Indonesian volcano's death toll rises to 191

(CNN) -- The toll from recent eruptions of Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano has climbed to 191 dead and 145 seriously injured, government officials said Wednesday.
Scores of others have suffered less severe injuries, said Dr. Sigit Priohutomo, of the Merapi Disaster Health Team.

Recent eruptions of Merapi started on October 26, displacing 200,000 people, relief agencies such as Plan Indonesia have estimated.

On Wednesday, volcanic ash from Merapi forced airlines such as Cathay Pacific Airways and Qantas Airways to cancel flights at the Yogyakarta and Jakarta airports, airport officials said.

The threat of ash also prompted the early departure of U.S. President Barack Obama from Indonesia. Obama, who was visiting on a 10-day tour of Asia, left early for South Korea, where he is to attend the G-20 summit.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called the volcano eruptions a crisis situation. On Sunday, he and several of his ministers visited Yogyakarta to oversee relief efforts.

The president has announced that residents will receive compensation for livelihoods and animals lost to the eruptions. The government will buy endangered cows on the volcano, Yudhoyono said. Many of those who live on its slopes raise cattle and risked their lives by staying or returning to feed their cows during lulls of volcanic activity.

Ash columns from Merapi's recent eruptions have risen as high as 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), according to the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency.

An ash cloud that hit a village near the crater was about 450 to 600 degrees Celsius (842 to 1,112 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Indonesian Volcanology Technology Development and Assessment Agency.

The 3,000-meter (9,800-foot) Merapi, in Central Java, is famously unpredictable. About 1,300 people died when it erupted in 1930.

U.N. report alleges North Korea exported nuclear technology

United Nations (CNN) -- A U.N. expert panel alleges that North Korea exported banned nuclear and ballistic missile technology to several rogue nations.

The 75-page report, complied by a seven-member panel reporting to the United Nations Security Council, states that North Korea is involved in "nuclear and ballistic missile-related activities in certain countries, including Iran, Syria and Myanmar" and that special attention should be given by all member countries to inhibit such activities.

The report, which was released this week, had been delayed from publication for six months by China, a friendly nation to North Korea, according to a diplomat familiar with the case. The diplomat spoke in a background briefing and did not want to be identified.

The experts write that North Korea is getting around U.N.-imposed sanctions and is masking financial transactions by the use of "overseas entities, shell companies, informal transfer mechanisms, cash couriers and barter arrangements." The report goes on to state that North Korea "has established a highly sophisticated international network for the acquisition, marketing and sale of arms and military equipment, and arms exports have become one of the country's principal sources for obtaining foreign exchange."

The report detailed some of the ways is says North Korea -- formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- gets around U.N. sanctions:
--The DPRK is believed to use air cargo to handle high-valued and sensitive arms exports. Such cargo can be sent by direct air cargo from the DPRK to the destination country. Some modern cargo planes, for example, can fly non-stop from the DPRK to Iran, when routed directly through neighboring air space.

--A technique now being used by the DPRK to conceal its arms exports is to ship components for the assembly of arms overseas in the form of "knock-down kits" which can be delivered to foreign assembly plants, the report says. In some cases, this is a turn-key operation with the participation of DPRK scientists, technicians and specialists.

The North Korean government had no immediate response to the report.
The United Nations Security Council imposed its last sanctions on North Korea in 2009 after the country conducted a nuclear test.

Barack Obama has urged Iraqi leaders

Barack Obama, the US president, has urged Iraqi leaders involved in a fragile power-sharing deal to aim for an "inclusive government'' for the country.

The White House said in a statement on Friday that the president spoke in recent days with Iraqi politicians including Ayad Allawi, head of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, and would be speaking shortly with Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister.

The statement said Obama stressed the need for Allawi, others from Iraqiya and all the winning blocs to hold leadership posts in the new government.

Obama's comments came a day after politicians belonging to the Iraqiya coalition left parliament just hours after apparently cementing a power-sharing agreement that would have seen a government formed after eight months of disagreement.

The walkout was staged after newly elected speaker Osama al-Nujaifi declined the politicians' request to vote on removing members names from a list of those associated with former ruler Saddam Hussein's Baath party.

In the new government, politicians returned Jalal Talabani to the largely ceremonial post of president and voted to make Osama al-Nujaifi, a Sunni Arab member of the Iraqiya coalition, the new speaker of parliament during a late-night session on Thursday.

As expected, Talabani nominated al-Maliki to serve another term. Al-Maliki now has a month to form a cabinet and present his government to parliament for a vote.

The Iraqiya alliance, led by former prime minister and US favourite Iyad Allawi, won two more seats than Al-Maliki's State of Law coalition during the March 7 vote, but neither side won a majority, leading a political deadlock.

'Lack of confidence'

The politicians claimed that the removal of three names of their senior colleagues from a list of alleged Baath party members kept by a "de-Baathification" committee was part of a broad power-sharing agreement that all sides in Iraq's ongoing political dispute had agreed to, reported Rawya Rageh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Baghdad.

"There's an atmosphere of a lack of confidence about the sessions," she said.
Al-Nujaifi, a member of the Iraqiya coalition who had just been elected by his colleagues as speaker of parliament, would not allow the de-Baathification vote to come before politicians chose a new president, as mandated by the constitution.
He told parliament his loyalty was to Iraq's government and no longer to the Iraqiya coalition.

But after Iraqiya members continued to protest and began the walk out, Al-Nujaifi joined them and left his two deputies - also just elected - to lead the session, Rageh said.
Allawi also walked out.

Conditions

The power-sharing deal, clinched after three days of heated talks, stipulated that a Sunni hold the post of speaker, and that Jalal Talabani, the leader of the Kurdish coalition, and al-Maliki retain their posts.

The agreement also established a statutory body to oversee security as a gesture to Allawi, who had held out for months to take the job from al-Maliki after his Iraqiya bloc narrowly won the most seats in the March 7 polls.

Iraqiya has said its participation hinged on four conditions: a bill forming the security body, a committee examining cases against political detainees, codifying the power-sharing deal and annulling the bans against the three Iraqiya members.

The bloc expressed hope it "would not be obliged to change its decision to participate in the political process if these conditions are not met."

On Thursday it appeared that Iraqiya, which had been opposing allowing al-Maliki to remain in power, had finally decided to join his government.

Iraqiya won two more seats than al-Maliki's State of Law coalition in the legislative election, but neither alliance had enough seats for a majority in parliament, forcing the factions into a negotiation process.

Al-Maliki has 30 days to form his cabinet, and the next parliamentary meeting is scheduled for Saturday.

Despite receding Shia-Sunni violence, the long parliamentary deadlock has fuelled tension as US forces prepare to withdraw in 2011.

The backing of Iraqiya was seen as vital to prevent a resurgence of violence.
A series of attacks on Christian targets across Baghdad on Wednesday stirred renewed fear in the minority community.

The bomb and mortar blasts occurred just 10 days after a bloody siege at a Catholic cathedral in the capital that killed 52 people.

Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies

Obama hails Indonesia as example for world

US President Barack Obama has held up Indonesia as an example of how a developing nation can embrace democracy and diversity.

He was speaking in Jakarta on a visit to the world's largest Muslim nation.

Mr Obama said innocent people across the world were still targeted by militants but emphasised that the US was not at war with Islam.

Analysts say it is his biggest attempt to engage the Islamic world since a speech in Cairo last year.

Mr Obama was speaking at the University of Indonesia, before an audience of 6,000 people.

'Shared values'

In his address, he touched on the four years he spent in the country as a child and emphasised the importance of Indonesia's example as a growing economy and a majority-Muslim nation that is largely tolerant of other religions.

"Today, I return to Indonesia as a friend, but also as a president who seeks a deep and enduring partnership between our two countries," he said.

"Because as vast and diverse countries; as neighbours on either side of the Pacific; and above all as democracies - the United States and Indonesia are bound together by shared interests and shared values."

He also highlighted the role religion had played in Indonesia's development, praising the country's spirituality and "rich diversity".
"Just as individuals are not defined solely by their faith, Indonesia is defined by more than its Muslim population," he said.

"But we also know that relations between the United States and Muslim communities have frayed over many years. As president, I have made it a priority to begin to repair these relations."

He said more work needed to be done to address "the issues that have caused tensions for many years" but appealed for unity to defeat "violent extremists".
"I have made it clear that America is not, and never will be, at war with Islam," he said.

"Instead, all of us must work together to defeat al-Qaeda and its affiliates, who have no claim to be leaders of any religion - certainly not a great, world religion like Islam. But those who want to build must not cede ground to terrorists who seek to destroy. This is not a task for America alone."

But among the kind words for his hosts, there was also a thinly-veiled swipe at China, says the BBC's Guy Delauney in Jakarta - in particular its treatment of political dissidents.

"Prosperity without freedom is just another form of poverty," Mr Obama said. "Because there are aspirations that human beings share - the liberty of knowing that your leader is accountable to you - and that you won't get locked up for disagreeing with them."

Mr Obama's trip to Asia covers four successful democracies - and shows the direction the US would like others to follow, our correspondent says.

Difficulties

The president also revisited some of the themes he raised in his June 2009 speech in Cairo: the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and between Israel and the Palestinians.

In a reminder of the difficulties he faces on that last front, Israel decided to build more apartments for Jewish settlers in disputed East Jerusalem.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed in September after a break of almost two years but were suspended after a few weeks when a freeze on the building of Jewish settlements expired.

When Mr Obama delivered his Cairo speech he was riding a wave of goodwill, says the BBC's Middle East analyst Roger Hardy. But since then, the mood has changed. Recent polls show that in key parts of the Muslim world his credibility has slumped.

Mr Obama had earlier addressed many of the same themes in a wide-ranging news conference with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The president's short trip has afforded him little leisure time, but before the university speech Mr Obama and his wife Michelle managed a visit to Jakarta's Istiqlal mosque, the largest in South-East Asia.

He has been forced to leave Indonesia about two hours early so his flight can outrun the volcanic ash cloud thrown up by the recent deadly eruption of Mount Merapi.
Indonesia is the second stop on his four-nation tour of Asia after India. The next stops are South Korea for the summit of G20 leaders and finally Japan.



President Obama talks about Indonesia's struggle for freedom in a visit to the country.

Merapi Volcano - John Seach

Central Java, Indonesia

7.54 S, 110.44 E
summit elevation 2911 m
Stratovolcano


Note: a volcano with a similar name "Marapi" is located in Sumatra, Indonesia.John Seach at summit of Merapi Volcano.

Merapi volcano is one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes. It contains an active lava dome which regularly produces pyroclastic flows. Eruptions occur at intervals of 1-5 years and are of low gas pressure. Since magma is poor in gas, eruptions are usually less than VEI 3 in size.

Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia and has produced more pyroclastic flows than any other volcano in the world. It has been active for 10,000 years.

Most eruptions of Merapi involve a collapse of the lava dome creating pyroclastic flows which travel 6 to 7 km from the summit. Some awan panas have traveled as far as 13 km from the summit, such as the deposit generated during the 1969 eruption. Velocity of pyroclastic flows can reach up to 110 km/hour. A slow up flow of andesitic magma leads to an extrusion of viscous magma, which accumulate and construct a dome in the crater.

Violent Eruptions at Merapi volcano
There is evidence that the current low level of activity may be interrupted by larger explosive eruptions. Eruptions of Merapi volcano during the 7–19th centuries A.D. were more violent than the past hundred years, and produced explosion pyroclastic flows. Widespread pyroclastic flows and surges traveled up to 25 km down the flanks of Merapi.

Scientists predict that the quiet of the 20th century will be broken by a larger
explosive eruption within coming decades. (Scientific report published in 2000).

2010 Eruption
Merapi volcano began erupting on 26th October 2010. The eruption was the was the largest at the volcano in 100 years. Ash emissions reached an altitude of 40,000 ft, and 200,000 people were evacuated from a 20 km radius danger zone. Over 130 people were killed by pyroclastic flows and ashfall.

2006 Eruptions
Seismic activity began increasing at Merapi volcano in March 2006, and 10,000 residents were prepared for evacuation. On 10th April people were banned from climbing the volcano. On 12th April the Alert Level was raided from 2 to 3. An 8 km exclusion zone was placed around the volcano. On 27th April nearly 2,000 villagers were evacuated from Sidorejo and Tegalmulyo villages around Merapi volcano. On 13th May, the Alert Level was raised to the highest level 4, and about 4,500 people living near the volcano were evacuated. On 15th May pyroclastic flows traveled up to 4 km west. By 16th May, more than 22,000 people had been evacuated. On 8th June, the lava-dome growth rate at Merapi was an estimated 100,000 cubic meters per day, with an estimated volume of 4 million cubic meters. Pyroclastic flows and rockfalls decreased in frequency and intensity after 28th June 2006.

2006 Earthquakes
On 27th May 2006 a magnitude 6.3 earthquake killed about 5,400 people produced in a three-fold increase in activity at Merapi volcano. On 17th July 2006 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit 50 km south of Merapi volcano. The earthquake was the result of thrust-faulting on the boundary between the Australian and Sunda tectonic plates. The earthquake produced an 8 m high tsunami which hit the southern coast of Java. This event was classified as a tsunami earthquake, because of the low earthquake magnitude compared to the tsunami size. The earthquake caused 5,750 deaths, 38,560 injuries, and up to 600,000 people displaced in the Bantul-Yogyakarta area.

2001 Eruption
A major eruption began at Merapi volcano on 10th February 2001. A 30-minute-long pyroclastic flow occurred at 0200 hr. At 0330 hr there was a collapse of the 1998 lava dome which ejected ash 5 km above the summit and produced a pyroclastic flows that extended 7 km in the direction of the Sat River.

1998 Eruptions
Activity at Merapi volcano began increasing in July 1998. On 11th July 37 nuées ardentes occurred between midnight and 0500 hr. Between 11-19 July, 128 nuées ardentes occurred, including a strong pyroclastic ash and block flow at 1500 on 19th July.

1994 Eruptions
On 22nd November 1994, a large number of dome-collapse nuees ardentes were generated over a period of several hours at Merapi volcano. The nuees ardentes descended mainly the Boyong valley and the Bedog valley, a tributary of the Krasak-Kecil valley. This was in contrast to the 1984 and 1992 flows which traveled exclusively towards the southwest and west.

1986-87 Eruptions
Lava dome formation at Merapi volcano in 1986-87 was the largest since 1973.

1968 Eruptions
At the end of May 1968 a lava tongue had extended 875 m and was the result of new lava done extrusion after the 1967 collapse. The number of avalanches from the lava tongue were 1432 in June, 1370 July, 329 August, and 12 in September. Renewed activity began at Merapi volcano in October 1968 with an increasing number of lava avalanches.

1967 Eruptions
A lava dome extruded in April 1967 at the upper Batang River on the SW slope of Merapi volcano. The dome collapsed in October 1967.

1822 Lahar
A hot lahar at Merapi volcano on 28th December 1822 destroyed 4 villages with 100 casualties.

Merapi Volcano Eruptions
2010, 2007, 2006, 2001-02, 1992-98, 1972-90, 1971, 1967-69, 1961, 1953-58, 1948-49, 1944-45, 1942-43, 1939-40, 1933-35, 1930-31, 1924, 1923, 1922, 1920-21, 1918, 1915, 1909-13, 1908, 1906-07, 1905, 1902-04, 1902, 1897, 1894, 1893, 1891, 1889, 1888, ?1885, 1883-84, 1878-79, 1872-73, 1872, 1869, 1865-67, 1862-64, ?1854, 1849, ?1848, 1846-47, 1846, 1840, 1837-38, 1832-35, 1828, 1822-23, 1820-22, 1812-13, 1810, 1807, 1797, 1786, 1755, 1752, 1745, 1678, 1677, 1672, 1663, 1658, 1587, 1584, 1560, 1554, 1548, 7630 BC.

http://www.volcanolive.com/merapi.html

Are you the annoying co-worker?

CareerBuilder.com
January 6, 2010 8:51 a.m. EST

CareerBuilder) -- Think back to the last big gathering you had with family or friends. Maybe it was Thanksgiving dinner and your house was full of people -- some you knew well, others you just met. No matter how great the day ended up being, one person could have easily ruined it. Perhaps one person did.
Inevitably you'll hear someone say, "There's one in every family."
Guess what? There's one in every workplace, too. Whether you work in a law office on the top floor of a skyscraper or on a beet farm with your cousin, no occupation is immune to an annoying co-worker the person who has the unparalleled ability to take a pleasant work environment and turn it into an excruciating experience for everyone else.
Because we don't want you to be the person everyone (not so) secretly hates, here's a checklist of annoying behavior for your reference. If any of these actions describes you, you should probably try to change your ways -- and make amends with your co-workers, while you're at it.
Annoying habit No. 1: You give more advice than a newspaper columnist.
Why it's annoying: I'm sure you got a strong B in your Intro to Psychology class in college, but you are not the office sage. If people ask for your advice, feel free to give it. But constantly offering unsolicited advice is basically like telling everyone that they're not living up to your expectations.
Annoying habit No. 2: You can't let go of the good ol' days.
Why it's annoying: Workplaces change. Blame it on technology, the economy or management. What matters is how easily you adapt to these changes. If you're constantly talking about how you used to do things at your last job or when the old boss was in charge, people will wonder why you stick around. The new boss might even think you're better off working somewhere else and let you go.
Annoying habit No. 3: It's not HBO. It's an office.
Why it's annoying: Some people forget that controversial topics and colorful language make for great cable TV, but they don't make for appropriate workplace conversation. If you're telling a story that would make Tony Soprano blush, either tone it down or save it for happy hour with only your closest colleagues.
Annoying habit No. 4: You always rely on the kindness of strangers -- and co-workers and administrative assistants and the mail clerk.
Why it's annoying: Important people with fancy titles are often helpless when it comes to faxing documents or working the copy machine. They have assistants for that. You probably don't have an assistant, and that means you are responsible for taking care of everyday tasks like putting more paper in the copier or setting up a conference call. You're bound to have questions the first few times you do it, but you're just being lazy if you refuse to learn how to do these things on your own.
Annoying habit No. 5: You have an even better story. You always have a better story.
Why it's annoying: Isn't it fun when co-workers share? It's a fun way to bond. Until the one person has to take center stage and tell the ultimate story that shows up everyone else's story. Even if your stories are better, don't feel the need to share them all the time. You look petty and people have stopped listening long ago.
Annoying habit No. 6: You smell like a walking bag of potpourri.
Why it's annoying: On behalf of everyone who has ever worked next to a co-worker who smells like he just ran a marathon, we thank you for trying not to smell bad. Too much cologne or perfume, however, can be just as bad. It singes our nose hairs, makes our eyes water and distracts us just the same. Plus, allergy sufferers will probably get a headache the moment you walk through the doors.
Annoying habit No. 7: The subject line of an e-mail is the entire message.
Why it's annoying: Putting all the content of an e-mail in the subject line and having nothing in the body is annoying because the recipient probably has to keep scrolling to the right just to see what you're trying to say. Plus, most people glance at the subject and then expect to get the meat of the e-mail in the body. If there's nothing there it's just confusing.
Annoying habit No. 8: "K"
Why it's annoying: If your entire response to someone's e-mail is "k," then you probably didn't need to respond at all. And you definitely didn't need to copy everyone on it. You should have at least taken the time to type a few extra letters so it reads "Thanks for letting me know." People are taking the time to read your message, so make it worth their while.
Annoying habit No. 9: You can't wait until the day is over. Every day.
Why it's annoying: At one time or another, people are fed up and want to go home. Co-workers bond over the mutual desire to leave as soon as the clock strikes quitting time. Nevertheless, don't broadcast your disgust with work every chance you get. Negativity gets on people's nerves and calls your work ethic into question.
Annoying habit No. 10: You heard someone got a really good parking space, so you decide to throw a party.
Why it's annoying: Office parties can be nice breaks to an otherwise mundane day. When the days with parties outnumber the days without parties, people are already annoyed.
First off, it's not really a party when you're just eating grocery store cake in a beige conference room or the room in the back of the store where everyone leaves their coats while they're working.
Second, these gatherings get to be disruptive to schedules when they happen too often, but then people are afraid to skip them because it can start drama. Keep the celebrations to a reasonable number so they retain their fun.