Monday, January 9, 2012
5.3 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 9th Jan 2012
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake has struck Southern Iran at a depth of 37.6 km (23.4 miles), the quake hit at 19:53:39 UTC Monday 9th January 2012The epicenter was 71 km (44 miles) WSW of Bandar-e Abbas, Iran
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Injuries or Damage at this time
4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHWESTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA - 9th Jan 2012
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck Southwestern Siberia, Russsia at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 19:33:08 UTC Monday 9th January 2012The epicenter was 33 km (20.4 miles) East of Saryg-Sep, Russia
No Reports of Injuries or Damage at this time
5.0 Magnitude Earthquake SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS - 9th Jan 2012
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck the Santa Cruz Islands at a depth of 47.8 km (29.7 miles), the quake hit at 17:45:34 UTC Monday 9th January 2012The epicenter was 86 km (53 miles) West of Lata, Santa Cruz, Islands, Solomon Islands
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Injuries or Damage at this time
RBS To Cull 4000 Investment Bank Jobs...Boss gets Millions in Bonus and thousands Lose their Jobs
The state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will this week unveil plans to shed up to 4000 more jobs in its investment banking arm, I can reveal.The news will form a key element of an announcement which I’m told has been scheduled for Thursday morning. In it, RBS will outline a restructuring plan that will see its global banking and markets (GBM) operation shrunk to reflect pressure from the Government for it to retreat from its ambition to be a global investment banking powerhouse.
The latest round of job cuts, at least half of which are expected to affect the bank’s operations in the City of London, will scotch newspaper speculation last week that as many as 10,000 staff are facing the axe. It will reflect the desire of George Osborne, the Chancellor, to see RBS cut back its investment banking arm. Read More
Sami Osmakac Arrested Over 'Florida Bombing Plan'
A suspected Islamic extremist has been arrested over an alleged plan to attack businesses and a police station in Florida, US authorities have said. Sami Osmakac, 25, a naturalised US citizen who was born in the former Yugoslavia, was arrested in Tampa on January 7 following a sting operation.
According to the US justice department he allegedly tried to create a car bomb and obtain an assault rifle and explosives.
His arrest followed a months-long surveillance during which he was closely monitored by law enforcement officials.
Officials said Mr Osmakac has been charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, which they identified as explosives.
Charles Darwin's 'extinct' tortoise might have just been hiding - for 150 years
A giant tortoise which helped shape Darwin's ideas about evolution and was thought to have been extinct for 150 years may be living a secret life in the Galapagos Islands.Genetic clues suggest pure-bred members of the species have recently interbred with some of their cousins.
Scientists found the genetic footprint of the species Chelonoidis elephantopus in the DNA of 84 tortoises from Isabela Island, part of the Galapagos island chain.
Each of these hybrids must have had a parent that was one of the missing species.
In 30 cases, breeding had taken place within the last 15 years.
Since the lifespan of tortoises can exceed 100 years, there is a high chance that many C. elephantopus individuals are still alive, scientists believe.
'To our knowledge this is the first report of the rediscovery of a species by way of tracking the genetic footprints left in the genomes (genetic codes) of its hybrid offspring,' said lead researcher Dr Ryan Garrick, from the University of Mississippi in the US. Read More
Couple 'suffocated three-month-old son as they slept next to him'... their SECOND child to die in their bed
A couple accused of suffocating their baby as he slept in their bed – three years after another of their children died the same way – have had charges against them upheld.The Utah Court of Appeals refused to kick out the case against Trevor Merrill and Echo Nielsen, both 28, whose son Kayson Merill died in 2006.
Three-month-old Kayson was lying between his parents in their bed at their South Jordan home when he suffocated to death.
When his parents, whose 24-day-old daughter had also died while sleeping with them in 2003, awoke, Kayson was not breathing.
Just one day before the death, a doctor had warned Nielsen against sharing the bed with her baby.
A state examiner listed the cause of death as ‘undetermined’, citing a low birth weight in his report. Defense attorneys argued there was not enough certainty to charge the parents, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
But judges disagreed, saying there was evidence that 'co-sleeping' led to the baby's suffocation. Read More
Jaymie Adams's Body found as cars of husband and mother-in-law are seized by cops
The body of the missing pregnant mother who was later revealed to be a Craigslist prostitute has been found on a dirt bike track and her husband and mother-in-law's cars have been seized Jaymie Adams, 25, from Blanchard, Oklahoma, was reported missing on December 10 and was said to be pregnant with her fifth child.
When her body was found on Saturday by a motorcyclist using a dirt bike track near Lake Stanley Draper, police believed it had only been there for one day.
Yesterday they impounded the cars of her husband Justin, who only revealed two weeks after she went missing that she went to meet two clients after initially saying she was meeting a friend.
Oklahoma City police Captain Lisa Camacho told NewsOk that police have finished processing the site where the mother-of-four's body was found.
She said police then impounded the cars of Adams' husband, Justin Adams, and his mother, Tina Clark, and are simply looking for evidence in the vehicles.
Though she said they have not named any suspects at this time, Adams' attorney told NewsOK they told his client at the time of his arrest that he was a suspect.
She said: 'At the time, my client was told he and his mother were suspects. When he attempted to get items out of the car they said no. Read More
New Zealand braced for oil spill disaster as stricken container ship splits in two
A cargo ship grounded off the New Zealand coast since October has split in two, spilling sea containers and debris and sparking fears of a fresh oil spill, maritime officials said.The wreck of the Greek-owned Rena was described as New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster even before the rear section of the ship, lashed by pounding seas, broke away yesterday.
The ship previously spilled heavy fuel oil that fouled pristine North Island beaches and killed up to 20,000 seabirds, and despite salvage efforts nearly 400 tons of oil remain onboard.
Maritime officials said the front section of the wreck remains stuck in its original position, but the stern section slipped at least 100ft away from the bow and is 'moving significantly,' pounded by 19ft swells.
The storm that split the vessel will continue for another three to four days, Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson said. Read More
Now it isn't Just the EU trying to Suck you Dry, they have sent us Cannibal ladybirds
There's an invader in our midst, and it comes in the form of a delicate insect that has graced our gardens for years.The humble harlequin ladybird may appear harmless enough, but the billions that have arrived in the UK are no longer threatening just the UK's 46 other species.
They can also reek havoc on curtains and wallpaper, leaving a yellow stain in their wake.
The Asian invaders - which were introduced in America in 1988 and have already become the dominant species there - have already wiped out 30 per cent of Britain's two-spotted species.
That used to be the most common variety, but now, according to the UK Ladybird survey, they would not even make it into the top 10. Read More
Lalita Tati named as the 7 Year old whose liver was cut out in a sacrifice to the gods for a better harvest
This seven-year-old Indian girl was murdered and had her liver cut out by two farmers in a ritual sacrifice to a Hindu 'mother goddess' to ensure a bumper harvest.Lalita Tati had been watching television at a neighbour's house in the remote village of Jailwara when she was abducted.
Her mutilated body was found a week later by her devastated parents, with farmers Ignesh Kujur and Padam Sukku arrested for the crime.
She is believed to have been targeted because the farmers suspected her father Budhram Tati to be casting black magic spells.
Local reports from the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh suggest her throat was cut and her organs offered to Durga, a Hindu goddess, with the hope a bumper harvest would follow.
If a victim is under 12-years-old, then local mythology believes crops will flourish following a sacrificed. Police initially thought the girl's father had carried out the suspected rape and murder. Read More
A coincidence? Youth unemployment rises 450,000 in the time it takes 600,000 migrant workers to flock to the UKs
Migrant workers from the EU are keeping young Britons out of jobs, new figures suggest.Campaign group Migration Watch UK said statistics released today show the number of migrants working in the UK who were born in Eastern Europe rose by 600,000 since the so-called A8 countries joined the EU in May 2004 while youth unemployment rose by almost 450,000 in the same period.
Sir Andrew Green, the campaign group's chairman, said it would be 'a very remarkable coincidence if there was no link at all between them'. Read More
World's biggest super-jumbos must be GROUNDED, say engineers after cracks are found in the wings of three Airbus A380s
Australian aircraft engineers have called for Airbus A380 - the world's biggest passenger aircraft - to be grounded, after Singapore Airlines and Qantas found cracks in the wings of their super-jumbos.'We can't continue to gamble with people's lives and allow those aircraft to fly around and hope that they make it until their four-yearly inspection,' said Steve Purvinas, secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association.
Both airlines, and Airbus, admitted that they had discovered cracks, but maintained that the aircraft were safe. In total, 67 Airbus A380s are in use worldwide, on seven airlines.The aircraft are in use by Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Airlines and China Southern. Read More
Polish military prosecutor SHOT himself during news conference on probe into mystery air crash that killed country's president
A Polish prosecutor shot himself today in dramatic footage caught on film in his office after cutting short a news conference.Moments earlier, he had defended a military investigation into leaks related to a plane crash that killed Poland's president two years ago.
At the start of the conference at his office in Poznan, Colonel Mikolaj Przybyl said: 'During my entire service as a civilian and later military prosecutor, I have never brought shame to the Republic of Poland and I will protect the honour of an officer of the Polish armed forces and prosecution.
'Thank you, please give me a five-minute break, I need to rest,' Przybyl said, as the reporters then leave the room.
With the camera still rolling, he walks across the floor and, just out of shot, a pistol can be heard being reloaded and then a gunshot sounded.
As he slumps to the ground, only his feet are in the frame.
He was immediately taken to hospital after reporters found him lying in a pool of blood. Read More
Russian toddler dies in sewer after pavement collapses
A toddler in Bryansk in western Russia has died after falling through a hole that opened up as his mother took him for a walk.The pavement gave way because of a burst hot-water pipe, emergency officials said.
The boy's mother, 26, was pulled alive from the hole by her traffic police officer husband, reports say.
But he was unable to rescue his son, who was thrown from his pushchair and fell into the sewer below.
"The woman managed to grab on to the edge of the collapsed pavement, which saved her life," a Bryansk official was quoted as saying.
Her husband had apparently been on duty in the area on Sunday afternoon and rushed to the scene, climbing down into the hole with the aid of a rope to pull his wife to safety.
Named by Russian media as Tatyana Didenko, she was taken to hospital in shock. Read More
Baghdad: car bomb attacks 'kill at least 14'
Two parked car bombs in the Iraqi capital have killed at least 14 people and wounded many more, officials say.The attacks appear to have targeted Shia pilgrims who were travelling through the city.
Officials said one of the bombs went off in the northern Shaab district of Baghdad. The second went off in a western area.
Police and hospital sources told news agencies that 52 people had been injured. Source
SeaFrance went into official liquidation on Monday after the European commission ruled a bailout by the French government was illegal.
French ferry firm SeaFrance went into official liquidation on Monday after the European commission ruled a bailout by the French government was illegal.A French court said the offer of a buyout by a co-operative of company employees – the only rescue plan on the table – was neither viable nor acceptable.
The decision threatens to throw nearly 1,000 people out of work, 130 of them in Dover.
It follows months of speculation about SeaFrance's future and several failed rescue plans. The French government had said it would put €200m (£165m) into the company but this was deemed illegal under European Union rules.
The closure comes as a political blow to French leader Nicolas Sarkozy four months from a presidential election in which he is expected to seek a second term in office. Read MoreNOTE: I thought we were to all stand together and help each other in EUROPE? ...I Guess not.
Does this mean The French Government can no longer decide on their own without the permission of the EU?
Nick Clegg: Britain should sign eurozone treaty...Give the Man a Backbone and a Plaster for his Mouth
Britain should approve the eurozone treaty vetoed by David Cameron last month, Nick Clegg has said. The Deputy Prime Minister said the new treaty on fiscal union should be "folded into" the existing EU rules.
That would require the UK to give its consent to an agreement that Mr Cameron refused to back last month.
In a joint statement with other Liberal leaders, Mr Clegg made clear he wants to end Britain's role outside the new treaty, effectively reversing Mr Cameron's historic veto.
Clegg warned today that Europe could only overcome the economic crisis by sticking together and avoiding "needless rivalry and isolation". Read More
4.0 Magnitude Earthquake TUNISIA - 9th Jan 2012
A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck Tunisia at a depth of just 2 km (1.2 miles - Poorly Constrained), the quake hit at 12:45:48 UTC Monday 9th January 2012The epicenter was 25 km (15.5 miles) West of Gar-ad-dima, Tunisia
No Reports of Injuries or Damage at this time
RBS Executive Set For £4m Payout... Failure continues to be Rewarded
Check out the RBS Share Price 6 Month Chart.A senior executive at state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland is reportedly due to receive a £4m bonus this year, despite the Prime Minister saying he plans to stop bosses being rewarded for failure.
John Hourican, the head of RBS' investment banking arm, is in line to receive the special bonus in April as part of a long-term incentive plan linked to the acquisition of ABN Amro in 2007, according to the Financial Times and Daily Telegraph newspapers.
However, responding to the report, an RBS spokesperson told Sky News that it was "completely inaccurate to imply that any decisions have been taken" over payouts.
Mr Hourican was chief financial officer at ABN Amro Group before heading RBS' investment bank.
The 71.1bn euro (£59bn) takeover of the Dutch bank played a significant role in the failure of RBS. Read More
Zimbabwe: Anthrax Outbreak Hits Mana Pools
MORE than 165 animals in Mana Pools National Park in the lower Zambezi Valley have died due to an anthrax outbreak over the past few weeks.Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo confirmed the death of elephants, hippos, buffaloes and kudus.
The most affected are Chikwenya and Sapi areas, which are located on the shoreline as well as islands near Mana Pools.
"Our Chinhoyi office has since confirmed the anthrax outbreak following the death of the animals in Mana Pools.
"The Authority engaged the Vet Offices who later collected samples from hippos for lab testing. The lab test confirmed that 88 hippopotamus died of anthrax," said Ms Washaya-Moyo.
The cause of the death of 45 Buffaloes, 30 elephants and two Kudus, she said, was yet to be established but starvation or anthrax was suspected. Ms Washaya-Moyo said the situation was under control. Read More
