Bhim Gillhan blog

China reports radiation on 2 Japanese tourists

China said it found higher than normal levels of radiation on two Japanese tourists who arrived on Friday.

The report came the same day that the government banned food imports from areas of Japan where contaminated produce and milk have been found.

A government agency said pair's radiation levels were found to "seriously exceed" levels considered safe. However, it did not provide exact numbers, making it impossible to evaluate whether the finding contradicted Japan's own assessment of the situation of a tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant.

Japanese health authorities say radiation in the air has not reached dangerous levels outside the immediate area of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex, though some people who live near the plant have been decontaminated.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said on its website that the two tourists were given medical treatment when they arrived in Wuxi, a city close to Shanghai, from Tokyo on Wednesday. The pair presented no radiation risk to others, it said.

It said the they were not from areas close to the nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan that has been leaking small amounts of radiation since being damaged in the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The plant is 140 miles (220 kilometers) from Tokyo.

It gave no other details, including the pair's medical ailments.

Several countries have begun screening passengers and goods as they arrive at airports from Japan. Indonesia announced Firsay it would do so as well.

As operators of Japan's nuclear plant struggled to get its cooling system operating again, radiation has seeped into the air and water, stoking fears about the safety of Japan's food and water supply. Radiation has been found in raw milk, seawater and 11 kinds of vegetables grown in areas around the plant, and several countries have banned food imports from affected areas.

China joined them Friday, barring imports of dairy products, fruit, vegetables, and aquatic products, from five prefectures affected by radiation from the damaged nuclear plant — Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Tochigi, and Chiba.

Stepped-up radiation testing was also ordered for all food imports from Japan.

The ban is not expected to have a major effect on trade between the two countries. Official Chinese figures show the nation last year imported $593 million worth of food products from Japan, less than 1 percent of imports from the country totaling $303.6 billion.

NBA Cavs finally beat James for a dose of revenge

The Cleveland Cavaliers averted a season sweep by Miami and exacted a dose of revenge against LeBron James by beating the Heat 102-90 on Tuesday.

Cleveland took a whopping 23-point lead, then lost it and had to storm back late in the game with a 12-0 run for the victory and a dose of revenge against former teammate James.

It was the second trip back to Cleveland for James since the all-star decided to become a free agent in the offseason and make the switch to Miami. The Heat won both games in Miami against the Cavs this season.

But James took the loss in his stride.

"Anytime we play anybody, we know we're going to get the best out of them," James said. "They came out and played extremely well. It was a good win for them."

JJ Hickson had 21 points and Anthony Parker netted 20 for Cleveland, who were embarrassed by Miami 118-90 on December 2 when James scored 30 points. That night Cleveland fans heckled and booed James throughout the contest.

"The first time we played them here, we were embarrassed and they took a little from us," Parker said. "This is the night that we wanted to get that back, for us, but more for the fans. That was great getting it back for them."

James still had a triple double Tuesday, finishing with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds but couldn't get the win. Dwyane Wade had 24 points and six assists for the Heat, who had a five-game win streak halted.

Miami's Mike Bibby made a season-high seven three-pointers.

Cleveland fans have not forgotten James' snub but they weren't as outwardly angry towards James as they were in December. James was booed throughout but there were no blatant incidents. Cavaliers management also stepped up security for Tuesday's game.

James said things weren't as hostile as his previous visit.

"I expect the worst," he said. "But worse than last time, December 2? No."

Miami fought back from 23 down, and tied it 83-83 on Bibby's seventh three-pointer with 7:03 left. The Heat then went scoreless for the next four minutes.

The Cavaliers shot 56 percent from the field to post their 15th win and their most lopsided victory this season.

Baron Davis made his first start since coming to Cleveland in a trade and finished with 10 points.

Centre Ryan Hollins also made his presence known with 13 points and blocking three shots.

Fish becomes top-ranked U.S. player with win

Mardy Fish replaced Andy Roddick as the top-ranked American after beating Spain's David Ferrer 7-5 6-2 on Wednesday to move into the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open.

Fish will play world number two Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals at Key Biscayne after the Serb beat South African Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-2 for his 24th successive win, a run stretching back to last year.

Fish, currently ranked 15th, will formally overtake his friend and world number eight Roddick when the ATP world rankings are updated next week.

Roddick, struggling with a bronchial infection, made a shock early exit in the defense of his Miami title in his first game, losing to Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas on Saturday.

"I don't think I will ever feel I am the top-ranked American, Andy has had a pretty good career and he has always been top dog in my generation," Fish said of his former high school team mate.

"I've never been in this position before. Obviously it's very humbling. This is a pretty big country and has a lot of people playing tennis. So I'll try to put it into perspective, and I Will."

Fish said his goal has nothing to do with bettering Roddick and is purely personal.

"Top ten is something that I am aiming for and I will be working my butt off to get there," he said.

Fish had a surprisingly easy passage to the last four, with the normally solid Ferrer fading fast in the second set in the Florida heat and the Spaniard said after the match he had not felt well.

"I had stomach problems all the match. I went to the court, and I when I ran to rallies I had a lot of pain in my stomach. In the second set, I couldn't run anymore," he told reporters.

Djokovic was pumped up throughout his win over Anderson and he had to work hard against the big-serving South African, who produced four aces.

Nonetheless the Serb produced the big shots when it mattered most -- breaking early in both sets.

Djokovic has won all 22 matches he has played this year and his last defeat was against Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour finals in London on November 27.

Thursday's action sees Federer taken on France's Gilles Simon -- who has beaten the Swiss twice in their three meetings and Rafa Nadal has a tricky test against Czech Tomas Berdych.

Should Federer and Nadal win they will meet in Friday's semi-finals. (Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

UAE fighter jets arrive in Italy for Libya operations

Six F-16 fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates, a key US ally, landed at an Italian base on Sunday ahead of their deployment to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.

The six planes could be seen landing at the Decimomannu base on the island of Sardinia after a logistics plane also arrived at the base.

The UAE said Thursday it had committed six F-16 and six Mirage fighters.

"The UAE air force has committed six F-16 and six Mirage aircraft to participate in the patrols that will enforce the no-fly zone now established over Libya," Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said then.

A former UAE air force commander said last week that his country had delayed its military deployment because of disagreements with the West over the unrest in Bahrain, where there is a Shiite-led revolt against the Sunni royal family.

Two Mirage fighter planes carried out Qatar's first mission over Libya accompanied by two French jets, the French military said Friday.

U.N. says Russian efforts on human rights fall short

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The U.N. human rights chief said Thursday that attempts by President Dmitry Medvedev to improve civil society in Russia had been unsuccessful, and urged the country to improve its rights record. "His efforts are appreciated but not advanced sufficiently to be described as a success," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told reporters toward the end of her five-day visit to Russia.

"There are still too many problems in the sphere of human rights."

Medvedev has styled himself a champion of democracy, fighter against corruption and modernizer of the economy since he was steered into the Kremlin three years ago by his mentor, then president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

But his critics argue they have seen little improvement in Russia's human rights record, and Medvedev has acknowledged his administration has made little progress against endemic corruption.

Pillay said there had been some progress in Medvedev's modernization plans, but stressed there were "also some serious setbacks ... and apparent serious miscarriages of justice."

These include the murders, intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders and investigative reporters, she said.

Rights groups have criticized authorities for failing to solve a number of murders of media workers, including the 2006 shooting of Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya.

UNSOLVED KILLINGS

There have been 19 unsolved murders of journalists in Russia since 2000, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. It lists Russia as eighth on its "Impunity Index," a listing of states where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes.

Pillay said the investigations of Politkovskaya, rights worker Natalia Estemirova and the death in custody of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky were "untransparent" and urged the authorities "to expose the truth about all these cases, as a key test of their resolve to improve accountability of their own actions."

Pillay also said she hoped the case of ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky would "reach the Supreme Court of Russia some day and that these matters are cleared," she told Reuters, declining to go into detail.

Khodorkovsky, in jail since 2003, was sentenced in December to six more years behind bars in what his supporters said was a politically motivated theft and money-laundering trial. The West sharply criticized the decision.

Weighing into a controversial debate in Russia, Pillay also said she asked the Ministry of Health to not withhold treatment, such as the heroin substitute methadone, from addicts amid a worsening HIV/AIDS crisis in Russia.

The UN's World Health Organization says Russia has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world, fueled by up to three million heroin addicts, many of whom use dirty needles, local health organizations say.

Unlike most countries, Russia refuses to finance harm reduction programs such as needle exchanges, or to legalize methadone, evoking condemnation from global health bodies.

(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman; editing by Andrew Roche)