Reads from Around the World: Tibet, Tsunamis and TV Talk

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Chinese paramilitary police in the streets of Aba, in China's Sichuan province

Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images

Tibetan Turmoil – The South China Morning Post reports another Tibetan has been shot dead in escalating protests in the western part of China’s Sichuan province. The death follows similar unrest Monday that left at least one protester dead. Meanwhile Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, has called for the international community to take action: “It is high time for it to intervene to prevent further bloodshed,” he said in a statement.

Preparing for the Worst – After the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute predicted a 75% chance of a magnitude seven earthquake hitting Tokyo in the next four years, Forbes looks at the potential disruption to global supply chains. National Geographic, in its Feb. issue story on tsunamis, says geologists agree the U.S.’s Pacific Northwest will inevitably be struck by one in coming decades but it lags behind Japan in disaster preparedness.

WikiChat – Julian Assange announced Wednesday he will host his own television talk show — on a network bankrolled by the less-than-open Russian government. The whistleblower said the 10-part series will take on the world’s “key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries” on the Kremlin-backed RT news network. The Washington Post was not alone in noting the irony: “In interviews in late 2010, Assange threatened to release documents about Russia and other ‘repressive regimes’ but never followed up.”

Manufacturing Costs – As Apple briefly became the world’s most valuable company Wednesday (leading TIME’s Gustin to ask what it should with its “mountain of cash”), the New York Times investigates the human toll of the country’s breakneck manufacturing operation in China.

Start me up – The Jerusalem Post reports Israeli startups raised more than $2.14 billion in 2011. Competition for funds is stiff; The Economist goes inside a rapid-pitch event in Tel Aviv to meet some of the hopefuls. American incubators are getting into the action; New York-based DreamIt Ventures is expanding its reach creating a joint U.S.-Israel program for Israeli high-tech ventures hoping to break into theAmerican market according to Business Insider.

Cost of Doing Business – Following the daring raid that saved the lives of two aid workers from Somali pirates, The Atlantic looks at the cost of maritime piracy on the global shipping trade. The cost of changing routes to avoid high-risk areas cost $8 billion worldwide. After a curious chain of events, New York Times correspondent C.J. Chivers follows the trail of assault riffles to see how the pirates are arming themselves.

Southern Separation – Calls for the recreation of South Yemen are getting louder. Encouraged by the political uprising and exit of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a secessionist movement is gaining speed, the Washington Post reports.