Rajasthan Royals rooted out Daredevils and enters into IPL T20 Finals

1st Semi-Final, Match No. 57th Result. Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals

Delhi Daredevils must have been in a state of shock just by the way they were out played in all the departments today. They had no way out. Eveything Rajasthan Royals did was right.

They displayed ruthless Cricket though they had admitted that they didn’t have the home advantage. But they played well in all the deparments.

Guided by the blast earlier on by Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar and later by a couple of whirlwind innings by Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson who scored a fifty, Rajasthan Royals finished on 192. Shane Watson wasn’t done as yet and came back to hit the Delhi Daredevils top order hard. He picked the top three in his first spell which hit them badly. Then Shane Warne spun the ball square to display his art to the crowd and the batsmen of the Delhi Daredevils team.

After that they were never in the game. The game ended with a tame run-out. Rajasthan Royals are proving that they are the complete side and the side to beat. Clearly Virender Sehwag’s decision to field first has back fired badly.

Watch out for another cracker of a game tomorrow between Chennai Super Kings and King’s XI Punjab. Can Chennai Super Kings maintain their 100% record against the King’s XI? We’ve got to wait and watch.

"
The Pink City of Jaipur is represented by the Rajasthan Royals. At first glance, this team will appear as the underdog. But beware, it is the only team to have a player who will also coach the team. And it is none other than the spin wizard from Down Under - Shane Warne. Warne is also the only non-Indian cricketer to lead a side in the IPL.

The team may not have an Icon Player but it manages a roll call of some of the finest talent in cricket. India's Mohammad Kaif and Munaf Patel will rub shoulders with the likes of Graeme Smith, Justin Langer and Younus Khan. Owned by the Emerging Media Group, the Royals will also field many of India's young guns. The team logo has a lion citing the power of the Royals and the war horn which denotes a war cry. The team will reflect Rajput values of courage and valour.
"


Mumbai Indians won there last league match

Mumbai Indians end their IPL T20 Indian Premier League. campaign on a high with this emphatic win over the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Mumbai Indians win by 9 wickets. Mumbai avenged their loss to Bangalore in their previous encounter by cruising home in 16 overs with nine wickets in hand, chasing a meagre 123 runs. After Dilhara Fernando set up the win with his four-wicket haul, Mumbai openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar were involved in a 96-run stand.

The duo began sedately as Mumbai’s fifty came in the eighth over but Jayasuriya exploded in a Vinay Kumar over, clobbering him for thee sixes. With the upped ante, it was always going to be smooth sailing for Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians end their IPL campaign on a high with this emphatic win over the Bangalore Royal Challengers. The Royal Challengers end this tournament the way they started it and that too infront of their home crowd. They never posted a daunting total and it was always going to be tough for their bowlers to tie down the Mumbai Indians. Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar started off really well and laid a brilliant foundation for the run chase.

After that, it was all a formality to knock off the remaining runs and Mumbai did that rather comfortably. Both the teams are out of the race of the Semis and that ends their campaign in this season. Hopefully, both the sides will come back with a bang next year to silence all their critics.

Dilhara Fernando is the Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling spell of 4 for 18 off 4 overs.

Jayasuriya took his six tally to 31.

Protest Against Food

2,000 Women Protest Against GM Food, Blockade Supermarket in Brazil

Amidst widescale protests against corporate control of the food chain 2,000 Brazilian women blockaded a supermarket 800 miles south of Brasilia in a protest against genetically engineered food

March 8, 2001


BRASILIA, Brazil: Women farmers throughout Brazil demonstrated Thursday on International Women’s Day to protest worldwide economic policies they say are unfair.

Some 700 women members of Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers Movement occupied a McDonald’s restaurant in Porto Alegre, some 1,600 kms (1,000 miles) south of Brasilia.

They burned flags bearing the fast-food chain’s logo, criticized economic globalization and called the Brazilian government a slave to “world neoliberalism.” Thursday’s protest was inspired by the anti-globalization efforts of French activist Jose Bove a sheep farmer who shot to fame for ransacking a McDonald’s restaurant in France and was arrested in Brazil last January after he joined the workers movement in a massive protest.

Also on Thursday, some 2,000 women blocked access to a supermarket in Florianopolis, 1,300 kms (800 miles) south of Brasilia, claiming it sold genetically engineered food.

And in Belo Horizonte, some 600 kms (380 miles) southeast of Brasilia, a group of women protested in front of the local city council chambers demanding that the government speed up agrarian reform.

Pakistan to face Great Britain in Olympics hockey

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will take on Great Britain in their opening fixture of the Beijing Olympic Games hockey event on August 11.
Hosts China will meet Germany in the opening match of the world sports gala.
As many as 12 teams will vie for the top honour in the prestigious international event. Pakistan have won gold medal thrice in past. Pakistan earned gold in 1984 Los Angles Olympics last time under the leadership of Manzoor Junior.
According to schedule announced by the Beijing Olympics Games Organising Committee (BOGOC) and Federation of International Hockey (FIH), the green shirts will play five matches in the preliminary round to be held from August 11 to 19 and meet with all the other teams of pool.
Pakistan is bracketed in pool B along with Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Great Britain. The pool B comprises Netherlands, Australia, China, Spain, Korea, and South Africa.
Pakistan's only hope for medals in Olympics, hockey team will meet Canada on August 13, Australia on August 15, South Africa on August 17 and New Zealand on August 19. The semi-finals of men's event will be played on August 21 while final and third position will be played on August 23.
It is penitent to mention that Pakistan will participate in four disciplines including hockey, shooting, swimming and athletic, as Pakistan got wild card entries in the all three games besides hockey.
Beijing Olympic Games 2008 will be held from August 8 to 24 in the capital city of China.

Pakistan faces Hong Kong in Asia Cup Cricket

KARACHI (APP) - Pakistan will take on minnow Hong Kong in the opening match of 9th Asia Cup Cricket Tournament at National Stadium here on June 24, according to programme made available on Friday.
In the other match on day one, Bangladesh will be up against United Arab Emirates at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.
Six teams including four full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and two associate members will be taking part in 12-day competition.
All the matches of the championship will be day/night encounter and after group matches, top four teams will play super league with top two contesting for the crown on July 6.
Teams are placed in two groups. Group "A" comprised of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates (UAE) while holder India, Hong Kong and host Pakistan are drawn in group "B".
Out of 13 matches, Karachi will be holding as many as ten matches including the showpiece final.
Majorities of the matches are being staged in Karachi because of better climatic condition in Port City of Karachi.
Following is the programme:
June:
Tue 24:Bangladesh v UAE at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Tue 24:Pakistan v Hong Kong National Stadium, Karachi
Wed 25:Bangladesh v Sri Lanka Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Wed 25:Hong Kong v India National Stadium, Karachi
Thu 26:Sri Lanka v UAE Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Thu 26:India v Pakistan National Stadium, Karachi
Sat 28:A2 v B2 National Stadium, Karachi
Sun 29:A1 v B1 National Stadium, Karachi
Mon 30:A1 v A2 National Stadium, Karachi
July
Wed 2:B1 v B2 National Stadium, Karachi
Thu 3:A1 v B2 National Stadium, Karachi
Fri 4:A2 v B1 National Stadium, Karachi
Sun 6:Final National Stadium, Karachi

Aisam, Bopanna spark Pakistan, India diplomacy

PARIS (AFP) - Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna of India, though lost in first round of the French Open, are determined to prove that a little tennis diplomacy can help thaw relations between their two rival nations.
The duo, who are close friends and have played together in a host of mostly low-key tournaments since 2002, made their Grand Slam debut in the men's doubles at the French Open on Thursday.
Unfortunately they had the misfortune to come up against the world's top pair, Mike and Bob Bryan of the United States, and crashed to a 6-1, 6-4 defeat.
But they believe they have a wider role to play outside the narrow confines of the world's tennis courts.
"Everyone is happy to see that we are at this level. Rohan and I won five Challengers in 2007, reached three finals as well as a main tour final," said Qureshi, who is 28, like his partner.
"People in Pakistan know Rohan well and root for both of us. He is my best friend on the tour."
Lahore-based Qureshi hasn't always had it so easy.
In 2002, his controversial decision to play doubles at Wimbledon with Israel's Amir Hadad was denounced by the Pakistan tennis federation who promptly threatened to ban him from the Davis Cup team.
"I had a lot of problems with the federation back then," recalled Qureshi.
"But everyone got the message that you can't mix politics, religion and culture into sport and they learned a lot from it. My federation is happy with the results that Rohan and I have had playing together."
Both men believe that the sporting thaw, which has already seen the two countries' much-respected cricket teams undertake recipricol tours, will continue with them aiming to do their bit by playing at Wimbledon next month.
"We have bilateral ties in tennis. India will come to Pakistan and then we go there at the end of the year," he said.
"Look at the Indian Premier League. There are many Pakistanis and Indians in the same team. It's great. If cricketers can play together, there should be no problem for us."
Bopanna believes both the India and Pakistan public have responded positively to the partnership which was boosted when they finished runners-up at the main tour event in Mumbai in September last year.
"People are pleased that the two different countries are playing together. We played in India and made the final," he said.
"We just get along so well."
Bopanna is in good company when it comes to potentially volatile partnerships; his Indian compatriot Sania Mirza courted controversy at Wimbledon in 2007 when she played women's doubles with Israel's Shahar Peer.

Pakistan’s food crisis

The calls for “Atta” from all quarters of the society are rising to a chorus. Due to the food shortage in Pakistan, the new government of Pakistan Democratic Alliance is all set to become a glutton for punishment and humiliation in very near future. Though it would be unfair to blame them for the looming food crisis in the country, but an empty stomach doesn’t understand logic or argument.

One may ridicule United States in many regards, but when it comes to statistics the auxiliary offshoots of this world body often prove right. United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has predicted that Pakistan is in the grave danger of becoming an acutely food insecure country in the very near future and according to other sources it is expected that food riots would break in the streets.

WFP country director Wolfgang Berbinger has told media that currently 60 million food insecure people are present in the country, the increase of 35 per cent in wheat prices and more for some other food items, did not match the increase in wage rate that was 18 per cent as compared to last year. According to the WFP stats, 38 per cent of Pakistanis are food insecure, and that basically means that they are not able to afford poverty line intake of 2,350 kcal per day. WFP also reveal that approximately 12.5 of wheat is wasted on way from field to the consumer whereas vegetable loss is 30 per cent.

The food insecurity is in every district of Pakistan. In the most populated province of Pakistan, in Punjab, out of 34 district only 9 are almost food secure. In NWFP, out of 16 districts, only five are food secure. In Sindh, out of 15 districts, only 9 are food secure. In Balochistan, out of 25 districts only 4 are food secure.

These statistics are alarming and demand immediate attention from the high-ups. The restoration of judiciary and the matter of war on terror are extremely important, but prolonged hunger can turn any nation into angry animals frantically searching for food to appease their natural instinct.

So it is the need of hour that government should start working on war footings about extending the crop maximization plans to balance food price inflation and improvement in storage and harvesting-thrashing to control wastage of food. Government needs to understand that easy and cheap food availability, access and deliverance to everyone at everyplace is the key to their survival.

Frequent power cuts affected flour mills, disrupting the production of wheat flour. By end November 2007, queues started forming outside provision shops across many Pakistani cities. Political violence, after the attack on Benazir Bhutto’s Karachi rally in October and after her assassination in December made the supply situation worse. The government decided to import wheat from the international market, but prices had risen by this time. It has had to subsidise wheat in order to keep the prices low enough. But as is expected in such situations, traders and sellers have found ways to divert the subsidised wheat into the open market, where it sells at a almost double the price. The government now hopes that paramilitary troops will be able to prevent millers and traders from hoarding and ‘smuggling’.

The crisis also reveals why the Pakistani establishment is opposed to granting India most-favoured nation (MFN) trading status. Beyond the hang-up over Kashmir, freer trade with India is inimical to the interests of the feudal and business elite. The current arrangement suits them better: they have access to the Indian market through indirect routes which allows them to export goods if world prices are higher. Blocking imports works to their advantage by strengthening their stranglehold over the supply, even if ordinary Pakistanis have to suffer for it. Little wonder that a free-trade agreement with Pakistan remains elusive.

The Musharraf regime is mistaken in thinking that deploying troops around warehouses and flour mills will solve the problem. Yet that might be the best it can do. That is bad news, because a hungry population is an angry population. And anger, unfortunately, is one commodity that the Pakistan is not short of. While lawyers, civil society groups and opposition party supporters have led public protests over the last year, ordinary Pakistanis by and large, have refrained from taking to the streets. A persistent shortage of food and other essential commodities might just push ordinary Pakistanis over the edge.

High food prices here to stay: OECD, FAO

PARIS (AFP) - High global food prices are a new fact of life, a major report warned on Thursday as 22 countries, mostly in Africa, were listed as being at severe risk from record food and fuel costs.
At the same time, there were calls for an end to restrictions on the export of food, with open trade said to be vital in any solution to the record prices which have sparked protests in many countries. The cost of feeding the family will remain far higher than in the past decade, even though prices should ease in coming years, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a report on the global agriculture outlook for the next 10 years.
The study was published against a background of protests in countries in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean in response to soaring food prices.
The jump in prices has added to the number of people in extreme hunger and some humanitarian aid is "urgently required," said the OECD and FAO joint report. "Current high prices will hit the poor and hungry people hardest," it said.
OECD chief economist Angel Gurria added: "The way to address rising food prices is not through protectionism but to open up agricultural markets."
The director general of the FAO, Jacques Diouf, told a press conference that "coherent action is urgently needed by the international community to deal with the impact of higher prices on the hungry and poor."
And in Yokohama, Japan, the head of the UN World Food Progamme, Josette Sheeran, urged "all nations to allow us to purchase food, even if they have controls for humanitarian purposes. This is very critical."
"Many nations have imposed export controls. Today we buy 80 percent of our humanitarian food in the developing world," Sheeran noted.
In Rome, the FAO listed 22 countries, most of them in Africa, which had high levels of "chronic hunger" and were "especially vulnerable" to rising food and fuel prices.
The OECD-FAO report said hundreds of millions of people were already going hungry before the price increases but that "the numbers of people suffering from extreme hunger have (now) increased even further.
"In the short term, humanitarian aid for the populations in countries most severely affected is urgently required," the report said.
Several factors had coincided to drive the "exceptional increases in prices" and some of the pressure would ease in the next few years.
But the two bodies warned that food subsidies and trade protection were not the answer, saying that high prices might even be part of the solution by stimulating neglected investment in agriculture in poor countries.
Raising food supplies in poor countries also depended on improved government, infrastructure and property rights, the OECD and the FAO said.
The report warned that rising prices had endangered the UN Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger and it was strongly sceptical about the benefits of agriculture-based biofuels, which have contributed to higher costs. However, the "transitory nature" of some of the factors behind the recent trend meant that prices would fall in due course from record peaks. The report pointed to "adverse weather conditions in major grain-producing regions of the world, with spillover effects on crops and livestock that compete for the same land.
"These conditions are not new. They have happened in the past and prices have come down once more normal conditions prevail and supply responds over time."
There was "no reason to believe that this will not recur over the next few years," it said, while adding that commodity prices will continue "substantially above" the levels of the past 10 years.
Comparing average prices for 2008 to 2017 with 1998 to 2007, it said beef and pork could be 20 percent higher; wheat, maize and skim milk powder 40-60 percent; butter and oilseeds more than 60 percent, and vegetable oils more than 80 percent.
The report cited changing diets, urbanisation, rising populations and economic growth as underpinning demand in developing countries.
The most-threatened countries listed by the FAO are Eritrea, Niger, the Comoros, Botswana, Haiti and Liberia.
They are followed in order of severity by Burundi, Tajikistan, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Cambodia, North Korea, Rwanda and Kenya.

Karachi View, flyovers and Underpasses

Karachi Under Passes and Flyovers

Sohrab Got FlyOver

Nazimabad Underpass

Liaquatabad Flyover

Quaid City

Qaiyumabad PT Flyover & Park

Azadi Fountain

Azadi Fountain Close look

Nazamibad Under Pass and Flyover

Bin Qasim Park

Shah Faisal Road

Agha Khan Hospital

Defence

Karachi Sea View

KPT Flyover

Karachi Under Passes and Flyovers

Hamara Karachi Festival 2008 to be held May 7-24

Hamara Karachi Festival

Acting Nazim Karachi, Nasrin Jalil has announced to celebrate second “Hamara Karachi” Festival-2008 from May 7 to 24 during which various events would be held all over the city.

Addressing a gathering at City Council Naib nazim Secretariat here Saturday evening, she said a formal program schedule will be announced shortly.

At the gathering cash awards and certificates were presented among successful winners of Cycle and Donkey Cart Race-2007 as well as boys and girl students winning the eloqution and art competitions.

On the occasion shields were also presented to Town Nazims for organising best programs during Hamarra Karachi Festival-2007.

The function was chaired by Provincial Minister Rauf Siddiqi and attended, among others, by Polish, INdonesian, German, Kuwaiti Consul Generals and others.

Nasrin Jalil said that during Hamara Karachi Festival starting from May 7, a reception will be hosted for the poets who participated in the international mushaira, specially the Indian poets.

Rauf Siddiqi congratulated Nasrin Jalil for organising the second Hamara Karachi festival and said that such events should be held in every city and town so as to promote the spirit of love among the residents for their places.

He announced that winners of various competitions would also be presented performance certificates on behalf of the Provincial Government.

Ultimate Celebration of Independence by Hamara Karachi

The Ultimate Celebration of Independence deserves festival.
That’s what Hamara Karachi brings you.

TODAY's PAKISTAN

TODAY's PAKISTAN
World's 5th Largest Democracy
World's 6th Largest Nation
World's third Largest English Speaking Nation
The roof of the world, Four out of 14 highest peaks are in Pakistan
Some of the longest glaciers outside polar region are in Pakistan
The largest Salt Deposits - Khewra Mines
One of the largest reserves of Natural Gas
One of the largest bird sanctuary in the world - Haleji Lake
World Class Recognition in Textile, IT, Engineering services
World's Highest Railway Station - Kan Mehtarzai, Quetta
Road on the top of the world - Karakoram Highway (26,000 Feet)
Land of Majestic Mughal Empire
Land of the oldest Civilization - Indus Valley
Land of the oldest City of the World - Mohenjo-Daro
Land of the mightiest Rivers in the World - Indus, Ravi, Jehlum, Chenab, Satluj, Kabul

PAKISTAN TECHNOLOGY POWER
Over 50 Foreign Companies have plant to set up R&D facilities in Pakistan in the past five years. These includes GE, Bell Labs, Du Pont, Daimler Chrysler, Eli Lilly, Intel, Monsanto, Texas instruments, Caterpillar, Cummins, GM, Microsoft and IBM.
Pakistan's telecom infrastructure between Karachi, Lahore and New York, provides one of the largest bandwidth capacity in the World.

With more than 100 universities, 150 research institutions and 200 higher education institutes, Pakistan produces 100,000 engineering graduates and another 100,000 technically trained graduates qualify out in Pakistan annually.

Besides, another 0.5 million other graduates qualify out in Pakistan annually.

The Pakistan Institute of Technology (GIIT) and NED University of Engineering and Technology is among the top 10 universities from which many of the world's biggest consulting firms, hire most.

Five of the world's major Automobile makers are obtaining components from Pakistani Companies

New emerging Industries areas include, Mechatronics, Bio Technology, Clinical Research and Pharmaceuticals

Carrier Air conditioning Co, the American giant for Air Conditioning equipment is to set-up research and Development Center in Pakistan

Pakistan revenues from IT will reach 5 Billion Dollar in the Year 2010.

Atlas Honda with 0.75 M Motorcycles a year is now one of the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.

Pakistan is the 5th largest tractor manufacturer in the World Pakistan is the 9th largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in the World

Suzuki, Which makes many cars in Pakistan has decided to make Pakistan its manufacturing, Export and Research hub outside Japan.

Hyundai Pakistan is set to become the global small car hub for the Korean giant and will produce latest cars in Pakistan.

By 2010 Pakistan is set to supply half a million cars to Hyundai Korea and Suzuki.

PAKISTAN TRADE
Pakistan is one of the world's largest exporter of textiles and related products such as yarn and cotton.

Garment exports are expected to increase from the current level of 1.5 Billion Dollar to 8 Billion Dollar by 2010.

Pakistan is one of the world's largest jewellery and precious gems exporter in the world, Its exports were worth 0.75 Billion Dollar in 2004

About 4 out of 10 precious stones sold anywhere in the world, Pass thru Pakistan.

Mobile phones are growing by about 1.0 Million a month. Long distance rates are down by two-thirds in five years and by 80% for data transmission.

Many US and European Giants Chains sources $ 0.5 Billion worth of goods from Pakistan- Quarter of their apparel. It is expected to increase to $ 2 Billion in the next 2 years.

The country's foreign Exchange reserves stand at an all-time high of $120 Billion.

PAKISTAN SELF-RELIANCE
Pakistan is among seven countries that launch their own satellites.

Pakistan's PAKSAT is among the world's largest domestic satellite communication systems.

Pakistan is among only few countries that have ADVANCED SPACE PROGRAM. All of its satellites were indigenously manufactured.

Pakistan is only country which intents to put its national in Space.

Pakistan is among the few countries in the world have built its own Nuclear Power Station by its own indigenous technology.

Pakistan is among few countries in the world that have built its own Training Aircraft (MASHAQ) by its own indigenous technology.

Pakistan has started the production of F-17 Thunder Fighter Aircrafts in Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra.

PAKISTANI's IN USA
Statistics shows that 18% of doctors in USA.
6% of scientists in USA
12% of NASA Scientists
15% of Microsoft Employees
13% of IBM employees
9% of INTEL Scientists
12% of XEROX employees
Of the 1.5M Pakistanis living in the USA. 1/5th of them live in the Silicon Valley

15% of Silicon Valley start-ups are by Pakistanis

Pakistani students are the second largest in number among foreign students in USA

DISTINGUISHED PAKISTANI's

Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979 - Dr. Abdus Salam

Designer and Architect of Sears Towers - Dr. Fazal ur Rahman

Architect of Saudi Arabian Desalination Program - Arshad Hussain

First Governor of Saudi Monetary Agency (SAMA) - Anwar Ali

Author of Constitution of Malaysia - Fazal Qader

Chief Advisor to Economic Plans, Malaysia - Mehboob ur Rahman

Founder of Int. Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste Italy - Dr. Abdu's Salam

Advisor to Saudi Civil Aviation Authority : Dr. Salam Moinee + Hyder Ali

First Commander in Chief, Zimbabwe Air Force - Air Marshal Dawood Pota

President of the United Nations and Judge of Int. Court - Zafarullah Khan

Many times worlds champion of Squash - Jehangir Khan , Jan Sher Khan, Roshan Khan

Leader in Organic Chemistry - Dr. Atta ur Rahman

Earthquakes in China

Introduction

China is located in one of the most active seismic regions of the world and has been plagued by numerous destructive earthquakes during its long history. The most significant of these earthquakes, in terms of lives lost, was that which occurred in 1556. In the last twenty years China has experienced the second most destructive earthquake in its history. The following is a brief account of the 1556 and the recent 1975 and 1976 earthquakes.

The Great China Earthquake of 1556

The worse natural disaster in recorded history, at least in terms of lives lost, was caused by an earthquake in Hausien in the Shensi Province of China in 1556. The earthquake devastated 98 counties and eight provinces of Central China. The destruction spanned an area of 500 miles, and in some counties the average death toll was 60 percent of the population. A total of 830,000 people lost their lives, most of them from the collapse of poorly constructed houses. The magnitude of this earthquake has been estimated to be from 8.0 to 8.3 on the Richter scale.

The Haicheng Earthquake of February 4, 1975

On February 4, 1975, Haicheng, a town with about 100,000 inhabitants in the Liaoning Province of northeast China, was struck by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake. As early as 1970, the State Seismological Bureau, had identified the Liaoning Province as an area of high earthquake risk. Based on studies of precursor events and unusual animal behavior, a warning was issued by local authorities. Thus, when the earthquake struck on February 4, there were few lives lost as most inhabitants had evacuated to safer places. However property damage was high.

China's Seismic Zones

The China Earthquake of July 28, 1976 (The Tangshan Earthquake)

No other earthquake in this century has been as catastrophic or has claimed as many lives as the great earthquake that struck the city of Tangshan, in Northern China, on July 28, 1976. Tangshan, a thriving industrial city with one million inhabitants, is located only about 95 miles east, and slightly south, of Beijing. Although the region had experienced moderate seismic activity in the past, the city of Tangshan has been built on unstable, alluvial soil. To make matters worse, The city is located in the center of an area with major crustal faults on four sides. Furthermore, a 25-mile long fault passes through Tangshan, where only few of its structures are earthquake-resistant.

In the early morning hours of July 28, while the city was asleep, the magnitude 8.0 earthquake with its epicenter right on the city broke a five-mile section of the fault. Along the west side of the fault the land moved five feet northward in relation to the land on the east side. The east block tipped downward at the northern end of the break, and upward toward the south end. Over a four-by-five mile area the devastation of the city was nearly total. The force of the quake motions were so strong that people reported being thrown in the air. Within seconds, thousands died. Property destruction was unbelievable. Bridges, railroads, homes, factories were completely leveled. In the harbor city of Tientsin, 60 miles to the southwest, and in Beijing to the west, the quake jolts forced thousands of frightened people into the streets seeking refuge from aftershocks.

Complete Destruction of the City of Tangshan by the July 28, 1976 Earthquake (Photo source: China Earthquake Administration)

The extent of the destruction and number of deaths in Tangshan and elsewhere in China was never disclosed officially. However, based on the density of population, it was fairly accurately estimated that there were at least 655,000 people dead, and 780,000 injured. These figures make the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the second worse earthquake in recorded history. The most destructive earthquake ever, as reported earlier, occurred at Hausien in China's Shensi Province in 1556.

Islam and Science

Microsoft could nominate proxy slate of directors for Yahoo, says report

NEW YORK : Microsoft could make its next move against Yahoo Wednesday with the software giant likely to try and replace Yahoo's board of directors, the Wall Street Journal reported. A Microsoft deadline for the Internet service company to accept its 44.6 billion-dollar (28.5 billion-euro) acquisition offer expired at midnight Saturday, without comment from either side. The two sides have had no formal negotiations since then but Microsoft's next move could come as early as Wednesday, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter. One option being considered is nominating a proxy slate of directors that Yahoo shareholders would be asked to vote onto their company's board, replacing current officials. Microsoft has already selected 10 nominees and three alternates, an unnamed source told the newspaper. Such a move "would represent a largely unanticipated middle path for Microsoft between walking away from its bid and pushing forward an aggressive hostile-takeover campaign," the newspaper reported. It would allow the software giant to delay fixing a firm new price on its offer for Yahoo, while preserving the option of going directly to Yahoo shareholders with a hostile takeover bid, the newspaper pointed out. In an open letter to the Yahoo board of directors on April 5, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer gave the Internet pioneer three weeks to accept the 31 dollars-a-share takeover offer or face a proxy fight. Ballmer also warned that any further delays could result in a less attractive offer for Yahoo. But Yahoo's board of directors has said the offer "substantially undervalues" the California firm, insisting it is worth at least 40 dollars a share. Microsoft is eager to merge the two companies' resources to take on Google, which dominates the lucrative Internet search advertising that is expected to grow to 80 billion dollars annually worldwide in the next two years. - AFP /ls

Trojans increase

Microsoft says that the number of trojans it has removed from computers around the world in the second half of 2007 rose by 300 percent from the first half. It claims that the software was always there, but software has gotten better at detecting them. Vinny Gullotto, General Manager of the Microsoft Malware Protection Center, said that the numbers have simply exploded. The most common family of trojans last year was "Win32/Zlob". The majority of trojans come from the United States, China, Russia and South America.Microsoft said the number of computers around the world that were made safe after being infected with trojans rose from one million in the second half of 2006 to 19 million in the second half of 2007.

Stix Chopsticks Glasses

Have you ever ate at a Chinese Food Restaurant and forgot to bring your pair of personal chopsticks? Sure, you could ask the waiter or waitress for a pair, but what if he or she doesn’t speak English? Okay, that probably won’t really happen, but I think you see my point: it would be nice to have some chopsticks to carry around with you, but how could you do that? You could put them in your pocket, but that could easily lead to a lot of “are those chopsticks in your pants, or are you happy to see me” jokes. Fortunately, the Stix glasses are here for you. The Stix glasses allow you to put your stick utensils in a place where you won’t forget them: your glasses. All you need to do is take them out of your glasses frame, and you are good to go. Not only can you use your chopsticks to eat, but you can also put them in your hair! I would like to make a disclaimer. Normally, I never bad mouth a product, because I believe that every gadget that I review has a use somewhere. I’m sure that there is someone who needs these, but I can’t imagine who.