At least 35 dead in Ganges boat accident

A boat capsized in the Ganges river on the outskirts of Patna Thursday killing at least 35 people.

The boat was carrying 60 passengers including farmers and children when it sank.

"Sixteen people swam to safety so we expect around 35 to 40 people are missing," said AK Upadhyay, deputy inspector general of police.


Hindu devotees ride boats on the River Ganges during the Teej festival in Allahabad, Aug. 26, 2006. AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh from Yahoo News.

Sri Lankan fighting kills 31 in move to secure port

Sri Lankan forces fought to push back rebel artillery positions aimed at a strategic port Monday resulting in at least 31 dead and 105 wounded, officials said.

Government forces advanced toward the rebel positions at the town of Sampur on the Koddiyar Bay.

The Tamil Tiger rebels said 20 civilians were killed and another 26 wounded in air and artillery attacks.


A wounded Sri Lankan soldier is rushed to the hospital in the Sri Lankan town of Vavuniya after a suspected Tamil Tiger insurgent opened fire on soldiers. AFP/T. Vivekarasa via Yahoo News.

Koizumi visits Central Asia with energy agenda

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will become the first leader from Japan to visit Central Asia where he will look to vie for the region's rich energy resources.

Japan is competing with fast-growing China and Russia for influence in the region's abundant oil and natural gas reserves.


Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits central Asia this week to meet with leaders in the energy-rich region. AFP/File/Toshifumi Kitamura phot via Yahoo News.

The nation imports nearly all of its oil as is otherwise highly reliant on foreign energy sources.

Koizumi, who leaves office next month, will meet with Presidents Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan and Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during his four-day trip to the two countries starting Monday.

Iran opens nuclear generator

Iran opened a heavy-water nuclear production plant Saturday raising the possibility of United Nations sanctions.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the generator declaring that his nations was only interested in peaceful energy production.


Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, inaugurates a heavy-water nuclear generator in Arak, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2006. Tehran says the plant is for peaceful purposes but Western countries fear it could eventually be used to develop a nuclear bomb. AP Photo/ ISNA, Arash Khamoushi via Yahoo News.

"There is no discussion of nuclear weapons," he said. "We are not a threat to anybody even the Zionist regime, which is a definite enemy for the people of the region."

Israeli legislator Ephraim Sneh of the Labor Party said in response to the Iranian move that Israel should "prepare itself militarily."

Japan and U.S. to help with Philippine oil disaster

Japanese and U.S. experts are assisting efforts to contain the Philippines' worst oil spill and the "worst environmental disaster" already in the country's history.

A Japanese salvage ship with a remotely-piloted vehicle departed from Okinawa and is expected to arrive in the affected area off Guimaras island in about three days, the Petron Corp. said. A four-member assessment team from the United States coastguard and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency arrived in Manila Tuesday.

Coastguard and private volunteer boats are using boons and spraying dispersants to help contain the massive oil spill.


A local resident, hired by Petron, wipes oil from the mangroves in Nueva Valencia on Guimaras island. The Petron Corp. tanker Solar I sank in 3,000 feet of water with 450,000 gallons of oil on board. AFP/Joel Nito photo via Yahoo News.

Malaysia wants faster moves toward ASEAN single market

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday called for speeding up plans to create a single ASEAN market by 2015, five years ahead of the original target date.

Badawi said the accelarated timetable was necessary for ASEAN to attract foreign investors.


Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is seen with ASEAN Economic Ministers at the opening of the 38th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006. AP Photo/Andy Wong via Yahoo News.

"If we do not hasten the creation of that regional single market, ASEAN may run the risk of losing its position as an important investment destination," Badawi said.

ASEAN currently handles more than US$1 trillion in foreign trade and is home to about 600 million people.

Oil from sunken Philippine tanker impacts area

Oil from a sunken oil tanker near Guimaras island in the central Philippines is threatening a second island in the country's worst oil spill.

Officials said taht an international salvage crew, possibly from Singapore, is dus to arrive on the scene within a week.


Marine life off the coast of Guimaras Island, central Philippines on August 20, 2006. Leaking oil has caused severe damage to marine and coastal habitat in the area. REUTERS/Greenpeace/Handout photo via Yahoo News.

The Petron Corp tanker was carrying some 450,000 gallons of oil when it sunk in 3,000 feet of water. A "mousse-like" oil residue has damaged local marine parks, fishing grounds, mangroves and beaches.

Local government has advised villagers to set up improvised boons of bamboo poles and dried grass about a mile from the shoreline.

Maori Queen laid to rest

Maori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was buried on Mount Taupiri, the resting-place of chiefs, in a traditional ceremony Monday.

The queen died last Tuesday after 40 years on the throne. She was a popular and respected indigenous leader in New Zealand.

A traditional Maori canoe carried the queen's coffin to Taupiri after an elaborate and well-attended ceremony featuring many local and regional leaders.


French Polynesia President Oscar Temaru walks with former New Zealand politician Koro Wetere during the late Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu's tangihanga (funeral ceremony) at the Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand, August 20, 2006. REUTERS/Peter Drury/Pool via Yahoo News.

Letter threatens attack on Taj Mahal

Indian soldiers are 24-hour alert at the famed Taj Mahal after a letter theretened to blow up the monument, officials said Friday.

The handwritten letter received Thursday reportedly from an al-Qaida supporter said the group plans to attack the Mughal-era monument.


The Taj Mahal in Agra, India in 1982. AP Photo/Jeff Robbins, FILE via Yahoo News.

"The letter could be false but we cannot afford to be complacent. We are not taking any chances and have enhanced security at the Taj," Ashok Kumar, a senior government official in Uttar Pradesh said.

At least 100 additional paramilitary troops with automatic weapons have been stationed around the marble domed monument built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine, draws protests

Protesters from home and abroad criticized Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for visiting the Yasukuni memorial Tuesday to honor Japan's World War II dead.

China and South Korea lodged official complaints and opponents of the prime minister staged an all-day media blitz protesting the visit on the anniversary of Japan's surrender during the war.

The house and office of Koichi Kato, a member of Koizumi's own party who also opposed the visit, was burned down late Tuesday. Police investigators said they could not rule out arson in the case. Kato had appeared on television throughout the day criticizing Koizumi.


Visitors to the Yasukuni Shrine pay respects to the war dead on the 61st anniversary of the end of the World War II in Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2006. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi prayed at the Yasukuni war shrine Tuesday.AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye via Yahoo News.

Mayon volcano spews gas, debris

One of the world's most active volcanoes, Mayon in the Philippines, came to life again over the weekend with hot fast and debris spewing from its vent.

On Sunday, Mayon released unusually high levels of sulfuric dioxide at least six times.

"This is really the dangerous phase. We're not worried much with lava flows because they're slow moving, but pyroclastic flows travel at such high velocity and could destroy almost everything in its path," volcanologist Ed Laguerta said Sunday.

Mayon is a popular tourist destination because of its near perfect cone shape.


Lava flows down the slopes of Mayon volcano as seen from Legazpi city, southeast of Manila Friday evening Aug. 11, 2006. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez via Yahoo News.

Asian poverty threatens environment -- WCN, ADB

The Philippines-based Asian Development Bank and the World Conservation Union warned Wednesday that severe poverty threatened the environment over the next decade.

People living in severe poverty often engage in practices that tax the local ecosytems. In turn, the pressure on the environment ends up creating added problems for the poor.

"It is also the poor who have the most at stake when ecosystems degrade, as they suffer disproportionately from the health risks caused by inadequate or dirty water and polluted air, and bear the burden of collecting the resources for their daily use, such as water and fuel," the new book "Poverty, Health, and Ecosystems: Experience from Asia" said.


A Chinese couple sits in front of a windmill power generator at Feng Xian in Shanghai in this February 24, 2006 file photo. Nations in the region have been encouraged to take up 'carbon-neutral' energy programs. REUTERS/Nir Elias/Files photo via Yahoo News.

Asian poverty threatens environment -- WCN, ADB

The Philippines-based Asian Development Bank and the World Conservation Union warned Wednesday that severe poverty threatened the environment over the next decade.

People living in severe poverty often engage in practices that tax the local ecosytems. In turn, the pressure on the environment ends up creating added problems for the poor.

"It is also the poor who have the most at stake when ecosystems degrade, as they suffer disproportionately from the health risks caused by inadequate or dirty water and polluted air, and bear the burden of collecting the resources for their daily use, such as water and fuel," the new book "Poverty, Health, and Ecosystems: Experience from Asia" said.


A Chinese couple sits in front of a windmill power generator at Feng Xian in Shanghai in this February 24, 2006 file photo. Nations in the region have been encouraged to take up 'carbon-neutral' energy programs. REUTERS/Nir Elias/Files photo via Yahoo News.

Asian poverty threatens environment -- WCN, ADB

The Philippines-based Asian Development Bank and the World Conservation Union warned Wednesday that severe poverty threatened the environment over the next decade.

People living in severe poverty often engage in practices that tax the local ecosytems. In turn, the pressure on the environment ends up creating added problems for the poor.

"It is also the poor who have the most at stake when ecosystems degrade, as they suffer disproportionately from the health risks caused by inadequate or dirty water and polluted air, and bear the burden of collecting the resources for their daily use, such as water and fuel," the new book "Poverty, Health, and Ecosystems: Experience from Asia" said.


A Chinese couple sits in front of a windmill power generator at Feng Xian in Shanghai in this February 24, 2006 file photo. Nations in the region have been encouraged to take up 'carbon-neutral' energy programs. REUTERS/Nir Elias/Files photo via Yahoo News.

Fighting intensifies in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan troops hammered Tamil Tiger positions with artillery, a day after the rebels warned that continued shelling could lead to all-out war, officials said Monday.

The fighting comes after the death of 15 French aid workers -- Sri Lankan national working for Paris-based Action Contre la Faim -- killed over the weekend.

Sri Lanka and the Tigers have blamed each other for the execution-style massacre.


Sri Lankan refugees stand outside their tents at Kantale, Sri Lanka, Monday, Aug. 7, 2006. Thousands of villagers have fled the fighting between Sri Lanka soldiers and Tamil Tiger rebels at Muttur to camps at Trincomalee and Kanthale. AP Photo/Gurinder Osan via Yahoo News.

Mayon volcano looks ready to erupt

Government officials issued a volcano alert level of four, the second highest on a scale of five, as Mount Mayon in the Philippines gushed lava into the surrounding region.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said an explosive eruption was "imminent" and ordered evacuation for an estimated 50,000 people.

Mayon is located about 340 kilometers southeast of the capital Manila, and is one of hte 22 volcanoes in the island nation.


Policemen on patrol in Mabinit village last week stand near a giant pile of smouldering lava. Thousands of people were evacuated in the face of the "imminent" eruption of the rumbling volcano. AFP/file photo via Yahoo News.

China orders second slaughter of dogs

Chinese authorities in Jining have ordered a slaughter of dogs for the second time in days in response to a rabies outbreak, the Xinhua News Agency said Friday.

Animal lovers were outraged by the campaign blaming the government for its incompetence in handling the spread of rabies.


A security guard holds onto a dog as a ten-day capture of stray dogs is carried out in Fuzhou, east China's Fujian province August 1, 2006. Picture taken August 1, 2006. CHINA OUT REUTERS/Kong Nong via Yahoo News.

"I think this is completely insane," said Zhang Luping, founder of the Beijing Human and Animal Environmental Education Center. "What's more, this really damages our national image and sets a really bad example to show how lazy and inconsiderate those local government officials are."

In Yunnan last week, 50,000 dogs were killed, many beaten to death in front of their owners, after three people died of rabies.

Animal rights groups have called for a boycott of Chinese goods in response to the mass slaughter.

Typhoon Prapiroon hits south China

Typhoon Prapiroon smashed into the coast of southern China Thursday as hundreds of thousands evacuated to temporary shelters.

About 400,000 people were evacuated from flood-prone areas of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan Island ahead of the storm, which packed 75 mph winds.


Zhongshan residents are evacuated before the arrival of Typhoon Prapiroon, in China's southern Guangdong province Thursday Aug. 3, 2006. AP Photo/Color China Photo via Yahoo News.

The same area is still recovering from direct hits by Typhoon Kaemi that killed 35 people last week, and Tropical Storm Bilis that killed more than 600 people last month.

Chinese officials estimate more than 1 million homes have been damaged and millions of acres of farmland and forest have been destroyed during this typhoon season.

Curry with onions may help reduce colon cancer

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore said that compounds found in curry and onions may help prevent colon cancer in those at risk.

Patients with pre-cancerous colon polyps took a combination of curcumin, which is found in the curry spice turmeric, and quercetin found in onions, resulting in smaller and fewer polyps.


Curry for sale at a market in Lamno, Indonesia, January 31, 2005. Enny Nuraheni en/JJ/Reuters photo via Yahoo News.

Earlier studies with rats, and observation of Asian cultures that eat lots of curry support the recent test results.

"We believe this is the first proof of principle that these substances have significant effects in patients with FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis)," Dr. Francis M. Giardiello of The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore said in a statement.