Arts groups tell BT to block access to The Pirate Bay

UK arts lobby groups have demanded BT block access to the BitTorrent file sharing website, The Pirate Bay.The BPI, said it would take legal action if the telecoms firm refused to co-operate.The movie industry has already forced BT to block Newzbin 2, a members-only site that aggregates illegally copied material.The telecoms operator said that a court order would be needed before any blocking could begin.A source told the BBC the firm was unlikely to fight a lengthy legal battle as it had in the Newzbin case."We would not tolerate Counterfeits 'R' Us on the High Street - if we want economic growth, we cannot accept illegal rip-off sites on the internet either," said the BPI's chief executive, Geoff Taylor.The Motion Picture Association also voiced their support.The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 by a group of friends from Sweden and rapidly became one of the most famous file-sharing sites on the web.Although it hosts no files itself, it does allow users to search for and access copyrighted content including movies, games and TV shows. In April 2009, the Swedish courts found the four founders of the site guilty of helping people circumvent copyright controls.The ruling was upheld after an appeal in 2010, but the site continues to function.

Thailand floods: Toll rises past 500

The nationwide death toll from flooding in Thailand climbed past 500 on Sunday, as the polluted black water continued its march through northern Bangkok, pouring across major intersections and a road underneath the capital’s elevated train line.

Floodwaters were also approaching a main road near the city’s Mo Chit bus terminal, a major gateway to northern Thailand. But the bus station remained open.Thailand’s worst flooding in half a century, swamping much of the country since July and left 506 people dead, according to the government. Floodwaters have begun receding in some provinces north of Bangkok, but they have built up around the city, which stands in the way of the water’s natural flow south toward the Gulf of Thailand.

So far, authorities have ordered evacuations in eight of Bangkok’s 50 districts, while seven others are either heavily or partially flooded.

Since late Saturday, water had also inundated a two-lane road underneath the Mo Chit Skytrain station, an elevated train platform that is part of one of the city’s mass transit systems. The road was still passable. Subway service has not yet been affected.

Kudankulam plant is 100% safe: Kalam

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who is on a mission to reduce fears about the safety of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, on Sunday said that it was ‘completely safe’ as it is located in a low frequency seismic zone.Mr. Kalam held discussions with scientists and engineers of the Indo-Russian Joint Venture, including Nuclear Power Corporation Chairman S.K. Jain and said that “The plant is safe in all aspects.” “There is no need to worry about the safety aspect of the plant, as it is in a low frequent seismic zone. There is also no threat of a Tsunami as the plant is 1,300 km away from the seismic centre point. Besides, the plant is 13.5 metres above sea level,” Mr. Kalam, a votary of nuclear energy, said. Mr. Kalam’s visit comes amid the continuing standoff on the Rs 13,600 crore Indo-Russian project, whose first unit was scheduled to be commissioned in December.Officials said the agitation by locals against the project has upset the scheduled commissioning. Mr. Kalam said all safety aspects, including automatic cooling of the plant in the event of generator failure after power goes off, ‘double wall’ protection for KNPP workers inside and outside, structural safety and container to store the 25 per cent residual fuel from the plant have been provided.He said that there would be no damage to the surrounding environment with the setting up of the plant. Mr. Kalam said ‘Bath Tub’ facility has been provided to flush core melt waste. “There is a solution in the tub which will take care of all radiation problems. There will be no radiation at all. The workers inside and outside the plant are 100 per cent safe.”