A powerful Pacific Ocean earthquake spawned towering tsunami waves that swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa, flooding and flattening villages, killing at least 63 people and leaving dozens missing.
Cars and people were swept out to sea by the fast—churning water as survivors fled to higher ground, where they remained huddled hours after the quake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck early on Wednesday.
Samoan police commissioner Lilo Maiava told The Associated Press that police have confirmed 63 deaths, and officials are still searching the devastated areas, so the number of deaths might rise soon.
At least 19 people also were killed in American Samoa.
Signs of devastation were everywhere, with a giant boat washed ashore lying on the edge of a highway and floodwaters swallowing up cars and homes.
The quake struck around dawn 190 kilometers from American Samoa, a US territory that is home to 65,000 people.
Four tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet high roared ashore soon afterward, reaching up to 1.6 kms inland, Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, was quoted as saying by a parks service spokeswoman.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Samoa police say 63 dead in tsunami, toll may rise
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Pope apologises for church sexual abuse in Australia
SYDNEY: Pope Benedict apologised on Saturday for sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Australia, saying those responsible should be brought to justice. ( Watch )
"I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured," the pontiff said in a homily in Sydney.
"These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation," he said. "Those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice."
Victims of church abuse in Australia have been calling on the pope to issue a public apology during his visit to Sydney for World Youth Day, July 15-20.
Broken Rites, which represents abuse victims in Australia, has a list of 107 convictions for church abuse, but says there could be thousands of victims as only a few cases go to court.
The pope confronted the issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in the United States during a visit to Washington in April, meeting victims and vowing to keep paedophiles out of the priesthood.
Sexual abuse by Catholic clergy has overshadowed the pope's visit to Sydney, with the church reopening a 25 year-old abuse case in Australia only days before the pontiff arrived.
Benedict said sexual abuse by clergy had damaged the Catholic Church.
"I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country," he said during a mass inside Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral.
"I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops and to work together with them in combating this evil. Victims should receive compassion and care..." Victims of abuse have said the pope must not just apologise for past church abuse but implement an open and accountable system of investigating abuse claims.
Courtesy:timesofindia.com
Complete artical HERE
Monday, March 31, 2008
Olympics torch is re-lit amid tight security in Beijing
The Olympic torch was re-lit on Monday at an elaborate ceremony in Beijing that included President Hu Jintao, signalling the start of a round-the-world torch relay.
Hu's participation underlines the importance the country places on the Olympics and its hopes to display a confident, strong China to the world when the games open Aug. 8.
The ceremony 130 days before the start of the Olympics was broadcast on state television, and comes a week after the lighting ceremony for the Olympic torch in Greece was marred by protests.
The torch relay has been heavily promoted by the Chinese government. A chartered Air China plane carrying the Olympic flame from Greece was greeted at the Beijing airport by hundreds of schoolchildren waving Chinese and Olympics flags.
Chief Beijing organizer Liu Qi carried the flame off the plane in a small lantern. He was greeted by Zhou Yongkang. A former public security minister, Zhou is a member of the Communist Party's supreme nine-man Politburo Standing Committee.
About 5,000 people, including 220 foreign journalists, were on hand for the ceremony in the middle of the vast square in the heart of Beijing. There seemed to be few ordinary citizens present, with most attendees drawn from the ranks of officials, entertainers and large numbers of middle-aged women carrying out orchestrated cheering.
All the seats were a bright red and faced north where a huge portrait of Mao Zedong overlooks the square. Martial artists and dancers wearing costumes representing minority ethnic groups, including Tibetans, cavorted on a huge red carpet covering much of the north end of the square.
Hein Verbruggen, who heads the International Olympic Committee's commission monitoring the organization of the Beijing Olympics, was also at the ceremony.
``All along the relay route people will be touched by the Olympic Games and what it means,'' Verbruggen said.
Authorities have noticeably boosted security in downtown Beijing in recent days. Two subway stations at Tiananmen Square was closed and dozens of police were at other subway stops. Police also closed the square to vehicles, and pedestrians and bicyclists were kept at one block away.
Concern about anti-government protests extended to the state television broadcast. Although the broadcast signal carried a banner saying it was ``live,'' there appeared to be a delay of about 1 minute.
Last week, the China Central Television broadcast cut away from the flame lighting ceremony in Greece when protesters ran behind Liu Qi as he gave a speech. It showed stock footage of the ceremony site instead
Courtesy:thehindu.com
Complete artical HERE
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