China quake: Toll rises to 80

Tags: china,quake,80
BEIJING: At least 80 people have been confirmed dead and more than 700 were reported injured after multiple earthquakes struck a mountainous region in southwest China’s Yunnan province on Friday, authorities said on Saturday. Two quakes measuring 5.7 and 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted the province, Xinhua reported. Around 740,000 people were affected by the quakes, officials said. The disaster has so far caused losses worth 3.5 billion yuan (around $551 million), said the civil affairs department in Yunnan. The quakes cut off electricity and triggered landslides that blocked roads, creating complications for rescuers. Around 6,650 houses were destroyed and 430,000 partially damaged. More than 100,000 residents were evacuated and 100,000 others are in need of relocation. Authorities are also taking epidemic control measures after shed collapses killed more than 4,300 cattle in Yunnan. Over 153 hectares of farmlands were damaged. Officials said 28,000 people were affected in Weining county. At least 18 houses were toppled and more than 10,000 houses were partially damaged. Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is in Russia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, has called for immediate efforts to help with disaster relief work. In a meeting on relief work held en route to the quake zone, Premier Wen Jiabao stressed that efforts to save lives should come first in order to minimize casualties. Mr Wen said intensified efforts will be needed to take care of the injured, as well as restore damaged infrastructure facilities to facilitate the rescue work. The Red Cross Society of China has dispatched 650 tents and 3,000 quilts to the disaster-hit region. The Chengdu Military Area Command has sent 1,300 soldiers with relief materials. Meteorological authorities said the region will experience rain in the coming three days, which may affect the ongoing rescue operations. The quake-stricken area is relatively populous, with the population density estimated to be 205 people per square km.

China quake: Toll rises to 80

Tags: china,quake,80
BEIJING: At least 80 people have been confirmed dead and more than 700 were reported injured after multiple earthquakes struck a mountainous region in southwest China’s Yunnan province on Friday, authorities said on Saturday. Two quakes measuring 5.7 and 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted the province, Xinhua reported. Around 740,000 people were affected by the quakes, officials said. The disaster has so far caused losses worth 3.5 billion yuan (around $551 million), said the civil affairs department in Yunnan. The quakes cut off electricity and triggered landslides that blocked roads, creating complications for rescuers. Around 6,650 houses were destroyed and 430,000 partially damaged. More than 100,000 residents were evacuated and 100,000 others are in need of relocation. Authorities are also taking epidemic control measures after shed collapses killed more than 4,300 cattle in Yunnan. Over 153 hectares of farmlands were damaged. Officials said 28,000 people were affected in Weining county. At least 18 houses were toppled and more than 10,000 houses were partially damaged. Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is in Russia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, has called for immediate efforts to help with disaster relief work. In a meeting on relief work held en route to the quake zone, Premier Wen Jiabao stressed that efforts to save lives should come first in order to minimize casualties. Mr Wen said intensified efforts will be needed to take care of the injured, as well as restore damaged infrastructure facilities to facilitate the rescue work. The Red Cross Society of China has dispatched 650 tents and 3,000 quilts to the disaster-hit region. The Chengdu Military Area Command has sent 1,300 soldiers with relief materials. Meteorological authorities said the region will experience rain in the coming three days, which may affect the ongoing rescue operations. The quake-stricken area is relatively populous, with the population density estimated to be 205 people per square km.

India, Pakistan sign liberalised visa agreement today

Tags: pak,india,visa   ISLAMABAD: Senior citizens, aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now walk across the border between the two countries and need not go through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi and Islamabad. Thanks to the new visa policy between India and Pakistan, signed on Saturday. which has eased restrictions on visitors from both the countries, senior citizens will be granted visas on arrival at the Attari and Wagah border in India and Pakistan respectively. There was no such provision available for senior citizens of both countries. Under the new arrangement, senior citizens will be granted a visa on arrival valid for 45 days. "The senior citizens can visit the other country easily now," a source said here. Many senior citizens in the two countries have been witness to the 1947 partition in which millions of people were uprooted after India's independence and Pakistan's creation. The new visa regime will see several changes aimed at easing the visa regime. There will be a single-entry visitor visa for a maximum period of six months but the stay cannot exceed three months at a time and for five places (currently limited to three places). Group tourist visas, for groups of 10-50 people, has also been introduced for the first time. This will also be available for students provided they do not seek admission in the other country. Also, business visa has been separated from visitor visa, a communique said. The business visa will have to be issued within five weeks. People aged more than 65, children below 12 and eminent businessmen are exempted from police reporting. Another simplified rule will allow people to enter and exit from different check posts and change their mode of travel. This was not permitted earlier. "However, this is subject to the exception that exit from Wagah/Attari, by road (on foot) cannot be accepted, unless the entry was also by foot via Attari/Wagah," the communique said. Under a new category, a visitor visa for a maximum of five specified places may be issued for a longer period of up to two years with multiple entries to senior citizens (above 65); spouse of a national of one country married to person of another country and children below 12 accompanying parent(s). Also, transit visa will now be issued within 36 hours instead of 72 hours.

India, Pakistan sign liberalised visa agreement today

Tags: pak,india,visa   ISLAMABAD: Senior citizens, aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now walk across the border between the two countries and need not go through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi and Islamabad. Thanks to the new visa policy between India and Pakistan, signed on Saturday. which has eased restrictions on visitors from both the countries, senior citizens will be granted visas on arrival at the Attari and Wagah border in India and Pakistan respectively. There was no such provision available for senior citizens of both countries. Under the new arrangement, senior citizens will be granted a visa on arrival valid for 45 days. "The senior citizens can visit the other country easily now," a source said here. Many senior citizens in the two countries have been witness to the 1947 partition in which millions of people were uprooted after India's independence and Pakistan's creation. The new visa regime will see several changes aimed at easing the visa regime. There will be a single-entry visitor visa for a maximum period of six months but the stay cannot exceed three months at a time and for five places (currently limited to three places). Group tourist visas, for groups of 10-50 people, has also been introduced for the first time. This will also be available for students provided they do not seek admission in the other country. Also, business visa has been separated from visitor visa, a communique said. The business visa will have to be issued within five weeks. People aged more than 65, children below 12 and eminent businessmen are exempted from police reporting. Another simplified rule will allow people to enter and exit from different check posts and change their mode of travel. This was not permitted earlier. "However, this is subject to the exception that exit from Wagah/Attari, by road (on foot) cannot be accepted, unless the entry was also by foot via Attari/Wagah," the communique said. Under a new category, a visitor visa for a maximum of five specified places may be issued for a longer period of up to two years with multiple entries to senior citizens (above 65); spouse of a national of one country married to person of another country and children below 12 accompanying parent(s). Also, transit visa will now be issued within 36 hours instead of 72 hours.

Countdown begins for India's 100th space mission

The 51-hour countdown for the 100th mission of the Indian space agency, slated for Sep 9, is progressing smoothly at the Sriharikota satellite launch centre in Andhra Pradesh, an official said Saturday.

Sriharikota is around 80 km from here, an official said.

The countdown for the launch of the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- began Friday at 6.51 a.m.

Carrying French and Japanese satellites, an Indian rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - will blast off at 9.51 a.m. Sunday.

The rocket weight at the time of lift off will be 230 tonnes.

'The count down is progressing normally,' an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official told IANS.

Countdown begins for India's 100th space mission

The 51-hour countdown for the 100th mission of the Indian space agency, slated for Sep 9, is progressing smoothly at the Sriharikota satellite launch centre in Andhra Pradesh, an official said Saturday.

Sriharikota is around 80 km from here, an official said.

The countdown for the launch of the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- began Friday at 6.51 a.m.

Carrying French and Japanese satellites, an Indian rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - will blast off at 9.51 a.m. Sunday.

The rocket weight at the time of lift off will be 230 tonnes.

'The count down is progressing normally,' an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official told IANS.

CA study centre in Kochi in IIM model

Kochi: A CA study centre would be opened in Kochi in the model of IIM for training Charters accountants. . Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has come up with the proposal. The project will be presented in the emerging Kerala investors meet next week.
This is first of its kind center in Kerala. ICAI is planning to set up total of 17 centers on whole India. Among them first and second have already begun in Hyderabad and Jaipur. The third one would be set up in Kochi. In the firth phase 625 students will be given admission. The institute is being set up for cost for Rs 15 crore.

CA study centre in Kochi in IIM model

Kochi: A CA study centre would be opened in Kochi in the model of IIM for training Charters accountants. . Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has come up with the proposal. The project will be presented in the emerging Kerala investors meet next week.
This is first of its kind center in Kerala. ICAI is planning to set up total of 17 centers on whole India. Among them first and second have already begun in Hyderabad and Jaipur. The third one would be set up in Kochi. In the firth phase 625 students will be given admission. The institute is being set up for cost for Rs 15 crore.

 Mind-controlled robotic leg

Tags: ming,leg,artificial
CALIFORNIA: Researchers at Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, Irvine have developed a robotic leg that can be controlled by the mind which could lead to a dramatic breakthrough in artificial limbs. A computer interface acts as a substitute for the human brain and it can help paraplegics walk again. “These results provide preliminary evidence that restoring brain-controlled ambulation may be possible,” the researchers said, adding “However, future work is necessary to test this system in individuals with paraplegia due to SCI.” They analysed signals sent from the brain of a person with a working limb and used those to recreate the commands, sending them to the robotic leg they designed. During their research, electroencephalogram signals were fed into the computer controlling the limb, making it recreate the action of walking for the first time and tested it by asking their subject to attempt to walk using the system on cue.

 Mind-controlled robotic leg

Tags: ming,leg,artificial
CALIFORNIA: Researchers at Long Beach Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, Irvine have developed a robotic leg that can be controlled by the mind which could lead to a dramatic breakthrough in artificial limbs. A computer interface acts as a substitute for the human brain and it can help paraplegics walk again. “These results provide preliminary evidence that restoring brain-controlled ambulation may be possible,” the researchers said, adding “However, future work is necessary to test this system in individuals with paraplegia due to SCI.” They analysed signals sent from the brain of a person with a working limb and used those to recreate the commands, sending them to the robotic leg they designed. During their research, electroencephalogram signals were fed into the computer controlling the limb, making it recreate the action of walking for the first time and tested it by asking their subject to attempt to walk using the system on cue.