he world is likely to heat up by an average of 11°C by the end of the century, the biggest ever study of global warming showed yesterday.
And the effect could be even more marked in Britain, where temperatures could soar by up to 20°C unless greenhouse gases are cut. ---------------
Friday, January 28, 2005
Jailed for using a nonstandard browser
From Boing Boing
Thursday, January 27, 2005
A Londonder made a tsnuami-relief donation using lynx -- a text-based browser used by the blind, Unix-users and others -- on Sun's Solaris operating system. The site-operator decided that this "unusual" event in the system log indicated a hack-attempt, and the police broke down the donor's door and arrested him. From a mailing list:
For donating to a Tsunami appeal using Lynx on Solaris 10. BT [British Telecom] who run the donation management system misread an access log and saw hmm thats a non standard browser not identifying it's type and it's doing strange things. Trace that IP. Arrest that hacker.
Armed police, a van, a police cell and national news later the police have gone in SWAT styley and arrested someone having their lunch.
Out on bail till next week and preparing to make a lot of very bad PR for BT and the Police....
So just goes to show if you use anything other than Firefox or IE and you rely on someone else to interogate access logs or IDS logs you too could be sitting in a paper suit in a cell :(
Link (Thanks, Patrick!)
Update:: The source that told me about this has corroborated it with more detail in private email, but is leery of going public. I hope that more publicly available details appear soon, and will post them when I have them.
posted by Cory Doctorow at 12:08:00 AM permalink
Next time it could be the colour of your tie or the car you drive?
TOBS
Thursday, January 27, 2005
A Londonder made a tsnuami-relief donation using lynx -- a text-based browser used by the blind, Unix-users and others -- on Sun's Solaris operating system. The site-operator decided that this "unusual" event in the system log indicated a hack-attempt, and the police broke down the donor's door and arrested him. From a mailing list:
For donating to a Tsunami appeal using Lynx on Solaris 10. BT [British Telecom] who run the donation management system misread an access log and saw hmm thats a non standard browser not identifying it's type and it's doing strange things. Trace that IP. Arrest that hacker.
Armed police, a van, a police cell and national news later the police have gone in SWAT styley and arrested someone having their lunch.
Out on bail till next week and preparing to make a lot of very bad PR for BT and the Police....
So just goes to show if you use anything other than Firefox or IE and you rely on someone else to interogate access logs or IDS logs you too could be sitting in a paper suit in a cell :(
Link (Thanks, Patrick!)
Update:: The source that told me about this has corroborated it with more detail in private email, but is leery of going public. I hope that more publicly available details appear soon, and will post them when I have them.
posted by Cory Doctorow at 12:08:00 AM permalink
Next time it could be the colour of your tie or the car you drive?
TOBS
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Worm Steals CNN Headlines To Stay Timely, Fool Users
By TechWeb News
January 21, 2005 (12:50 PM EST)
URL: http://www.techweb.com/wire/57702905
A new worm uses breaking news -- and a devious technique to keep itself up-to-date -- to dupe recipients into opening attachments, an anti-virus firm said Friday.
U.K.-based security vendor Sophos said that the Crowt.a worm grabs its subject lines, message content, and attachment names from headlines culled in real-time from CNN's Web site. The worm's subject and attachment filename constantly change to mirror the top headline on CNN.com, while the e-mail message's text is also hijacked from CNN.
The idea is to fool recipients into thinking that they're reading a legitimate newsletter or news brief rather than looking at payload-carrying message about to infect their PC.
Crowt.a also slips in a backdoor component that tries to record keystrokes and send the stolen info to the hacker, an element of many worms that are meant not only to give the attacker later access to the infected computer, but also lets them walk off with valuable passwords or bank account information.
"This latest ploy feeds on people's desire for the latest news," said Carole Theriault, a security consultant at Sophos, in a statement. "Many people subscribe to legitimate email news updates...virus writers are always looking for new tricks to entice users into running their malicious code."
January 21, 2005 (12:50 PM EST)
URL: http://www.techweb.com/wire/57702905
A new worm uses breaking news -- and a devious technique to keep itself up-to-date -- to dupe recipients into opening attachments, an anti-virus firm said Friday.
U.K.-based security vendor Sophos said that the Crowt.a worm grabs its subject lines, message content, and attachment names from headlines culled in real-time from CNN's Web site. The worm's subject and attachment filename constantly change to mirror the top headline on CNN.com, while the e-mail message's text is also hijacked from CNN.
The idea is to fool recipients into thinking that they're reading a legitimate newsletter or news brief rather than looking at payload-carrying message about to infect their PC.
Crowt.a also slips in a backdoor component that tries to record keystrokes and send the stolen info to the hacker, an element of many worms that are meant not only to give the attacker later access to the infected computer, but also lets them walk off with valuable passwords or bank account information.
"This latest ploy feeds on people's desire for the latest news," said Carole Theriault, a security consultant at Sophos, in a statement. "Many people subscribe to legitimate email news updates...virus writers are always looking for new tricks to entice users into running their malicious code."
Blogging 'a paedophile's dream'
Online journals and camera phones are a "paedophiles' dream" which have increased the risk to children, the Scottish Parliament has been warned.
The Justice 1 Committee is examining a bill to create the specific offence of "grooming" and bringing in 10-year jail terms for meeting children for sex.
A forensic psychologist spoke about the dangers of online journals, or blogs, and pictures posted directly online.
Rachel O'Connell said adults could use weblogs to learn about children.
Dr O'Connell said that the emergence of moblogs - mobile weblogs - allowed even faster transfer of pictures to the internet using mobile telephones with cameras.
You have children uploading pictures, giving out details of their everyday life because it's an online journal
Dr Rachel O'Connell
Forensic psychologist
She said: "This is just a paedophile's dream because you have children uploading pictures, giving out details of their everyday life because it's an online journal."
The psychologist, whose research and work with police and other agencies has included posing as a child on internet newsgroups, said predatory adults could use an RSS feeder program - a syndication tool - to be instantly e-mailed any picture when it was added to a blogging site.
"The parameters of grooming are now about to alter whereby they don't necessarily have to have contact with the child," she said.
'New dimension'
Dr O'Connell is director of research at Central Lancashire University's Cyberspace Research Unit.
She described a scenario where a group of paedophiles could exchange information on a child's movement, potentially leading to an abduction.
"This is what we're facing, in that situation you have no prior contact with the child," she added.
Labour committee convener Pauline McNeill said: "It takes it to a whole new dimension for us - I'm beginning to wonder if we've really begun to tackle the protection of children with the bill before us."
'No guidance'
Ms McNeill said the committee may have to consider issues beyond the current bill, a view echoed by Nationalist and Tory members.
Dr O'Connell said there was "absolutely no internet safety information or guidance whatsoever" on most blogging sites as their whole point was about giving out personal information.
"It's going to become a huge issue," she said.
She backed the Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill, but also urged greater collaboration between law enforcement and technology developers and more parental information.
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said ministers and the public wanted to be sure the law was "robust".
"We want to ensure that our laws allow for early intervention to help prevent predatory sex offenders targeting and abusing children," he told MSPs.
"The provisions in this bill will ensure that the police and procurators fiscal have a robust package of measures to deal with predatory sex offenders before they go on to commit physical assaults on children and other victims."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/4209801.stm
Published: 2005/01/26 16:40:09 GMT
© BBC MMV
digg
digg
Are you sick of reading what professional technology journalists are telling you? Do you ever feel like reporting your own news or reading about what other likeminded users think is worthwhile? Professionals don’t run the new form of media anymore – you can take a hand in shaping what gets out there, too. If you’re really passionate about something, there are many ways for you to get your voice out to the public. A site called Digg puts the editorial power back where it should be – in the people’s hands.
Let me just tell you right off the bat that I totally dig Digg. For users who just want to read the latest content, browsing through the site is a breeze. Several categories are available for you to peruse as long as you want. By creating a profile on the site, you can click on the “dig this story” option on news stories that you like, and they’ll automatically be referenced on your very own user profile page. Your friends can then use this page to keep track of what you’ve been digging, and they can even keep track of this information through RSS. In fact, all of the categories have their own RSS feeds – very nice.
If you’d like to try your hand at reporting a few stories, just select the option to submit a story. Your submitted story will appear under the selected category’s dig option. If fifteen people dig the story, your submission will appear on the category page, and the home page. This concept is spectacular, and you’ll find stories and links here that you won’t find anywhere else. Power to the people!
Are you sick of reading what professional technology journalists are telling you? Do you ever feel like reporting your own news or reading about what other likeminded users think is worthwhile? Professionals don’t run the new form of media anymore – you can take a hand in shaping what gets out there, too. If you’re really passionate about something, there are many ways for you to get your voice out to the public. A site called Digg puts the editorial power back where it should be – in the people’s hands.
Let me just tell you right off the bat that I totally dig Digg. For users who just want to read the latest content, browsing through the site is a breeze. Several categories are available for you to peruse as long as you want. By creating a profile on the site, you can click on the “dig this story” option on news stories that you like, and they’ll automatically be referenced on your very own user profile page. Your friends can then use this page to keep track of what you’ve been digging, and they can even keep track of this information through RSS. In fact, all of the categories have their own RSS feeds – very nice.
If you’d like to try your hand at reporting a few stories, just select the option to submit a story. Your submitted story will appear under the selected category’s dig option. If fifteen people dig the story, your submission will appear on the category page, and the home page. This concept is spectacular, and you’ll find stories and links here that you won’t find anywhere else. Power to the people!
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Police launch website to protect kids online
Police have launched a website intended to make it safer for children to surf the internet.
The website is part of an international effort to crack down on paedophiles who stalk the net.
Virtualglobaltaskforce.com provides information on how to use the internet safely and contains links to support agencies such as the NSPCC and Childline. Detectives hope its logo - a blue matchstick child and an eye - will become universally recognisable.
The logo is featured on the internet launch site of Microsoft, AOL, BTopenworld and Vodafone.
The system puts an icon on people's screens to let them know of the police presence. The police will engage with other users on the web - making it clear they are officers.
Jim Gamble, deputy director of the National Crime Squad, said: "This is not Big Brother, no one is monitoring you, this is providing you with the safety information and support you need."
He added: "Those who use the internet to search for and share images of child abuse or to approach children in chat rooms to groom them for sexual abuse must be aware that the internet is not an anonymous place."
Childrens Section
JUST CLICK HERE
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Government warned over patient choice pledge
19/01/05 - Health section
Government warned over patient choice pledge
Urgent action is needed if the Government is to deliver on its pledge to give patients more choice of where and when they get hospital consultations, a report warned.
The National Audit Office looked at Department of Health progress towards its target of offering every patient referred by GPs for non-emergency treatment the choice of four or five hospitals by December.
It found a tiny fraction of referrals had so far been made through the new e-booking service set up to deliver patient choice, many GPs were against the principle, and nearly a third of hospitals had no plans to implement it.
GPs' reluctance and non-compliance of IT systems in surgeries and hospitals with the £196 million central e-booking system along with an intermittent technical fault have been blamed for hampering progress.
Failure to meet targets
Out of 9.4 million non-emergency referrals, up to December last year, just 63 were booked through the NHS's new Choose And Book computerised system, rather than the hoped-for 205,000.
And the system will only be operational across between 60% and 70% of the NHS by December, NAO warned.
While acknowledging some progress had been made, the report exposed a gulf between the Department's target on patient choice and plans for implementation on the ground.
Nearly a third of Primary Care Trusts have no plans to introduce any patient choice while more than a quarter predict they will not achieve the December target, NAO found.
A survey of 1,500 GPs found that half of them knew very little about patient choice and just 6% were well versed on it, according to the report.
While most thought it will have a positive impact on patients' experience, 90% feared it will make consultations longer, increasing their workload.
And 45% of those questioned said patient choice would make health inequalities worse.
Nearly two-thirds of the doctors were either very or a little negative about patient choice.
'Providing choice will not be simple'
The report recommended the Department of Health urgently addresses the low level of GP support and consider speeding up the e-booking system.
Interim IT systems should be monitored and not affect the implementation of e-booking.
NAO head Sir John Bourn said: "Enabling patients who are referred by their GPs for hospital treatment to choose where they want to be treated promised to bring benefits to the patients themselves and to the wider NHS.
"Providing such choice will not be simple, however.
"The Department of Health must take urgent and effective action to inform and engage with GPs about the new arrangements.
"GPs' support may be hard to secure and indeed choice will be hard to deliver successfully by the end of 2005 if the electronic booking system is not largely up and running by then."
The Department of Health is tackling the problem with a campaign to inform and engage GPs.
A new National Implementation Director for Choose And Book has also been appointed.
Health Minister John Hutton said: "We welcome this report. It confirms that providing greater choice over hospital treatment will deliver very real benefits to patients.
"The report also acknowledges that Primary Care Trusts and GPs are moving in the right direction to deliver choice by the end of this year.
"Offering the choice of four or five providers for hospital referrals to patients by December 2005 is a big challenge for the NHS.
Missed appointments
"As we set out in the Department of Health document Choose And Book, published last August, this will be offered mainly through IT but also other means, such as phone booking.
"We have implemented the choice IT programme in stages. First we procured the equipment, second we made sure it worked, now the challenge is to roll out the service across the NHS.
"That is why since the autumn, as planned, we have intensified our efforts to engage with GPs. More than 2,500 GPs have already been involved in developing systems to support choice and booking, and this engagement will increase during this important next stage of implementation."
On GP support for patient choice, Dr Gillian Braunold, joint clinical lead for GPs at the National Programme for IT, said: "GPs want to enable choice and there is plenty of scope for positive engagement.
"I'm optimistic that the profession will respond positively to the choice and access agenda using both IT and other means to make it happen."
The e-booking system for GP referrals cost £196 million to set up over five years with the added annual cost of £122 million offset against administrative savings of £71 million.
It is hoped it will cut the number of missed appointments, currently costing £100 million a year.
Find this story at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=334641&in_page_id=1774
©2005 Associated New Media
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Web logs aid disaster recovery
Web logs aid disaster recovery
By Clark Boyd
Technology correspondent
Some of the most vivid descriptions of the devastation in southern Asia are on the internet - in the form of web logs or blogs.
Bloggers have been offering snapshots of information from around the region and are also providing some useful information for those who want to help.
Indian writer Rohit Gupta edits a group blog called Dogs without Borders.
When he created it, the site was supposed to be a forum to discuss relations between India and Pakistan.
But in the wake of Sunday's tsunami, Mr Gupta and his fellow bloggers switched gears.
Text report
They wanted to blog the tsunami and its aftermath.
One Sri Lankan blogger in the group goes by the online name Morquendi.
With internet service disrupted by the tsunami, Morquendi started sending SMS text messages via cell phone from the affected areas of Sri Lanka.
"We started publishing these SMSes," says Mr Gupta.
"Morquendi was describing scenes like 1,600 bodies washed up on a shore, and people burying, and burying and burying them. People digging holes with their hands. And this was coming through an SMS message.
"We didn't have visual accounts on radio or on TV, or in the print media."
Soon, thousands of web users around the world were logging on to read Morquendi's first hand accounts.
In one message, Morquendi wrote about a Sri Lankan woman who was running home with a friend when the wave hit.
"She was being swept away," Morquendi's message read. "She grabbed a tree with one hand and her friend with the other. She says she watched the water pull her friend away."
Mr Gupta says the power of Morquendi's text message blogs was palpable.
"He was running around, looking for friends, burying bodies, carrying bodies," Mr Gupta says of Morquendi.
"I can't even begin to imagine the psychological state he was in when he was sending us reports, and doing the relief work at the same time.
"He was caught between being a journalist and being a human being."
Aid stations
Others blogs are helping to spread information about relief efforts.
Dina Mehta is an Indian blogger who's helping with the newly created South East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog. She says the blog is not meant to be filled with first person accounts.
"What we're doing is we're building a resource," she says.
"Anyone who says, OK, I want to come and do some work in India, volunteer in India, or in Sri Lanka or Malaysia, this is the sort of one-stop-shop that they can come to for all sorts of resources - emergency help lines, relief agencies, aid agencies, contacts for them etc."
Ms Mehta also says she wishes that governments in the region would realise the power of blogs.
"Imagine if they had this resource available to them, if there was a disaster, how quickly you could funnel aid in, and get people to help," she says.
Bloggers in the United States are also getting involved.
Ramdhan Yadav Kotamaraja is originally from India, but now lives in Dallas.
Mr Kotamaraja wanted to help those affected by the tsunami by pooling money with concerned friends.
So, he set up an online payment system on his website.
Then, says Mr Kotamaraja, the blogging world found out.
"All my blogger friends started linking up my site, and I saw a lot of people other than my friends. I'd say 70% of the donations came from people I don't know.
"It's simply unbelievable to me, that people that I don't know will come and start donating."
News spreads quickly on weblogs, a phenomenon that helps bloggers expand their audience and scope.
In Sri Lanka, blogger Morquendi is recruiting others to help.
One recruit calls himself Heretic.
In one of his latest posts, Heretic asks: "Have you ever seen fishing trawlers on the road? Ever seen a bus inside a house?
"Well," Heretic writes, "that was just the least affected areas - so you can just imagine - or can you?"
He concludes: "Keep it blogged."
Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/4135687.stm
Published: 2004/12/30 17:00:11 GMT
© BBC MMV
By Clark Boyd
Technology correspondent
Some of the most vivid descriptions of the devastation in southern Asia are on the internet - in the form of web logs or blogs.
Bloggers have been offering snapshots of information from around the region and are also providing some useful information for those who want to help.
Indian writer Rohit Gupta edits a group blog called Dogs without Borders.
When he created it, the site was supposed to be a forum to discuss relations between India and Pakistan.
But in the wake of Sunday's tsunami, Mr Gupta and his fellow bloggers switched gears.
Text report
They wanted to blog the tsunami and its aftermath.
One Sri Lankan blogger in the group goes by the online name Morquendi.
With internet service disrupted by the tsunami, Morquendi started sending SMS text messages via cell phone from the affected areas of Sri Lanka.
"We started publishing these SMSes," says Mr Gupta.
"Morquendi was describing scenes like 1,600 bodies washed up on a shore, and people burying, and burying and burying them. People digging holes with their hands. And this was coming through an SMS message.
"We didn't have visual accounts on radio or on TV, or in the print media."
Soon, thousands of web users around the world were logging on to read Morquendi's first hand accounts.
In one message, Morquendi wrote about a Sri Lankan woman who was running home with a friend when the wave hit.
"She was being swept away," Morquendi's message read. "She grabbed a tree with one hand and her friend with the other. She says she watched the water pull her friend away."
Mr Gupta says the power of Morquendi's text message blogs was palpable.
"He was running around, looking for friends, burying bodies, carrying bodies," Mr Gupta says of Morquendi.
"I can't even begin to imagine the psychological state he was in when he was sending us reports, and doing the relief work at the same time.
"He was caught between being a journalist and being a human being."
Aid stations
Others blogs are helping to spread information about relief efforts.
Dina Mehta is an Indian blogger who's helping with the newly created South East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Blog. She says the blog is not meant to be filled with first person accounts.
"What we're doing is we're building a resource," she says.
"Anyone who says, OK, I want to come and do some work in India, volunteer in India, or in Sri Lanka or Malaysia, this is the sort of one-stop-shop that they can come to for all sorts of resources - emergency help lines, relief agencies, aid agencies, contacts for them etc."
Ms Mehta also says she wishes that governments in the region would realise the power of blogs.
"Imagine if they had this resource available to them, if there was a disaster, how quickly you could funnel aid in, and get people to help," she says.
Bloggers in the United States are also getting involved.
Ramdhan Yadav Kotamaraja is originally from India, but now lives in Dallas.
Mr Kotamaraja wanted to help those affected by the tsunami by pooling money with concerned friends.
So, he set up an online payment system on his website.
Then, says Mr Kotamaraja, the blogging world found out.
"All my blogger friends started linking up my site, and I saw a lot of people other than my friends. I'd say 70% of the donations came from people I don't know.
"It's simply unbelievable to me, that people that I don't know will come and start donating."
News spreads quickly on weblogs, a phenomenon that helps bloggers expand their audience and scope.
In Sri Lanka, blogger Morquendi is recruiting others to help.
One recruit calls himself Heretic.
In one of his latest posts, Heretic asks: "Have you ever seen fishing trawlers on the road? Ever seen a bus inside a house?
"Well," Heretic writes, "that was just the least affected areas - so you can just imagine - or can you?"
He concludes: "Keep it blogged."
Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/4135687.stm
Published: 2004/12/30 17:00:11 GMT
© BBC MMV
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Tsunami - Fact file Who's helping?
U.S. announces $350 million in tsunami aid
Pledge will deflect criticism, provide major boost to relief effort
MSNBC
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 4:19 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2004
The United States is pledging $350 million to help tsunami victims, a tenfold increase over its first wave of aid, President Bush announced Friday. The U.S. aid contribution could rise even beyond that, if needed, Secretary of State Colin Powell said later in the day.
That sum will provide a substantial boost to the overall international aid effort to areas stricken by Sunday's tsunami. As of Thursday, nations had donated about $500 million toward the world's largest-ever relief effort, including $250 million from the World Bank, but U.N. chief Kofi Annan said even more was needed.
The increase in U.S. aid will likely silence criticism of Washington's initial offer, seen by many as meager in light of the enormity of the disaster and the wealth of the United States.
“Initial findings of American assessment teams on the ground indicate that the need for financial and other assistance will steadily increase in the days and weeks ahead,” Bush said Friday in a statement released in Crawford, Texas, where he is staying at his ranch.
“Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this epic disaster.”
The White House announced Thursday that it would be sending a delegation led by Powell to Indian Ocean coastal areas ravaged by earthquake and tsunami to assess what more the United States needs to do. The president’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will travel with him.
As the scale of the disaster became clear, other countries, including Spain and China also sharply increased their offers of aid, to $68 million and $63 million, respectively.
Military backup
As fund-raising proceeded, militaries across the globe also geared up to help. A U.S. aircraft carrier battle group was steaming to Indonesia's Sumatra island, which was closest to last Sunday's quake and is home to most of the casualties.
Fact file Who's helping
The United Nations mobilized what it called the biggest relief operation in its history following Sunday’s giant waves, which killed tens of thousands of people.
The following is a list of contributions pledged, compiled from reports by Reuters bureaus and United Nations agencies.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Australia Increased aid to $27 million and said it, the United States, Japan and India were considering setting up a group to coordinate help. Also sent five air force transport planes with supplies and medical specialists to Sumatra, and two 15-member emergency medical teams and 12 police to Phuket.
Austria 1 million euros ($1.4 million) in aid to the countries hit.
Belgium Military plane due to stop at Dubai to load most of its cargo -- UNICEF aid such as tents, vaccines.
Britain Pledged 15 million pounds ($28.9 million); plastic sheets and tents worth 250,000 pounds to Sri Lanka; 370,000 pounds to EU aid offer, $100,000 to World Health Organisation.
Canada C$4 million ($3.3 million); Blankets, water tablets, jerrycans and plastic sheeting sent to Sri Lanka.
China 520 million yuan ($63 million), a sharp increase from its initial offer of 20 million yuan.
Czech Republic Sent drinking water and medicine to Sri Lanka and Thailand; pledged 10 million crowns ($446,000).
Denmark Increased aid pledge to 85 million Danish crowns ($15.6 million) after spending almost all initial 10 million crowns pledged. Aid to cover medical supplies, food, water, shelter, reconstruction. UNICEF flight from Copenhagen taking supplies to the area, including oral rehydration salts and medical supplies for 150,000 people for three months.
Egypt Egyptian Red Crescent Society sending a plane with 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($81,000) worth of medicine and other aid as initial step.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
European Union Ready to release up to 30 million euros on top of 3 million euros already allocated to IFRC.
Finland Pledged 2.5 million euros spread among World Food Program, UNICEF, WHO and IFRC. Local aid groups give 75,000 euros. Finnish Red Cross send field hospital with 15 staff to Sri Lanka and 31 aid workers to Thailand.
France 15 million euros pledged to affected states in Southeast Asia. French authorities and aid groups decide to send 110 tons of aid.
Germany Doubling emergency aid to 2 million euros. Air force medical evacuation plane to set off for Phuket, two more planes chartered to take disaster relief teams, medicine and consular officials there. Germany’s largest utility E.ON donates 1 million euros.
Greece Sending C-130 transport aircraft carrying 25 rescue workers to Phuket on Thursday to help with rescue operations. Sent plane to Sri Lanka with five tons of food and clothes; offered 150,000 euros in aid.
Israel Sent one medical team to Sri Lanka, one to Thailand. Military search and rescue team due in Sri Lanka, held up by coordination problems.
Italy Will send 2 Hercules aircraft, one to Sri Lanka, one to Thailand.
Japan Pledged $30 million in aid, sent three navy vessels to Thailand to help rescue survivors.
Kuwait Pledged aid supplies worth $2 million, sent $100,000 immediate aid.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Netherlands Contributing 2 million euros to Red Cross-Red Crescent appeal, plus participating in EU aid program.
Norway Preliminary contribution of 50 million Norwegian crowns ($8.2 million) for emergency relief, including medicine, food, clean water and shelter.
Poland Earmarked 1 million zlotys ($336,000) for Polish NGOs involved in relief.
Qatar Sent urgent relief aid worth $10 million.
Saudi Arabia Pledged $10 million aid package -- $5 million of food, tents and medicine to be distributed via Saudi Red Crescent, $5 million for international aid groups such as the Red Cross and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Singapore Contributing some $1.2 million to global effort, military medical teams and supplies ready to fly to Indonesia.
Slovakia Sent plane with drinking water, tents and medicine to Sri Lanka; aid worth 6.6 million Slovak crowns ($231,660).
Slovenia Donating 20 million tolars ($113,500) of aid through International Red Cross and Crescent.
South Korea Raises aid to $2 million, may send military cargo plane to move aid workers and supplies.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Spain Pledges $68 million. It also sent aircraft to Sri Lanka with first aid, sanitary equipment and 19 volunteers.
Sweden Sent 2 communications specialists to help U.N. relief efforts in Sri Lanka. Sending tents and communication equipment to Maldives. Swedish Red Cross to contribute $750,000 to IFRC appeal.
Switzerland Has allotted 2 million Swiss francs in aid on six teams to bring in drinking water, food and shelter supplies.
Taiwan Pledged additional $5 million after giving $100,000 to Indonesia, $50,000 each to Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. Sends more than 100 relief workers.
United Arab Emirates Pledged $2 million in aid; its Red Crescent society to provide food, blankets and clothing.
United States Pledged $350 million. Pentagon ordered 12 vessels to region, though no decision taken on their role.
International Committee of the Red Cross Cargo plane flying from Kenya to Sri Lanka carrying 105 tons of supplies, provide aid to 150,000 people in north and east. Trying to raise more than 50 million Swiss francs ($44 million).
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Has dispensed initial one million Swiss franc grant for relief efforts and launched appeal for 7.5 million francs.
IMF Intends to provide assistance, no specific pledges.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
UNHCR Initially distributing $380,000 of non-food relief items, including plastic sheeting, clothing, kitchen sets.
UNICEF Delivered 50 water tanks to southern India, 45-tonne shipment of water purification tablets and water systems due to reach Sri Lanka on Thursday. WHO and UNICEF said they were providing four emergency kits to Indonesia to cover 40,000 people for three months, providing shelter, food and clothing.
U.N. World Food Program Sends 168 tons of commodities to Sri Lanka, plus more than 4,000 tons of rice, wheat flour, lentils and sugar, enough to provide 500,000 people with emergency rations for two weeks.
U.N. Development Program Provided $100,000 each to Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to help assess damage and coordinate emergency needs.
U.N. Population Fund Earmarked up to $1 million and extra staff to help health needs of pregnant and nursing women.
Source: Reuters
C-130 cargo planes touched down there Friday with blankets, medicine and the first of 80,000 body bags. New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Pakistan and scores of other nations also had planes in the air, rushing aid to victims.
"This is an unprecedented global catastrophe and it requires an unprecedented global response," Annan said, as aid agencies warned that 5 million people lack clean water, shelter, food, sanitation and medicine.
Relief flights headed to the region from Britain and France carrying bottled water, tarpaulins, cooking sets and medical supplies. Russia sent a third relief plane to Sri Lanka carrying military-issue tents, drinking water, water purification stations and disinfecting supplies.
Coordinating efforts
On Thursday, World Bank President James Wolfensohn announced release of $250 million for tsunami relief by telephone during a meeting at U.N. headquarters convened to plan the next steps in the unprecedented global relief effort, U.N. chief spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
Representatives of 18 U.N. agencies and private aid groups or coalitions participated in the meeting, either in person or via a telephone or video link, the United Nations said.
Thursday's meeting was the first in a series scheduled at the world body’s New York offices to focus on how to quickly gear up the aid campaign and prepare for an initial emergency fund-raising appeal to be launched by the United Nations next week.
Annan also held a videoconference with representatives of a four-country coalition announced by President Bush on Wednesday that will serve as “the core group” in relief coordination efforts, U.N. officials said.
Coordination appeared to be desperately needed in the chaotic aftermath of the tsunami. Survivors fought over packs of noodles in quake-stricken Indonesian streets Wednesday while relief supplies piled up at the airport for lack of cars, gas or passable roads to move them.
The United Nations will launch an international appeal Jan. 6 for money to cover the emergency response phase, but U.N. officials have said billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild the shattered countries.
Debt relief mulled
Meanwhile, there was a growing call among European nations, led by Germany and France, for the Paris Club group of 19 creditor nations to consider granting a debt moratorium for countries hit by the tsunami, to bolster economic recovery and rebuilding.
On Thursday, Canada announced it had taken such a move unilaterally and that it would urge other creditor nations about offering relief to the stricken nations.
Indonesia, which suffered the worst devastation, would likely be the greatest beneficiary of debt relief. It owes the Paris Club around $40 billion and is the largest debtor in the disaster zone, according to the World Bank.
A moratorium would mean little to countries such as Somalia and Myanmar, which stopped paying their debts to the Paris Club years ago.
Corporations give for tsunami aid
Celebrities do their bit
International agencies reported an unprecedented surge in individual donations for disaster relief. The British-based relief agency Oxfam raised $1.2 million in three days from private donors.
Hong Kong Red Cross said it received $3.3 million in donations from the public and various organizations. Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, who heads a global commercial empire, pitched in $3.1 million to disaster relief efforts.
Movie star Jackie Chan donated $64,282 to UNICEF, the agency said, and actor Chow Yun-fat, gave $25,600 to a disaster relief fund set up by Hong Kong's Apple Daily, the mass-market paper reported Wednesday.
In Thailand, the royal family, mourning the death of 21-year-old Poom Jensen, the Thai-American grandson of King Bhumipol Adulyadej, led nationwide calls for help for the survivors.
In the United States, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $3 million and Amazon.com said it raised more than $3.5 million in online donations to aid South Asian countries devastated by tsunamis.
© 2004 MSNBC Interactive
Pledge will deflect criticism, provide major boost to relief effort
MSNBC
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 4:19 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2004
The United States is pledging $350 million to help tsunami victims, a tenfold increase over its first wave of aid, President Bush announced Friday. The U.S. aid contribution could rise even beyond that, if needed, Secretary of State Colin Powell said later in the day.
That sum will provide a substantial boost to the overall international aid effort to areas stricken by Sunday's tsunami. As of Thursday, nations had donated about $500 million toward the world's largest-ever relief effort, including $250 million from the World Bank, but U.N. chief Kofi Annan said even more was needed.
The increase in U.S. aid will likely silence criticism of Washington's initial offer, seen by many as meager in light of the enormity of the disaster and the wealth of the United States.
“Initial findings of American assessment teams on the ground indicate that the need for financial and other assistance will steadily increase in the days and weeks ahead,” Bush said Friday in a statement released in Crawford, Texas, where he is staying at his ranch.
“Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this epic disaster.”
The White House announced Thursday that it would be sending a delegation led by Powell to Indian Ocean coastal areas ravaged by earthquake and tsunami to assess what more the United States needs to do. The president’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will travel with him.
As the scale of the disaster became clear, other countries, including Spain and China also sharply increased their offers of aid, to $68 million and $63 million, respectively.
Military backup
As fund-raising proceeded, militaries across the globe also geared up to help. A U.S. aircraft carrier battle group was steaming to Indonesia's Sumatra island, which was closest to last Sunday's quake and is home to most of the casualties.
Fact file Who's helping
The United Nations mobilized what it called the biggest relief operation in its history following Sunday’s giant waves, which killed tens of thousands of people.
The following is a list of contributions pledged, compiled from reports by Reuters bureaus and United Nations agencies.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Australia Increased aid to $27 million and said it, the United States, Japan and India were considering setting up a group to coordinate help. Also sent five air force transport planes with supplies and medical specialists to Sumatra, and two 15-member emergency medical teams and 12 police to Phuket.
Austria 1 million euros ($1.4 million) in aid to the countries hit.
Belgium Military plane due to stop at Dubai to load most of its cargo -- UNICEF aid such as tents, vaccines.
Britain Pledged 15 million pounds ($28.9 million); plastic sheets and tents worth 250,000 pounds to Sri Lanka; 370,000 pounds to EU aid offer, $100,000 to World Health Organisation.
Canada C$4 million ($3.3 million); Blankets, water tablets, jerrycans and plastic sheeting sent to Sri Lanka.
China 520 million yuan ($63 million), a sharp increase from its initial offer of 20 million yuan.
Czech Republic Sent drinking water and medicine to Sri Lanka and Thailand; pledged 10 million crowns ($446,000).
Denmark Increased aid pledge to 85 million Danish crowns ($15.6 million) after spending almost all initial 10 million crowns pledged. Aid to cover medical supplies, food, water, shelter, reconstruction. UNICEF flight from Copenhagen taking supplies to the area, including oral rehydration salts and medical supplies for 150,000 people for three months.
Egypt Egyptian Red Crescent Society sending a plane with 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($81,000) worth of medicine and other aid as initial step.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
European Union Ready to release up to 30 million euros on top of 3 million euros already allocated to IFRC.
Finland Pledged 2.5 million euros spread among World Food Program, UNICEF, WHO and IFRC. Local aid groups give 75,000 euros. Finnish Red Cross send field hospital with 15 staff to Sri Lanka and 31 aid workers to Thailand.
France 15 million euros pledged to affected states in Southeast Asia. French authorities and aid groups decide to send 110 tons of aid.
Germany Doubling emergency aid to 2 million euros. Air force medical evacuation plane to set off for Phuket, two more planes chartered to take disaster relief teams, medicine and consular officials there. Germany’s largest utility E.ON donates 1 million euros.
Greece Sending C-130 transport aircraft carrying 25 rescue workers to Phuket on Thursday to help with rescue operations. Sent plane to Sri Lanka with five tons of food and clothes; offered 150,000 euros in aid.
Israel Sent one medical team to Sri Lanka, one to Thailand. Military search and rescue team due in Sri Lanka, held up by coordination problems.
Italy Will send 2 Hercules aircraft, one to Sri Lanka, one to Thailand.
Japan Pledged $30 million in aid, sent three navy vessels to Thailand to help rescue survivors.
Kuwait Pledged aid supplies worth $2 million, sent $100,000 immediate aid.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Netherlands Contributing 2 million euros to Red Cross-Red Crescent appeal, plus participating in EU aid program.
Norway Preliminary contribution of 50 million Norwegian crowns ($8.2 million) for emergency relief, including medicine, food, clean water and shelter.
Poland Earmarked 1 million zlotys ($336,000) for Polish NGOs involved in relief.
Qatar Sent urgent relief aid worth $10 million.
Saudi Arabia Pledged $10 million aid package -- $5 million of food, tents and medicine to be distributed via Saudi Red Crescent, $5 million for international aid groups such as the Red Cross and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Singapore Contributing some $1.2 million to global effort, military medical teams and supplies ready to fly to Indonesia.
Slovakia Sent plane with drinking water, tents and medicine to Sri Lanka; aid worth 6.6 million Slovak crowns ($231,660).
Slovenia Donating 20 million tolars ($113,500) of aid through International Red Cross and Crescent.
South Korea Raises aid to $2 million, may send military cargo plane to move aid workers and supplies.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
Spain Pledges $68 million. It also sent aircraft to Sri Lanka with first aid, sanitary equipment and 19 volunteers.
Sweden Sent 2 communications specialists to help U.N. relief efforts in Sri Lanka. Sending tents and communication equipment to Maldives. Swedish Red Cross to contribute $750,000 to IFRC appeal.
Switzerland Has allotted 2 million Swiss francs in aid on six teams to bring in drinking water, food and shelter supplies.
Taiwan Pledged additional $5 million after giving $100,000 to Indonesia, $50,000 each to Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. Sends more than 100 relief workers.
United Arab Emirates Pledged $2 million in aid; its Red Crescent society to provide food, blankets and clothing.
United States Pledged $350 million. Pentagon ordered 12 vessels to region, though no decision taken on their role.
International Committee of the Red Cross Cargo plane flying from Kenya to Sri Lanka carrying 105 tons of supplies, provide aid to 150,000 people in north and east. Trying to raise more than 50 million Swiss francs ($44 million).
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Has dispensed initial one million Swiss franc grant for relief efforts and launched appeal for 7.5 million francs.
IMF Intends to provide assistance, no specific pledges.
Country/Agency Contributions pledged
UNHCR Initially distributing $380,000 of non-food relief items, including plastic sheeting, clothing, kitchen sets.
UNICEF Delivered 50 water tanks to southern India, 45-tonne shipment of water purification tablets and water systems due to reach Sri Lanka on Thursday. WHO and UNICEF said they were providing four emergency kits to Indonesia to cover 40,000 people for three months, providing shelter, food and clothing.
U.N. World Food Program Sends 168 tons of commodities to Sri Lanka, plus more than 4,000 tons of rice, wheat flour, lentils and sugar, enough to provide 500,000 people with emergency rations for two weeks.
U.N. Development Program Provided $100,000 each to Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to help assess damage and coordinate emergency needs.
U.N. Population Fund Earmarked up to $1 million and extra staff to help health needs of pregnant and nursing women.
Source: Reuters
C-130 cargo planes touched down there Friday with blankets, medicine and the first of 80,000 body bags. New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Pakistan and scores of other nations also had planes in the air, rushing aid to victims.
"This is an unprecedented global catastrophe and it requires an unprecedented global response," Annan said, as aid agencies warned that 5 million people lack clean water, shelter, food, sanitation and medicine.
Relief flights headed to the region from Britain and France carrying bottled water, tarpaulins, cooking sets and medical supplies. Russia sent a third relief plane to Sri Lanka carrying military-issue tents, drinking water, water purification stations and disinfecting supplies.
Coordinating efforts
On Thursday, World Bank President James Wolfensohn announced release of $250 million for tsunami relief by telephone during a meeting at U.N. headquarters convened to plan the next steps in the unprecedented global relief effort, U.N. chief spokesman Fred Eckhard said.
Representatives of 18 U.N. agencies and private aid groups or coalitions participated in the meeting, either in person or via a telephone or video link, the United Nations said.
Thursday's meeting was the first in a series scheduled at the world body’s New York offices to focus on how to quickly gear up the aid campaign and prepare for an initial emergency fund-raising appeal to be launched by the United Nations next week.
Annan also held a videoconference with representatives of a four-country coalition announced by President Bush on Wednesday that will serve as “the core group” in relief coordination efforts, U.N. officials said.
Coordination appeared to be desperately needed in the chaotic aftermath of the tsunami. Survivors fought over packs of noodles in quake-stricken Indonesian streets Wednesday while relief supplies piled up at the airport for lack of cars, gas or passable roads to move them.
The United Nations will launch an international appeal Jan. 6 for money to cover the emergency response phase, but U.N. officials have said billions of dollars will be needed to rebuild the shattered countries.
Debt relief mulled
Meanwhile, there was a growing call among European nations, led by Germany and France, for the Paris Club group of 19 creditor nations to consider granting a debt moratorium for countries hit by the tsunami, to bolster economic recovery and rebuilding.
On Thursday, Canada announced it had taken such a move unilaterally and that it would urge other creditor nations about offering relief to the stricken nations.
Indonesia, which suffered the worst devastation, would likely be the greatest beneficiary of debt relief. It owes the Paris Club around $40 billion and is the largest debtor in the disaster zone, according to the World Bank.
A moratorium would mean little to countries such as Somalia and Myanmar, which stopped paying their debts to the Paris Club years ago.
Corporations give for tsunami aid
Celebrities do their bit
International agencies reported an unprecedented surge in individual donations for disaster relief. The British-based relief agency Oxfam raised $1.2 million in three days from private donors.
Hong Kong Red Cross said it received $3.3 million in donations from the public and various organizations. Asia’s richest man, Li Ka-shing, who heads a global commercial empire, pitched in $3.1 million to disaster relief efforts.
Movie star Jackie Chan donated $64,282 to UNICEF, the agency said, and actor Chow Yun-fat, gave $25,600 to a disaster relief fund set up by Hong Kong's Apple Daily, the mass-market paper reported Wednesday.
In Thailand, the royal family, mourning the death of 21-year-old Poom Jensen, the Thai-American grandson of King Bhumipol Adulyadej, led nationwide calls for help for the survivors.
In the United States, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $3 million and Amazon.com said it raised more than $3.5 million in online donations to aid South Asian countries devastated by tsunamis.
© 2004 MSNBC Interactive
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