Indonesia tsunami deaths top 400

At least 408 people have been confirmed dead after a tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake hit Indonesia's western Mentawai Islands earlier this week, but officials say the death toll could be much higher.

Harmensyah, the head of the West Sumatra provincial disaster management centre, said on Friday that rescue teams "believe many, many of the bodies were swept to sea".

Bodies have also been found buried on beaches and even stuck in trees across the islands.

More than 400 people are believed to be still missing after three-metre high waves battered the small group of islands, about 280km to the northwest of Sumatra, on Monday.

"Of those missing people, we think two-thirds of them are probably dead, either swept out to sea or buried in the sand," Ade Edward, a local disaster management official, said on Thursday.

"When we flew over the area ... we saw many bodies. Heads and legs were sticking out of the sand, some of them were in the trees. If we add another 200 to the toll it would be at least 543 dead.

Read more

Pakistan flood food running out, warns UN

Water-borne diseases are putting millions of children displaced by the floods at risk

The United Nations has warned its supply of emergency food aid for victims of Pakistan's summer floods will run out by the start of December.

UN humanitarian co-ordinator Martin Mogwanja said up to six million people relied on the aid every month.

With winter on the way, seven million people still do not have adequate shelter or quilts, blankets and warm clothing, he told the BBC.

The monsoon floods affected 20 million people and one fifth of the country.

At least 1,500 people died in the deluge.

Appealing for further donations from the international community, Mr Mogwanja said malnutrition was also increasing as food stocks dwindled.

And winter would bring fresh misery for the homeless, he said.

Those most in need of shelter are said to be........

Read more

World's big enough for India and China, says Chinese PM

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (right) is expected to visit India in December

Chinese PM Wen Jiabao has told his Indian counterpart, Manmohan Singh, that there is "enough space" in the world for both countries to develop.

His comments came during a meeting on the sidelines of a regional meeting in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. Mr Wen said he would visit India this year.

China is India's largest trading partner; two-way trade volumes surpassed $50bn (£31bn) in 2008.

The two nations fought a brief border war in 1962, but ties have improved.

Tensions remain, however, between the rising regional powers over their shared 3,500-km (2,170-mile) border, decades on from the conflict, which China won.

Another bone of contention is the presence in India of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.

Beijing and Delhi have had a "strategic and co-operative partnership" since 2005.

"There is enough space in the world for.......

Read more...

Southern groups accused of vandalism

vandalism

	Former parliamentarian M. K Sivagilingaum.

Travellers from the South are creating problems for residents in Jaffna said former parliamentarian M. K Sivagilingaum.

He said that the local government administration and the library staff are to meet on Friday to discuss a incident that took place last Saturday.

“A group of people from the South who were denied access to the library as a seminar of medical staff was in progress made their way after arguing with the library staff caused damaged to books and reading material” said Sivagilingam.

Army Spokesman Major General Ubaya madewala said he was not aware of such incident.

Sivagilingam said that groups from the South were......


Read more : http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2010/10/101028_jaffnavandal.shtml