Tiny Island States Seek International Help

As the rising Pacific Ocean laps at their doorsteps, tiny Tuvalu (left pic) (a speck of nine islands with 10,000 inhabitants) and Kiribati (a nation of 33 coral atolls straddling the Equator and of 105,00 people) fear becoming environmental refugees. It will be a new type of refugees in the Asia-Pacific region as sea level could rise up to 50 cm (19.7 inches) by 2070.

Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and parts of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are considered at greatest risk. A a sea level rise of 30-50 cm would affect hundreds of millions of people across the Asia-Pacific region, slashing economic output, inundating large areas of Bangladesh, India and Vietnam and reducing Kiribati, Fiji and the Maldives to a small fraction of their current land area. A climate change report by Australia's leading scientific research body released two weeks ago found that Micronesia had experienced an annual sea level rise of 21.4 mm since 2001.

Calls have been made to Australia, which is not a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gases, to do more to combat climate change and to be more open to environmental refugees.

Tags: Environmental, Sea Level, Greenhouse, Climate, Kyoto Protocol, Micronesia, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Pacific Ocean, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Maldives, Asia Pacific, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Australia

World's Tallest Buildings

World's tallest building is being constructed in Dubai at the moment and its comparison with other buildings in the world.
As the construction continues on the Burj Dubai skyscraper in Dubai, which sets to be the world's tallest tower on completion in 2008, Burj Dubai has now clocked up 79 floors.

Click the respective pictures to see clearer words at the bottom of it.






Tags: Dubai, Burj Dubai, Skyscraper, Tallest Building

Football Coach Threatened By Parent

The father of a young football player pulled a gun on his son's coach because he didn't think the boy was getting enough playing time, Philadelphia police said on Monday. Wayne Derkotch, 40, was charged with aggravated assault after getting in a fight with the coach over the amount of time the boy was getting on the field at a game for 6- and 7-year-olds on Sunday morning, said police spokesman Officer Raul Malveiro.

"There was a physical altercation about what child should play or not play and then he pulled the gun," Malveiro said. There were no injuries and Derkotch fled before being arrested after a complaint was made by the coach, whose name was not released, Malveiro said (source: Reuters).

Is it an abundant of parent's love for the son or pride/ego was dented when his son couldn't play in the game?

Tags: Family, Football Coach, Philadelphia, Fight

Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa

Hari Raya Puasa is also commonly known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri. In Malay, the word Hari Raya means ‘A Day Of Celebration’ and Puasa derives from Sanskrit meaning ‘fasting or abstention’. Hari Raya Puasa means ‘great day of fasting’ or in actual sense ‘the festival marking the end of a period of fasting’. Hari Raya Puasa is popularly known as Eid Ul Fitr. Hari Raya Puasa marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Today, it's being celebrated in Malaysia and a public holiday for today & tomorrow. In Sudan where I'm situated now, it has begun since yesterday with a number of Middle East countries too. It's a time where all muslims will gather back at their parents' hometown to celebrate the joyous occasion. This is where I'm stucked here with 2 other non-muslim colleagues.
A malay colleague of mine told me that on these days, he will have about 50 relatives at his parents' house and frankly said that he wouldn't have known all his cousins. Too many of them but they knew him as they knew he's the son of their grand uncle or grandpa or uncle.

There is a video (meaningful family value) produced by Petronas just for the Hari Raya celebration. Would like to wish all muslims "Selamat Hari Raya" or "Eid Mubarak".

Tags: Eid Mubarak, Hari Raya, Muslim, Festival, Family

Cars - movie review

Cars - voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Richard Petty & Cheech Marin. When you have such cast lending their voices, the movie won't let you down. Lightning McQueen, the name of a rookie race car, couldn't handle the fame he has generated in his short career. He thought it was himself that made him successful. In the last race of the year, 3 cars were given the same points and a final race will be organised in California just for the 3 cars. So, our little hero, made his way across USA only to find himself "dropped" out of his carriage in the middle of the night.

He got lost and ended up at a sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. While trying to escape the law without headlights, he damaged the small town's road and was punished to fix the road prior to leaving the town. Finished he did and he made a number of friends from this small town. He discovered later that there was a superb race car (of the 50s) in town too. A beautiful relationship with Sally (a Porsche) developed at the same time. Thereafter, he made his way to California to participate in the final race of 200 laps. He could have won the championship but he stopped just before the finishing line..... why?

Everything in this movie is about cars only ........ and i actually rewind the movie to see it again...see what......even the insects are cars too....almost fainted. Nevertheless, it's a good animated movie with good story line. You can't go wrong with a strong Production Co, Pixar Animation Studios, brought to us by Walt Disney Pictures and had grossed US$244,052,771 in the U.S. Box Office (placing this movie at no. 40 in the All Time Gross chart).
Tags: Movie, Review, Cars, Walt Disney, Pixar, US Box Office, Owen Wilson, Paul Newman

Madeira Island Airport in Portugal

Fantastic airport runway for Madeira Island airport in Portugal.
Tags: Airport, Runway, Madeira Island, Portugal

Formula 1

Fernando Alonso won his 2nd world title in Formula 1 race in the last leg of the Formula 1 calender which ended in Interlagos, Brazil. Felipe Massa of Ferrari won the race with Alonso coming in 2nd and 3rd placing went to Jenson Button of Honda. Michael Schumacher (my favourite driver) with his slim hope of capturing the title came in at 4th placing thus hampering his hope of a record 8th title.

Nevertheless, Alonso kept his cool to retain his title back-to-back and Renault captured the Constructor's title too with a 5 points margin over Ferrari. Alonso will move on to McLaren next year and everyone will have an open-wide challenge next with the expected retirement of the great Michael Schumacher.
Tags: Fernando Alonso, Renault, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, Jenson Button, Honda, Michael Schumacher, Interlagos, Brazil, Formula 1, McLaren, Sports, Racing