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Bollywood and cricketers play tsunami match

     Mumbai: Indian filmstars and cricketers joined hands to raise more than 100 million rupees for the rehabilitation and relief of tsunami victims. The cricket stadium was filled with cheering crowds as Kapil Dev XI defeated Aamir Khan XI by two wickets. Sehwag hit a fluent 83 and snatched the Man of the Match award from Mohammad Kaif who scored 113. "It's our duty to help the people who have been affected by this tragedy. Through this match we will raise funds and we request people also to collect money for this noble cause. This struggle has to go on and on," Aamir Khan said. Sponsors pitched 5,000 rupees for each boundary and 10,000 rupees for each sixer towards the charity fund. Television commentator Charu Sharma said: "Basically it's all about numbers. If one person can make a difference, imagine how much difference hundreds and thousands can make. So today the intention is either through television, or through stadium by hundreds and thousands of people coming and attending it. I think each one of us needs to do our bit," he said. The tsunami triggered by a powerful undersea earthquake off Indonesia, killed nearly 300,000 across Asia and Africa. More than 17,000 people were killed in India and tens of thousands left homeless. Besides the eastern coast of India, the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, 1,200 km away in the Indian Ocean, was badly devastated by the tsunami. The island chain, close to the epicenter of the undersea quake off Indonesia, has recorded over 170 aftershocks, some measuring over 5.0 on the Richter scale. Jan 29, 2005

US moves to rebuilding efforts in tsunami-hit Sri Lanka (Go To Top)

     Colombo: The United States is ending its tsunami military relief efforts in Sri Lanka and Maldives and moving its support into civilian-driven reconstruction programmes, US officials said today. By February 15, all US military personnel and equipment sent to Sri Lanka in the immediate aftermath of the December 26 tsunami will have left, said commander of the operation Brigadier General Frank Panter, The News quoted, the US officials as saying. He said 900 troops remained in Sri Lanka after 700 left the island about 10 days ago on the landing craft USS Duluth, but another 200 would be leaving over the weekend and the rest in a phased withdrawal.

Cat Stevens' tsunami concert in Indonesia (Go To Top)

     Sydney: Singer Yusuf Islam alias Cat Stevens will head a concert in Indonesia for victims of the killer tsunami. Yusuf, who is barred from the United States because terror intelligence identifies him as a security threat, will have top billing at the concert of local artists in Jakarta on Monday that will raise money for tsunami victims from Indonesia's Aceh province. He has also recorded a new song titled 'Indian Ocean' in response to the tsunami catastrophe, which wreaked death and devastation in Asia. Yusuf's song will be released in February to raise money for children orphaned by the tsunami waves. According to the Herald Sun, Yusuf is also planning to open a branch of his charity 'Small Kindness' in Indonesia.