'Super Typhoon' Durian Intensifies Over Eastern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Officials suspended school classes in Manila and nearby provinces Wednesday after Typhoon Durian gained strength as it barreled toward an eastern Philippine island.

With sustained winds of 119 miles per hour and gusts of up to 140 mph the cyclone — named after a pungent fruit native to Southeast Asia — has become a super typhoon, said chief weather forecaster Nathaniel Cruz.

Cruz said officials approved his recommendation to suspend Thursday's classes in metropolitan Manila and four nearby provinces. Classes already have been suspended on the island province of Catanduanes, where the typhoon is expected to slam ashore Thursday morning, and in five other eastern provinces with the highest storm alerts.

More than 25 provinces and the Philippine capital, Manila, are under storm alerts.

Moving westward at a relatively fast 15 mph, Manila or the region just south of it could be battered by the typhoon Friday morning.

Antonio Golez, deputy chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said all local governments and agencies in the affected areas have been alerted for emergency operations.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,232700,00.html

Tornado throws ponies in the air

A tornado that struck a Hampshire village threw two ponies in to the air and left a trail of destruction. The freak winds, in Boarhunt, caused thousands of pounds worth of damage by flattening sheds, uprooting trees, and bringing down power lines. Firefighter Paul Crouch, who attended the scene, said the tornado had left a 33-yard (30m) trail of devastation. Luckily, nobody was hurt in the three minutes it took for the tornado to sweep through the village. Paul Collins, 54, who owns three ponies he keeps in a paddock at Boarhunt, said he was taking shelter from the storm when his truck moved 25ft (8m) as the tornado struck and he saw his animals take off. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6190026.stm

South Korea to Slaughter 236,000 Poultry

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean quarantine officials will slaughter 236,000 poultry after an outbreak of the virulent H5N1 form of bird flu at a chicken farm, the agriculture ministry said Saturday.

The outbreak occurred at a farm in Iksan, about 155 miles south of Seoul, earlier this week, resulting in the deaths of 13,000 chickens — 6,700 a direct result of infection and the rest culled.

Test results confirmed the outbreak was caused by a "highly pathogenic" type of H5N1 virus, the ministry said in a statement.

It said 236,000 poultry within a 1,650-foot radius of the outbreak site would be slaughtered to keep the virus from spreading.

The ministry also said it would limit the movement of about 5 million chickens and ducks from 221 farms within a 1.6 mile radius of the outbreak.

Park Yong-jong, a city official in Iksan, said the culls would begin Sunday morning. The "highly pathogenic" type of H5N1 can be lethal to poultry but poses little risk to people, said Kwon Jun-wook, an official at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231926,00.html

Moderate Earthquake Rattles Hawaii

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 4.5 struck off the northwest coast of the Big Island on Thursday in the same area where two stronger temblors struck last month.

The quake, centered about 11 miles northwest of Puuanahulu, shook homes on the Big Island, Maui and Oahu, but it did not produce a tsunami threat, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 5.0; the Tsunami Warning Center estimated it at 4.5.

Boulders and other debris forced the temporary closure of Highway 19 near Laupahoehoe on the Big Island, said state Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa. There were isolated power outages in Kona on the Big Island, but no other damages were immediately reported.

Magnitude 6.7 and 6.0 earthquakes shook the islands Oct. 15, causing power outages, bridge collapses and road closures. Those quakes caused an estimated $200 million in damages.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,231640,00.html

Suspected Bird Flu Reported in Iksan

A suspected outbreak of bird flu was reported at a chicken farm in Iksan, North Cholla Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday, affecting a group of brood hens. The ministry said that depending on the type of avian influenza, the highly contagious virus could be transmitted to humans.

The farm is a subcontractor of Korea’s largest chicken meat provider, Halim, which has more than a 30 percent market share. The plant supplies young chicks to Halim by raising thousands of brood hens.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200611/kt2006112317452011870.htm

Flooded East Africa braces for disease outbreak

NAIROBI, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Thousands of people displaced by massive flooding in east Africa face outbreaks of cholera, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases unless they are provided with safe drinking water soon, aid workers say.

The U.N. says 1.8 million people have been affected by torrential rains which have pounded parts of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan in recent weeks killing hundreds and uprooting thousands.

"Now after the floods we know that we are going to be confronted by waterborne diseases, particularly cholera. We are trying to brace ourselves for the worst case scenario," said Neima Temporal, the head of the U.N. refugee agency in Dadaab, on the Kenya-Somali border.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/B314774.htm

Hail storm kills 14 in Vietnam, four missing

At least fourteen people were killed in Vietnam and four were reported missing after a hail storm hit the northern province Quang Ninh, officials have said.

"The four missing are probably dead. We just haven't found the corpses yet", said Chu Van Ninh, an official at the flood and storm control departement of Quang Ninh province, on Tuesday Thirteen were killed in Quang Ninh and one in neighbouring Bac Giang, he said.

Several boats sunk because of heavy rain and strong winds, but it was unclear whether there were people on board, the VTV news bulletin said.

Hail storms have been reported over the past few days in northern Vietnam, including in the capital Hanoi on Monday. Heavy rains have also caused serious flooding.

Quang Ninh, 200 kilometers (120 miles) north east of Hanoi, is famous for its world heritage site, Ha Long Bay.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/21/061121103810.u3esqsli.html

Death toll from Afghanistan floods mounts to 50

KABUL, Nov 18 (KUNA) -- Death toll from floods caused by heavy downpour over the weekend in western Afghanistan has reached 50 while hundreds of people are still missing, officials and residents said on Saturday. As roads and transit routes have been washed away by the gushing water and aid agencies, both local and international, could not manage to provide assistance to the affected people in two districts of Badghis province, emergency assistance was airlifted by NATO aircrafts. Mohammad Nasim Tokhi, Governor of the calamity-hit province, told journalists scores of houses had been swept away displacing thousands of people. He said according to latest report obtained by the provincial government, 52 bodies had been retrieved so far while more than 100 people were still missing. The governor said the local officials and residents were searching the missing people in Bala Murghab and Ghormach districts, the worst-affected areas. He feared the death toll might go up as search was on for the missing. NATO spokesman in Kabul Major Luke Knitting said they had dispatched supplies to the areas and more aid would be sent to help the affected people. He said teams would be sent into the areas to help the locals in searching the missing people as well as administer medical aid to the affectees. Earlier, head of the emergency department Habibullah Murghabi said the areas were in need of urgent aid, including supply of medicines, food and warm clothes. He said the people, whose houses had either been caved in or washed away by floods, were living under the open sky. The official said, besides human casualties, more than 5,000 cattle had been killed by the floods that also washed away thousands acres of farmland. About a fortnight back, the country's Nangarhar province, situated in the eastern zone and bordering the neighbouring Pakistan, was lashed by heavy rains that killed at least nine people and destroyed scores of houses and hundreds acres of farmland. Early winter and snowfall was welcomed in Afghanistan after years of drought, but several areas were affected which mounted the miseries of the people, already living in difficult circumstances. (end) gk.bz.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=923391

Small earthquake rattles homes in Salt Lake Valley

SALT LAKE CITY – A small earthquake rattled homes in the northwestern Salt Lake Valley, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The epicenter of the magnitude 2.6 quake, which occurred at 11:22 p.m. Thursday, was 9 miles west of Salt Lake City, according to the University of Utah.

“The earthquake was not very big, but because of the proximity to the populated area, many people felt it,” university seismologist Relu Burlacu said.

Burlacu said some residents who called the school said they felt their houses shake but didn't report any objects falling from walls.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff's office did not have any reports of damage.

The University of Utah said five earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater have occurred in the area since 1962. The strongest was a 5.2 quake on Sept. 5, 1962.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20061117-0300-utahearthquake.html

contingency plans to deal with possible bird flu pandemic

HANOI, Vietnam: Indonesia's president Friday urged Pacific Rim countries to intensify efforts to fight bird flu and draw up contingency plans to cope with an economic backlash if the disease becomes pandemic.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, speaking to business executives at a conference ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings this weekend, warned that the bird flu virus has the potential to spread from human to human although there were still no signs of such transmission.

"We must develop comprehensive national preparedness plans, strengthen surveillance systems, build laboratory networks and intensify regional and international cooperation," Yudhoyono said in his speech.

The H5N1 virus has killed at least 153 people worldwide since it began ravaging Asian poultry stocks in late 2003, with well over a third of the human deaths in Indonesia, according to the World Health Organization.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/17/asia/AS_GEN_APEC_Indonesia_Bird_Flu.php

New Candy...

Well today at work I get this email about Chronic Candy. There is a new candy that is spreading across the US and is very popular with the 21 and older crowd, it’s called Chronic Candy. Chronic Candy contains essential hemp oil. This is not the first product containing Hemp that is marketed towards young adults, Jones Soda offers “Dave” which also contains hemp. Can anyone give me some feedback on this stuff? I hear it comes in different flavors including grape, blueberry, and strawberry. Also Purple Kush Gummies only for a limited time.

Tornado kills at least nine in North Carolina

RIEGELWOOD, North Carolina (CNN) -- At least nine people were killed Thursday when a tornado ripped through a mobile home park in this small town west of Wilmington, Columbus County Sheriff Chris Batten told CNN affiliate News 14.

The sheriff said several mobile homes were demolished and others were torn off their foundations by the high winds.

Several people were injured and crews were searching for people who had been reported missing, a spokeswoman for the Columbus County Emergency Services said. (Watch report from scene of tornado -- 1:46)

As many as 200 emergency personnel were on the scene, and dogs were searching for people who still might be trapped in the rubble.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/11/16/severe.weather/

Tornadoes, Thunderstorms Tear Across Southern States

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Lines of thunderstorms hammered the South on Wednesday, turning a skating rink into a hulk of twisted metal soon after 31 preschoolers and four adults fled to the only part of the building that turned out to be safe.

One child suffered a broken bone and another a cut to the head, but everyone else emerged unharmed from the crumpled wreck of the Fun Zone Skate Center, which doubled as a day-care facility.

"I'm amazed that anyone got out of there," said Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,229621,00.html?sPage=fnc.specialsections/naturaldisaster

Tropical Storm Sergio

Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Sergio grew stronger this morning off Mexico's Pacific Coast to become the region's 10th hurricane of the season.

Sergio, the 19th named storm of the May-to-November Eastern Pacific hurricane season, was 430 miles (692 kilometers) south of Manzanillo with winds of 73 miles per hour (102 kilometers per hour), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm is stationary, said Lixion Avila, senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based center.

``It's not affecting anybody,'' Avila said in a telephone interview. ``We still think it's going to get a little stronger.''

The hurricane center predicts a gradual northward track and sustained winds reaching 92 mph tomorrow. The five-day forecast shows the hurricane over water but close to the southwest coast of Mexico, Avila wrote. Even if it remains over water, coastal communities will have heavy rain and wind, he said.

For now, the biggest danger is from high surf, the hurricane center said. Waves generated by Hurricane Paul in October killed two people in Baja California.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aFnuzdFbLhxk&refer=latin_america

Small Tsunamis Hit Northern Japan Following Large Quake

TOKYO — A series of small tsunamis hit northern Japan Wednesday following a powerful earthquake that struck sparsely populated islands to the north.

The first tsunami — a 16-inch wave — hit the port of Nemuro on Hokkaido at 7:29 a.m. ET, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

The agency said a second wave of half that height was recorded about 15 minutes later in the nearby port city of Kushiro to the southwest. At least three more small waves followed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,229541,00.html http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4336623.html