Can't Take My Eyes Off You....Mt.Kinabalu Picture

 

Mt.Kinabalu view from road side Kundasang, Sabah.

took this picture for me and to share with whole world

...Until now i still mesmerize with the amazing view of Mt.Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia), the highest peak of South East Asia...to be continue.....

Tsunami reaches Japanese coast

Fishing ports in north-east Japan shut ahead of possible tsunami waves

A tsunami more than one metre (3 feet) high has hit Japan's northern Pacific coast, nearly 24 hours after the powerful earthquake in Chile.

Thousands of people were earlier told to leave coastal areas after predictions bigger waves could strike.
Other Pacific nations were hit by tsunamis, but the danger is now thought to have passed.
In Chile, the town of Talcahuano was badly damaged while five people were killed on the Juan Fernandez islands.
Fishing boats there were thrown out of the water in Talcahuano, and port facilities were damaged by a wave that US scientists said was 2.34m high.
The town lies about 115km (70 miles) south-west of the epicentre of Saturday's powerful earthquake.
Large waves struck Chile's Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area and killing five people. Several more are missing.
Two aid ships are reported to be on their way.
Well prepared
Warning systems across the Pacific have improved since the 2004 Indonesia quake sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.
Nations and regions affected by the Pacific "Ring of Fire" all sounded alerts, trying to estimate the anticipated time of arrival of any tsunami following the earthquake, which struck on Saturday at 0634 GMT.

Residents of south-eastern Philippines took shelter after warnings

The first tsunami waves to reach Japan were reported to be just 10cm high, with a wave of 90cm following.
Officials later lifted a tsunami warning for Japan's coast, the first issued in more than 15 years.
The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says Japan has experienced many earthquakes of its own and was well prepared.
People in areas at risk were ordered to move to higher ground, train services running along the coast were suspended and steel gates across fishing harbours were shut.
In 1960 about 140 people were killed by a tsunami in Japan after a major earthquake in Chile.
Thousands of people also left coastal areas of the Philippines after warnings of a possible tsunami were spread by text message.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had warned of "widespread damage" across the region following Saturday's quake, but later said waves were not as high as predicted.
A geophysicist at the centre, Gerard Fryer, told the BBC that the tsunami's impact was small because the earthquake occurred in shallow water.
The earthquake was "big enough to do significant damage, but not big enough to do anything large in the far field", he said.
'Ordinary stormy day'
Part of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia were hit by a 4m (13ft) wave, but no casualties were reported.
In Tahiti, the tsunami waves were smaller, causing little damage.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii was monitoring the waves

New Zealand's Chatham Islands were hit by a wave of 1.5m and areas along the main North and South Islands experienced small surges with no reports of casualties or serious damage.
The tsunami warning has been downgraded there but the emergency management department spokesman said there could still be waves of up to 3m.
Sirens were sounded in Hawaii to alert residents to the tsunami threat several hours before waves were expected.
The first waves hit about 2200 GMT on Saturday, after water began moving away from the shore at Hilo Bay on the Big Island before returning.
But correspondents say that, although 8ft (2.5m) waves had been predicted, the islands experienced nothing noticeably different from an ordinary stormy day.
Hawaiian officials later lifted the tsunami warning.
Despite Australian warnings of "possible dangerous waves, strong ocean currents and foreshore flooding" on the east coast, swimmers and surfers flocked to Sydney's Bondi beach.

Hebron clashes over Israel's West Bank heritage

Hebron clashes over Israel's West Bank heritage list

Palestinians have been protesting all week

Palestinians and Israeli security forces have clashed in the West Bank city of Hebron.

The protests follow an Israeli move to to designate two West Bank shrines as heritage sites.
The move, announced on Sunday, has drawn criticism abroad and in some of the Israeli media.
Palestinian Authority PM Salam Fayyad attended Friday prayers at the Cave of Patriarchs - one of the sites - to show his government's opposition.
Palestinian organisations had declared Friday a day of popular protest across the Palestinian territories.
Protests continued sporadically all week and on Thursday the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem began a three-day strike.
Jon Donnison, the BBC's West Bank and Gaza correspondent, said Israeli troops fired rounds of tear gas at around 100 Palestinian protestors who threw stones and set fire to tyres in the central streets of Hebron on Friday.
Hebron is home to about 160,000 Muslims, but some 500 Israelis and Jews live in a small settlement in the centre of the city, with a heavy Israeli security detail.
Restoration plan
On Sunday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would be included in an Israeli-funded $107m (£69m) restoration plan. Both sites are sacred to Muslims and Jews.
Rachel, the biblical matriarch holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is believed to be buried in a tomb near the entrance to Bethlehem.
Some Muslims say the tomb is also a mosque.
The shrine is on the Israeli side of the West Bank barrier. The Israelis say the barrier was built for security reasons, but Palestinians say it constitutes a land grab, and the International Court of Justice has ruled that the barrier is illegal and should be removed where it does not follow the Green Line, the internationally recognised boundary between the West Bank and Israel.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron is where the Bible says Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried with three of their wives. It is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi mosque.
Palestinians said they feared their access to the sites - important to Muslims and Jews - would be limited by restoration work. This was denied by Israeli officials.
'Not political'
In a bid to calm tensions, Mr Netanyahu told Israeli television on Thursday that there had been a "misunderstanding".
"This is not a political decision It doesn't change anything in that sense. It is concerned with preserving heritage," he said.
But the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Unesco - the United Nations' culture and education body - and some European countries have expressed reservations at the plan. On Wednesday, US state department official Mark Toner described the move as "provocative".
Mr Netanyahu has also come under fire in the national press. Left-leaning Haaretz newspaper called the prime minister a "master pyromaniac".
The right-wing Maariv newspaper was also critical, accusing the premier of "having learnt nothing from the past".

Rainstorm threatening Madeira

New rainstorm threatening Madeira after lethal floods

Madeira is still clearing up after the 20 February disaster

Portugal's island of Madeira is bracing for a new rainstorm a week after a flood disaster killed as many as 70 people and destroyed infrastructure.

Heavy rain falling south of the island is expected to reach land overnight while winds are forecast to gather strength steadily this evening.
The storm is expected to spread to the Iberian Peninsula on Saturday.
The number of people missing on Madeira has been revised upwards to 29 with 41 deaths confirmed, Portuguese media say.
Communication problems have been blamed for discrepancies in casualty figures, with 13 people reported missing on Tuesday when the death toll was being put at 42.
'Stay calm'
Last Saturday's storm caused landslides on the mountainous island, bringing down boulders and mud on to coastal communities.
Officials fear that many of the missing may have been swept out into the Atlantic Ocean.
With the storm expected to reach Spain's Canary Islands overnight, Madrid issued a weather alert.
Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa de la Vega appealed for calm and urged Spaniards to follow instructions given by the authorities and "avoid any type of risks" during the storm.
"It is true that an intense storm with strong winds is approaching but the authorities are on alert and all adequate measures have been taken," she told reporters.
France's weather forecasters issued a similar warning, saying the storm was expected to cross the country from west to east during Saturday night and Sunday.

Storm lashes Spain, Portugal and France

Madeira was still cleaning up after fatal floods last week

Powerful winds have hit parts of Spain, Portugal and France, causing serious damage, officials said.

As winds of up to 140km/h (87mph) lashed parts of Spain, the interior minister warned people to stay inside, avoid driving and postpone walks.
The weather was blamed for three deaths - one in each of the countries.
Portugal's Madeira island, which is reeling from downpours which killed dozens of people last week, was also hit by the fresh storm.
All of Portugal was placed on orange alert - the second highest - by civil protection authorities.
A falling tree killed a boy in northern Portugal, authorities said, according to AFP.
'No woodland walks'
Spain's Canary Islands, particularly La Palma, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, were hit by the storm, although there was not much damage.
Some lampposts were blown over and flights cancelled on Friday.
"This is not the weekend to go walking in the woods, watching the waves or repairing the tiles on your roof-tops," Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said.
Four French departments were placed on red alert, and 66 out of 95 were on orange alert for 24 hours from Saturday evening.
A man was also killed by a falling tree in the the southern Pyrenees region, police said.
Spain's north-western region of Galicia, the Basque country, Castilla y Leon and Cantabria were also on high alert.
Forecasters expected winds of up to 160km/h (100mph) in those regions.
An elderly woman was killed when a wall collapsed on her in Galicia, AFP reported.
Spain had 20,000 officials on alert to try to prevent or repair any damage, while the airport authority warned of possible delays or cancellations.

Chile quake affects two million

Chile quake affects two million, says Bachelet

Concepcion, in southern Chile, suffered severe damage in the quake

Two million people have been affected by the massive earthquake that struck central Chile on Saturday, President Michelle Bachelet has said.

In a TV address, she said the forces of nature were testing the nation.
So far at least 300 people have been confirmed killed in the earthquake that struck in the early hours of Saturday.
The 8.8 quake - one of the biggest ever - triggered a tsunami that has been sweeping across the Pacific, although waves were not as high as predicted.
"The forces of nature have badly affected our country," Ms Bachelet said.
"And once again they've put to the test our ability to deal with adversity and get back on our feet. And we are examining every way to restore all the basic services in the country. But there's still a lot to do.
Ms Bachelet added that she had declared a state of catastrophe in six regions.
Chile is vulnerable to earthquakes, being situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where the Pacific and South American plates meet.

Detailed map of quake Tsunami spreads through Pacific

The earthquake struck at 0634 GMT, 115km (70 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital Santiago at a depth of about 35km. It is the biggest to hit Chile in 50 years.
Widespread damage to roads and buildings has been reported in many areas, including the capital where a chemical plant caught fire.
Electricity, water and phone lines have been cut.
At least 85 people died in the region of Maule alone, journalists there reported.
Many deaths were also reported in the regions of Santiago, O'Higgins, Biobio, Araucania and Valparaiso.
TV pictures showed a major bridge at Concepcion had collapsed into the Biobio river.
Rescue teams are struggling to reach Concepcion because of damage to infrastructure, national media reported.
In Santiago, where at least 13 people were killed, several buildings collapsed - including a car park.
A fire at a chemical plant in the outskirts of the capital forced the evacuation of the neighbourhood.

POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES Haiti, 12 Jan 2010: About 230,000 people die after shallow 7.0 magnitude quake Sumatra, Indonesia, 26 Dec 2004: 9.2 magnitude. Triggers Asian tsunami that kills nearly 250,000 people Alaska, US, 28 March 1964: 9.2 magnitude; 128 people killed. Anchorage badly damaged Chile, south of Concepcion, 22 May 1960: 9.5 magnitude. About 1,655 deaths. Tsunami hits Hawaii and Japan Kamchatka, NE Russia, 4 Nov 1952: 9.0 magnitude 'Everyone fears aftershocks' In pictures: Chile quake Chileans tell of quake terror Chile well prepared

Santiago international airport's terminal was damaged and will be closed for at least 72 hours, officials said. Flights are being diverted to Mendoza in Argentina.
A tsunami triggered by the earthquake struck the Juan Fernandez island group off the Chilean coast and local media say five people died there with several others missing.
As the tsunami radiated across the Pacific, Japan warned that a wave of 3m (10ft) or higher could hit the Pacific coast of its northernmost island of Hokkaido at about 1300 local time (0400 GMT).
In French Polynesia, waves 6ft (1.8m) high swept ashore, but there were no immediate reports of damage.
Hawaii later lifted its tsunami warning after waves measuring just under 1m (3ft) high struck but caused no damage.

The earthquake destroyed many roads

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said tsunami effects had been observed at Valparaiso, west of Santiago, with a wave height of 1.69m above normal sea level.
The USGS also recorded at least eight aftershocks, the largest of 6.9 magnitude at 0801 GMT.
In Washington, President Barack Obama said the US was ready to help if the Chilean government required it.
Chile suffered the biggest earthquake of the 20th century when a 9.5 magnitude quake struck the city of Valdivia in 1960, killing 1,655 people.

NO HANDSHAKE TERRY AND BRIDGE

John Terry left empty-handed as Wayne Bridge gives him cold shoulder

Deposed England skipper John Terry endures miserable day after drubbing follows Wayne Bridge snub



Wayne Bridge considers shaking John Terry's hand - then decides against it.

It could have been two children on a school playing field. One was happy to shake hands and be friends, the other still bore a grudge. This was John Terry and Wayne Bridge yesterday.

They lined up against each other for the first time since the revelations that Terry had had an affair with Bridge's former partner and mother of his child.

As part of the Premier League's fair play campaign, players from each team are expected to shake hands with their opponents before the kick-off, but yesterday Bridge, the Manchester City player, just could not do it.

He made his feelings known during the week, telling the England manager Fabio Capello he could not bear to share a dressing room with Chelsea's Terry and therefore did not want to be picked for the international team. Terry did hold out his hand and for a second it looked as though Bridge would do the same. But he pulled his arm away and stared the Chelsea captain straight in the eye.

If you blinked you missed it and Sky Sports, which had given the confrontation the big build-up, failed on this occasion to do an action replay... at least until half-time. YouTube had no such scruples and the video was soon posted. By the end of the 90 minutes there were hundreds of hits.

The build-up to the non-handshake was not quite on the scale of Nixon and Mao, or Rabin and Arafat, but viewers of Sky could have been forgiven for thinking it was a worldwide event.

Both managers were interviewed beforehand. Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti said he did not expect the atmosphere to affect his captain: "John Terry is professional and doesn't have a problem in staying focused on the match. He has... a good mentality." City manager Roberto Mancini urged defender Bridge to concentrate on the match, which came only 48 hours after he withdrew from England's World Cup plans. Mancini said: "He is a strong character."

The BBC was also all over the story.On its live football website, just before kick-off, an anonymous blogger remarked: "For once my wife wants to watch a 'football' match. I wonder how long she will last in front of the screen after the handshake/non-handshake."

Ten minutes later another blogger on the same site was able to put the spat in context, writing: "My nephew is playing an under-11's match later today against his ex-best friend, who he thinks stole his Creme Egg at school last week. Do you want me to report in on the handshake (or lack of)?"

Those in the ground played their part in the pantomime. When Terry, who lost the England captaincy for playing away with Vanessa Perroncel, touched the ball for the first time there were cheers. Thirty seconds later the boos rang out as Bridge played the ball out of defence, and for the rest of the match there were catcalls and whistles.

Sky commentators joined in, saying with all seriousness when City went 3-1 up, "what a great result for Wayne Bridge on this day of all days". Seconds later Bridge was substituted as Mancini tried to put a stop to the panto.

Unfortunately for Chelsea, there was an extra scene when Michael Ballack became the second Chelsea player to be sent off, following Juliano Belletti's red card, and City scored a fourth.

Bridge was over the moon and Terry sick as a parrot as the game ended 4-2 following a late Chelsea penalty.










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BIGGEST EARTHQUAKES IN HISTORY

Biggest earthquakes in history

Deadly earthquakes that registered a magnitude of at least 8.5


22 May 1960: A magnitude-9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and the ensuing tsunami killed at least 1,716 people.

27 March 1964: A magnitude-9.2 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and the ensuing tsunami killed 128 people.

26 December 2004: A magnitude-9.0 quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 12 countries, including 165,700 in Indonesia and 35,400 in Sri Lanka.

13 August 1868: A magnitude-9.0 quake in Arica, Peru, (now Chile) generated catastrophic tsunamis; more than 25,000 people were killed in South America.

31 January 1906: A magnitude-8.8 quake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generated a tsunami that killed at least 500 people.

1 November 1755: A magnitude-8.7 quake and ensuing tsunami in Lisbon, Portugal, killed an estimated 60,000 people and destroyed much of Lisbon.

8 July 1730: A magnitude-8.7 quake in Valparasio, Chile, killed at least 3,000 people.

15 August 1950: A magnitude-8.6 earthquake in Assam, Tibet, killed at least 780 people.

15 June 1896: A magnitude-8.5 quake in Sanriku, Japan, caused a tsunami that killed at least 22,000 people.

11 November 1922: A magnitude-8.5 quake on the Chile-Argentina border killed several hundred people.

7 November 1837: A magnitude-8.5 magnitude quake in Valdivia, Chile, generated a tsunami that killed at least 58 people in Hawaii.

20 October 1687: A magnitude-8.5 quake in Lima, Peru destroyed much of the city.
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Chile Hit By Earth Quake at 8.8 scale..

Deadly earthquake hits central Chile

President declares 'state of catastrophe' as quake of magnitude 8.8 rocks capital and triggers tsunami

A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile, killing at least 47 people and triggering a tsunami.

The tremor shook the capital, Santiago, for a minute and a half early this morning, bringing down telephone and power lines. Declaring a "state of catastrophe", the Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, said 47 people were confirmed dead and more deaths were likely.

"We have had a huge earthquake," Bachelet said. "We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately. Without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths."

Speaking to a local television station in Temuco, one witness said: "Never in my life have I experienced a quake like this, it's like the end of the world."

The Pacific tsunami warning centre said the quake generated a tsunami that could cause destruction along nearby shores "and could also be a threat to more distant coasts". It issued a tsunami warning for Chile and Peru, while Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica are also on alert.

Chile's navy said officials had lifted the tsunami warning in southern Chile, local radio reported. The Joint Australian tsunami warning centre warned of a "potential tsunami threat" to the states of New South Wales and Queensland, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

The quake was centred 200 miles south-west of Santiago at a depth of 22 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. It warned that an earthquake of magnitude 8 or above could cause "tremendous damage". The quake that devastated Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, in January was magnitude 7.0.

The quake shook buildings as far away as Argentina. A series of strong aftershocks rocked Chile's coast, from Valdivia in the south to Valparaiso, about 500 miles to the north. The epicentre was 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, with a population of around 670,000.

The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on 22 May 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless, and caused a tsunami that killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.
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West Bank strike over Israeli tomb heritage claim

Palestinians have complained they are denied access to Rachel's Tomb

A strike has been called by the Palestinian Authority in Bethlehem in protest at Israel's move to claim two West Bank shrines as heritage sites.

Businesses, schools and universities remained closed as people observed the first day of the three-day walk-out.
Local TV stations broadcast the PA's call following Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's addition of the shrines to Israel's heritage list at the weekend.
The PA also called for a rally to be held on Friday in Bethlehem.
Israel's prime minister announced on Sunday that Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron would be included in an Israeli-funded $107m (£69m) restoration plan.
Bethlehem residents said businesses were shuttered and universities and schools empty as the strike began.
Staff at Bethlehem University were told on Monday not to report for work for three days because of the strike.
Separation
Rachel, the biblical matriarch holy to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is believed to be buried in a tomb near the entrance to Bethlehem.
Some Muslims say the tomb is also a mosque.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi Mosque

The shrine is on the Israeli side of the West Bank barrier. The Israelis say this is for security reasons, but Palestinians say it constitutes a land grab, illegal under international law.
On Monday there were clashes between protesters and police in Hebron, near the site of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, where the Bible says Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried with three of their wives. It is known to Muslims as the al-Ibrahimi mosque.
Palestinians said they feared their access to the sites - important to Muslims and Jews - would be limited. This was denied by Israeli officials.
Close to 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem.
The settlements are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.