Miracle amid ruins

Two years ago, Japan was ravaged by a tsunami. Now there’s a new memorial to the people and things who lived through it: the “miracle tree” that survived the surge has been converted into a sculpture.

Soon, an early warning system for cyclones and floods

RIMES’ has existed for three years, but this was the first inter-ministerial meeting. Why? Interviewee:  K J Ramesh

In transit

MEMORIES of the 2004 tsunami that hit Andaman islands and Tamil Nadu are still fresh. In a single morning, over 14,000 people died, many went missing and a million lost their livelihood. Reason: they were not warned on time.

Message in a bottle

Earthquake in Indonesia triggers tsunami fear in India

A tsunami alert has been issued for Andaman and Nicobar islands following a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), an earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale hit the Ocean off the coast of northern Sumatra at around 2:07 pm, IST.

Life post Fukushima

My first impression of Japan, after landing at the Haneda international airport in the wee hours of the morning, was the sight of hundreds of people wearing white masks that stretched from ear to ear, walking briskly past me. It triggered a question: “radiation?”. My Japanese friend laughed and explained that the health ministry encouraged people suffering a flu to wear these masks to avoid infecting others. As far as radiation is concerned, he said matter of factly, no mask can ever reduce one’s exposure to it.

Kudankulam meltdown

Relief in verse

Poems about the tsunami that hit Japan last year were among the winners at the country’s annual Imperial Palace poetry contest. One winner, a 72-year-old tailor, wrote of his relief upon learning that his son was safe after three days of uncertainty. Another winning poem sang of the author’s pride in alternative energy, depicting the dazzling landscape of solar panels in the morning light.

Still life in waves

After the deluge, it's us

Australia says no to protecting Japanese whale hunters

Australia has refused to provide any security cover for Japan’s annual whale hunt in the Antarctic waters. Facing opposition from biodiversity conservation groups in the ocean, Japan had asked Australia to send its navy to protect its whaling fleet.