We're all friends

Today, i will be telling you a little of what countries are doing for Japan , in effort to help relieve some of the tragic issues there. Bejing state media say China will send 20,000 tons of fuel to Japan to aid earthquake recovery.

The Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday the shipment will include 10,000 tons of gasoline and 10,000 tons of diesel fuel.

China previously pledged US$4.5 million (S$5.7 million) worth of blankets, tents, emergency lighting and other humanitarian assistance. It also sent 15 rescuers to help search for survivors.

Despite often prickly relations between China and Japan, the Japanese disasters have sparked an outpouring of sympathy in China

Also THREE US charities said Wednesday they have raised more than US$51 million (S$65.4 million) for Japan five days after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated the north-east of the country.

Leading the way among the charities contacted by AFP was the American Red Cross, which raised US$47 million for Japan quake relief, including US$2.6 million that came in via text message, spokesman Attie Poirier said.

World Vision USA raised US$2.42 million for quake relief in Japan, about US$24,000 through via mobile phone giving, spokesman Geraldine Ryerson-Cruz said.

And the US Salvation Army has raised US$2.1 million, the bulk through online donations but around five per cent via text message giving.

The other night i was watching American Idol, and there was a hotline provided for the viewers of America, so they can help and donate money to the people of Japan. I feel very proud of our world. We saw Japan in need and without hesitation, we all offered help

Japan and its issues

Today, i will be discussing 2 very interesting issues in Japan. firstly, japan instructed local authorities on Thursday to start screening food for radioactivity after accidents at an earthquake-hit nuclear power plant sparked fears of wider contamination.

It is the first time Japan has set radiation limits on domestically produced food, a health ministry official said.

The limits are in line with an anti-disaster programme prepared in advance by the government's atomic power safety commission, said the official.

Limits vary depending on the type of foodstuff but have been set in consultation with internationally accepted levels and average intake in the Japanese diet.

Radioactivity leaked into the air after explosions at the Fukushima No. 1 plant, where last week's quake and tsunami knocked out the reactor cooling systems.

Several Asian nations have said they will screen food imported from Japan for radiation while the European Union has called for similar checks.

HELICOPTERS are dumping water on a stricken reactor in north-eastern Japan to cool overheated fuel rods inside the core.

The crisis at several reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant were set off when last week's earthquake and tsunami knocked out power needed for their cooling systems and ruined backup generators.

Japanese officials struggling to avoid full meltdowns have raised hopes of easing the crisis, saying they may be close to bringing power back to the plant and restoring the cooling systems. The top US nuclear regulator warned that one reactor's cooling pool for spent fuel rods may have run dry and another was leaking.

Japan (ii)

Hi everybody, today i will continue with the disasters in Japan. To be specific, i willl be discussing about one of the areas that were affected. Unfortunately, one of the areas affected, that we are all familiar with, in japan, in Tokyo Disneyland . THE car park at Tokyo Disneyland was drenched with water-logged segments from the ground following the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan's Pacific coast on Friday, police said.

It was earlier reported that a tsunami might have caused the inundation but police said the phenomenon was due to liquefaction of soil caused by the intense shaking of the tremor.There were 69,000 people at the Disneyland and the adjacent Tokyo Disney Sea, built on a landfill in Tokyo Bay, when the quake occurred, a spokesman at the local Urawa police station said.There were no injuries or property damage reported at the theme parks, he told AFP.

'The visitors have been evacuated to safe places but there are many puddles due to liquefaction around the theme parks,' he said.

Also, APAN'S devastating earthquake and tsunami last week have resulted in insured losses of between US$12 and US$25 billion (S$15.4 and S$32 billion), risk assessment firm EQECAT said on Wednesday.

EQECAT said the epic magnitude-9.0 quake that struck Japan on Friday and the ensuing massive tsunami were piling up 'significant losses' to the insurance industry.

'This loss estimate encompasses the effects of earthquake shaking, ensuing tsunami and fires, and losses to automobiles, marine, life, and personal accident insurance lines,' it said.

But the loss estimates did not include the developing nuclear crisis as Japan raced to prevent a catastrophe at quake-stricken nuclear plants.

The aftermath of the Earthquake and tsunami in Japan

Hey everybody, its been a while since i last blogged. Today , i'm here to sum up what happened to japan and what the world is doing the help her out. A quake struck at 2.46pm on Friday( 11/3/11) (1.46pm Singapore time) at a depth of 10km, about 125km off the eastern coast. Here are what some of the people in Japan said:

"The building shook for what seemed a long time and many people in the newsroom grabbed their helmets and some got under their desks,' Reuters correspondent Linda Sieg said.

'It was probably the worst I have felt since I came to Japan more than 20 years ago.'

Shortly after, A 10-METRE tsunami slammed into the coast off the city of Sendai in northeast Japan on Friday after an 8.9-magnitude quake struck offshore, Japanese media reported.TV footage showed cars and houses being swept along in the water. The runways at Sendai Airport were submerged, with dozens of people seen on the roof of the terminal building.

Indeed , it was devastating. After a week ,THE official number of dead and missing after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that flattened Japan's north-east coast a week ago has topped 16,600, with 6,405 confirmed dead, police said on Friday.

The number of people unaccounted for following the March 11 twin disasters increased to 10,259, the National Police Agency said in its latest update. A total of 2,409 people were injured.

The toll has increased steadily in recent days, and reports suggest it could eventually be much higher.