‘World News’

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5:56 pm Sep 5, 2010
“Over 500 buildings damaged in NZ quake”
New Zealand

“More than 500 buildings in Christchurch are damaged after the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake which caused billions of dollars worth of damage.  Central Christchurch streets are piled with rubble, cordoned off and under curfew after the quake, which hit early on Saturday morning. Buildings and infrastructure were damaged throughout the city and region, and strong winds forecast for Sunday could cause more problems.  The Christchurch City Council said in a statement that of the 500 damaged buildings, more than 90 are in the central city area.  While there has been damage to minor bridges, major ones withstood the quake. However, some roads have been closed due to liquefaction or flooding.  Some residents left their homes, taking shelter at three welfare centres set up in the city on Saturday. The council reported about 50 people at Addington Raceway, 109 at Burnside High School, and 85 at Linwood College.  The central city will remain cordoned off and there will be no public access before Monday, with the exception of residents, the council said. People are urged to minimise travel.  The council’s building evaluation team will inspect all buildings within the central zone, tagging red placards to buildings considered unsafe, yellow on buildings assigned restricted use, and green on buildings with no restrictions.  The council said it hopes to have the damage assessment completed on Sunday, and the yellow and green tagged buildings cleaned up on Monday. Emergency centre staff will [first] focus on the water supply, which could still force evacuations in worst-hit areas such as Brighton, Brooklands and parts of Avonside.  Water supply has resumed for all but 15 to 20 per cent, and the council said Sunday’s efforts will focus on the remaining areas.  There are more than 200 water leaks around the city, about half of which are significant, the council said.  Power is back to 90 per cent of the city, and will be restored in central Christchurch when buildings are checked.  Residents will face more challenges on Sunday, with winds expected to gust to 130km/h in exposed places.  Expected rain is also likely to create stormwater issues for the already stressed infrastructure, the council said”

5:50 pm Sep 5, 2010
“Albanese suggests Abbott intimidating”
Australia

“Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese says an increasingly ‘shrill’ coalition is trying to intimidate the three rural independents into backing Tony Abbott for the [Australian] prime ministership.   Independents Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter are expected to announce in the next few days whether they’ll back Labor or the coalition to form a minority government.   On Sunday, the opposition leader wrote in newspapers that if the trio opted for Labor they’d be acting ‘in defiance of the expressed political preference and the economic interests of their own electorates’.   Mr Abbott said a coalition government, on the other hand, would offer ‘the most country-orientated national government since World War II’. But Mr Albanese says the Liberal leader’s last-minute pitch won’t work. ‘The independents are people of integrity and they’re going to make a decision in the national interest as they see it’, he told the Nine Network.   ‘It seems to me as the days have gone on the coalition has become increasingly shrill, have increasingly gone from a position of talking about parliament being a more gentle place and there being more co-operation, to one of almost trying to intimidate people into making a decision in their favour.’  Mr Albanese said the independents would look at the coalition’s record in government and be ‘very sceptical’ of any promises . ‘We all know that Tony Abbott can run but he can’t hide from his $11 billion black hole in his costings’ “

2:14 am Sep 5, 2010
“Nasa team advise Chile miners to start exercise regime”
Chile

“Scientists from the US space agency Nasa have advised the trapped Chilean miners to regulate their day and night sleep patterns.  A team of four visiting experts said the men should boost their Vitamin D intake and phase in an exercise program as their nutrition improves.  The 33 miners have been stuck in a tunnel 2,300ft (700m) below the ground for nearly a month after a rock fall.  They must now wait two to four months for engineers to drill an escape shaft.  Chile’s government invited the Nasa team to the San Jose gold and copper mine to offer tips for helping the men keep physically and mentally healthy while they wait to be rescued.  ’One of the things that’s being recommended is that there be one place, a community area, which is always lighted’, said Al Holland, a Nasa psychologist, speaking at a press conference outside the mine.  ’And then you have a second area which is always dark for sleep, and then you have a third area which is work, doing the mining, and the shifts can migrate through these geographic locations within the mine and, in that way, regulate the daylight cycle of the shift’.  Nasa said the miners should boost their Vitamin D intake  The miners lost an estimated 22lbs (10kg) each during the 17 days before they were found alive.  Since then, they have been receiving food, water and medicine through three bore-holes.  On Thursday, the men received their first hot meal – meatballs, chicken and rice. Previously they had received only glucose tablets and high-protein milk”

1:46 am Sep 5, 2010
France: Demonstrations against Roma expulsions expected
France

“Thousands of people have been attending rallies in Paris and 130 other French towns to protest at the government’s policy of deporting Roma people.  Police estimated the turnout in Paris at about 12,000, much fewer than anticipated, but organisers put the figure nearer to 50,000.  Opinion polls suggest at least 65% of French people back government policy.  However, amid European criticism, the EU parliament is to debate the Roma situation in Europe next week.  About 1,000 Roma (Gypsies) returned to Romania and Bulgaria from France last month, while official figures record that 11,000 Roma were expelled from France last year.  The League of Human Rights, which called for the demonstrations, said it wanted to counteract government “xenophobia” and what it described as the systematic abuse of Roma in France.  The government’s policy on the Roma is not a new one but the debate is building and becoming increasingly divisive, the BBC’s Christian Fraser reports from Paris.  He says Saturday’s demonstrations show there are people in France hugely concerned at what is being done in their name but the opinion polls suggest the protesters are also a minority.  President Nicolas Sarkozy says his government’s actions fully comply with EU law on migration and human rights, even though there has been a concerted effort to link illegal Roma camps with rising crime, says our correspondent.  Trade unionists, students, anarchists, illegal immigrants and others turned out in Paris to the sound of whistles and drums.  Addressing the demonstration, actress Jane Birkin said it was up to the French public to stand up for the rights of the Roma people”

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