People studying the situation in Myanmar are claiming that an inadequate response of the government of Myanmar (formerly Burma) to scientists' warnings about the cyclone, coupled with large-scale destruction of protective mangroves along its coasts, aggravated the devastation wreaked by tropical Cyclone Nargis.

The cyclone has killed an estimated 22,980 people so far, with millions rendered homeless by the disaster, which struck the Irrawaddy Delta region of Myanmar last week (3 May).

Scientists at the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in New Delhi, the World Meteorological Organisation's specialist centre for Asia, say they issued the first of the cyclone bulletins to Myanmar as early as 26 April.

Mrityunjay Mohapatra, director of IMD's cyclone-warning centre, told SciDev.Net that Myanmar was warned of the impending cyclone at least 48 hours in advance. But there was no acknowledgement from Myanmar's meteorological office, or any indication of a response.

Mohapatra says IMD's first warning bulletin, issued on 1 May, indicated the land area likely to be hit by the cyclone. It warned that a cyclone with wind speeds of 180 kilometres per hour would cross the southwest coast of Myanmar sometime between 8pm and midnight on the night of the 2 May.

IMD's bulletins contain information on the actual and predicted centre, intensity and movement of the cyclone, as well as sea conditions and maximum wind speeds around the cyclone centre.

Uma Charan Mohanty, from the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre in Thailand, said that, according to the World Meteorological Organisation's data, Asian cyclones are fewer and less intense than hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean or typhoons in the Pacific Ocean region, but they cause more death and destruction. In 2005, 25 hurricanes in the Atlantic caused 10 deaths, but cyclone Sidr, which hit Bangladesh in 2007, left 3,500 dead.

Mohanty says that the Atlantic coast has a good early-warning system and people have the means to drive to safer areas. In contrast, Asian coasts are densely populated, with many poor fishing and farming communities who cannot evacuate on their own, even if they have been warned.

News agencies quote Maung Swe, Myanmar's minister for relief and resettlement, who told a press conference (6 May) that most deaths were caused by a 3.5-metre-high storm surge — a wall of water that develops when cyclonic winds churn up sea water.

Mohanty says that 85 per cent of cyclone deaths are due to storm surges and that predictions of the size and location of such surges are critical in disaster forecasting.

Asian coasts are also becoming increasingly vulnerable because of the loss of protective mangrove forests that serve as windbreaks and limit damage by storm and tidal surges.

In a 2006 report, the International Union for Conservation of Nature said that areas in Sri Lanka with mangrove forests suffered less damage in the 2004 Asian tsunami, compared with regions where forests had been destroyed.

And in January 2008, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that Asia is fast losing its coastal mangroves, with more than 1.9 million hectares being destroyed each year.

The organisation's report reviewed the world's mangroves between 1980 and 2005. It found that the mangrove forests around Myanmar's Irrawady Delta had degraded because of "overexploitation" and the conversion of land for rice fields — promoted by the government as a way to ensure self-sufficiency in food production.

Government officials in Myanmar have said that 22,464 people have been confirmed dead from Cyclone Nargis.

Only once rescue workers reached the hardest hit areas of the storm did they begin to realize the extent of damage that had occurred. At least 10,000 people died in one town alone, Bogalay in the Pyapon District of the country.

The United Nations has reported that one million people are homeless, or in need of help in some other way.

Image Author: Vulkahn

After the final match of the season, Galatasaray became the champions of Turkish Super League with 79 points in 34 games, six points ahead of rivals Besiktas and Fenerbahce.

The 50th season of the top-flight football league in Turkey ended Saturday as Galatasaray and Fenerbahce qualify for next season's Champions League, third-place Beşiktaş J.K. and Federation Cup winner Kayserispor UEFA Cup. qualify for the There was disappointment for Sivasspor, who came fourth by having same points with Besiktas but less goal average.

Galatasaray trainer Cevat Guler stated that, "There may have been times in recent weeks when the fans didn't think we would be champions... but we are delighted and thank everyone for their support."

The Istanbul-based club started season with German coach Karl-Heinz Feldkamp, who resigned at the start of April, citing differences with the management. Galatasaray were two points behind Fenerbahçe when Cevat Guler took over in a caretaker role. Also, the team hit by number of injuries, including two key foreign players of this season - Linderoth and Lincoln. However they accomplished five victories in last five games of season and clinched the 17th title for Galatasaray S.K.

After the match, thousands of Turks of all ages rallied at Istanbul's central Taksim Square to celebrate with fireworks, flags and slogans, singing the club anthems. Similar celebrations took place in big cities like Ankara and İzmir in the huge outdoor parties, organized on the spot, letting them join their voice with millions of fans around the country celebrating the 17th title of the club.

Ben Folds performs in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2006. Image: Michael Nutt.

Friday, May 9, 2008 Ben Folds played at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in Danbury, Connecticut, United States.

Billed as the main event for WCSU's annual "West Fest", the concert took place in the Feldman Arena, which is part of the O'Neill Center on the western campus of the university.

The opening act for Folds was Julia Nunes, who by all accounts is on her first tour. Nunes gained attention on YouTube and got featured on the front page for her quirky, self-recorded performances.

Nunes is a graduate of Fairport High School, New York and is now a college freshman. Nunes performed a half-hour set of songs, about half of which were of her own composition and the rest covers of other artists. During the first half of her set she played the ukulele and thereafter the guitar.

Despite Nunes' well-received set, it was clear that the crowd was there to see Ben Folds perform. The American singer-songwriter and former frontman of the musical group Ben Folds Five is widely acclaimed for his prowess as a pianist, songwriter and performer.

Ben Folds performed unaccompanied, aside from "tambourine man", a stage hand who appeared briefly during three songs. Folds told the audience that he had been nervous as this was his first solo performance in "a while."

During the 100 minute concert, Ben Folds played many of his hits, including "Rockin' the Suburbs", "Annie Waits", "Still Fighting It" and "Zak and Sara".

Folds also played a couple of songs that he said he wrote during a contract dispute with a record company. He wrote the songs because they were "mandatory" in his contract. According to Folds, he asked how many songs he had to write to get out of his contract. They told him, he had to write 4.6 songs to complete his obligation. Thusly, one of the songs was called, "One Down And 3.6 to Go".

Near the end of the set, Ben Folds stood on his piano and directed the crowd as a choir. The audience was eager to participate in this experiment, which consisted of humming in different notes, and seemed to enjoy it. Folds seemed quite earnest in his appreciation of the audience's efforts.

After the set ended, the enthusiastic crowd of mostly WCSU students started to call out for Folds to reappear. He duly acquiesced and performed a few more songs before the crowd would go home.