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Front Page: Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150, Flash Floods Hit India, Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight

CitizenSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:59:46 -0700

Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150:
A 6.5 earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan today causing heavy damage and resulting in the deaths of at least 150 people. A local expert says, “It was a shallow earthquake, which is very destructive. The aftershocks will be felt for a week with more or less the same intensity.” Hundreds more are injured following the quake.

Flash Floods Hit India:
Floods swept through northeastern India today displacing 70,000 people from more than 70 villages. Incessant rains caused the Putimari river to breach its banks and rescue forces have been sent in. Two relief camps have been set up to try to accommodate the tens of thousands. People are currently camping on highways under plastic bags.

Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight:
Barack Obama's 30-minute ad will air on most major TV networks at 8 p.m. ET. The taped infomercial will feature a live segment with Obama at a rally in Florida. He will also be on The Daily Show tonight. The 30-minute appearance will delay the start of game five of the World Series. John McCain will be appearing on Larry King Live tonight.

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Front Page: Bailout Goes to House Vote, Abducted Tourists Freed, Floods Kill 41 in Vietnam

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:00:34 -0700

Bailout Goes to House Vote:
The US House will vote on the Wall Street bailout bill today. President Bush spoke this morning urging the House to pass the measure. He said, "I'm confident that this rescue plan, along with other measures taken by the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, will begin to restore strength and stability to America's financial system and overall economy." Both candidates cautiously support the measure.

Abducted Tourists Freed:
A group of Italian and German hostages, abducted 10 days ago in Egypt, have been freed and are on their way to a military base in Cairo. No ransom was paid though the German government had been negotiating with them. Few details are known about the conditions of their release, though the Egyptian defense minister said half of the captors had been "eliminated."
Floods Kill 41 in Vietnam:
Typhoon Hagupit has triggered flooding in Vietnam killing 41 and injuring 60 more according to disaster officials. The typhoon made landfall last week and has caused severe landslides in mountainous provinces. The damages so far have been estimated at $60 million. An additional typhoon in Taiwan has killed two and injured 58 as well as forcing the closing of schools and the financial market.

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Indian Flood Victims to Spend Six Months in Camps

CitizenSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:23:03 -0700

Indian Flood Victims to Spend Six Months in Camps Hundreds of thousands of Indian flood refugees are likely to spend six months in state-run relief camps while authorities rebuild homes, roads and river embankments in the flood-ravaged north, officials said Monday. More than 257,000 people have taken shelter in 313 state-run camps in Bihar state, where the Kosi River burst its banks last month and turned hundreds of square miles of land into a giant lake, said Prataya Amrit, a state disaster management official.

2.5 Million Indians Stranded by Flood

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:55:08 -0700

2.5 Million Indians Stranded by Flood Nearly 2.5 million Indians remained stranded, homeless, and hungry in flood-ravaged villages in the eastern part of the country Tuesday, 17 days after a river burst a dam in neighboring Nepal and changed course. Heavy rains and the swelling waters of the Kosi, known as the "river of sorrow" and worshiped by local people, caused havoc in almost 1,000 villages in Bihar state.

Front Page: 1 Million Cut Off By Floods, China Deports Protesters, Pakistan Bans the Taliban

CitizenSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:00:49 -0700

1 Million Cut Off By Floods:
In India, more than a million people have been stranded by monsoon-season flooding. Authorities are struggling today to get aid and food to people in the stricken northern state and the government has issued a plea for relief agencies to provide food and shelter. The area's chief minister says, ''It is not a normal flood, but a catastrophe." This year's monsoons have killed 330 people so far.

China Deports Protesters:
Eight American protesters who were detained by Chinese authorities during the Olympics and given 10-day sentences, have been released six days early. The protesters were part of Students for a Free Tibet, four of them were detained for unfurling a Tibetan flag near the stadium. They were deported as the closing ceremony started.

Pakistan Bans the Taliban:
After the Taliban claimed responsibility today for one of Pakistan's worst ever terrorist attacks, Pakistan has banned the Taliban. The move shows the country is toughening its stance a week after Pervez Musharraf left power. Just 24 hours after rejecting a Taliban cease-fire offer, the ministry announced the decision sayiing, ''This organization is a terrorist organization and created mayhem against public life."

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Front Page: Pakistan's President Musharraf Resigns, Grand Canyon Flood Rescues, Florida Braces for Hurricane Fay

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:54:59 -0700

Pakistan's President Resigns:
Succumbing to pressure from impending impeachment charges, President Musharraf has announced he will resign, closing out nine years as one of the US's strong allies against terror. Musharraf said, “I have decided to resign today," saying the move put his country above "personal bravado." At the end of his hour-long speech, he punched the air and said, "long live Pakistan!"

Grand Canyon Flood Rescues:
About 170 people were airlifted to safety after a dam burst in the Grand Canyon, flooding a side canyon in an area only accessible by foot or horseback. Flashflooding warnings still persist following the evacuation order. After the rescues, most have been accounted for, but rescue sweeps continue today.

Florida Braces for Hurricane Fay:
Already having pounded the Caribbean, soon-to-be Hurricane Fay now heads for the Florida Keys. Evacuations are underway and Governor Crist said after declaring a state of emergency, "Florida is prepared. We are ready. We are vigilant." Oil prices have climbed in response to the storm's path threat to oil and gas supplies.

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Front Page: US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals, Zimbabwe Talks to Resume, Floods in Vietnam Kill 100

CitizenSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:41 -0700

US Clinches Relay, China Leads Medals:
The US swimming relay team broke the world record, took gold, and snatched victory from the favored French team as the oldest member of the US swimming team accomplished one of the biggest comebacks overtaking the French team in the last few meters of the relay. The win keeps Michael Phelps dream of winning eight Olympic golds alive. In the overall medal count, China is in the lead with nine golds and 14 medals, South Korea is second in gold, and the US is third with three golds and but second overall with 12. President Bush attended the Games this weekend and said they exceeded his expectations.

Zimbabwe Talks to Resume:
Talks to arrange a power-sharing between Zimbabwe's governing party and opposition are due to resume in the capital today. According to President Robert Mugabe, 14 hours of talks had ended inconclusively though he remains "confident" a deal could be reached. It's thought that Mugabe may become ceremonial president while opposition leader Tsvangirai becomes executive prime minister.
Floods in Vietnam Kill 100:
At least 100 are dead and 50 missing after floods and landslides from tropical storm Kammuri battered the country over the weekend. Flash flooding reduced entire villages to rubble, and the government says more than 4,000 buildings have been flooded. Troops have been deployed in boats to reach those cut off by the waters.

For a stunning underwater photo of the swimming relay,

Think Food's Spendy Now? The Flood Just Made It Worse. . .

CitizenSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:10 -0700

Although help to those affected by the horrible damage in the heartland will most likely be forthcoming, relief to the rest of the country due to skyrocketing food prices may not. Sixteen percent of Iowa farms have been destroyed and their entire crops demolished following the severe flooding.

The devastation has in turn caused record high market prices of corn and soybean products. The prospects of the smaller amounts of grain yields shocked the market where corn prices rose to nearly 8$/bushel; four times the amount of its usual price and a new record. World corn prices have now risen to 90 percent higher levels than just one year ago.

One Iowa mayor put the cost of the hit on the heartland plainly. He said that even after the floodwater recedes, affected farmers would have to work the rest of the year to clear silt, tree limbs and other debris before they can plant next year. "There's going to be absolutely no farming this year. They've lost it. It's gone. Nothing at all. No beans, no corn this year." That's a reality that will show up in every shopping cart for a long while to come.

While beginning the onerous task of rebuilding lives washed away by the Midwestern floods, survivors got visits from two high profile guests yesterday. To see who,

Mighty Mississippi River Bursts Its Banks Forcing Rescues

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:00:03 -0700

Despite backbreaking teamwork to sandbag the riverbanks, the Mississippi River broke through an Illinois levee forcing nearly half a dozen people to be rescued by helicopter. However, because the federal government learned from a 1993 flood in the same area and planned for a repeat, the damage could have actually been much worse.

After the 1993 Mississippi flood, President Clinton purchased much of the low-lying land buying out more than 9,000 homeowners. The land was turned into parks and underdeveloped areas creating much less of a risk when the next flood — like this one — occurred.
The buyout plan moved whole communities including Rhineland, MO and Valmeyer, IL. FEMA also spent $1.6 million to move the resident of Elkport (whose population then numbered 80) and razed the remaining buildings. The ones who remained are paying the price today as their town is now completely inundated with water.

The National Weather Service predicts crests in the next few days along the Mississippi River near St. Louis to approach those 1993 levels. In Canton, MO, the river might reach 27.7 feet high, more than 13 feet above the flood stage.

Though 1993 preparations controlled some damage, area residents are still hurting. Reports of raw sewage and farm runoff in floodwaters raise concerns about public health, and some long-time river dwellers are calling it quits. One woman who's 83, said, "I'm not going back after this one." It was the third time she'd been flooded out of her home since 1965.

Given the sheer number of recent weather-related disasters, is emergency response after the fact enough? Do we need more planning like the 1993 buyout to minimize disaster's affect?

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Bush Says Funds Available For Midwest Floods

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:10:54 -0700

Bush Says Funds Available For Midwest Floods US President George W. Bush on Tuesday said there was enough money in a government relief fund to handle the flooding disaster in the Midwest and he planned to go to Iowa this week to review the damage. On his first day back from a trip to Europe, Bush said the government had enough money in its Disaster Relief Fund to handle the problems caused by the worst flooding in the region in 15 years.

36,000 Iowans Homeless as Floodwaters Recede

CitizenSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:55:59 -0700

36,000 Iowans Homeless as Floodwaters Recede Floodwaters began to recede Sunday in Iowa's two largest cities, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa River crested in Iowa City after swamping part of the University of Iowa, but many communities face daunting cleanup. About 36,000 Iowans in 11 counties are homeless, Gov. Chet Culver said Sunday. In Cedar Rapids, 25,000 people were forced from their homes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is taking applications for disaster assistance.

Front Page: Gaza Blast Kills 5, US/Iraq Talks Stall, Midwest Pounded

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:55:45 -0700

Gaza Blast Kills 5: A large explosion in Gaza yesterday killed at least five Palestinians, including several Hamas militants and a baby girl. Despite the death and destruction of a residential building, responsibility is unclear. Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, first blamed the blast on an Israeli air strike, causing them to fire rockets and mortar rounds at Israeli towns and villages around Gaza. The Israeli military has vehemently denied any involvement in the explosion.

US/Iraq Talks Stall: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki declared that talks with the US aimed at reaching a long-term agreement allowing US forces to remain in Iraq have "reached an impasse". According to Maliki, the US demands compromised Iraqi sovereignty. President Bush has said he wants an agreement by the end of July, as the UN mandate for US forces to be in Iraq expires at the end of 2008. Maliki said of the proposal, "We cannot allow US forces to have the right to jail Iraqis or assume, alone, the responsibility of fighting against terrorism."
Midwest Pounded: Iowa's Cedar River broke its banks yesterday, forcing the evacuation of thousands of homes and causing a railroad bridge to collapse. Officials estimated that 100 blocks are underwater in Cedar Rapids, where preparations weren't enough to hold back the water. The sheriff said of the weather crisis, "We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start." Estimates show that 3,200 homes were evacuated and 8,000 residents have been displaced. This news comes after a deadly tornado hit an Iowa Boy Scout camp, and a similarly deadly twister tore through Kansas, leaving residents to dig out of the destruction.

To see an exclusive, first-hand photo account of the Kansas aftermath,

Front Page: Tibet Surrenders, Floods, McCain in Israel

CitizenSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:00:31 -0700

More than 100 people have surrendered to police following anti-China riots in Tibet's main city of Lhasa, according to Chinese media. China had issued a deadline of midnight on Monday for the protests to stop, though the Dalai Lama refused to issue the order. The authorities threatened great harm to anyone who ignored the deadline. Accounts of the outcomes of the violent protests differ wildly. The Tibetan government in exile in India says 99 people have now died in clashes with security forces. Chinese officials claim only 13 people have died, and that they were killed by mobs during riots by Dalai Lama supporters. Tibet's Communist Secretary said, "we are in the midst of a fierce struggle involving blood and fire, a life and death struggle with the Dalai clique."

Flood and flash-flood warnings from Texas to Ohio, combined with tornado watches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, previewed harsh weather that has flooded homes and roads throughout the central United States. The storms have killed at least two in Missouri and swept a teen down a drainage pipe in Texas. Since Monday, states have seen between six and ten inches of rain. At the Dallas airport, they broke the previous one-day rain record by an inch, coupled with winds up to 100 mph. Hundreds have been evacuated from homes across the Midwest.
Senator John McCain is in Israel today as part of a tour of the Middle East and Europe. McCain met with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. In a joint news conference, McCain confirmed his commitment to Israel and attacked the Islamist militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah saying, "if Hamas and Hezbollah succeed here, they are going to succeed everywhere."