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After the Cyclone, Myanmar Battles 50 Year Rat Problem

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:07 -0700

Sometimes the news is so bad and so removed from your daily experience that the only thing you feel capable of doing is making sure people know. So here it is: after being decimated by Cyclone Nargis this Spring Myanmar is suffering through a protracted natural disaster that the government had 50 years to prevent. 50 years.

Called the maudam, twice a century the region's bamboo flowers produce a fruit that attracts rats. Hoards upon hoards of rats. Beyond the obvious squeamishness associated, the effect is even greater and long lasting. The rats consume all of villagers' food before turning to the seeds for the crops, ensuring that recovery is lengthy verging on impossible. The last three instances of the maudam, in 1862, 1911 and 1958, were all followed by devastating famine.

To see what the experience is like,

Front Page: Cyclone Recovery to Top $1 Billion, Obama in Iraq, Zimbabwe Rivals Near Deal

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:01:34 -0700

Cyclone Recovery to Top $1 Billion:
Cyclone recovery efforts in Myanmar are expected to top $1 billion according to a report released this morning by the UN and ASEAN. The aid will cover the still pressing needs for food, agriculture, and housing, and the country still needs everything from clean water to fishing nets and buffaloes. $178 million has been given already. The May cyclone left at least 138,000 dead or missing.

Obama Arrives in Iraq:
Barack Obama met today with Iraqi officials and military commanders about the conflict in Iraq — the ending of which he's made a feature of his campaign. In Basra, Obama met with US, UK, and Iraqi military leaders before traveling to Baghdad, where he is to meet Gen. David Petraeus and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Zimbabwe Rivals to Meet:
The ruling party of Robert Mugabe who won last month's contested and violent election, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are expected to sign a deal planning talks to end the political crisis in Zimbabwe. The deal, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki includes the formation of a unity government and election reforms. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe has just introduced a $100 billion dollar bill, as the official inflation rate surpasses 2.2 million percent.

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Front Page: World Embraces Obama, Aid Leaving Myanmar, Economy Adds Jobs

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:00:59 -0700

World Embraces Obama: Just after Barack Obama secured the delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination, favorable reaction to the news came in from around the world. An editor of the Times of London said of the historic event, “In 220 years a country that has steadily multiplied in diversity, where ethnic minorities and women have risen to the very highest positions in so many fields of human life, has chosen a succession of 42 white men as its leader. For good measure, the vice presidency, the only other nationally directly elected position in the US government, has been held by a succession of 46 white males. But last night, in a tumultuous break with this long history, the ultimate realization of the American dream moved a little closer, and a black man became his party’s nominee for the presidency.” In addition to focus on that historic detail, news sources in China, and Pakistan also gave favorable reactions, and many European outlets gave the story the same amount of attention in garnered in the US.

Aid Leaving Myanmar: US Navy ships carrying aid for the victims of the Myanmar cyclone are due to leave the coastline after continued refusal of the government to allow them to help. After 15 failed attempts to convince the regime to let them in, the Navy said it would withdraw the four ships, carrying helicopters and landing craft. French and British navy ships have also been withdrawn after being refused permission to operate. Recent estimates show the cyclone left more than 133,000 people dead or missing.
Economy Adds Jobs: The US private-sector job market added 40,000 jobs in May, surprising analysts who had predicted a drop of almost that many. The news of growth comes after April saw the addition of 13,000 new jobs. All figures are according to a private report by ADP Employer Services released today.

Front Page: Ted Kennedy In Surgery, Mugabe at UN Food Summit, Gates to Myanmar "Criminal Neglect"

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:00:04 -0700

Ted Kennedy In Surgery: Ted Kennedy is at the Duke University Medical Center this morning undergoing surgery for his cancerous brain tumor. The surgery comes after the 76-year-old senator was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. He's being operated on this morning by one of the nation's top neurosurgeons, Dr. Allan Friedman, and the surgery will be followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Kennedy will recuperate in NC for a week, before moving to Massachusetts General for the rest of his treatment. Kennedy said of the support he's received, ''I am deeply grateful to the people of Massachusetts and to my friends, colleagues and so many others across the country and around the world who have expressed their support and good wishes as I tackle this new and unexpected health challenge. I am humbled by the outpouring and am strengthened by your prayers and kindness.''

Mugabe at UN Food Summit: Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe presence at a United Nations food summit has raised eyebrows and hackles and is being called "obscene". Australia's foreign minister said of the embattled leader's arrival, "this is the person who has presided over the starvation of his people." It's Mugabe's first visit to Europe since the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won a majority in parliamentary elections in March. He still faces a presidential run-off on June 27 against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Gates to Myanmar, "Criminal Neglect": US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that Myanmar was guilty of “criminal neglect” for blocking international aid to cyclone victims, and warned that more civilians would perish unless the military regime reversed its policy. Because of the stonewalling, he said it was probably a matter of days before the Pentagon withdrew four Navy ships carrying supplies that have been “steaming in circles” for days in the waters off Myanmar’s coast, waiting for permission to unload their cargo of aid. Gates said, “it’s becoming pretty clear that the regime there is not going to let us help. I’d say that unless the regime changes its approach, changes its policy, more people will die.”

Front Page: Crane Collapses in NYC, Myanmar Evicts Relief Centers

CitizenSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:49:32 -0700

Crane Collapses in NYC: A crane at a construction site tipped over and crashed into another building at East 91st Street and First Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan just after 8 a.m. this morning. At least two people were pulled out of the wreckage as Fire Department trucks and emergency medical workers responded. One person is confirmed dead at this time. “The crane operator is the only confirmed dead at this time. He was still in the cab of the crane” when it came down, said an official at the scene. No news yet on the second person said to be most seriously injured. Rescue workers continue to remove people from the affected buildings. The crane's top portion apparently broke off striking the building across the street.

Myanmar Evicts Relief Centers: Myanmar's junta has begun evicting stranded families from government-run cyclone relief shelters today, concerned that the 'tented villages' might become permanent. A government official says, "it is better that they move to their homes where they are more stable," At one camp people were told to clear out by the end of the day. The official said, "here, they are relying on donations and it is not stable." Local residents and aid workers said 39 camps are being cleared out as part of a general eviction plan. A 21-year-old trishaw driver said as he was leaving the camp with his five brothers and sisters, "we knew we had to go at some point but we had hoped for more support."

To see pictures of the crane collapse,

Front Page: Myanmar Accepts All Aid, McCain Rejects Hagee, Italy Goes Nuclear

CitizenSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 06:56:21 -0700

Myanmar Accepts All Aid: Myanmar's junta agreed this morning to admit cyclone aid workers "regardless of nationalities" said UN officials. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reached the agreement with junta supremo during mission to help 2.4 million left devastated by the storm three weeks ago. The move is positive, if not late. Disaster experts say that unless the doors to aid were opened, thousands more people would die of hunger and disease, adding to the nearly 134,000 reported killed or missing.
McCain Rejects Hagee: US presidential candidate John McCain rejected the backing of Rev. John Hagee after an audio recording of the preacher saying that God sent Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land was published on the Huffington Post. Rev Hagee then withdrew the endorsement, saying he had been misrepresented and did not want to figure in the presidential campaign. McCain faced criticism for seeking the endorsement — he's now described Hagee's comments as "crazy and unacceptable."
Italy Goes Nuclear: Italy announced yesterday its five-year plan includes resuming the building nuclear energy plants. A public referendum resoundingly banned nuclear power and deactivated all its reactors 20 years ago. Growing concern over energy contributed to the decision. The minister of economic development said, "by the end of this legislature we will put down the foundation stone for the construction in our country of a group of new-generation nuclear plants. An action plan to go back to nuclear power can not be delayed anymore. Only nuclear plants safely produce energy on a vast scale with competitive costs, respecting the environment.”

Front Page: Ban Ki-Moon in Myanmar, Oil Spikes Three Days, Farm Bill and Tax Package

CitizenSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:00:48 -0700

Ban Ki-Moon in Myanmar: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has begun his tour the devastated Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar. He is set to meet with military ruler Gen Than Shwe hoping to persuade the government to accept more aid for cyclone victims. So far the government has blocked large-scale international assistance, and foreign agencies say they are able to deliver just 30 percent of what they would like. The death toll from Cyclone Nargis is currently 78,000 dead, with another 56,000 missing. The UN says that fewer than a 25 percent of the 2.4 million people affected have received aid.

Oil Spikes Three Days: Oil cost attained a new record for highest price for a third straight day, topping $135 a barrel. OPEC producer Saudi Arabia last week said it had raised production by 300,000 barrels per day, but the news had minimal impact on the market.
Farm Bill and Tax Package: The House voted 316-to-108 to override President Bush's veto of the Farm Bill. The vote was well over the two-thirds needed. Bush said in his veto announcement, “for a year and a half, I have consistently asked that the Congress pass a good farm bill that I can sign. Regrettably, the Congress has failed to do so. At a time of high food prices and record farm income, this bill lacks program reform and fiscal discipline.” The House also passed a $54 billion tax package. The measure renews tax breaks that have expired or will expire soon and provides new tax relief in the form of child tax-credits and breaks for renewable energy.

Disaster Fatigue Hits America: Giving Less to Recent Victims

LibertySugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Donating money for the victims of the Myanmar cyclone and the Chinese earthquake has not been an easy sell. Americans have given $12.1 million so far to the Myanmar cause, compared to the $1.92 billion that was collected for the 2004 Tsunami, and $5.3 billion for Hurricane Katrina. Donation amounts for China are not yet known.

One AP writer suspects that Americans have come down with "disaster fatigue." The article explains that the more bad news there is, the less likely Americans are to give. Americans, who unconsciously clump distinct occurrences as "faraway disasters" may feel helpless when hearing of mounting, and incomprehensible death tolls. Thus, by competing to be disaster of the moment, China and Myanmar have unknowingly dissuaded charitable individuals.

There may be other factors leading to a light trickle of donations. For some other explanations,

Front Page: Fleeing South Africa Attacks, Ted Kennedy Seizure, Disaster Zones Mourn

CitizenSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:56:56 -0700

Fleeing South Africa Attacks: About 6,000 people fled violent attacks in South Africa on foreigners. The attacks have left at least 22 dead, according to aid workers. Thought to be a "classic refugee situation," many of those seeking refuge in South Africa are Zimbabweans who have fled violence and poverty in their own country. Estimates show as many as three million Zimbabweans are living in South Africa. The immigrants receive the blame for social problems — unemployment, crime and a lack of housing — one Zimbabwean man said of the violence, "if we go back into the streets, they're going to kill us there."

Ted Kennedy Seizure: After being hospitalized over the weekend with stroke-like symptoms, Kennedy's doctor says, “preliminary tests have determined that he has not suffered a stroke and is not in any immediate danger." Kennedy, 76, is still in the hospital but resting and doing well.
Disaster Zones Mourn: Both China and Myanmar, who've each experienced devastation in past weeks, have declared three-day periods of mourning. In China, flags are flying at half-mast and a nationwide silence has been observed to mark the time it struck a week ago. Since the 7.9 magnitude quake, more than 71,000 people are dead and more than 220,000 people injured. In Myanmar, the junta has followed ally China's lead declaring their own period of mourning. Cyclone Nargis left about 78,000 dead and another 55,000 missing. After initially stalling aid, correspondents say the junta has promised to accept significantly more international aid to help cyclone victims.

Front Page: Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar, Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan, Farm Bill Passes

CitizenSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:21 -0700

Army Stealing Aid in Myanmar: Officials from several relief organizations say that the international aid being sent into Myanmar is being "stolen, diverted or warehoused" by the army. The members of the military junta told Thailand's prime minister they were in control of the relief operations and had no need for foreign experts. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wants to send a senior UN official to inspect the relief effort in the ravaged country. To make matters worse, the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there was a possibility that “a significant tropical cyclone” — another one — would form in the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy Delta, the already hardest hit region.

Bombings in Iraq and Afghanistan: In an attack claimed by the Taliban, a suicide bomber wearing a burqa detonated by a police patrol at a crowded market in western Afghanistan today, killing at least 12 people and wounding 27 others, officials said. Yesterday, at least 20 people were killed and 35 others wounded in a suicide bombing at a Sunni funeral west of Baghdad. Police said the funeral was for the head teacher of a local school. The bombings occurred hours the announcement that Prime Minister Nouri Maliki was supervising an offensive against Sunni insurgents in the northern city of Mosul.
House Passes Farm Bill: The House approved a five-year, $307 billion farm bill with a solid bipartisan majority yesterday. Despite a veto threat from President Bush, the House voted 318 to 106 — more than the two-thirds needed to override a presidential veto — with 100 Republicans joining the Democratic majority in favor.

Isolated Governments Handle Disasters Differently

LibertySugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:30:54 -0700

Two Asian countries wary of international intervention are reeling from natural disasters. BBC took a striking look at the contrasting government responses to the Myanmar cyclone and the earthquake in China.

Both countries have denied foreign relief workers and journalists. But, the similarities between how Myanmar's military junta, and China's communist oligarchy are responding stop about there.

China's government is proving it intends to be swift, flexible, and open. It has scaled back Olympic torch events, and instituted a daily minute of silence. With its immediate and extensive relief effort, the government is sending the message that it is accountable for its citizens' well-being.

The Burmese government is stubbornly hesitant to accept outside assistance, despite the fact that they are desperately incapable of taking on the rescue mission. Aid is being randomly handed out, and the government is showing no signs of flexibility, going ahead with a constitutional referendum in the midst of the disaster.

China's wealth and strong infrastructure gives it an advantage to handling the rescue internally. But, do you think China's flexibility is a sign that it's becoming more open and accountable to its people? What can the outside world do to help, when a reclusive government doesn't want assistance? How much blame should a government take for the consequences of a natural disaster?

Source

Pictures Tell the Story in Myanmar, Life After the Cyclone

CitizenSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:00:15 -0700

Pictures are starting to come out of Myanmar following the cyclone though media is discouraged. One CNN reporter remaining anonymous says, "They have no drinking water whatsoever. When you don't have drinking water and you are forced to drink out of puddles and drinking reservoirs contaminated by dead bodies... It is a very dire situation."

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Aid has started to trickle in though UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has spoken harshly to the junta. He says it's time to "put its people's lives first. This is not about politics. It is about saving people's lives. There is absolutely no more time to lose."

If you're inspired by the pictures, here are tons of ways to help.

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Front Page: Tornadoes Rip Midwest & South, First US Aid Lands in Myanmar, Fighting in Beirut

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:57:24 -0700

Tornadoes Rip Midwest and South: Emergency crews are searching through the aftermath of violent storms that tore from the Midwest to the South and killed at least 23 people this weekend in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Georgia. In Oklahoma at least seven people were killed and officials said 150 people in the town were injured. In Missouri emergency crews are “ensuring that we have found any potential survivors or anyone unaccounted for.” The governor says at least 85 people had been injured in the storm. In Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in six counties. The weekend’s tornadoes are the latest in several outbreaks of violent weather this year. Twenty-two people were killed by tornadoes in four states in February, two were killed in Georgia in March, and seven were killed in Arkansas in May.

First US Aid Lands in Myanmar: The first US aid flight to Myanmar following last week's cyclone has finally landed in Rangoon. The US had to spend days negotiating with Myanmar's military government to gain permission to enter the country. The official death toll is now almost 30,000, though aid agencies fear 1.5 million could die without aid. Already more than two-thirds of the cyclone victims are yet to be reached, and agencies estimate that 100,000 have already died. Here's a list of ways to help the cyclone victims.
Fighting in Beirut: Violent fighting that has plagued Beirut, Lebanon, since Wednesday, broke out yesterday in the mountains east of Beirut. The fighting continues between supporters of the Western-backed government and followers of Hezbollah, the militant group backed by Iran. Hezbollah began withdrawing gunmen from the city Saturday evening, leading some to hope for peace after four days of street battles there. With the underlying political crisis still unresolved, the violence seems to have shifted to the eastern villages. Security officials put the toll of five days of fighting at 44 dead and 128 wounded.

Front Page: Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader, UN Halts Myanmar Aid, Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:55:16 -0700

Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader: The United States military in Iraq says a man arrested and detained yesterday in Mosul is not in fact the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, though an earlier statement from the Iraqi defense ministry said that Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been captured. An American military spokeswoman said al-Masri had not been arrested and that confusion had arisen because a man with a similar name to the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been detained.

UN Halts Myanmar Aid: The UN has suspended relief supplies to Myanmar today after the military government seized the food and equipment that had been sent into the country. The government had said it would accept supplies but not aid workers and would distribute the supplies as it saw fit. A statement from the Myanmar Foreign Ministry said the country is not in a position to receive rescue teams. A UN spokesman said he had never seen delays like this before in delivering relief supplies and aid officials.
Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut: After heavy gunfire broke out yesterday, armed members of the militant group Hezbollah have seized most of western Beirut, exiling supporters of the Western-backed government there. The fighting ignited after a government decision on Monday to shut down Hezbollah's telecommunication network. At least 11 people have been killed and many more injured in the city in three days of clashes.

Front Page: Relief Lands in Myanmar, Putin Confirmed as PM, Stem Cell Award in CA

CitizenSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:00:27 -0700

Relief Lands in Myanmar: UN relief supplies touched down in Myanmar this morning, though US military planes loaded with aid are still denied access by the country's isolationist regime. The junta also continues to stall visas for UN teams wanting to enter the country and ensure that the aid supplies reach victims amid fears that food and water shortages could push the death toll above 100,000. The prime minister of Thailand has offered to negotiate on the US's behalf to persuade the junta to accept their aid. US aid is currently at a staging area in Thailand, waiting. The coordinator of UN humanitarian aid said, "it is imperative at this point that they do open up and allow a major international relief effort to get under way."

Putin Confirmed as PM: Russia's parliament has just easily approved former President Vladimir Putin to be its new prime minister. Russia's new president Dmitry Medvedev nominated Putin almost immediately. The State Duma (lower house) voted 392-56 for Putin's appointment just after a speech where Putin promised parliament "single-digit inflation within a few years". Putin also said Russia could overtake the UK's GDP this year and become the world's sixth-largest economy.
Stem Cell Award in CA: California awarded $271 million in grants slated to build 12 stem cell research centers. The awards, announced yesterday, are the biggest sum of money awarded by California’s taxpayer-backed stem cell program. The program is scheduled to spend about $3 billion over about a decade. The grants are needed as the Bush administration prohibits federal financing of research using any human embryonic stem cells derived after August 2001 so any work involving newer stem cell lines cannot share any supplies or space with a project that is federally financed.

Front Page: Cyclone Toll Hits 22,500, NC and IN Vote, War Funding and Troops Home

CitizenSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:00:45 -0700

Cyclone Toll Hits 22,500: The death toll from last weekend's devastating cyclone in Myanmar rose to 22,500 today with an additional 41,000 people still missing. Yesterday in a rare press conference, US First Lady Laura Bush urged the country's military leaders to accept US disaster response aid. Myanmar's resistance stems from heavy US sanctions against the junta, though the US State Department said a disaster response team was "standing by and ready to go into Burma," now known as Myanmar, which has been ruled by the military for 46 years. The UN says that the junta is ready to accept assistance, though aid workers now await visas. A UN spokesman said, "the government has shown a certain openness so far. We hope that we will get the visas as soon as possible, in the coming hours. I think the authorities have understood the seriousness of the situation and that they will act accordingly."

NC and IN Vote: Voters in North Carolina and Indiana head to the polls in the largest remaining bloc of delegates up for grabs. A total of 218 pledged delegate votes will be awarded tonight. Nearing the end of primary season with the last votes on June 3, the outcome of today is pivotal — will one candidate sweep or will they split? Check back tonight for results the second they break.
War Funding and Troops Home: House Democrats are preparing to break from President Bush and move ahead with a war spending measure that would include extended unemployment assistance and new educational benefits for returning veterans. Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to bring a $178 billion measure to the floor this week, with what could be tense debate on the matter to be held Thursday. The US Military announced yesterday that 3,500 soldiers sent to Iraq last summer as part of the surge will soon be coming home.

Front Page: Cyclone Kills 4,000, Mideast Peace This Year, Yahoo Stock Tumbles

CitizenSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:56:11 -0700

Cyclone Kills 4,000: The death toll from the weekend cyclone in Myanmar has reached nearly 4,000 people this morning. Thousands of others are still unaccounted for, and at least one entire village has been obliterated. The reports have grown from 350 yesterday to the many thousands, and if accurate, this death toll would be the biggest from a natural disaster in Asia since the tsunami of December 2004. Focus now shifts to survival, and food and water are scarce. One resident says, "fuel is becoming scarce. People are likely to die of starvation. If international help doesn’t come within a week, it will be impossible to survive. There will be nothing left to eat." Witnesses have claimed the government has been slow to address the devastation.

Mideast Peace This Year: According to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the US still believes a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians is possible by the end of this year. However, she still describes Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank as "problematic," and after speaking with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, she said the US regarded the issue of the settlements as "particularly problematic to the atmosphere of trust that is needed" for peace. In other news, the UN is to again suspend distribution of food aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip because of fuel shortages. The announcement came several hours after Israel closed two major crossing points into the territory after they came under mortar fire. President Bush is seeking a peace deal in the area before the end of his term in January.
Yahoo Stock Tumbles: Yahoo's share price fell 22 percent in trading on Monday following Microsoft withdrawing its $47.5 billion takeover offer for the Internet search and media company. Yahoo rejected Microsoft's $33-per-share bid as too low and asked for $37 per share instead.