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July 2009

UN debate on genocide asks: protect or intervene? (AP)

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 06:51 — admin

UNITED NATIONS – Out of genocides past and Africa's tumult a controversial but seldom-used diplomatic tool is emerging: The concept that the world has a "responsibility to protect" civilians against their own brutal governments.
At the U.N. General Assembly, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pushed Tuesday for more intervention for the sake of protection.
"The question before us is not whether, but how," Ban told the assembly, recalling two visits since 2006 to Kigali, Rwanda. The genocide memorial he saw there marks 100 days of horror in which more than half a million members of the Tutsi ethnic minority and moderates from the Hutu majority were slaughtered.
"It is high time to turn the promise of the 'responsibility to protect' into practice," Ban said.
Rwanda's genocide began hours after a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down as it approached Kigali on the evening of April 6, 1994. The slaughter ended after rebels, led by current President Paul Kagame, ousted the extremist Hutu government that had orchestrated the killings.
"We still find ourselves in a world that has so far been maybe willing, but less likely committed to stop genocide and similar crimes," said Jacqueline Murekatete, a human rights activist who was 9 years old in Rwanda when she lost her entire family to the genocide.
Among those questioning the concept has been General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, a leftist Nicaraguan priest and former foreign minister who organized a two-day debate starting Thursday. He issued a four-page "concept note" that made clear his reservations.
"Colonialism and interventionism used responsibility to protect arguments," says the paper issued by d'Escoto's office. "National sovereignty in developing countries is a necessary condition for stable access to political, social and economic rights, and it took enormous sacrifices to recover this sovereignty and ensure these rights for their populations."
William Pace, executive director of the World Federalist Movement's Institute for Global Policy, said d'Escoto's views are a "political misuse of the GA presidency" since they contradict the General Assembly's 2005 endorsement of the 'responsibility to protect' doctrine.
"It is not a synonym for military intervention," Pace added.
The idea that the world should take responsibility if nations fail to protect their own population was first promoted by Ban's predecessor, Kofi Annan, in 1999, citing conflicts in Angola, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and East Timor.
It gained huge momentum with the African Union's endorsement in 2000. The General Assembly backed it in 2005, though a budget committee has yet to provide funding for a special adviser's office.
In 2006, the U.N.'s most powerful body, the 15-nation Security Council, threw its weight behind the idea in two legally binding resolutions.
Proponents have recently pushed to implement it in places like Darfur, Congo, Kenya, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
In May 2008, for example, the council discussed a proposal by France to authorize the U.N. to enter Myanmar and deliver aid without waiting for approval from the nation's ruling military junta. China and Russia, citing issues of sovereignty, blocked the idea.
And in July 2008, Russia and China vetoed U.S.-proposed sanctions on Zimbabwe's leaders, rejecting an attempt by the global community to take action against an authoritarian regime widely criticized for a violent and one-sided presidential election.
At her first appearance before the Security Council in January, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice used the occasion to emphasize that the Obama administration takes the concept seriously. Earlier this month, at the Group of Eight summit in Italy, President Barack Obama called it "one of the most difficult questions in international affairs."
There is no "clean formula" for when to act, Obama said, but there are "exceptional circumstances in which I think the need for international intervention becomes a moral imperative, the most obvious example being in a situation like Rwanda where genocide has occurred."

Ban advised limiting U.N. action under the 'responsibility to protect' concept to safeguarding civilians against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. He acknowledged the possibility of some nations "misusing these principles" as excuses to intervene unnecessarily, but said the challenge before the U.N. is to show that "sovereignty and responsibility are mutually reinforcing principles."

"Military action is a major last — not first — resort," he said. "No part of the world has a monopoly on wisdom or morality."

Whirlpool profit falls on lackluster sales (Reuters)

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 06:18 — admin

(Reuters) –
Whirlpool Corp (WHR.N) reported a lower second-quarter profit on Wednesday as sales at the world's biggest appliance maker crumbled in the global economic slowdown.

Net earnings available to common shareholders of the maker of Maytag and KitchenAid appliances fell to $78 million, or $1.04 a share, from $117 million, or $1.53 a share, a year earlier.

In April, Whirlpool said it saw a more challenging market than it had previously expected for the rest of the year as consumers continued to delay replacement purchases, even for appliances that are beyond repair, because of the economic uncertainty.

Sales at the Benton Harbor, Michigan-based company fell 18 percent to $4.17 billion.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Morgan Stanley posts third straight quarterly loss (Reuters)

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 05:45 — admin

NEW YORK (Reuters) –
Morgan Stanley (MS.N) reported its third consecutive quarterly loss on Wednesday as earnings were saddled with a charge related to repaying a government bailout.

The New York-based firm swung to a loss applicable to common shareholders of $1.26 billion, or $1.10 per share, in the second quarter, compared with a profit of $1.1 billion, or $1.02 a share, a year earlier.

Morgan Stanley shares were down 5 percent in premarket trading.

Net Revenue fell 24 percent to $2.9 billion.

During the quarter, Morgan Stanley repaid $10 billion from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, incurring a one-time charge of $850 million.

It was a busy quarter for Morgan Stanley, which not only repaid TARP but also completed a joint venture with Citigroup Inc (C.N), forming the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney brokerage joint venture.

As Morgan Stanley scaled back on risk after the collapse of the financial sector last fall, it found itself posting lackluster earnings compared with longtime rival Goldman Sachs, which last week reported net revenue of $3.4 billion.

Morgan Stanley shares closed Tuesday at $27.56 on the New York Stock Exchange. The shares are up from a low of $6.71 last October but are down 40 percent from a high of $46.58 in 2008.

(Reporting by Steve Eder; editing by John Wallace)

Wood Benches

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 05:15 — admin

A bench is a piece of furniture, which mostly offers several persons seating. As a rule, benches are made of wood, but one can also find stone benches and benches made of synthetic materials. Many benches have arm rests. In public areas, benches are often donated by persons or associations, which may then be indicated on it, e.g. by a small copper plaque.

Often benches are simply called after the place they are used, regardless whether this implies a specific design Garden benches are very similar to public park benches set outdoors, but the former offer usually only two or three -, the latter mostly up to five persons sitting places. Picnic tables, or catering buffet tables have long benches as well as a table. These tables may have table legs which are collapsible, in order to expedite transport and storage. Church pews inside places of worship are equipped with an additional kneeling bench.

Wood Benches

Astronauts to Change Space Batteries in Spacewalk (SPACE.com)

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 04:54 — admin

Two
astronauts will head outside the International Space Station Wednesday to
begin the delicate task of replacing old batteries at the very edge of the
orbital outpost.

Spacewalkers
Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy will replace four of six old solar array batteries
on the station's on the port side during the tricky
maintenance call, which is slated to begin at about 10:58 a.m. EDT (1458
GMT) and last more than six hours. It is the third of five spacewalks for
astronauts while the shuttle Endeavour is linked to the station.

"We've
always wrestled with how to do this battery change out," Wolf told SPACE.com
before flight. "We've been wringing our hands for upwards of seven years on
this task."

A tricky
chore

While it
seems straightforward, the batteries are the oldest ones on
the space station, which uses solar arrays to generate power. They are
attached to the station's Port-6 (P6) solar wing - the first ever launched to
the outpost - and have been in space since 2000.

Simply
reaching the work site is challenging since it sits at the end of the port side
on the station's backbone-like main truss. The space station's metallic
backbone is as long as an American football field and serves as
the foundation for its four sets of solar arrays. Wolf and Cassidy will be
working hundreds of feet away from the station's core, with no quick way back.

"I think
it's the farthest you could get from the airlock hatch...since the airlock's on
the starboard side," Cassidy said in a NASA interview.

All six of
the new batteries to be installed are attached to cargo pallet that is
currently perched at the tip of the station's 57-foot (17-meter) Canadarm2
robotic arm. Astronauts moved the arm into position on Tuesday and will stretch
it out to its full length today, with the battery carrier extended toward
today's portside worksite.

Moving the individual
batteries has its own challenges. Wolf and Cassidy will have to shuffle the old
and new batteries between their work site and the carrier on the robotic arm.
Each battery weighs 367 pounds (166 kg) and is the size of a refrigerator.

"It's a
long, complicated choreography to change all these batteries," Wolf told
reporters before flight. "They're heavy, delicate, so there's a lot of chance
for error...it just all has to go right."

Other
tasks on tap

Wolf is a veteran
NASA astronaut making his seventh career spacewalk with today's excursion.
He also serves the spacewalk branch chief in NASA's astronaut office.

Cassidy, a
U.S. Navy SEAL, will be making his first spacewalk during the orbital work and
is making his first spaceflight on Endeavour's construction flight to the space
station. He became the 500th person to reach space when Endeavour launched
toward the station last week.

In addition
to their battery swap work, Wolf and Cassidy also plan to prepare a trio of new
experiments for installation on the station's
Japanese porch. They are also expected to finish adding insulation to power
lines that allow visiting shuttle like Endeavour to tap into the station's
power grid.

The last
two of the six old batteries being replaced at the station will be swapped out
during a Friday spacewalk - the fourth for Endeavour's seven-astronaut crew,
mission managers said.

The
astronauts are currently in the middle of a 16-day mission to deliver the
station's new experiment porch and a new crewmember. They are slated to return
home July 31.

New
Video - The Kibo Lab: Japan's Hope in Space - Part 1, Part
2
Video - Meet the STS-127 Astronauts
New SPACE.com
Video Show: Moon Shots: Apollo Astronauts Remember
SPACE.com
is providing continuous coverage of STS-127 with reporter Clara Moskowitz and
senior editor Tariq Malik in New York. Click here for mission
updates and SPACE.com's live NASA TV video feed.

 

Original Story: Astronauts to Change Space Batteries in SpacewalkSPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. The site boasts a variety of popular features including our space image of the day and other space pictures,space videos, Top 10s, Trivia, podcasts and Amazing Images submitted by our users. Join our community, sign up for our free newsletters and register for our RSS Feeds today!

NASA Cannot Sustain Current Path, New Chief Says (SPACE.com)

Wed, 07/22/2009 - 04:51 — admin

WASHINGTON -
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden displayed the softer side of his management
style while promising strong leadership at a critical time for the space agency
during a Tuesday address to agency employees broadcast from NASA headquarters
here.

During the
hour-long talk, which included remarks by NASA Deputy Administrator Lori
Garver, Bolden said the agency faces numerous challenges in a time of economic
uncertainty, including a call from the White House to find an affordable way back
to the Moon by 2020 before potentially moving on to Mars.

"The
challenge is to figure out the most efficient and cost-effective path to get
there," Bolden said the day after NASA commemorated the 40th anniversary of the
first
lunar landing on Monday, 1969. Bolden, who was sworn into office July 17
alongside Garver at NASA headquarters, said that while the administration of
U.S. President Barack Obama is committed to human space exploration, the agency
"cannot continue to survive on the path we are on."

Bolden
talked about accompanying Apollo 11
astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins to the White
House the day before to  meet Obama, who spoke before the cameras about the lasting
legacy of the Moon landing, the "extraordinary work" the agency does today, 
and his confidence in Bolden and Garver to "continue the inspirational mission
of NASA."

"We are an
incredible organization," Bolden told agency employees. "Raise your head and
say you're proud to work for NASA."

Bolden
talked openly about his upbringing and beliefs, labeling himself  an
"environmentalist," a "social liberal and a fiscal conservative" who will
promote an open-door policy with NASA employees. He also characterized his
approach to the media as "friendly," but urged employees to bring bad news to
senior staff rather than sharing it with the press.

Bolden, who
said during his July 8 confirmation hearing that safety would be a top priority
as NASA administrator, told employees that work-related casualties are an all
but inevitable part of the space business. 

"We're in a
very, very risky business," Bolden said. "People don't like to hear that, but
they're going to hear it from me."

Bolden
described himself as a man of faith with a healthy respect for all religions, a
warm and light-hearted Episcopalian and an unabashed "hugger" who is not shy
about expressing emotion. "That's the
other thing you'll get used to. I cry."

The child
of two educators, Bolden spoke of the importance of teaching and the difference
a caring adult can make in the life of a child. He encouraged NASA employees to
work with kids through volunteer and community service opportunities.

Bolden said
he and Garver are  meeting with senior White House officials this week in an
effort to address the space agency's challenges, including a forthcoming
decision on the path ahead for NASA's manned spaceflight program.

During his
talk, Bolden said he would be relying on Garver for her organizational skills and
policy expertise.

"Some of
you will be flustered because I'm not very detailed," Bolden said. "Lori, thank
God, is somewhat more detailed and so you will find that she's organized. I'm
not. We make a great team. She knows a lot of policy, I know none. She knows
Washington, I know a little."

Bolden also
introduced former National Space Society executive director and Virgin Galactic
adviser George Whitesides as his chief of staff.

Garver, who
is returning to the agency after an eight-year hiatus in the private sector,
said she hopes to better communicate NASA's relevance to policymakers as well
as the American public in an effort to restore the agency's
faded luster since the last U.S. lunar landing more than a generation ago.

Garver, who
previously served as a NASA associate administrator for policy and plans, said
she was encouraged by the media attention the 40th anniversary commemoration
had garnered, and lauded America's pioneering role in the international space
station, which she characterized as "keeping the country and the world
together."

Garver, who
accepted a hug from Bolden during the televised address, said she shared her
new boss's effusive management style.

"I know
feelings are something that weren't too popular the last few years at NASA. But
we're back. Feelings are back," she said.

Her remarks
stood in sharp contrast to those of Bolden's predecessor, Mike Griffin, who
once told a Capitol Hill breakfast audience, "I don't do feelings. Just think
of me as Spock."

Video
- Back to the Moon with NASA's Constellation
Video
- NASA's Constellation Journey Begins: Part 1, Part
2
SPACE.com
Special Report - THE MOON: Then, Now, Next

 

Original Story: NASA Cannot Sustain Current Path, New Chief SaysSPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as astronomy, technology, business news and more. The site boasts a variety of popular features including our space image of the day and other space pictures,space videos, Top 10s, Trivia, podcasts and Amazing Images submitted by our users. Join our community, sign up for our free newsletters and register for our RSS Feeds today!

Solar eclipse shrouds Asia in cloak of darkness (AFP)

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 23:32 — admin

VARANASI, India (AFP) –
The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century plunged millions across Asia into temporary darkness on Wednesday, triggering scenes of religious fervour, fear and excitement across India and China.

Ancient superstition and modern commerce came together in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity likely to end up being the most watched eclipse in history, due to its path over Earth's most densely inhabited areas.

A woman was killed in a stampede in the holy city of Varanasi where tens of thousands of devout Hindus had gathered by the river Ganges at dawn.

Police said the 80-year-old fainted in the crush to enter a temple near the banks of the river and suffocated, triggering panic. More than 20 people were injured.

With Hindu priests conducting special prayers, the crowds in Varanasi cheered and then raised their arms in salutation as the sun re-emerged from behind the moon, before they took a spiritually purifying dip in the river's holy waters.

A total solar eclipse usually occurs every 18 months or so, but Wednesday's spectacle was special for its maximum period of "totality" -- when the sun is wholly covered by the moon -- of six minutes and 39 seconds.

Such a lengthy duration will not be matched until the year 2132.

State-run China Central Television provided minute-by-minute coverage of what it dubbed "The Great Yangtze River Solar Eclipse" as the phenomenon cut a path along the river's drainage basin.

Millions of people in areas of southwestern China enjoyed a clear line of sight, according to images broadcast on CCTV, but the view was obstructed along much of its path by cloudy weather.

Shanghai viewers braved rain and overcast skies to witness the spectacle as darkness shrouded China's commercial hub at 9:36 am (0136 GMT).

"It is working hours now, but with such a spectacle going on, you don't want to miss it. The experience is truly thrilling," said Allen Chen, a Shanghai office worker, who stepped out into the street to witness the event.

Despite the weather, hotels along Shanghai's famed waterfront Bund packed in the customers with eclipse breakfast specials.

Those who could afford it grabbed expensive seats on planes chartered by specialist travel agencies that promised extended views of the eclipse as they chased the shadow eastwards.

The cone-shaped shadow, or umbra, created by the total eclipse first made landfall on the western Indian state of Gujarat shortly before 6:30 am (0100 GMT).

It then raced across India and squeezed between Bangladesh and Nepal before engulfing most of Bhutan, traversing the Chinese mainland and slipping back out to sea off Shanghai.

From there it moved across the islands of southern Japan and veered into the western Pacific.

In Mumbai, hundreds of people who trekked up to the Nehru planetarium clutching eclipse sunglasses found themselves reaching for umbrellas and rain jackets instead as heavy overnight rain turned torrential.

"We didn't want to watch it on television and we thought this would be the best place," said 19-year-old student Dwayne Fernandes. "We could've stayed in bed."

Others opted to stay home and shuttered their windows, fearful of the effects of the lunar shadow which some believe can lead to birth defects in pregnant women.

"I was advised not to leave the house as the eclipse brings bad luck to you and your family," said Deepa Shrestha, a 25-year-old housemaid in Kathmandu.

Superstition has always haunted the moment when Earth, moon and sun are perfectly aligned. The daytime extinction of the sun, the source of all life, is associated with war, famine, flood and the death or birth of rulers.

The ancient Chinese blamed a sun-eating dragon. In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Some Indian astrologers had issued predictions laden with gloom and foreboding, and a gynaecologist at a Delhi hospital said many expectant mothers scheduled for July 22 caesarian deliveries insisted on changing the date.

The last total solar eclipse was on August 1 last year and also crossed China.

The next will be on July 11, 2010, but will occur almost entirely over the South Pacific.

Actor Stephen Baldwin files for bankruptcy (AP)

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 23:26 — admin

NEW YORK – Court records show actor Stephen Baldwin is millions of dollars in debt and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
A filing Tuesday in federal court in New York shows that Baldwin owes $1.2 million in two mortgages on a property about 30 miles north of New York City valued at $1.1 million. The document shows he also owes more than $1 million in taxes and has about $70,000 in credit card debt.
His wife, Kennya Baldwin, is also named in the filing.
Baldwin's lawyer, Bruce Weiner, did not immediately return a message left for him late Tuesday.
Baldwin has appeared in several films including "The Usual Suspects." Last month, he left the Costa Rican set of the NBC show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" after he said he got more than 125 insect bites in eight days.

Cuddyer on winning side this time (AP)

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 22:23 — admin

OAKLAND, Calif. – Michael Cuddyer hit a go-ahead triple in the 10th inning a night after he was called out in a game-ending play at home trying to score the tying run, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Cuddyer's two-out triple off All-Star closer Andrew Bailey (4-3) scored Joe Mauer, who singled with one out.
Matt Guerrier (5-0) worked two scoreless innings for the win in this pitcher's duel, a far cry from the offensive slugfest these teams exhibited a night earlier in Oakland's 14-13 comeback victory. All-Star Joe Nathan finished for his 26th save in 28 chances and 20th straight.
Delmon Young hit an RBI triple in the fourth and Nick Punto followed with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 2 for Minnesota, which squandered a 12-2 lead a night earlier. Cuddyer and manager Ron Gardenhire thought Cuddyer had beaten Michael Wuertz's tag at the plate — and he looked safe on replay.
It was the biggest comeback in Oakland history and matched Minnesota's worst collapse.
That game featured two grand slams, eight total home runs and 39 hits — 22 by Oakland.
There were only 11 hits Tuesday and runs were tough to come by.
Wuertz pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Bailey followed with a perfect ninth before running into trouble in the 10th.
The A's took the early lead Tuesday on Adam Kennedy's RBI groundout and a run-scoring single by Orlando Cabrera in the third.
Since 2007, 12 of the 23 games between these teams have been decided by one run.
Mauer was back in the Minnesota starting lineup after only a late-inning appearance Monday.
Twins third baseman Joe Crede also returned after missing two games with a sprained right shoulder. He got hurt making a diving catch Friday at Texas, but started Saturday before coming out with he felt tingling in his right hand.
Oakland starter Dallas Braden pitched seven strong innings, retiring eight of his final nine batters.
He had won two of his last three starts, but was tagged for a career-high 10 hits in five innings of a 6-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels last Thursday. The left-hander and Oakland opening day starter came into Tuesday's outing with the second-lowest run support in the American League at 3.45.
Twins starter Anthony Swarzak also hung tough and was helped by double plays in the first, second and fifth.
NOTES: Nathan hasn't given up a run in his last 24 appearances. ... Twins leadoff hitter Denard Span got the day off before a pinch-hit strikeout in the 10th and then a defensive appearance in the 10th. He is 2-for-19 on the road trip. ... Injured A's starter Justin Duchscherer, a two-time All-Star recovering from March elbow surgery, threw a 20-pitch simulated game in Arizona and is set to appear in a real game Monday. ... Twins relievers Bobby Keppel and Brian Duensing weren't available. ... Oakland starter Gio Gonzalez, knocked out of Monday's game after 2 2-3 innings, is scheduled to make his next start.

Solar eclipse spreads cloak of darkness over Asia (AFP)

Tue, 07/21/2009 - 20:47 — admin

VARANASI, India (AFP) –
The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century cast a shadow over much of Asia on Wednesday, plunging hundreds of millions into darkness across the giant land masses of India and China.

Ancient superstition and modern commerce came together in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which could end up being the most watched eclipse in history, due to its path over Earth's most densely inhabited areas.

While the well-heeled took to the skies to watch the phenomenon from specially chartered planes, others took to holy waters to purify themselves as the sun's rays were snuffed out from Mumbai to Shanghai.

The cone-shaped shadow, or umbra, created by the total eclipse first made landfall on the western Indian state of Gujarat shortly before 6:30 am (0100 GMT).

It then raced across India, blacking out the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, squeezing between the northern and southern tips of Bangladesh and Nepal before engulfing most of Bhutan, traversing the Chinese mainland and slipping back out to sea off Shanghai.

Monsoon clouds in India and bad weather over eastern China spoiled the party for millions who had got up early to watch the solar blackout.

In Mumbai, hundreds of people who trekked up to the Nehru planetarium clutching eclipse sunglasses found themselves reaching for umbrellas and rain jackets instead.

Heavy overnight rain turned torrential just as the eclipse was due to start.

"We didn't want to watch it on television and we thought this would be the best place," said 19-year-old student Dwayne Fernandes.

"We could've stayed in bed," he said.

"Maybe, we'll just tell people we did see it," suggested his classmate Lizanne De Silva.

A total solar eclipse usually occurs every 18 months or so, but Wednesday's spectacle was special for its maximum period of "totality" -- when the sun is wholly covered -- of six minutes and 39 seconds.

Such a lengthy duration will not be matched until the year 2132.

Superstition has always haunted the moment when Earth, moon and sun are perfectly aligned. The daytime extinction of the sun, the source of all life, is associated with war, famine, flood and the death or birth of rulers.

Desperate for an explanation, the ancient Chinese blamed a sun-eating dragon. In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

In the run up to Wednesday's eclipse, some Indian astrologers had issued predictions laden with gloom and foreboding, while superstition dictated that pregnant women should stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects.

A gynaecologist at a Delhi hospital said many expectant mothers scheduled for July 22 caesarian deliveries insisted on changing the date.

For others it was an auspicious date, with more than one million Hindu pilgrims gathering at the holy site of Kurukshetra in northern India, where bathing in the waters during a solar eclipse is believed to further the attainment of spiritual freedom.

Those who could afford it grabbed seats on planes chartered by specialist travel agencies that promised extended views of the eclipse as they chased the shadow eastwards.

Travel firm Cox and Kings charged 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft that took off before dawn from New Delhi for a three-hour flight.

In Shanghai, hotels along the city's famed waterfront Bund packed in the customers with eclipse breakfast specials.

"The clouds move in and out, then all of a sudden you see it," said Glenn Evans, 46, a US executive with a cosmetics company who lives in Shanghai and was viewing the eclipse from a rooftop bar along the Bund.

The last total solar eclipse was on August 1 last year and also crossed China.

The next will be on July 11, 2010, but will occur almost entirely over the South Pacific, where Easter Island -- home of the legendary moai giant statues -- will be one of the few landfalls.



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