Cameron and Sarkozy urge EU allies to be ready for 'all contingencies'

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, have written a joint letter to European allies, urging them to be ready for "all possible contingencies" in Libya, including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone to prevent air attacks by dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The letter, on the eve of an emergency summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, condemned the Libyan authorities use of airpower in attacks on their own people as "unacceptable".

And Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy called on the EU to unite in calling for Gaddafi to go, arguing that his regime has "lost any legitimacy it may have once had".

"Since the Libyan people have started to rise against Muammar Gaddafi's brutal regime, the world is witnessing on a daily basis an unacceptable continuation of violence and repression in Libya," wrote the two men in a letter to European Council President Herman van Rumpoy, copied to the other 25 EU leaders.

"Ignoring UN Security Council resolution 1970 demands as well as calls from regional organisations and the whole international community, Gaddafi's regime continues to attack his own people, including with aircraft and helicopters. It is clear to us that the regime has lost any legitimacy it may have once had.

"This deliberate use of military force against civilians is utterly unacceptable. As warned by the Security Council, these acts may amount to crimes against humanity. All those involved in deciding, planning or executing such actions must know that they will be held accountable." (read more)

Heroes still live among us: Dead soldier Liam Tasker and Army dog return home

The body of a soldier who died along with his record breaking sniffer dog in Afghanistan last week will be returned home to the UK.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, from Kirkcaldy in Fife, was shot dead while on patrol in Helmand province.

The ashes of the 26-year-old's dog Theo will be flown home on the same plane.

L/Cpl Tasker, who was called a "rising star" by Army chiefs, was shot by Taliban snipers and Theo died of a seizure shortly after his master.

The soldier and his 22-month-old dog had made 14 finds in five months while on the frontline.

The pair's successes at uncovering so many explosions and weapons had resulted in their tour of Afghanistan being extended by a month.

Just three weeks ago, springer spaniel Theo was praised as a record breaking Army sniffer dog.

The body of L/Cpl Tasker and the ashes of Theo will be flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire at lunchtime, before a cortege passes through Wootton Bassett, the Wiltshire town which has built up a tradition of welcoming back fallen heroes. (read more)

Hope and Change: Gas Prices Have Gone Up 67 Percent Since Obama Became President (compared to 7% with Bush)

Ah, January of 2009. Hope was in the air, but more importantly, gas was under two dollars a gallon. Since then gas prices, have gone up 67 percent and it's an ominously upward trend. Interestingly enough, the Heritage Foundation also took a look at the first 26 months of Bush's presidency -- gas only rose 7 percent during that time frame.

Now obviously turmoil in the Middle East has something to do with our current astronomical gas prices, but keep in mind that by this point in the Bush presidency 9/11 had happened and we were on the verge of invading Iraq. So while the president can't be entirely responsible for global commodity prices, it's still worth asking what Obama's doing to make things worse.

After all, this is the President who told us "We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times … and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.” (read more)

This is the President that appointed a Secretary of the Interior that famously said he didn't mind if gas hit $10 a gallon.

Canadian coins bugged, U.S. security agency says

They say money talks, and a new report suggests Canadian currency is indeed chatting, at least electronically, on behalf of shadowy spies.

Canadian coins containing tiny transmitters have mysteriously turned up in the pockets of at least three American contractors who visited Canada, says a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Security experts believe the miniature devices could be used to track the movements of defence industry personnel dealing in sensitive military technology.

"You might want to know where the individual is going, what meetings the individual might be having and, above all, with whom," said David Harris, a former CSIS officer who consults on security matters.

"The more covert or clandestine the activity in which somebody might be involved, the more significant this kind of information could be."

The counter-intelligence office of the U.S. Defence Security Service cites the currency caper as an example of the methods international spies have recently tried to illicitly acquire military technology. (read more)

Attack on Iraq pipeline halt oil exports

A government spokesman says a bomb has hit Iraq's largest oil pipeline, halting exports to Turkey in an insurgent strike that could lead to millions of dollars in losses.

Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said gunmen planted the bomb on the Beiji pipeline Wednesday evening near the town of Shurqat, 155 miles (250 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad.

Jihad said the blast stopped the oil from being pumped, and the pipeline would be shut down for at least three days for repairs.

He said the pipeline generally pumps about 400,000 barrels of oil each day. (read more)

Society's degeneration continues: Brawl Caught On Tape At Eastvale Taco Restaurant

The videos (the fight is seen from three angles), appearing on Youtube, start innocently enough. A couple of kids standing around the restaurant…one on his cell phone.

Near the door, the guy on the cell phone greets someone coming in with “What’s up?” The way he says it and the person’s reaction, clearly indicates the two are not buddies. Punches start flying, their friends start getting into it.

One kid, holding a cat (or a small puppy), even drops the animal and starts flailing at another youth. You can’t make this up!

Horrified patrons of Tacos Del Rio run out, tables overturn, workers scream for the men to leave while calling for police…and while the fight only lasted about 45 seconds, there was more punching and kicking than during some MMA events. (read more and see video here)

Jobless Claims in the U.S. Rose 26,000 Last Week to 397,000

First-time claims for jobless benefits rose last week from an almost three-year low, highlighting the uneven nature of the improvement in the U.S. labor market.

Applications for first-time unemployment benefits increased by 26,000 to 397,000 in the week ended March 5, Labor Department figures showed today. Economists forecast claims would climb to 376,000, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. The total number of people receiving benefits in the prior week fell to the lowest since October 2008.

The rebound in the world’s largest economy has curbed firings, paving the way for employers such as Boeing Co. (BA) and Home Depot Inc. (HD) to add jobs and spur household spending. A Labor Department official said claims generally rise the week after a federal holiday and some New England states reported more claims due to school holidays. (read more)

Jabs for everyone: Call to vaccinate against possible H2N2 flu pandemic

Governments should launch a vaccination programme now to guard against a possible H2N2 flu pandemic, according to an article in the journal Nature.

The US authors say immunity to the H2N2 flu strain is very low in people under the age of 50.

But a safe vaccine already exists after an H2N2 outbreak in the 1950s and '60s.

They say that vaccinating now could save billions of dollars if a pandemic does develop.

Dr Gary Nabel and colleagues from the Vaccine Research Centre in the US say H2N2 has the ability to cause a pandemic in the same way that H1N1 did in 2009.

Between 1957 and 1968, the strain is thought to have caused up to 4 million deaths in a global outbreak, during which time a vaccine was developed.

When the pandemic was over the H2N2 vaccination programme was stopped in the late 1960s, although the virus is still present today among birds and swine. (read more)

Bumblebees are disappearing along with other species of bees -- is mankind's foodchain in trouble?

Sadly, Hannah Sarco was not comfortable with us sharing her marvelous article with the world, and has filed a notice against us.

This has resulted in our having to dilute the original excerpt so that only the bare facts are presented, and her article will now receive far less views than it would have had she allowed the excerpt to stay on our site.

Simply put, everyone lost out!

In the future, Hannah, if you have an issue with what we've published, please contact us and we'd be more than happy to change the piece in question, or even do something in tandem with you in order to increase your page traffic. The Coming Crisis's traffic is comparable, if not actually better than Earth Times' traffic, and I'm sure we could have come to sort of mutually beneficial conclusion.

Let's work together next time! The full article can be viewed here:

http://www.earthtimes.org/nature/bumblebees-gone-wind-major-disappearance/376/

Article fact break down:

1) Bumblebees (Bombus terristris), are cousins of wasps and hornets

2) They're the premier pollinating insect for wild plants and agriculture

3) Over the last decades, studies have shown that they are disappearing

4) One species, Bombus affinis, has apparently gone instinct

5) In the last 30 years, wild bumblebee colonies have suffered massive losses

6) This genocide is occurring in the UK as well as in North America

7) 3 out of every 24 bumblebee species are now extinct

8) No one knows the reason behind the genocide

9) Some blame poisonous insecticides, others, competition from imported bee species

10) Neonicotinoids, an especially toxic insecticide, has been identified as a culprit.

Niall Ferguson: China will overtake the US within a decade

Gasoline cost to jump $700 for average household

U.S. drivers will pay another 10 cents a gallon for gasoline before the latest jump in wholesale costs is fully passed on at the pump, and yearly motor fuel costs will rise 28 percent from last year, the Energy Department said on Wednesday.

The average U.S. household will spend about $700 more for gasoline in 2011 than it spent last year, bringing total motor fuel expenses up 28 percent to $3,235, based on an annual pump price of $3.61 a gallon, the department's Energy Information Administration said.

Retail gasoline prices soared by 38 cents over the last three weeks to $3.52 per gallon, according to the EIA, because of high crude oil costs due to unrest in the Middle East.

"Because the pass-through of changes in wholesale gasoline prices to the retail level is lagged, pump prices would be expected to rise a further 10 cents per gallon to fully reflect the current wholesale price level even without considering any future wholesale price movements," the EIA said in its weekly review of the oil market.

Higher gasoline prices will give consumers less money to spend on other goods and services, which many economists fear could slow the U.S. economy. (read more)

Libya Civil War Update: Rebels forced from Libyan oil port in Ras Lanuf

Libyan rebels are fleeing the oil port of Ras Lanuf after sustained attacks by forces loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi.

Rebels were travelling eastwards in vehicles after coming under fire from rockets and shells, reports said.

Libyan state TV said pro-Gaddafi forces had also cleared rebels from the oil port of Sidra, west of Ras Lanuf.

In recent days, Col Gaddafi's forces have been trying to regain ground in the rebel-held east, as well as the town of Zawiya, west of Tripoli.

In Ras Lanuf, one rebel fighter told AFP news agency: "We've been defeated. They are shelling and we are running away. That means that they're taking Ras Lanuf." (read more)

Humanity will soon eat itself to death: Gloomy Malthus provides food for thought as world's appetite builds

Everyone knows that economics is often labeled the “dismal science”. But few could tell you that this pejorative description dates back to an insult originally thrown at the classical economist, Thomas Malthus.

For it was Malthus who, in a path-breaking 1798 essay, grimly observed that populations expand geometrically while food supplies increase only arithmetically. In other words, mankind faces serious problems because population growth, by definition, will eventually outstrip the planet’s ability to provide food.

At some point, argued Malthus, the demands of the human race will exceed agricultural capacity, sparking violence, population decline and radical social change. A highbrow version of the man with the “End is Nigh” sandwich board, Malthus banged his “impending catastrophe” drum until his death in 1834 – hence the “dismal” sobriquet.

Since then, the world population has risen 5-fold, to 6.8bn people. But new technology has delivered better irrigation, powerful fertilizers and pesticides – boosting land yields and proving Malthus seemingly wrong. Perhaps the gloomy old boy wasn’t wrong, though, just ahead of his time. For in the last few years, as population projections have spiraled, and food prices with them, Malthus has started to look pretty smart. (read more)

Adders, toads and lizards are disappearing from UK

The native adder is effectively disappearing from our landscape, a study has revealed.

The first nationwide survey of UK amphibian and reptiles has found that Britain's most widespread snake, the adder, is in decline.

Slow worms, common lizards and grass snakes are also becoming less widespread, as are the common toad, common frog and the great crested newt.

The only species found to be increasing its range is the palmate newt.

These startling trends come from a report produced by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) Trust, which has been gathering data on 12 species since 2007. (read more)

Libya's civil war: dramatic pictures of the fighting near Ras Lanuf

(View the entire gallery of 22 photos by clicking here)

European Financial Crisis Gets Worse: EU paralysis drives fresh bond rout

Political paralysis in Brussels and monetary tightening by the European Central Bank has set off a fresh spasm of the eurozone bond crisis, pushing spreads on Portuguese, Irish and Greek bonds to post-EMU records.

Portugal edged closer to the brink yesterday, having to pay almost 6pc to raise two-year debt. The yield on 10-year bonds briefly surged to 7.8pc after the Chinese rating agency Dagong downgraded the country's debt to BBB+.

"These levels of interest rates are not sustainable over time," said Carlos Costa Pina, secretary of the Portuguese Treasury, blaming the latest upset on the lack of a coherent EU debt strategy rather any failing by Portugal to deliver on austerity.

Mr Costa Pina rebuffed calls by leading economists in Portugal for an EU-IMF bail-out rather than drawing out the agony. "It is not justified. Portugal doesn't need external help, it needs urgent measures by the EU to restore market confidence." (read more)

Gaddafi Son Warns Of Fight To The Death - 10th Mar 2011

The Gaddafi regime has warned of full-scale military action against rebel-held towns in Libya as troops try to push back opposition forces with artillery and air strikes.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif made a bleak warning to rebel forces and to European and US leaders who have talked about possible international intervention.

"This is our country and we will never ever give up or surrender - we fight here in Libya and we will die here in Libya."

"It is time for action," he said.

"We will never ever welcome Nato or the Americans," Saif Gaddafi warned. Read More

BREAKING NEWS: 6.6 Magnitude Earthquake Bali Sea - 10th Mar 2011

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck off West Nusatenggara in central of Indonesia earlier Friday, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency reported.

The quake jolted at 00: 08 a.m. Jakarta time Friday (1708 GMT Thursday) with the epicenter at 165 km northwest of Sumbawabesar of West nusa Tenggara and with a depth of 523 km under sea bed, an official of the agency told Xinhua.

The intensity of the quake was felt at 4 MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) in Denpasar, the capital of Bali province, the official said.

The US Geological Survey reported on its websbite that the quake was mesured at 6.2 magnitude.
Source

France: Sarkozy to propose air strikes in Libya

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will propose air strikes on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's command headquarters to EU leaders, a source close to discussions has told AFP.

At an EU summit on the Libyan crisis, he will propose "striking an extremely limited number of points which are the source of the most deadly operations" by forces loyal to Gaddafi, the source, who asked not to be named, said on Thursday.

The three sites being considered are Gaddafi's Bab al-Azizia command headquarters in Tripoli, a military air base in Syrte, east of Tripoli and another in Sebha in the south, the source said. (read more)

France is the first country to recognize Libya Rebel Government

France became the first country to formally recognize Libya's newly created interim governing council Thursday, saying it plans to exchange ambassadors with the opposition group trying to oust longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.

People in the eastern city of Benghazi, where the rebel council is based, honked and cheered to celebrate the announcement, Reuters reported.

"It breaks the ice," said Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman. "We expect Italy to do it, and we expect England to do it."

France's announcement comes as NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels, where they will discuss the growing crisis in the north African nation. (read more)

Australia's Lake lights up the night - 10th Mar 2011

What happens to lakes in an area hit by forest fires and floods? Some will glow in the dark.

For a cluster of lakes in Australia's eastern Victoria, the combination of the fire and then the rain washed ash and nitrogen-rich soil into the water. The Gippsland Lakes experienced a rise in sea level. That caused the lakes to mix with sea water, which also raised the salinity.

This recipe led to the introduction of a species of algae called

Noctiluca scintillans, commonly known as "sea sparkle." The bioluminescent brew gave the water a nocturnal glow.

Bioluminescence -- when a living organism lights up at night -- is a natural phenomenon. Australian photographer Phil Hart caught the eerie light of the lakes and shared his snaps. Source

Degeneration of society continues: MS-13 gang member yelled 'the beast has eaten!' after murder of man he mistook for a Blood

An MS-13 gang member whooped it up, shouting "The beast has eaten!" after murdering a Queens man he mistook for a rival Blood, a government witness testified Thursday.

Julio Chavez is charged with emptying his revolver into Maurice Parker on May 18, 2007, in Flushing.

Chavez then hopped into a SUV, flashed gang signs and yelled in Spanish, former MS-13 gang member Jose Molina said in Brooklyn Federal Court.

" 'Yeah, homie, that's how you're supposed to do it,'" Chavez said, according to Molina. "'You see the blood coming out of his head?'"

Molina said Chavez then uttered, "The beast has eaten!"

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Kazemi asked the witness to translate the meaning of Chavez's rant.

"That he had just given a soul to the devil," Molina said. (read more)

Sustained Unemployment Confirms The Failure of QE-2

So today, two bits of news came out: Unemployment declined to 8.9% last February, as the U.S. economy added 192,000 jobs; and the Federal Reserve signalled that it is definitely-definitely-definitely ending Quantitative Easing 2 (QE-2) in June, as originally scheduled, on the assumption that the economy is improving, and therefore no further extension of QE-2 will be necessary.

On its face, this would seem to be . . . not good news, but at the least encouraging news: The economy seems to be improving, albeit anæmically.

But is it?

Stepping on the heels of the Bureau of Labor Statistics release of the employment figures, Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge pointed out that, based on the 25 year average of employment participation of 66.1%, U-3 unemployment ought to be at 11.6%—quite a bit higher than the current 8.9% headline number.

This points to something that a lot of commentators of the BLS’s numbers have been saying for a while: The number of individuals in the labor market as defined by the BLS has been steadily dropping. But it hasn’t been because of some sudden demographic shock—it’s been because more people have been unemployed for more than two years. (read more)

US Postal Service on path to be broke by October

The Republican-controlled House opened the envelope of postal finances on Wednesday and what it pulled out wasn't pretty.

Unless things change, the post office will run out of money by the end of the fiscal year in October, Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe told the House Oversight subcommittee on the postal service.

Donahoe said that as of Sept. 30 his agency will owe the federal government a payment of $5.5 billion to fund medical costs, in advance, for future retirees, and in November it will need to make a $1.3 billion payment for worker's compensation.

"The Postal Service will not have the cash available to make both of these payments. We need legislation this year to address that fact," he said.

If it does come down to crunch time, said Donahoe: "We will deliver the mail." Employees will be paid, as will suppliers, he said. "The thing we will not do is pay the federal government."

Without some important changes to the law the post office "cannot survive as a self-financing entity," Donahoe said. (read more)

Four time bombs that will blow up Wall Street (including the US's net worth: Negative $44 Trillion!)

Only a revolution will stop Wall Street’s self-destructive capitalism. And watching the people revolt against dictators like Mubarak and Gadhafi reminds us of the spirit that sparked America’s revolution in 1776. But today we need a 1930s-style revolution.

During the S&L crisis two decades ago America had a backbone, indicted 3,800 executives and bankers. Today’s leaders have no backbone. Besides jail time won’t reform the darkness consuming Wall Street’s soul. We’re all asleep, in denial about the moral crisis facing America. Yes, we need a new revolution.

Jail time? We’ve heard that many times before. Journalists have been beating that dead horse for three years. Jailing CEOs made sense in early 2009. But our naïve president missed that opportunity, instead surrounded himself with Wall Street insiders as Bush did with Blankfein’s predecessor. Trojan Horses manipulating a Congress filled with clueless Dems mismanaging tired Keynesian theories...

(Read about the four time bombs here)

Computer expert says US behind Stuxnet worm

A German computer security expert said Thursday he believes the United States and Israel's Mossad unleashed the malicious Stuxnet worm on Iran's nuclear program.

"My opinion is that the Mossad is involved," Ralph Langner said while discussing his in-depth Stuxnet analysis at a prestigious TED conference in the Southern California city of Long Beach.

"But, the leading source is not Israel... There is only one leading source, and that is the United States."

There has been widespread speculation Israel was behind the Stuxnet worm that has attacked computers in Iran, and Tehran has blamed the Jewish state and the United States for the killing of two nuclear scientists in November and January.

"The idea behind Stuxnet computer worm is really quite simple," Langner said. "We don't want Iran to get the bomb." (read more)

Arms Race: China's defence budget to rise 12.7% in 2011

China's defence budget will rise 12.7 percent in 2011 to 601.1 billion yuan ($91.7 billion), a government spokesman said on Friday, amid persistent concerns about Beijing's military build-up.

The figure was contained in a budgetary report submitted to the National People's Congress, the parliament's spokesman Li Zhaoxing told a news conference on the eve of the opening of the annual NPC session.

"China has always paid attention to controlling the size of defence spending," Li told reporters, describing spending as "relatively low" compared with the rest of the world.

Li, a former foreign minister, said the figure represented six percent of the total national budget in the world's second-largest economy.

The number however represents a return to double-digit increases, which have alarmed the United States and several of China's Asian neighbours. That trend had been broken last year when the defence budget rose 7.5 percent. (read more)

Dying Dollar: Utah Considers Return to Gold, Silver Coins

It's been nearly 80 years since the U.S. stopped using gold coins as legal currency, and nearly 40 since the world abandoned the gold standard, but the precious metal could be making a comeback in the United States -- beginning in Utah.

The Utah House was to vote as early as Thursday on legislation that would recognize gold and silver coins issued by the federal government as legal currency in the state. The coins would not replace the current paper currency but would be used and accepted voluntarily as an alternative.

The legislation, which has 12 co-sponsors, would let Utahans pay their taxes with gold and also calls for a committee to study alternative currencies for the state. It would also exempt the sale of gold from the state capital gains tax. (read more)

Dead fish no cause for concern, corps says - Mississippi River - 9th Mar 2011

WEST ALTON, Mo. - Experts say the hundreds of dead fish floating in the waters of the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary represent a natural phenomenon.

Charlie Deutsch, supervisory wildlife biologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Rivers Project Office at Riverlands, said the dead fish found in and near the wetlands area along the Mississippi River include the invasive Asian carp, as well as shad, a common native species.

The fish kill means the American bald eagles that flock to the Alton area each winter to feed will have good meals, experts said.

Deutsch said such massive fish die-offs occur in the area every year, especially after long, cold winters.

He said people are likelier to notice the dead fish this year because the water level at the sanctuary is lower than usual.

Bighead and silver carp have infested parts of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Source

More than 15.000 of dead fish have been washing up on Western Australia beaches - 9th Mar 2011

EXPERTS say that record temperatures and low oxygen levels are to blame for dead fish being washed up on riverbanks and beaches across WA.

Dead fish, eels and crayfish have been found on shores - with the coastline of Green Head, some 290km north of Perth, covered in now-rotting carcasses.

Green Head resident Rod Wilson said: "It's very heartbreaking. I've been here for 28 years and I've never seen anything like it. To us it's a local ecological disaster."

Reports state that in a cleanup operation at Green Head, 20km north of Jurien Bay, more than 15,000 dead fish were collected.

"Our biggest concern is how long is this going to take to right itself," Mr Wilson added.

Dead fish found at Frog Pond, Newburyport, Massachusetts - 10th Mar 2011

NEWBURYPORT — A dozen or so dead fish were found floating along the unfrozen edges of the Frog Pond at Bartlet Mall yesterday afternoon.

Upon hearing of the dead fish, Public Health Director Robert F. Bracey went to check on the discovery but was unable to find them, according to a Health Department official.

The same health official said it's possible the oxygen levels of the shallow pond, only a few feet deep, changed enough so the fish couldn't survive.

Bracey did not return a phone call and was not in the office when a reporter visited the Health Department for comment. Read More

More than a thousand of dead fish appear in Glen Ellyn pond Reason for sudden death unclear - Illinois, Glen Ellyn - 10th Mar 2011

A pond in Glen Ellyn has become overrun with hundreds of dead fish. Neighbors first noticed the floating fish carcasses a few days ago in a pond called Maryknoll in a small subdivision just east of 355. They say the smell is awful.

The pond is a popular fishing spot full of bass, catfish and bluegill, but residents aren't sure what type of fish the dead ones are, nor is it clear why they have suddenly died. The pond is connected to a stream linked to several small ponds throughout Glen Ellyn and Lisle.

Please View video report here >>>>

BREAKING NEWS: 5.4 Magnitude Earthquake MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION - 14 Dead and hundreds more injured - 10th Mar 2011

(AGI) Beijing - An earthquake measuring 5,4 of magnitude on the Richter scale hit a remote area of southwest China. At least 14 people died and 135 were injured said the state press agency Xinhua. The earthquake hit the country at 12:58 local time (5:58 in Europe) and was centred 225 kilometres southwest of Dali in the Yunnan province, in a mountainous area along the frontier with Burma. . .

Time: Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 04:58:17 UTC

Depth: 34.9 km (21.7 miles) Source


Update: An earthquake toppled houses and damaged a hotel and supermarket Thursday in China's extreme southwest near the border with Burma, also known as Myanmar.

At least 14 people were killed and 157 injured, said Ren Xueli, an official with the Yunnan Disaster Relief Center. Witnesses reported that people were buried under debris from buildings damaged by the quake, which was centered in Yunnan province's Yingjiang county, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Are islands disappearing?

A Sinking Nation from NPR on Vimeo.

THREE HELD OVER SWAN MASSACRE - 8th Mar 2011

THREE men were arrested yesterday over the deaths of dozens of swans in Somerset.

Around 40 birds have been found dead on the county’s Moors and Levels in recent weeks – many with gunshot wounds from an air rifle.

The suspects, aged 45, 37, and 34, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and are being quizzed by police.

Wildlife campaigners have raised more than £26,000 to catch the culprit after branding the killings, near the village of Wedmore, a “massacre”.

Best-selling author Terry Pratchett offered £10,000 to catch those responsible for the wanton killing. Pratchett, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, said he was “incensed” by the slaughter.

Wildlife charity Secret World described finding the dead birds as “one of the worst incidents” it had ever attended.

Read More

Note: Arrested in suspicion of criminal damage? how about animal cruelty, murder, they slaughtered over 40 swans for no reason. The Law should grow a back bone and put a stop to this cruelty.

6 Emu found dead in CARI lab - 9th Mar 2011

Bareilly, Mar 9 (PTI) The Emu project lauched by Central Avian Research Institute (CARI) received a major jolt when three pairs of the Australian bird were found dead in the special laboratory here."Dogs entered the special laboratory here last night and killed three pairs of Emu," officials said, adding, these birds were brought from Lucknow on March 6 for research.CARI Director Dr RP Singh said he will look into the matter and "ensure that the project continues". Source

‘They lined us up against a wall and put sub-machine guns to our heads': BBC journalists held and tortured by Gaddafi troops - 10th Mar 2011

A BBC News crew has been held and tortured by Gaddafi troops.

Soldiers wielding sub-machine guns seized the BBC Arabic journalists at a checkpoint as they tried to reach a city in the lawless west of Libya.

In a 21-hour ordeal the hostages were punched, kicked and clubbed with rifles, after soldiers and secret police accused them of ‘bad’ reporting.

One Briton was among the crew, who were hooded and interrogated before being subjected to mock executions.

The men - Goktay Joraltan, Feras Killani and Chris Cobb-Smith - were finally released and immediately left the war-torn country.

Briton Mr Cobb-Smith last night described the devastating ordeal. He told the BBC Ten O’clock News: ‘We were lined up against the wall. I was the last in line - facing the wall.

‘I looked and I saw a plain-clothes guy with a small sub-machine gun. He put it to everyone’s neck. I saw him and he screamed at me. Read More

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts with greater fury - 10th Mar 2011

HONOLULU (Reuters) - The frequently restive Kilauea volcano on the island of Hawaii spewed a plume of lava 160 feet tall on Wednesday, more than twice as high as molten rock shot into the sky when eruptions flared anew on Saturday.

As eruptions continued at two spots, seismic activity grew more vigorous and poisonous sulfur dioxide gas emissions peaked at 10,000 tons per day, over 30 times last weekend's levels, before dropping off again by more than half, according to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey.

The 2,000-degree Fahrenheit molten lava from Kilauea's summit and the newly ruptured Kamoamoa fissure have destroyed 78 acres of rain forest since Saturday and buried 162 acres of park land.

The ground around the eruptions has continued to collapse, and forests downwind of the fissure were choked with volcanic fumes that are toxic to the vegetation Read More

Bizarre Bird Maimings in Huntington Beach - 9th Mar 2011

It's a weird, gruesome mystery that has all the local wildlife experts in "Surf City, USA" scratching their heads. In the past three weeks, almost 30 birds have been found in Huntington Beach, Calif., all with an almost identical signature injury: a devastatingly shattered right wing.

Debbie McGuire, wildlife director at the well-respected and well-known Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, where the birds have been brought when found by the public, says she's never seen anything quite like it.

"It almost seems ritualistic, even cultish," she told AOL News. "In just about every case the right wing has been brutally broken and all but one of the birds has had to be euthanized. We have no idea what's going on. Read More