Myanmar on Demonstration

Protests against Myanmar's government ignited in August over fuel prices hikes, but public anger ballooned into mass demonstrations led by Buddhist monks against 45 years of military dictatorship. Soldiers responded last week by shooting at unarmed demonstrators. On Monday, the main city of Yangon was quiet and security forces lightened their presence.

Ibrahim Gambari, United Nation envoy has met with Senior General Than Shwe, Myanmar's military junta leader on Tuesday as authorities continued a crackdown after crushing huge peaceful demonstrations last week.

On Sunday, Ibrahim Gambari also has met the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years. Diplomats said Mr. Gambari might meet with Aung San Suu Kyi again, raising hopes that he might engage in some form of shuttle diplomacy.

The military junta has now isolate their country from the world such as shut down the internet connection, close access into the country.

The monk, which has been an activator for peace demonstration has been dismissed by the junta troops. The Democratic Voice of Burma said about 1,600 demonstrators, including at least 1,400 monks, were being held, and other estimates put the number even higher.

Besides cutting off the Internet, the authorities have attempted to shut down the flow of news by arresting and harassing local journalists. The military junta also does not allow international journalist to enter their country. About 10 Burmese reporters have been physically attacked or prevented from working, including reporters for Reuters and Agence France-Presse, according to Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association.

A Japanese photographer, Kenji Nagai, was shot and killed at the height of the demonstrations last week, drawing protests from the Japanese government. In Tokyo, the chief cabinet spokesman, Nobutaka Machbimura, said Japan was considering sanctions to protest the junta’s crackdown.

A volcano has erupted on Jazirt Atta-Ir island

A volcano has erupted on Jazirt Atta-Ir island, about 140 kilometres off the coast of Yemen, spewing lava and ash hundreds of feet into the air. Ken Allan, a Navy spokesman, said a NATO fleet just outside the territorial waters of the island Jazirt Atta-Ir reported seeing a "catastrophic volcanic eruption" at 7 p.m. local time. "At this time, the entire island is aglow with lava and magma as it pours down into the sea. We do not have confirmation of how many people were on this island at the time of the eruption," Allan said.
"The lava is spewing hundreds of feet into the air, with the volcanic ash also (rising) a thousand feet in the air," Allan said.

Yemen’s Oil Minister Khaled Mahfoudh Bahah said several earthquakes were felt on the island on Sunday which triggered the Yemen Volcano eruption.
The Yemen Volcano eruption occurred happens after some Indonesian scientists stepped up the alert level for a volcano in East Java and told people to stay away from the crater amid fears it is building up to an eruption.
Even though this is not related to the Yemen Volcano it is just weird.
The alert for Mount Kelut was raised to the third of a four-level warning system, the vulcanology office website was quoted by AFP as saying Sunday.

The Canadian Armed Forces said they are trying to locate nine people believed to be at sea after the Yemen coast guard requested help.
The NATO fleet was sailing toward the Suez Canal when it spotted the eruption. The government of Yemen asked NATO to assist in the search for survivors and the closet ship, the HMCS Toronto, is heading toward the island.
Yemen is a poor tribal Sunni Muslim country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.