Suffrage

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Suffrage universel ddi Ledru-Rollin, Frdric Sorrieu, 1850

Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise distinct from other rights to vote is the right to
vote gained through the democratic process. The right to run for office is sometimes
called candidate eligibility, and the combination of both rights is sometimes called full suffrage.[1] In
many languages, the right to vote is called theactive right to vote and the right to run for office is
called the passive right to vote. In English, these are sometimes called active suffrage and passive
suffrage.[2]
Suffrage is often conceived in terms of elections for representatives. However, suffrage applies
equally toinitiatives and referenda. Suffrage describes not only the legal right to vote, but also the
practical question of whether a question will be put to a vote. The utility of suffrage is reduced when
important questions are decided unilaterally by elected or non-elected representatives.
In most democracies, eligible voters can vote in elections of representatives. Voting on issues
by initiative may be available in some jurisdictions but not others. For example, while some U.S.
states such as California andWashington have exercised their shared sovereignty to offer citizens
the opportunity to write, propose, and vote on referendums and initiatives, other states have not.
Meanwhile, the United States federal government does not offer any initiatives at all. On the other
hand, many countries, such as Switzerland, permit initiatives at all levels of government.
Suffrage is granted to qualifying citizens once they have reached the voting age. What constitutes a
qualifying citizen depends on the government's decision, but most democracies no longer extend
different rights to vote on the basis of sex or race. Resident aliens can vote in some countries, and
other countries make exceptions for citizens of countries they have close links to (e.g., some
members of the Commonwealth of Nations and members of the European Union).

Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake Shakes Tokyo but Fukushima Nuclear Plant Undamaged

By Hannah Osborne
September 16, 2014 09:09 BST

54

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake has hit Tokyo, shaking buildings across the city and causin

trainservices to be suspended. Radio broadcaster Jason Morrison tweeted events as they happened. He said he felt the earthquakefrom the
high rise hotel he was staying in and that broadcasters were urging people to stay calm. He added that hotel staff said the earthquake was the
biggest they have experienced so far this year.

An erupting volcanic island that is expanding off Japan could trigger atsunami if its
freshly-formed lava slopes collapse into the sea, scientists said on Tuesday. The small, but growing, island appeared last year and
quickly engulfed the already-existing island of Nishinoshima, around 1,000 kilometres south of Tokyo. It now covers 1.26 square
kilometers.The island's craters are currently spewing out 200,000 cubic metres of lava every day -- enough to fill 80 Olympic swimming pools
-- which is accumulating in its east, scientists said. "If lava continues to mount on the eastern area, part of the island's slopes could collapse and
cause a tsunami," warned Fukashi Maeno, assistant professor of theEarthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo.

Most deep-sea faults in the Pacific Ocean may be capable of generating earthquakes greater than magnitude 9.0, according to new
research to be released Tuesday.The study comes as seismologists are rethinking the danger posed by such deep-sea faults,
called subduction zones, which can produce some of the earth's most powerful quakes.

MANILA, Philippines Preparing for the worst possible natural hazard that could hit them, the city of Manila announced Friday,
June 27, that it will conduct a city-wide earthquake drill for the first time to test the citys disaster mitigation and response systems.
The drill, set on Wednesday, July 2, will highlight two worst case disaster scenarios: the movement of the West Valley Fault, and the
movement of the Manila Trench. According to Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, the drill will serve as a reminder for Manila residents to
always be prepared. Its very important to always remind the public of what they should do in case a calamity strikes. Whether it be
typhoons, floods, or earthquakes, we need to ensure the peoples safety, Estrada said in Filipino. The exercises will be based on
the result of the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) conducted by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) that a magnitude 7.2-earthquake scenario that will hit Metro Manila if the West Valley Fault system moves. Based
on the study, about 40% of the residential buildings in Metro Manila will be heavily or partially damaged. Hundreds of thousands will
suffer injury and die, the study suggested.On Wednesday evening, June 25, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake with a depth of 36
kilometers struck in in Calatagan, Batangas. Tremors were felt in the National Capital Region as far as central Luzon. No damage
from the quake, which was tectonic in origin, was reported.

2013 Bohol earthquake

The 2013 Bohol earthquake occurred on October 15, 2013, at 8:12 a.m. (PST) in Bohol, an island province located in Central
Visayas, Philippines.[6] The magnitude of the earthquake at the epicenter was recorded at Mw 7.2, located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) SW
of Sagbayan town, at a depth of 12 kilometres (7.5 mi).[1][7] It affected the whole Central Visayas region, particularly Bohol and Cebu.
The quake was felt in the whole Visayas area and as far as Masbateisland in the north and Cotabato provinces in
southern Mindanao. According to official reports by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 222
were reported dead, 8 were missing, and 976 people were injured. In all, more than 73,000 structures were damaged, of which more
than 14,500 were totally destroyed.[4] It was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years. The energy released by the
quake was equivalent to 32Hiroshima bombs.[8] Previously, Bohol was also hit by an earthquake on February 8, 1990 that damaged
several buildings and caused a tsunami.[9][10] On November 7, just 3 weeks after the quake, Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck
the region. Although the storm's eye missed the area affected by the earthquake, it sent some 40,000 Boholanos still living in
temporary shelters back to evacuation centers and disrupted relief efforts in the province.[11]