Powerful typhoon knocks out power, transportation in Taiwan; 6,000 flee mountains

Powerful typhoon forces evacuation of thousands and halts transportation in Taiwan
Taipei, Taiwan -   Taipei, Taiwan (AP) — A powerful Typhoon ripped into Taiwan on Sunday, crippling transportation around the island and prompting the Evacuation of thousands of residents from mountainous areas prone to devastating landslides. Typhoon Fanapi, the first major storm to strike the island this year, made landfall in the eastern city of Hualien at 8:40 a.m. (0040 GMT), packing winds of 89 mph (144 kph) and churning its way westward toward China at a speed of 12 mph...

Typhoon injures 45 in Taiwan, heads to China
Taipei, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A Typhoon injured 45 people, cancelled flights and cut power to tens of thousands in Taiwan on Sunday, keeping officials on high alert to stop any repeat of a deadly Storm last year that damaged the president’s reputation. Typhoon Fanapi, Taiwan’s most severe Storm so far in 2010, brought 162 kph (101 mph) maximum wind gusts that caused injuries by toppling scooters, breaking glass and blowing down signs, the National Fire Agency disaster response centre...

Powerful typhoon lashes Taiwan
Taiwan was pounded by winds of more than 200 kilometres an hour Sunday as China evacuated 150,000 people, issuing an alert over what it said could be the fiercest Typhoon of the year to hit the region. Typhoon Fanapi made landfall at 8:40 am (0040 GMT) near Taiwan's East Coast city of Hualien, packing gusts of up to 220 kilometres (137 miles) an hour after picking up speed, the Central Weather Bureau said. "Winds are especially strong and Rains particularly severe in the Hualien area," a...

Typhoon hits Taiwan, disrupting power
Majia Township has received 1049 millimeters (41 inches) and Sandimen Township 955 millimeters (37 inches). Portions of Taiwan will continue to see large amounts of rain totaling 200-400mm (8-16 inches) with isolated maximums of 500mm (19 inches) in southern Taiwan. Meanwhile, China raised its alert level to the second-highest category as the Typhoon nears the country's southern coast, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The storm was moving westward at 20 kph and was expected to hit...

Typhoon batters Taiwan, knocking out power
Typhoon Fanapi hit eastern Taiwan on Sunday, leaving at least three people dead in related accidents and knocking out power to more than 50,000 homes, state media reported. Meanwhile, China raised its alert leval to the second-highest category as the Typhoon nears the country's southern coast, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. FULL STORY

Typhoon Fanapi lashes Taiwan
AFP Taiwan has been lashed by winds of almost 200km/h as the most powerful Typhoon of the year smashed into the island, just a year after a devastating storm left hundreds dead. Typhoon Fanapi made landfall at 8.40am (1040 AEST) on Sunday near the East Coast city of Hualien, TVBS and several other Cable News networks reported. Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said on its website that the storm was packing gusts of up to 198km/h after picking up speed. "Winds are especially strong and Rains...

China 'suspends bilateral exchanges with Japan'
China has suspended senior bilateral contact with Japan over the detention of a Chinese captain accused of ramming his boat against Japanese patrol vessels in disputed waters, state media said Sunday. "China has already suspended bilateral exchanges at and above the provincial or ministerial levels," the official Xinhua news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying, without giving more details on the nature of the exchanges. China has also halted contact with Japan on the issues of...

China on alert as powerful typhoon nears
AFP Chinese forecasters issued an alert on Saturday as the most powerful Typhoon of the year threatened the country, state media said. Typhoon Fanapi was 500 kilometres southeast of the Taiwanese Coast at dawn on Saturday, China's Xinhua news agency said, citing the country's National Meteorological Centre. The storm, packing winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour, is the 11th of the year, the report said. The Typhoon was expected to hit Taiwan's East Coast on Sunday morning before making...

Taiwan prepares for Typhoon Fanapi
(CNN) -- Taiwanese braced Sunday for Typhoon Fanapi as forecasters predicted it would make landfall over eastern Taiwan early in the morning, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Typhoon Fanapi was packing sustained winds of 195 kph (121 mph). Schools in Taitung, Yilan and Hualien counties suspended classes as of Saturday night, and Nantou County evacuated some residents, it said. Taipei's Maokong gondola, a cable-car transport system, has halted operations, it said. Tsengwen...

Typhoon knocks out power, transportation in Taiwan
A powerful Typhoon ripped into Taiwan on Sunday, crippling transportation around the island and shutting off power as thousands of residents fled mountainous areas prone to devastating landslides.

Security, rain dampen China protests against Japan
By Chris Buckley and Maxim Duncan Beijing/Shanghai | Sat Sep 18, 2010 1:43am EDT Beijing/Shanghai (Reuters) - About a hundred Chinese Protesters on Saturday demanded Japan free a Chinese boat captain, but tight security and rain deterred a bigger show of anger over an issue that has ratcheted up territorial tensions between the Asian powers. Under a steady downpour, the Protesters, mostly in their 20s gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing and held placards and yelled slogans...

China suspends senior bilateral exchanges with Japan
China said Sunday it had suspended senior bilateral exchanges with Japan over an incident in disputed waters and warned relations with Tokyo had been "severely hurt". The announcement comes after a Japanese court authorised prosecutors to extend by 10 days the detention of a Chinese captain accused of ramming his trawler against Japanese patrol boats in the East China Sea. It also comes as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his counterpart Naoto Kan prepare to fly to New York to attend a UN...

Chinese hold anti-Japan protests over boat incident on sensitive political anniversary
Beijing -   Beijing (AP) — Protesters in several cities across China marked a politically sensitive anniversary Saturday with anti-Japan chants and banners, as authorities tried to stop anger over a diplomatic spat between the Asian giants from getting out of control. As some chanted "Wipe out the Japanese devils!" and stamped on Japanese flags, China's Foreign Ministry called for calm. Ever-present anti-Japanese sentiment in China has been inflamed in recent weeks by Japan's...

Typhoon Fanapi hits Taiwan
Typhoon Fanapi, forecast to hit mainland China, has made landfall in Taiwan, bringing gusts of wind of up to 123 mph.

Typhoon Fanapi hits Taiwan
Send Feedback Fanapi has brought winds of up to 220kph over Taiwan and prompted southeastern China to go on high alert [AFP] Typhoon Fanapi has made landfall near Taiwan's East Coast, bringing with it Heavy Rains and winds of more than 200km per hour (kph). The Central Weather Bureau said Fanapi reached Hualien city in eastern Taiwan at 8.40pm local time [0040 GMT] on Sunday, with gusts of up to 220kph after picking up speed. TV footage from Hualien showed branches torn off...

Mid-strength typhoon on track to lash Taiwan Sunday
Taipei | Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:18pm EDT Taipei (Reuters) - Taiwan authorities issued warnings on Saturday for a mid-strength Typhoon packing wind gusts as strong as 191 kph (119 mph) and shaping up as the island's most severe Storm of the year. Typhoon Fanapi, set to reach Taiwan early on Sunday, would test the preparedness of the government of President Ma Ying-jeou after the island's worst Typhoon in five decades triggered Mudslides that killed about 700 people in August 2009. That disaster...

American-born panda Hua Mei gives birth to 8th cub in China, rare success for species
Beijing -   Beijing (AP) — An American-born Panda gave birth to her eighth cub in southwest China, a rare accomplishment for the Endangered Species known for being poor breeders. Hua Mei gave birth to a male cub at 3 a.m. on Friday at the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday. The cub weighed 5.7 ounces at birth. This brings the number of Panda births at the Wolong center to 16 this year, equal to last year's...

US-born panda gives birth to her 8th cub in China
Beijing — An American-born Panda gave birth to her eighth cub in southwest China, a rare accomplishment for the Endangered Species known for being poor breeders. Hua Mei gave birth to a male cub at 3 a.m. on Friday at the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Center in Sichuan province, the official Xinhua News Agency said Friday. The cub weighed 5.7 ounces at birth. This brings the number of Panda births at the Wolong center to 16 this year, equal to last year's total, the report said. Hua...

Anti-Japan protests break out in China
ProtesterS in several cities across China marked a politically sensitive anniversary yesterday with anti-Japan chants and banners as authorities tried to stop anger over a diplomatic spat getting out of control. As some chanted "Wipe out the Japanese devils!" and stamped on Japanese flags, China's Foreign Ministry called for calm. Ever-present anti-Japanese sentiment in China has been inflamed in recent weeks by Japan's arrest of a Chinese captain after h ADVERTISEMENT is fishing boat collided...

China suspends contacts with Japan
Source: Al Jazeera English China has suspended high-level contacts with Japan in response to the arrest of a Chinese captain for allegedly ramming his boat against Japanese patrol vessels in disputed waters. The move came after Japan extended the captain's detention, Chinese state media said on Sunday. "China has already suspended bilateral exchanges at and above the provincial or ministerial levels," the Xinhua news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying. CCTV, the state broadcaster,...

Mao Killed 45 Million In 4 Years
A University Professor and researcher has uncovered shocking evidence that proves Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, killed at least 45 million of his people during the so-called “Great Leap Forward” of 1958 to 1962. It was during that time, when China struggled to bring itself up to the standards of the West, that “one of the worst catastrophes the world has ever known” occurred, says Frank Diktter, who teaches history at the University of Hong Kong....

Friedman: "The totally bogus 'discrediting' of climate science has had serious implications" - loss of clean energy leadership and jobs to China
What a contrast. In a year thats on track to be our planets Hottest on record, America turned Climate Change into a four-letter word that many U.S. politicians wont even dare utter in public. If this were just some parlor game, it wouldnt matter. But the totally bogus discrediting of Climate Science has had serious implications. For starters, it helped scuttle Senate passage of the Energy-climate Bill needed to scale U.S.-made Clean technologies, leaving America at...

Oba-Mao: Obama Dressed in Commie Garb Still a Big Seller in Communist China...
They know a fellow comrade when they see one… A Chinese shopkeeper shows the latest T-shirt featuring U.S. President Barack Obama as a Socialist soldier, in Beijing, September 9, 2010. (UPI Photo) Money wallets and bags featuring U.S. President Barack Obama dressed in the Red Army Communist fatigues of China’s former helmsman Chairman Mao Zedong are being sold in shops in Beijing, September 14, 2010. “Oba-Mao” T-shirts and accessories are big sellers in Beijing due to...

World News: Four dead as woman goes on gun rampage in hospital
Four people died and a policeman was seriously injured after a blast in an apartment building and shooting in a nearby Hospital in a town in south-western Germany. Two people were found dead in the apartment building that Burst into Flames after the Explosion yesterday, officials said. A woman, allegedly armed with a weapon, was seen running from the scene of the blast into the neighbouring St Elisabeth hosp ADVERTISEMENT ital, where she reportedly opened fire, killing a member of the Hospital...

I'm Not Schizophrenic (And Neither Am I)
Guest Post by Thomas Fuller It is not often that I get called a ‘denialist’ and a ‘troll’ for the dark forces of Al Gore on the same day, but it does happen. It’s because I am a ‘lukewarmer,’ one who believes that the physics of Climate Change are not by theselves Controversial, but who believes that the sensitivity of the earth’s atmosphere to a doubling of concentrations of CO2 is not yet known, but is likely to be lower than Activists have...