5.3 Magnitude Earthquake RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN - 21st May 2012

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake has struck the Ryukyu Islands, Japan at a depth of 84.2 km (52.3 miles), the quake hit at 03:18:44 UTC Monday 21st May 2012
The epicenter was 111 km (68 miles) NNW of Naha, Okinawa, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 21st May 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 28.1 km (17.5 miles), the quake hit at 01:11:56 UTC Monday 21st May 2012
The epicenter was 225 km (139 miles) East of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 21st May 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 37.2 km (23.1 miles), the quake hit at 01:03:18 UTC Monday 21st May 2012
The epicenter was 252 km (156 miles) East of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 21st May 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 33.4 km (20.8 miles), the quake hit at 00:46:15 UTC Monday 21st May 2012
The epicenter was 198 km (123 miles) East of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ITALY - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck Northern Italy at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 23:04:28 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 3 km (1.6 miles) Southwest of Castelmassa, Italy

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck the Fiji Region at a depth of 591.2 km (367.4 miles), the quake hit at 22:45:24 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 30 km (18.6 miles) Southwest of Ndoi Island, Fiji
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 30.4 km (18.9 miles), the quake hit at 22:21:03 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 207 km (128 miles) ESE of Hachinohe, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck near the North Coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea at a depth of 21.1 km (13.1 miles), the quake hit at 22:15:45 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 50 km (31 miles) Northeast of Wewak, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 25.1 km (15.6 miles), the quake hit at 22:14:44 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 200 km (134 miles) East of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake VANUATU - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has struck Vanuatu at a depth of 47.6 km (29.6 miles), the quake hit at 21:15:18 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 56 km (34 miles) NNE of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck Antofagasta, Chile at a depth of 100.1 km (62.2 miles), the quake hit at 20:39:54 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 73 km (45 miles) ENE of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Robin Gibb Dies Aged 62

Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb has died following a lengthy battle with cancer.

In a statement, Gibb's family said they were announcing his death with "great sadness".

Gibb, who had undergone intestinal surgery, notched up dozens of hits with brothers Maurice and Barry - as performers and writers - and sold more than 200 million records. Read More

'Ring Of Fire' Eclipse Watched by Millions

Millions of Asians have watched transfixed as a rare "ring of fire" eclipse crossed their skies early on Monday.

The annular eclipse, when the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, was visible to wide areas across the continent.

It will move across the Pacific and also be visible in parts of the western United States.

In Japan, "eclipse tours" were arranged at schools and parks, on pleasure boats and even private planes.

Similar events were held in China and Taiwan as well, with skywatchers warned to protect their eyes.

The eclipse was broadcast live on TV in Tokyo, where such an eclipse has not been visible since 1839. Read More

D-FOX: Please contact us if you can read this.

To D-fox: if you're reading this, please contact us at thecomingcrisis@gmail.com. It's important -- we believe.

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ITALY - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck Northern Italy at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the quake hit at 17:37:14 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 4 km (2.4 miles) Northeast of Finale Emilia, Italy

Euro zone row gets fat pay rise for German workers

(Reuters) - A record-breaking pay deal will give millions of German workers their biggest rise in wages in two decades, boost consumption in Europe's biggest economy and help towards adjusting the regional imbalances that have caused severe tensions within the euro zone, analysts said on Sunday.

Germany's largest industrial union IG Metall agreed to a 4.3-percent pay rise from employers just before dawn on Saturday -- giving the 3.6 million car and engineering industry workers their biggest wage increase since a 5.4 percent deal in 1992.

The eye-catching 4.3 percent increase in the headline number will cover the 12 months from May 1 to April 30, 2013, union officials said. The agreement that ends a series of disruptive strikes takes effect from April 1, 2012 but will encompass a 13-month period. Workers will get no raise for April 2012.

The highest wage increase in two decades was agreed after German political leaders broke a long-standing, self-imposed taboo of staying out of wage talks and instead repeatedly called for strong pay rises. Read More

Lebanese forces kill two Syrian opposition members

May 20 - Residents in North Lebanon block roads to protest the killing of two Syrian opposition members. Deborah Gembara reports

21 dead in Yemen al-Qaeda clashes

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Fierce clashes between government troops and al Qaeda fighters Sunday morning in Yemen left 21 people dead, two local security officials told CNN.

The officials said clashes erupted when hundreds of troops attempted to sweep through areas around the district of Jaar, the main stronghold for al Qaeda in the southern province of Abyan.

Al Qaeda fighters fought back, kicking off clashes that continued for nine hours, the officials said. Fourteen militants and seven troops were killed in the fighting, they said.

Residents of Jaar told CNN that al Qaeda fighters were seen entering from neighboring districts Sunday after the government warned of a raid.

The residents said Yemen's air force attacked targets being used by al Qaeda as weapon storage sites.

"A deadline was given to al Qaeda in Jaar to surrender," a senior security official in Abyan told CNN on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to talk to media. Read More

Solar Eclipse In Western U.S. Tonight, Next one won't Happen in the U.S. until 2023

NATO: 'No Rush For The Exits In Afghan Handover'

The head of Nato has said "there will be no rush for the exits" as world leaders try to negotiate an endgame for Western forces in Afghanistan.

More than 60 world leaders are discussing Afghanistan's post-war future - from funding for security forces to upcoming elections - at a summit of the defence alliance hosted by President Barack Obama in Chicago.

But just like discussions at the G8 summit in Camp David, financial constraints are likely to dominate the search for answers.

Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance remains committed to Afghanistan.

"There will be no rush for the exits. Our goal, our strategy, our timetable remains unchanged," he said. Read More

Slab City, California, USA: Living without Laws

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SIMEULUE, INDONESIA - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck Simeulue, Indonesia at a depth of 31.1 km (19.3 miles), the quake hit at 16:11:35 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 315 km (195 miles) Southwest of Langsa, Sumatra, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

The Prime Minister says he wants a stable eurozone. It is complete nonsense

VIDEO OF EUROPE'S ECONOMY AND THE EU 2012



David Cameron has been calling on those of our European partners who have the misfortune to have the euro to do what it takes to establish a ‘stable, successful eurozone’ – warning that otherwise ‘we are in uncharted territory which carries huge risks for everybody’.

I fully understand why he felt obliged to say that. Even though, fortunately, the United Kingdom is not part of the eurozone, the issue is of such importance that he could scarcely remain silent.

And had he spoken and not expressed the desire to see the eurozone ‘succeed’ he would have been held at least partially responsible for its failure.

But it is, of course, complete nonsense. A successful eurozone is an impossibility. European Monetary Union, to give it its full name, was doomed from the start. The disaster which we see unfolding today, most acutely in Greece but increasingly elsewhere in the eurozone, too, was not only predictable but predicted. Read More

Why defeat an evil empire – and then embrace a stupid one?

The European Union is like a hospital where all the doctors are mad. It doesn’t matter what is wrong, the treatment is always the same – more integration – and it is always wrong. The best thing to do is never to enter it.

Once you are in, the best thing to do is to leave. If you can’t get out, you will probably die.

Those of us who pay attention to history, politics and truth have known this for many years.

But as the EU’s ‘experts’ and ‘technocrats’ insanely destroy the economies of Greece, Spain and Italy, it must now surely be obvious to everyone.

The EU, far from being a bright future, offers nothing but bankruptcy and decline.

If the old USSR was an Evil Empire – and it was – the EU is the Stupid Empire. Obsessed with the idea that the nation state is obsolete, the EU has sought to bind its colonies tightly, while pretending they are still independent.

This is why what is essentially a modern German empire is not held together by armies, but by a sticky web of regulations and a currency that destroys prosperity wherever it is introduced (with one important exception, Germany itself, for whom the euro means cheap exports to Asia).

It is also why it has been built backwards, starting with the roof and ending with the foundations. Old-fashioned empires were at least honest. Read More

Thomas, Walter and Raymond's land-bound Noah's Ark

Having been built, according to the Bible, thousands of years ago, Noah's Ark has only ever existed in peoples' imaginations.

But now a group of architects who pondered what the Biblical vessel looked like have turned their dreams into reality by constructing a Noah's Ark replica, complete with animals.

Thomas, Walter and Raymond's land-bound Ark certainly has dimensions on a Biblical scale, measuring a massive 450ft long and 75ft wide.

And the imaginative trio even attempted to give the giant boat an air of authenticity by placing 67 pairs of animals at the entrance, just like the pairs of creatures saved from the Great Flood by Noah in the Bible tale.

The creationist-inspired vessel forms part of a theme park near Hong Kong which was inspired by a young girl's scrawled drawing of the mammoth boat. Read More

British nuclear submarine sent to Falklands in show of strength as tensions rise ahead of 30th anniversary of conflict

A fearsome Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine is on its way to the Falklands as tensions simmer on the 30th anniversary of Britain's war with Argentina.

HMS Talent, armed with Tomahawk missiles, was despatched in a show of power after Argentina increased friction over the disputed islands with a host of inflammatory stunts.

The Trafalgar-class 'hunter-killer' vessel arrived in secrecy at a port in South Africa this week. Read More

Mikhail Kravchenko, Princess Michael's Russian playboy friend shot dead in 'contract murder': Tycoon's bullet-riddled body found in Mercedes in Moscow

Princess Michael's Russian friend once dubbed her 'toyboy' was shot and killed near Moscow early today in what appears to be a brutal contract murder.

Mikhail Kravchenko, a 46-year-old furniture company tycoon, caused a royal scandal after he and the princess were photographed holding hands and staring lovingly into each other's eyes as they wandered round Venice during a four day holiday in April 2006.

His bullet-riddled body was found in his Mercedes car at the elite Peredelkino country house neighbourhood close to the Russian capital.

At the time, the princess denied an affair, though many believed the photographs suggested otherwise.

The pictures, originally in the News of the World, raised significant doubts about the state of her royal marriage to Prince Michael of Kent.

'The body of a man with a gunshot wounds was found at a Mercedes in the Peredelkino neighbourhood,' said a police source.

Russian news agency Itar-Tass another other sources reported the victim was millionaire Kravchenko. Read More

G8 leaders Cameron, Obama and Merkel relax by watching Chelsea victory (but aren't they supposed to be saving the economy?)

Source

Facebook set to lift ban on under-13s joining social network site....And yet again Money is More Important than Safety of our Children

Facebook looks set to relax a ban on children using its site in a move that could see millions more sign up.

A senior employee of the company said the decision to lift the restriction could come about after admitting a large number of under 13-year-olds join up anyway.

The announcement follows Facebook's floatation on the stock market for a price of $38 a share - a valuation that puts the company's worth at over $100billion.

If the decision to lift the ban is implemented, a flood of new users are likely to sign up to the site. Read More

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake has struck the Fiji Region at a depth of 407.8 km (253.4 miles), the quake hit at 14:34:47 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 107 km (66 miles) SSE of Sigave, Ile Futuna, Wallis and Futuna
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Aimee Copeland loses hands, remaining foot to flesh-eating bug

Doctors' attempts to combat rare, aggressive bacteria that have infected a University of West Georgia graduate student have suffered a further setback: 24-year-old Aimee Copeland's remaining foot and both her hands were amputated, according to a blog on the school's website.

Prior to the surgery, a website posting by Copeland's friend and fellow psychology student, Ken Lewis, explained the reason: "Aimee's fingers and remaining foot will have to be amputated because of dead blood vessels, not because of necrotizing fasciitis," he wrote.

Surgeons had already amputated a leg and cut out soft tissue from her torso.

On a Facebook page dedicated to his daughter's recovery, Andy Copeland describes speaking with the surgeons before the latest amputations.

"The hands were endangering Aimee's progress," he writes. "As always, my decision was simple. Do whatever it takes to give us the best chance to save Aimee's life." more

Syria UN envoy: Terrorists creating buffer zone in Lebanon

Angry Italians protest after bomb blast kills teenager

'US, UK remain silent on Bahrain crimes'

Inside Syria: An opposition divided

Grexit looms while G8 pushes for stay

Italian Earthquake Destruction

Thousands Evacuated From Italy Quake Zone

Some 3,000 people have reportedly been evacuated from an earthquake zone in northern Italy, after a tremor and powerful aftershocks killed six people.

At least 50 others were injured after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near Bologna.

It hit shortly after 4am local time, felling homes and causing damage to several historic buildings in the area. Thousands of people fled into the streets.

According to Italian media reports, four of the fatalities were workers on night shifts.

Three people were reported to have been killed when the steel roof of a ceramics factory collapsed in the town of Sant'Agostino di Ferrara.

Another person was killed at a polyester factory in Ponte Rodoni do Bondeno. Read More

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake NORTHERN ITALY - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck Northern Italy at a depth of 10.6 km (6.6 miles), the quake hit at 13:18:03 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 30 km (18 miles) NNW of Bologna, Italy

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck off the East Coast of Honshu, Japan at a depth of 17 km (10.6 miles), the quake hit at 12:54:47 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 263 km (163 miles) East of Morioka, Honshu, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake JAVA, INDONESIA - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck Java, Indonesia at a depth of 53.5 km (33.2 miles), the quake hit at 12:37:42 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 97 km (60 miles) SSW of Tasikmalaya, Java, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SAMAR, PHILIPPINES - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck Samar, Philippines at a depth of 94.6 km (58.8 miles), the quake hit at 12:36:06 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 28 km (17 miles) East of Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Bomb explodes near UN observers' chief in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria – A roadside bomb has exploded in a restive suburb of the Syrian capital as the chief of the U.N. observers was visiting.

No casualties were reported from Sunday's blast in Douma, which damaged a parked Toyota pickup car. It was not immediately clear what the bomb's target was.

Maj. Gen. Robert Mood and a team of observers and journalists were some 150 meters (500 feet) away when the blast went off, blowing off the front of the vehicle.

A U.N. observer team with more than 200 members now on the ground has done little to quell the bloodshed in Syria, and some monitors have even been caught up in the violence themselves. Read More

Megrahi Is Dead

'Convicted Lockerbie Bomber Megrahi Is Dead'

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the only person convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing above Scotland which killed 270 people, has died at home in Libya, his brother has told news agencies.

Megrahi, 59, was convicted by a special court in the Netherlands in 2001.

He was released from prison in Scotland in 2009 on compassionate grounds. He was suffering from cancer and was said to have only months to live.

When he returned to the Libyan capital, he received a hero's welcome.

Shortly before being freed, Megrahi dropped his second appeal against his conviction.

His release sparked the fury of many of the relatives of the victims of the Lockerbie disaster.

Died at home

His brother Abdulhakim said on Sunday that Megrahi's health had deteriorated quickly and he died at home in Tripoli.

He told the AFP news agency that Megrahi died at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT). Read More

'Fang-Toothed Big Cat' Remains Found In Cullen, Scotland

A shocked dog walker spoke of his horror on Friday after finding the remains of a 'fang-toothed big cat' at a beauty spot.

John Robertson, 50, was walking his two dogs along a rural path when he found the remains of the beast - the size of a large dog - with huge white teeth.

And to his horror just metres away from the rotting corpse were the remains of its last meal - half a dozen mauled seagulls.

John said: "I was walking my two dogs when we came across all these dead birds scattered about everywhere.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. I have never seen so many dead birds in one area. They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground.

"Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat. It looks like it's feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died."

John, of Drybridge, Morayshire, made the discovery during a walk in Cullen with his wife Pauline on Monday.

But despite it's long 18-inch tail and its frightening sharp teeth, John reckons it is a cub. Read More

Panther found dead near Immokalee

Wildlife officials found the body of a 3-year-old male Florida panther Friday in rural Collier County — the tenth panther death of the year in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Officials said the panther appeared to have died from injuries caused by fighting another panther. They discovered the body about a mile northwest of the intersection of Immokalee Road and County Line Road, near Immokalee, during a routine flight while monitoring panthers.

The panther's body will be taken to the FWC Wildlife Research Lab in Gainesville for a complete necropsy. Its remains also will be archived in Gainesville at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Source

Norwegian Fish Farm Giant's Stocks Tumble on News of Clayoquot Infectious Disease Outbreak

Canada's beleaguered salmon farming industry is battling a full-blown disease crisis - on both coasts. Dead farmed salmon - so-called 'morts' - are piling up on the Eastern and Western coast of Canada as infectious diseases kill hundreds of thousands of fish.

Photos taken yesterday (18 May) in Tofino, British Columbia, show mort bins (called 'totes') waiting to offload any dead and diseased farmed salmon.

Biosecurity measures were in place with security guards blocking the entrance and staff hosing down the facility.

Over half a million farmed salmon (560,000) are being destroyed in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve following an outbreak of the deadly Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis (IHN) at a salmon farm operated by Mainstream Canada (a subsidiary of the Norwegian Government-owned company Cermaq).

"B.C.'s salmon farming industry is on high alert after the discovery of a lethal fish virus at one farm on the west coast of Vancouver Island," reported CBC News (17 May).

"The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has quarantined the farm at Dixon Bay, north of Tofino. Mainstream Canada, which runs the operation, says it will destroy its entire stock of 560,000 one-kilo-sized salmon, to prevent the disease from spreading." Read More

Philadelphia Residents Raise Health Concerns Following Recent Sightings Of Dead Rats

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Residents in the Lawndale section of Northeast Philadelphia are wondering what type of poison the city is using to kill massive rats that are turning up dead on their street.

On a pristine, tree-lined street, Robert O’Brien says the size of the dead rats that he and his neighbors are scooping up is unbelievable and he has a lot of questions.

“The big concerns are, we have a lot of kids and a lot of animals around — people walking their dogs. Is it safe? I mean, is my dog going to bite something? Where are these traps? Are they toxic to just the rodents or can it affect my dog? Is it something the kids can touch?”

The rats are apparently coming in from a storm drain at the intersection of Oakley and Martins Mill roads, an issue Robert admits the city has addressed with poison but he wants more disclosure. Read More

Guatemala's Fuego volcano belches ash, lava

AP: GUATEMALA CITY — The Fuego volcano in central Guatemala has begun shooting lava and columns of ash into the air, and authorities have raised the alert level in the area.

The volcano overlooks the tourist city of Antigua and is one of Central America's most-active volcanoes.

Guatemala's National Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology Institute said in a statement Saturday that Fuego shot ash 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) into the air. Lava flows reached up to 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) in length.

David de Leon, spokesman for the national disaster agency, said authorities have raised the alert level because Fuego is in an effusive stage. The measure involves closing nearby highways, installing monitoring stations and readying emergency workers.

De Leon said while no evacuations have been ordered, there might be if Fuego's activity increases. Source

Exclusion zone around energy park after blaze in gas storage facility

A 650ft (200-metre) exclusion zone has been placed around an energy park after a fire was spotted in a gas storage facility.

Firefighters from Tain and Invergordon were dispatched to the Nigg Energy Park, on the Cromarty Firth, after a fire was seen coming from a cage containing 50-litre gas cylinders.

The exclusion zone was enforced just before 9pm last night, and is expected to remain in force well into this morning.

The blaze has been extinguished, but fire service personnel are still working to cool down the cylinders.

The Nigg fabrication plant was once a major facility for the North Sea oil and gas industry with the largest dry dock in Europe, but it has largely lain dormant for the past 10 years. Read More

Weidmann warns against raising Greek risk exposure

(Reuters) - Central banks in Europe should not increase their exposure to Greece due to the high level of political uncertainty there, Bundesbank president Jens Weidmann said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday.

"Indeed, I would not consider it to be right for the euro system to further increase its level of risk for Greece," Weidmann told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.

"Greek and European political leaders have to decide what happens next as quickly as possible," Weidmann said, referring to the uncertain situation after an inconclusive election result earlier this month plunged Greece into political disarray. Read More

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 20th May 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck the Fiji Region at a depth of 598.3 km (371.8 miles), the quake hit at 11:44:13 UTC Sunday 20th May 2012
The epicenter was 456 km (284 miles) West from Neiafu, Tonga
No Tsunami Warning Issued, No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Twitter Access DENIED: Pakistan Blocks Twitter Over 'Blasphemy'

Pakistan has blocked Twitter over "blasphemous material" on the social networking site.

"This has been done under the directions of the ministry of information technology. It's because of blasphemous content," said Mohammed Yaseen, chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

"They (the ministry) have been discussing with them (Twitter) for some time now requesting them to remove some particular content."

Mr Yasneen did not specify which users or messages had prompted the ban.

The Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan said its members had been asked to block Twitter indefinitely, but had not been given a reason by the government.

More to follow...

Russia forces kill two suspected militants in Dagestan raid

(Reuters) - Russian security forces killed two suspected militants in a gunfight at a private house in its restive North Caucasus province of Dagestan, Interfax reported on Sunday, quoting local authorities.

Police stormed the house in a village near Khasavyurt, a town about 80 km (50 miles) west of the provincial capital of Makhachkala. Two unidentified gunmen were killed in a shootout with security forces, a local law enforcement official said.

"They opened fire in response to calls for surrender," the official was quoted as saying.

More than a decade after federal troops toppled an Islamist government in Chechnya, also in the North Caucasus, security forces are fighting militants whose ranks are swollen by recruits angry over poverty, clan feuds and pervasive corruption.

Mainly Muslim Dagestan faces almost daily shootouts and bombings. Twin bombings earlier this month killed 12 and wounded more than 100 people near Makhachkala. Such attacks are widely seen as a sign that the Kremlin's efforts to curb insurgency have largely fallen short. Read More