding the level of gas consumption envisaged in the contract.

 

Most Russian gas exports to EU countries transit Ukraine. On Thursday Austria's energy firm OMV reported a 30% drop in its supply of Russian gas, while Italy's gas distributor Snam Rete Gas said its Russian gas was down by about 20%.

 

In the winter of 2009 Russia accused Ukraine of siphoning off gas meant for European customers. Gazprom cut supplies, leaving more than a dozen countries short of Russian gas.

 

Some, like Bulgaria, Serbia and Bosnia, are almost completely dependent on supplies via Ukraine and so were left with major shortages, during a very cold spell in Europe.

 

'Take exercise'

 

Ukraine's Emergencies Minister Viktor Baloga has advised the public to take more exercise as a remedy against the cold.

 

"You need to get up in the morning, take active exercise and work," he was quoted by Ukrainskaya Pravda as telling reporters on Wednesday.

 

"It hasn't killed anyone yet and only makes a person fitter."

 

His personal advice to keep warm, he added, was to "run 8-10km [5-6 miles] every morning and bathe in cold water, all year round".

 

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16866913

 

3 February 2012 Last updated at 10:36 GMT

 

Famine conditions in Somalia have ended, UN says

 

Famine conditions have ended in war-torn Somalia six months after being first declared, the UN has said.

 

The improvement in access to food is due to a good harvest and significant humanitarian assistance, it said.

 

But the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for the country said the situation remained serious.

 

Nearly a third of the population - some 2.34 million people - still need emergency support, the Somalia Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit said.

 

Last month, the UN said that tens of thousands of people would have died of starvation by the time the food crisis ended.

 

Somalia has been worst hit by East Africa's worst drought in 60 years, because of its instability.

 

Many Somalis fled rural areas controlled by the Islamist al-Shabab group as it has banned most Western aid agencies from operating in its territory.

 

On Monday, the al-Qaeda-linked militants expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross, one the few international groups still delivering food aid to areas under their control.

 

'Fragile gains'

 

The UN declared a famine in two parts of southern Somalia last July and, in September, extended the warning to four more regions of the country.

 

"The gains are fragile and will be reversed without continued support," said Mark Bowden, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia.

 

He said in southern Somalia alone, some 1.7 million remained "in crisis".

 

"Millions of people still need food, clean water, shelter and other assistance to survive and the situation is expected to deteriorate in May," he said.

 

The UN said that the latest harvest in Somalia was double that of the average over the past 17 years, lowering food prices, though mortality rates in southern Somalia were still among the highest in the world.

 

The situation is particularly precarious for an estimated 325,000 children who are acutely malnourished, the UN said.

 

Although $1.3bn (£84mn) worth of aid has been poured into the country, the scale of the suffering remains immense, says the BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut.

 

"The crisis is not over. It can only be resolved with a combination of rains and continued, co-ordinated, long-term actions that build up the resilience of local populations and link relief with development," Jose Graziano da Silva, the new head of the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation, said in Nairobi.

 

Last year, tens of thousands of Somalis fled rural areas - many over the borders to Ethiopia and Kenya - in search of food. The UN estimates that a total of 1.5 million people have been displaced by the crisis.

 

Vulnerable areas remain in the southern and central areas of Somalia under the control of al-Shabab.

 

In recent weeks, al-Shabab has lost ground to both Kenyan and Ethiopian forces, which have moved onto Somali territory.

 

Somalia has not had a functioning central government for more than 20 years and has been racked by fighting between militias.

 

This was also reported by German ARDtext

 

 

From German ZDFtext:

 

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE STARVING IN NIGER

 

Famine is spreading in the west-African republic of NIGER according to the United Nations / UN.

 

More than 5 million people in the very dry / drought-hit areas suffer from acute malnourishment according to UN's humanitarian coordinator for Niger, Mr. Modibo Traore to the Evangelic Press Service. "We are in urgent need of international aid, otherwise many people are going to die here".

 

This year 390,000 little children are at risk of starving to death.

 

The UN had asked the international community for almost 230 milllion US Dollars for aid to the starving in Niger, but only 7% of this amount has arrived.

 

 

UN's HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR FOR NIGER: DROUGHT AND AL-QUEDA HAMPER SUPPLIES

 

The main reason for the famine in Niger is continued drought in the entire Sahelzone according to UN's humanitarian coordinator for Niger, Mr. Modibo Traore. In 2011 there was hardly falling any rain in the countries surrounding Sahara. The harvest was very poor. According to Traore, the drought also threatens the next harvest which is expected in October. Many peasants have fled into the towns.

 

The food prices in Niger have risen considerably. And the terror organization Al-Queda in Maghreb and bandits make it difficult to provide the population with food.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 3 FEBRUARY, 2012 - part 2

 

 

THOUSAND AUSSIES CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD BY FLOODS

 

Thousand people are cut off from the outside world due to floods in eastern Australia.

 

In NEW SOUTH WALES and QUEENSLAND 7,200 inhabitants are trapped in their homes.

 

In the town of MOREE rescue teams began to evacuate people from their houses. Flood victims had to be rescued from rooftops; rescuers dropped food from the air.

 

One year ago, the north-east of Australia was haunted by huge floods. Ten thousand houses were flooded, and about 35 people were killed.

 

Source: German text TV ( ZDFtext page 143, edit: Now page 242 - direct translation)

 

 

 

NEW LEAK IN THE CRIPPLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA[/size][/b]

 

Radio-activity has leaked - again - in the Japanese crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima!!

 

A spokesman for the operator TEPCO said that a leak had appeared in the water treatment plant. Noone has been injured according to Tepco's information. It was possible to close the leak. A total of 8.5 ton contaminated / radio-active water had leaked since the beginning of this week according to the spokesman.

 

A melt-down occurred in the nuclear power plant Fukushima in March 2011 caused by a gigantic earthquake and an ensuing tsunami.

 

Source: Text-TV / German ARDtext

[Cobalt]

River levels are very slowly falling in Moree... my sister is safe, though she and her daughter are unwell right now with some sort of bug. They've gotten medicine though so that's good.

Apparently the highway east and west out of town will be shut for six weeks due to the concrete washing away. The highway south will be open on Sunday at the earliest... here's hoping they get through past there alright when they leave, because towns further south have also reported major flooding...

[nancyk58]

Danish Text-TV / DR + TV2 News: MORE THAN 250 DEATHS NOW DUE TO THE EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER IN EAST EUROPE

 

122 people have lost their lives in UKRAINE according to news agency dpa citing the authorities. 21 people have frozen to death within the latest 24 hours. Temps dropped to minus 30 degrees there according to Ukraine's weather service. In particular the many homeless in Ukraine have died or are suffering due to the cold. According to unofficial figures, there are 300,000 homeless people in UKRAINE.

 

The extremely cold winter weather has also cost human lives in POLAND, the CZECH Republic, SERBIA, ITALY, SLOVAKIA, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, GREECE and the BALTIC states.

 

ZDFtext: 45 people have frozen to death in POLAND.

RUSLAND has recorded more than 60 deaths caused by the extremely cold weather.

 

After 2 days of snowfall in SERBIA and CROATIA, a state of EMERGENCY was declared in several areas.

 

Traffic collapsed in BEOGRAD / BELGRADE, ROME and other cities.

 

90 people - incl. several children - were trapped in a street tunnel in MONTENEGRO for 24 hours. They were rescued Saturday afternoon.

 

A ferry hit a harbour dam in Civitavecchia north-west of Rome due to a snowstorm / blizzard and was severely damaged, but the 300 passengers were not injured. They were evacuated.

 

Several people died in Germany in the past few days. Last night was minus 27 degrees Celsius in Allgäu. Also deaths in France and Italy.

 

 

Swedish SVT Text: Sibirian Cold spread to ALGERIA!!

 

More than 120 people have died in UKRAINE where 1,600 people were treated in hospitals for frostbite, and 3,000 heated tents have been established.

 

45 people have frozen to death in POLAND with minus 27 degrees Celsius in the north-eastern parts of the country.

 

The cold air from Sibiria has now reached North-Africa. Algeria's capital has got snow and freezing temperatures for the first time in 8 years.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON SUNDAY, 5 FEBRUARY, 2012

 

Now about 300 people have lost their lives in East Europe since the cold snap started. Thousands have been hospitalized with frostbite.

 

9 additional people have died in UKRAINE due to the cold weather within the last 24 hours. The total death toll in UKRAINE is now 131 after 9 days of extremely low temperatures.

 

The authorities in UKRAINE report that 1,800 people are hospitalized with frost-related injuries.Source: Danish TV2 News (text-TV)

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16897068

 

5 February 2012 Last updated at 15:32 GMT

 

Europe cold snap death toll rises

 

Ukraine continues to be hardest hit, with another nine deaths overnight. Officials say 131 have now died, most of them homeless people, and 1,800 people have been taken to hospital.

 

Eight people died in Poland overnight, police say, bringing the toll to 53.

 

Transport hubs have also been hit, with London's Heathrow airport expecting to run only 50% of services on Sunday.

 

At least four have died in France since the Arctic spell began and 43 departments in France have been put on alert for "exceptional" weather conditions.

 

The Italian capital Rome has seen its heaviest snowfall in more than 25 years, with runs on essential goods at supermarkets reported.

 

The Italian national rail operator is facing class action lawsuits after hundreds of people were trapped in trains due to the weather, AFP news agency reports.

 

Three helicopters were being used over eastern Bosnia on Sunday to deliver food and pick up people who needed evacuation.

 

A state of emergency is in force in the capital, Sarajevo, where snow has paralysed the city.

 

In neighbouring Serbia, 70,000 people remain cut off and 32 municipalities throughout the country have introduced emergency measures, according to senior emergency official Predrag Maric.

 

The Netherlands marked temperatures of -21.8C in the town of Lelystad on Saturday, the lowest recorded in the country for 27 years.

 

 

 

THOUSANDS OF AUSSIES EVACUATED

 

The police in the northern part of the Australian state of QUEENSLAND has ordered the evacuation of 3,800 inhabitants in the town St. George because the water rises to record-heights and threatens to flood the only open road out of the town.

 

North of St. George in the town of ROMA, the speedily rising water has cost its first victim. After 2 days of searches, a woman has been found dead after that her car was washed away.

 

It is the third time that the BALONNE River has overflown its banks in 2 years.

 

The police knocks on the door everywhere and must use some force to get people out of their houses.

 

The weather services expect the water to rise to 15m above normal level on Tuesday evening local time thus breaking the previous record from March 2012 of 13,4m above normal level.

 

Source: Danish text-TV on TV channel DR1 on 5.2.12 plus free paper 24 Hours on 6.2.12

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ON 6 FEBRUARY, 2012

 

The death toll in Europe has now reached more than 300. According to text-TV on the Norwegian channel NRK, the death toll has risen to more than 420.

 

30 died in Moscow and 9 in Poland last night. The death toll in Poland is now 62.

 

In Northern Italy 3 homeless were found dead after last night's cold. A total of 17 died in Italy (including the 3 homeless).

 

Sources: Danish text-TV (DR + TV2 TTV) and Norwegian NRK

 

 

MASSIVE SNOWFALL IN AFRICA (text-TV on Danish DR).

 

Tunesia, Libya and Algeria have experienced massive snowfall and freezing temperatures. Massive traffic problems in northern Africa.

 

 

 

MAGNITUDE 6.8 OR 6.9 EARTHQUAKE IN THE CENTRAL PHILIPPINES CAUSING MORE THAN 43 DEATHS

 

43 people have been confirmed dead in the central part of the Philippines including several school children that were on their way to school.

 

The village Planas and the town of Guihulgan are worst hit by tremors.

 

The epicentre was 70 km north of Dumaguete on the island of NEGRO around noon on Monday 6.2.12.

 

Substantial material damage reported. Several buildings collapsed and roads were destroyed.

 

At least 29 lost their lives in a landslide triggered by the quake in the town of Guihulngan. Others were found dead in collapsed buildings.

 

There have been several aftershocks.

 

Sources: Text-TV on Danish TV channels DR + TV2 / Norwegian NRK

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16901385

 

6 February 2012 Last updated at 16:07 GMT

 

Central Philippines earthquake 'kills at least seven'

 

At least 15 people have died after a 6.7 magnitude quake struck the central Philippines, according to government officials.

 

The quake hit 70km north of Dumaguete city on Negros island at 11:49 (15:49 GMT) at a depth of 20km, according to the US Geological Survey.

 

The Office of Civil Defense told the BBC that at least 29 people were also reported missing.

 

But one local report put the number of dead at 43.

 

Local military commander Colonel Fransisco Patrimonio is quoted in local press as saying that 43 people died in the badly-hit coastal area of Guihulngan, many of them in a landslide following the quake.But this report has not yet been confirmed by the central authorities.

 

"As of 8pm tonight we have 10 identified dead and five still unidentified dead and 29 are still missing. The 29 have been identified but they are still missing. Their bodies have not been found," civil defence operations officer Ver Neil Balaba, based in Cebu, told the BBC.

 

Tsunami alert lifted

 

A series of aftershocks followed the initial quake, one of them registered a magnitude of 6.2 at the epicentre many hours after the initial earthquake hit.

 

Search and rescue operations are being carried out in areas where houses and buildings collapsed due to landslides.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami alert for the area, but had lifted it by 14:30.

 

The late morning quake in the Negros and Cebu region caused panic in nearby cities, with people rushing out of schools, malls and offices. Officials in some areas suspended work and cancelled classes.

 

The death toll includes two children, according to the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

 

A child was reportedly crushed to death by a collapsed wall in Tayasan town in Negros, NDRRMC chief Benito Ramos told reporters.

 

Buildings in the cities of Cebu and San Carlos shook violently and sustained damages such as broken windows and cracks on the walls, he added.

 

 

5 DROWNED IN BULGARIA (source: Text-TV on Norwegian NRK)

 

A high wave buried a village under 2.5 water in southern Bulgaria. A dam breached after much snow/rain recently, and big water masses entered the village of Biser according to AP. More than 700 houses in the village were washed away.

 

2 other dams are at risk of breaching. The inhabitants have been urged to prepare for evacuation.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTER on 7 February 2012

 

Latest on yesterday's earthquake from BBC World News:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16920797

 

7 February 2012 Last updated at 04:39 GMT

 

Teams search for Philippine earthquake survivors

 

Rescue efforts are continuing after Monday's powerful earthquake in the central Philippines that left dozens of people dead or missing.

 

Army teams were carrying out search operations, said Ver Neil Balaba, operations officer at the regional Office of Civil Defence, and police had been deployed to prevent looting.

 

''The most urgent needs now are water, tents and food,'' he said.

 

The quake hit 70km north of Dumaguete city on Negros island.

 

The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 11:49 (03:49 GMT) at a depth of 20km, according to the US Geological Survey.

 

As of 08:00 local time, an official report put the death toll at 15 confirmed dead, 44 reported missing and 52 injured.

 

The death toll includes two children, according to the government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

 

One local report on Monday put the number of dead at 43, including many people killed in a landslide in the badly-hit coastal area of Guihulngan.

 

But this report has not yet been confirmed by the central authorities. Telecommunications have been cut in many areas.

 

A series of aftershocks followed the initial quake, one of them registered a magnitude of 6.2 at the epicentre.

 

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami alert for the area, but had lifted it by 14:30.