UK 'Unprepared' For Key Security Threats

The UK is unprepared for key threats to national security, according to a committee of Lords and MPs.

In its first report published today, the National Security Strategy (NSS) committee says key oversights include a lack of a long-term strategy over Afghanistan.

It questions why Afghanistan is not featured as part of our National Security Risk Assessment.

The committee's chair Margaret Beckett told Sky News: "The committee was concerned from the beginning that Afghanistan didn't feature in the National Security Strategy, and we were told that was because it was a current issue and the National Security Strategy was for the longer term.

"But the committee felt quite strongly that even though a date is set for the withdrawal of British troops, that doesn't mean it will cease to be a matter of national security."

The committee, which includes the former head of MI5, Baroness Manningham-Buller, also suggests a strategy to deal with the eurozone crisis is needed as "a matter of urgency".

It says the collapse of the single currency is "a plausible scenario" which could lead to "domestic and social unrest" as well as a surge of economic migrants. Read More

What Recession?: Record Year For Billionaires

Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim has been named the world's richest person for the third year in a row with a fortune estimated at $69bn (£43.8bn).

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, 56, held on to second spot with a net worth of $61bn (£38.77bn) in Forbes' 25th anniversary issue of its world billionaire rankings.

He was followed by US investment guru and head of the Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate Warren Buffett, 81, with a net worth of $44bn (£27.96bn).

A record 1,226 billionaires made the list this year, up from 1,210 in 2011, with an average net worth of $3.7bn (£2.35bn).

They came from 58 countries, with most hailing from the US, followed by the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East and Africa.

There was plenty of movement on the list, with 128 billionaires entering for the first time and 117 dropping off. Read More

Reports: Top Assad Official Joins Syria Revolt

Syria's deputy oil minister has quit his post, saying he is joining the revolt against President Bashar al Assad's regime, according to reports.

Abdo Hussameddin made the announcement in a video posted by activists on YouTube.

He is the highest ranking civilian to desert Assad since the uprising began a year ago

"I, the engineer Abdo Hussameddin, the deputy oil minister... announce my defection from the regime and my resignation," he said in the video.

"I am joining the revolution of the people who reject injustice and the brutal campaign of the regime, which is seeking to crush the people's demand for freedom and dignity." Read More

Jose Santiago Attacked in Court, Charged with Killing his Girlfriend Jessica Rojas

A man charged with murdering his estranged girlfriend was attacked by two members of the victim's family as he walked into court.

Jose Santiago, accused of killing Jessica Rojas last week, entered the court in Springfield, Massachusetts, flanked by two security officials.

Before he could reach the dock, two of Ms Rojas' relatives lunged at him.

Video images showed some court officers pushing Santiago out of the courtroom, while others tackled his attackers.

The men were pinned to the ground, handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

The two men, Edwin Rojas, who is the victim's father, and Kenneth Soto are charged with assault and battery on a public employee. Source

Solar Flares Causes Biggest Solar Storm in 5 Years: NASA Warns it Could Disrupt power grids, GPS systems, satellites and airline flights

The biggest space weather storm in five years is heading towards Earth and could disrupt power grids, GPS systems, satellites and airline flights, Nasa has warned.

In a statement on its website, the US space agency said the storm was caused by two solar flares that erupted on Sunday.

Following the flares, two bursts of solar wind and plasma - known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) - were thrust towards Earth.

"The first is traveling faster than 1,300 miles per second; the second more than 1,100 miles per second," the statement added.

The brunt of the storm is expected to last until Friday.

A similar storm in January forced Delta airlines to divert flights across the polar regions.

"Space weather has gotten very interesting over the past 24 hours," said Joseph Kunches, a space weather scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read More

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU REGION - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck the Vanuatu Region at a depth of 13.1 km (8.1 miles), the quake hit at 03:51:34 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 159 km (98 miles) WSW of PORT-VILA, Efate, Vanuatu
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 55.8 km (34.7 miles), the quake hit at 03:23:29 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 83 km (51 miles) ENE of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake HAITI REGION - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck the Haiti Region at a depth of 4.9 km (3 miles), the quake hit at 02:51:32 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 37 km (22 miles) Southeast of PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN IRAN - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Southern Iran at a depth of 46.5 km (28.9 miles), the quake hit at 02:01:45 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 109 km (67 miles) ENE of Lar, Iran
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck Southern Xinjiang, China at a depth of 39.6 km (24.6 miles), the quake hit at 01:02:17 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 143 km (88 miles) WWNW of Hotan, Xinjiang, China
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Southeast of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan at a depth of 10.4 km (6.5 miles), the quake hit at 00:19:05 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 184 km (114 miles) South of Naha, Okinawa, Japan
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake SALTA, ARGENTINA - 8th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck Salta, Argentina at a depth of 168.4 km (104.6 miles), the quake hit at 00:01:03 UTC Thursday 8th March 2012
The epicenter was 73 km (45 miles) West of San Antonio de los Cobres, Salta, Argentina
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.9 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has struck Southeast of the Loyalty Islands at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 22:45:54 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 218 km (135 miles) ESE of Tadine, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake CERAM SEA, INDONESIA - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck the Ceram Sea, Indonesia at a depth of 46.8 km (29.1 miles), the quake hit at 22:29:00 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 170 km (105 miles) NNW of Ambon, Moluccas, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 40 km (24.8 miles), the quake hit at 20:27:12 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 146 km (90.5 miles) Northeast of Miyako, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck near the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 51 km (31.6 miles), the quake hit at 18:50:56 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 5 km (3.1 miles) North of Mitsukaido, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Reports: Syria's deputy oil minister, Top Assad Official, Joins Syria Revolt

Syria's deputy oil minister has defected, becoming the highest ranking official of Bashar al Assad's regime to quit, according to Reuters.

Abdo Hussameddin made the announcement in a video posted by activists on YouTube.

"I, the engineer Abdo Hussameddin, the deputy oil minister ... announce my defection from the regime and my resignation," he said in the video.

"I am joining the revolution of the people who reject injustice and the brutal campaign of the regime, which is seeking to crush the people's demand for freedom and dignity."

The news comes as UN humanitarian chief Baroness Valerie Amos and a Syrian Red Crescent team of aid workers were allowed into the devastated Baba Amr district of Homs.

Baroness Amos went to the district as part of a three-day mission to try to persuade Syrian authorities to grant full access to aid workers into the towns and cities affected by fighting so they can deliver life-saving assistance to civilians. more

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Third bird flu patient of the year recovers, leaves Vietnam hospital

Vietnam’s third bird flu (H5N1) patient of this year was discharged Tuesday after being treated for nine days in a Ho Chi Minh City hospital.

A Tuoi Tre newspaper report quoted a doctor as saying that Truong Phu Son, 22, was no longer in a critical condition.

He is now in stable health, said Dr. Nguyen Thanh Truong, chief of the Contagious Diseases Ward at the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

However, he still needs weekly check-ups, since damage caused to lungs by H5N1 virus-related pneumonia cannot be fully healed, Truong said.

Truong also said Son’s case was as critical as cases recorded in 2003 when bird flu first broke out in Vietnam. Without timely and intensive treatment he could have not been able to recover, he added. Read More

Bird Flu Claims 5th Person in Indonesia

Jakarta, Mar 7 (Prensa Latina) A 24-year-old Indonesian woman died of avian flu caused by the H5N1 virus, bringing the total number of deaths by the disease to five, the Ministry of Health reported in this capital on Wednesday.

According to the expert in infectious diseases, Rita Kusriastuti, the deceased woman lived in the northeastern island of Sumatra, where she raised ducks and chickens, even inside her home.

The other patients died in the capital and on the island of Bali in January and February.

The Indonesian archipelago is the most affected in the world by the avian flu virus, reporting 155 deaths among 186 cases between 2003 and 2012, according to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Since early this year, cases of human infection with avian flue were reported in China, Cambodia and Vietnam. Source

Dolphins 'dying in record numbers'

Dolphins have been found either dead or dying in record-breaking numbers in the Atlantic Ocean, off the United States. Source

More dolphin strandings reported on Cape, but experts say rate has declined since mass stranding event

Three dolphins stranded themselves Tuesday on the beaches of Cape Cod, an animal welfare group said today. The group was able to rescue and release two of the marine mammals, but they had to euthanize the third.

Six dolphins also came ashore in Eastham last week. Two of the six died, but the International Fund for Animal Welfare was able to treat and release the remaining four, spokesman Michael Booth said.

The latest strandings come after a monthlong mass stranding event, from Jan. 12 to Feb. 14, that saw at least 179 dolphins beach themselves on the roughly 25-mile stretch of coast between Dennis and Wellfleet. Of the dolphins that stranded, 71 were alive when they were found. The group was able to successfully release 53 of those dolphins back into deeper waters.

The group marshaled an army of volunteers to respond to what was termed the largest single-species stranding event ever reported in the Northeast. The group assessed the condition of the animals, took blood samples, provided necessary medical treatment, and, whenever possible, released them into deeper waters.

“We run a lot of tests,” Booth said in January. “We draw blood from these dolphins, we do an auditory examination to make sure their hearing is fine, take measurements. ... We note down everything.” Read More

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHWESTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Southwestern Siberia, Russia at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles Poorly Constrained), the quake hit at 17:15:23 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 49 km (30.4 miles) East of Saryg-sep, Russia
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Second case of rabies confirmed in Oneida County‎

Two cases of rabies have been confirmed in Oneida County recently and health officials are blaming the weather.

The winter’s mild temperatures and lack of snow has allowed animals, who typically would have hibernated or been dormant, to roam around because of how easy it’s been to find food, increasing the chances humans and pets will come in contact with animals that may be infected with the rabies virus, Ken Fanelli, Oneida County Health Department Public Information Officer says.

A second case of rabies was recently confirmed in Augusta, a town about six miles from Munnsville, where a rabid raccoon entered a barn and attacked and killed the family’s cat on Feb. 26. Other animals housed in the barn were not bitten and no humans were exposed.

The first case, on Valentine’s Day, exposed three teens and lead to the treatment of two of them. Health officials say in that case, a 17-year-old Camden teen found a raccoon on the side of the road in distress and brought it home in attempt to nurse it back to heath. He and a friend were subsequently bitten by the animal and when it began to show overt signs of illness, it was killed and skinned. Read More

El Hierro: Undersea Eruption Emergency Ends in Spanish Island

Madrid, Mar 6 (Prensa Latina) The authorities in the Canary Islands decreed on Tuesday the end of the emergency phase in the underwater volcano eruption area started in October last year at El Hierro Island, as informed by head of the Volcano Risk Civil Protection Plan in the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA), Javier Gonzalez.

He said the red alert in La Restinga fishing town was changed to yellow (pre-emergency) now.

The decision was announced a day after the scientific committee of PEVOLCA proclaimed the end of the volcano eruption registered in Las Calmas Sea, south of El Hierro Island.

Experts consider that though there is still some seismic activity, the eruptive phenomenon has concluded, six months after its start.

According to Carmen Lopez, from the National Geography Institute, the eruption phase has ended because no evidence of gasification or emission of material to the surface has been registered, in relation to the eruptive process started in October.

"We are still registering seismic activity, an indicator that the volcanic process is still on," she added.

According to the latest data registered in the area, the main cone of the undersea eruption is 288 feet from the surface. Read More

Greece could default within hours

So this is it. After three years of high drama, the European Union is staring at its first ever sovereign default. And ironically, unlike every other deadline so far, this one looks set to happen precisely on time.

At 8pm GMT on Thursday, the authorities will know - or have a very good idea - how many of Greece's international creditors have accepted its €206bn (£172bn) bond-swap offer. The results will probably take a few days to come out - Athens has to put its decisions through Brussels' sluggish decision-making processes. But this time it isn't up to the politicians so the possible outcomes are clearer:

A miracle: 95pc of Greek bondholders accept deal allowing a purely "voluntary" restructuring to go ahead

Athens is desperate to secure a "voluntary" agreement from bondholders - crucial to protecting its word and reputation in international markets, as well as avoiding a dreaded "disorderly" default. Both the hurdle and the deal - creditors are being asked to swap their bonds for new ones worth around a third of the value - are tough. Read More

Afghanistan: 'Very large' Taliban bomb killed soldiers

Initial assessments of the explosion which killed six British soldiers in southern Afghanistan suggest it was a "very large Taliban bomb".

Five from 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment and one from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment had been on patrol in Kandahar province on Tuesday. Their families have been told.

The remains of the bodies have now been returned to Camp Bastion in Helmand.

It is the biggest single loss of UK life in Afghanistan since 2006.

Fourteen service personnel were killed in a Nimrod crash in that previous incident.

The number of British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2001 is now 404. Read More

US weighs 'non-lethal' aid to Syria's rebels

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday the United States is looking at delivering radios or other non-lethal aid to Syria's rebel forces but warned of the risks of military action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime without international consensus or a unified opposition.

While outraged at the killing of civilians in Syria, the US government is opposed to taking "unilateral" military action and favors pursuing diplomacy to force Assad to step down, Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Asked by Senator Richard Blumenthal if the United States was ready to deliver communications equipment to Syrian rebels, Panetta said: "I'd prefer to discuss that in a closed session but I can tell you that we're considering an array of non-lethal assistance."

His answer marked the first time President Barack Obama's administration had suggested it was ready to provide direct assistance to Syria's rebels, who are badly outgunned by the regime's tanks and artillery.

The Pentagon chief condemned the Syrian regime's violent crackdown but expressed caution about military intervention, citing a lack of international consensus, a deeply divided resistance and the risk of fueling a civil war. Read More

19-Year-Old Orlando Man Bitten By Shark In Brevard County‎

TITUSVILLE, Florida - A 19-year-old Orlando man suffered minor injuries after suffering an apparent shark bite while kitesurfing with friends at Playalinda Beach in northern Brevard County this afternoon.

Brevard County Fire Rescue paramedics responded to the beach at 1:15 p.m. and found the 19-year-old male patient with wounds to the left foot. Paramedics report that the teen was in good spirits and being attended by National Seashores staff members.

The patient told rescuers that he was kitesurfing and as his foot entered the water, he felt pain. It is still unclear whether the shark bit the victim or if his injuries were caused by some other part of the animal.

The victim, whose name is not available, was transported in stable condition to Parrish Medical Center in Titusville for further evaluation and treatment.

As reported by Brevard Times the last few days in its Cocoa Beach Surf and Fishing Report, small sharks have been taking anglers' bait more often than keep fish while surf fishing. Read More

Jan Lisewski a Kitesurfer survives 11 shark attacks in the Red Sea

Jan Lisewski has survived several shark attacks during his attempt to cross the the Red Sea, from El Gouna to Duba.

The 42-year old kitesurfer was stuck in the water for 48 hours and had to fend off the giant Red Sea sharks with a knife. Lisewski survived on energy bars, but the time out in the sea was painful.

Everyhting started when ocean winds halted his journey and left him stranded. The Polish kiteboarder sent an SOS signal, but the Saudi Arabian Coast Guard only found him 40 hours after.

Jan Lisewski ran out of mineral water in the first night. He slept on his turned kite. Then, the veteran kitesurfer He spotted a fisherman's ship and managed to fire a safety rocket, but nothing happened.

"They must've not seen it," Lisewski told media. In the second night, the survivor drifted to a reef and was attacked by 11 sharks. Jan thinks they were attracted by the color of his kite.

"I was stabbing them in the eyes, the nose and gills," Lisewski explained. Fortunately, everything went well. Aside from exhaustion and dehydration, Lisewski suffered no injuries. Read More

Peter Garrett Attacked by a Shark, New Zealand

A middle-aged man attacked by a shark off the Taranaki coast just on dusk last night was patched up by a couple of vets before heading off to see a doctor.

Peter Garrett, a New Zealander who has lived in Ireland for the past 15 years, was surfing 100m offshore at the Arawhata Rd surf break a few kilometres north of Opunake when he was mauled about 7pm.

Mr Garrett, home on a three-month holiday, suffered 10 lacerations, about 2cm deep, but was able to paddle clear.

Matt Thomas and James Bruce, who work as vets in Manaia and Eltham respectively, were surfing nearby when they saw and heard Mr Garrett panicking.

"I heard him shrieking, he was freaking out and thrashing around," Mr Bruce said. "He kind of kicked it off him and went in on the next couple of waves and went straight for the rocks."

The men followed Mr Garrett ashore when the shark turned its attention toward them.

"We came in when it started circling us," Mr Thomas said. "It nudged my mate Brucey and tried to get his fins. Then I was like, bugger this, I'm going in." Read More

Viral disease kills 150 birds at Jallo park‎, Pakistan

LAHORE: Punjab Wildlife Department Director General Syed Iftikhar Husain Shah told Dawn on Tuesday that some 150 birds had died so far at Jallo Wildlife Park due to a viral disease called newcastle.

Shah said the disease had no treatment, however, he had appointed three vets at Jallo Wildlife Park. A vet was already working at Jallo and two were transferred from Lahore Zoo and Lahore Zoo Safari. “We are trying our best to fight the disease,” Shah said.

The official said healthy birds had been separated from the affected ones and the Lahore region office director had been transferred to Jallo Wildlife Park.

On the other hand, an official at Jallo Wildlife Park said about 190 birds had been killed by the disease. The official said about 20 birds died on Tuesday alone. This disease hit the park around Feb 22, but it became severe from Feb 29, the official said.

Affected birds were being given supportive medicines, he added. Read More

Disaster Declared on Two Hawaiian Islands

LIHUE, Hawaii (AP) — Gov. Neil Abercrombie declared a disaster for Kauai and Oahu as the two islands battled the effects of heavy rains.

Citing damage to private and public property and a danger of further destruction, Abercrombie said signing the proclamation Tuesday allows activating civil defense and other emergency functions if necessary. It comes after Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. signed a disaster declaration for the county on Monday.

Relentless rain since Saturday caused flooding and a sewage spill on Kauai. On Tuesday, the island was dealing with tree-blocked roads, dangerous surf and closed schools. On Oahu, there were warnings of possible hail, lightning, rockslides and water-clogged roads. A brown water advisory was issued for Oahu after two manholes overflowed and wastewater flowed into the ocean.

The National Weather Service extended a flash flood warning for Kauai and Oahu until mid-afternoon, with further extensions likely. Also in effect were a high surf warning for the east shores of Kauai and high surf advisory for the north shore. Read More

Tropical storm Irina kills 65 in Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar - Tropical storm Irina has killed at least 65 people in Madagascar, mostly on the southeastern end of the island, according to reports Tuesday.

Tens of thousands in Madagascar are also homeless after the storm _ the second lethal one this year _ and three people are missing, according to authorities.

Infrastructure also was heavily damaged on the world's fourth largest island, located in the Indian Ocean off Africa's southeastern coast.

The storm also lashed the eastern coast of South Africa over the weekend causing damage to property and pounded Mozambique, where several people died.

Last month, another storm, Cyclone Giovanna, killed at least 36 people and left hundreds of thousands without proper shelter in Madagascar, which suffers from political instability and extreme poverty. Read More

Gemma McCluskie's Brother Tony arrested on Suspicion of Murder, After a Torso was dragged from the Canal, suspected to be that of Gemma McCluskie

The brother of former EastEnders star Gemma McCluskie has been arrested after a headless torso believed to be that of the missing actress was dragged from a canal in east London, Sky News understands.

Miss McCluskie's brother, Tony, was arrested at around 4.15am in Bethnal Green, east London, where he lives and where his sister was living until she disappeared last week, sources say.

Police have not yet confirmed the identity of the suspect, who remains in custody at an east London police station.

The woman's limbless body was discovered near to the Broadway Market stretch of Regent's Canal in Hackney at 2.40pm yesterday.

"Police were initially contacted by a member of the public who had noticed something suspicious floating in the water," the Met Police said in a statement.

"The torso was recovered by divers from the Met's Marine Support Unit and additional searches are due to be carried out in the water."

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: "The body was found without the head and limbs, and none of them have been found." Read More

Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Wednesday he would defend national unity “with force” if necessary,...Happy now?

TRIPOLI — Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Wednesday he would defend national unity “with force” if necessary, after tribal leaders and politicians declared autonomy for the eastern region of Cyrenaica.

“We are not prepared to divide Libya,” Abdel Jalil said as he called on leaders in Cyrenaica to engage in dialogue and warned them that there were remnants of the regime of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi in their ranks.

“They should know that there are infiltrators and remnants of Gaddafi’s regime trying to exploit them now and we are ready to deter them, even with force,” he said in televised remarks at a conference in Misrata held to unveil a draft national charter.

“The national charter contains provisions that protect this nation and it is like a constitution for Libya’s future,” Abdel Jalil said of the draft document, which was later posted online. Read More

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake IRAN-IRAQ BORDER REGION - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck the Iran-Iraq Border Region at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 16:57:13 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 23 km (14.2 miles) Southwest of Dehloran, Iran
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Indian Journalist Held Over Delhi Car Bomb Blast, NOT Iranian but he did allegedly work for a Iranian Paper.......You couldn't make it up if you tried

An Indian journalist has appeared in court over the bombing of an Israeli diplomatic car in New Delhi.

The strike - which Israel has accused Iran of orchestrating - injured four people, including an Israeli diplomat's wife.

Police arrested Syed Mohammed Kazmi on Tuesday after investigations showed he had been in touch with a suspect they believe may have stuck a magnetic bomb on the diplomat's car, police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said.

Reports said he was a Delhi-based freelance journalist who worked for an Iranian publication.

Officers searched the 50-year-old's house for two days to gather evidence that might link him to the February 13 attack, but gave no details of what they found. Read More

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 7th Mar 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck Java, Indonesia at a depth of just 59.6 km (37 miles), the quake hit at 15:33:53 UTC Wednesday 7th March 2012
The epicenter was 39 km (24 miles) WSW from Sukabumi, Java, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warnings Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time