Princess Kiko bears heir to Chrysanthemum Throne

In what will certainly be celebrated by the traditional, male-dominance conservatives, Japan's Princess Kiko gave birth to the first imperial male heir in more than four decades.

The heir, whose name is still not known, is third in line to the throne after his uncle Crown Prince Naruhito and his father Prince Akishino.

The birth will like put off talks on possible female succession to the world's oldest dynasty that takes back historically more than 1,500 years, and more than 2,500 years according to legend.


A baby holds a paper fan reading 'Celebration' as well-wishers gather in celebration of the birth of a baby boy to Japan's Princess Kiko at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo September 6, 2006. Japanese politicians hope the birth of the new male heir will spark a baby boom in a country plagued by slow demographic growth. REUTERS/Issei Kato via Yahoo News.

Philippine oil slick reaches Iloilo City

The massive oil spill off Panay island in the Philippines has reached the city of Iloilo as cleanup efforts intensified.

Planes and ships dropped chemical dispersants on the slick as the Japanese ship Shinsei Maru began preparations to salvage the sunken tanker Solar I.

Grassroots efforts aimed at combating the spill utilize human hair and dried grass to soak up the toxic sludge floating on waters off Panay's coast.


A worker arranges bags of relief goods for distribution to the oil spill affected families Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006 in the town of Nueva Valencia on Guimaras island in central Philippines. Similar plastic bags filled with donated human hair are being used to soak up oil residues in the affected area. AP Photo/Ariel Catubig via Yahoo News.

India rushes help to flooded state

Troops and helicopters came to the rescue in India's flood-ravaged state of Rajasthan on Friday.

More than 150 people have died and thousands are homeless in the Jodhpur and Barmer districts.


An Indian woman carries her child in a basket as she wades through floodwaters in the village of Kudla. AFP via Yahoo News.

Ten days of heavy monsson rains brought flash floods to many areas of the state, which had previously been suffering from drought.

Huge lakes up to 10 kilometers wide formed in Rajashtan's deserts where the non-porous tablerock could take months to absorb the water.

"It's already a nightmare as we see from the geological point of view," said a spokesman from the state-run Central Arid Zone Research Institute, based in the flood-hit district of Jodhpur.