4.5 Magnitude Earthquake KURIL ISLANDS - 5th July 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck the KURIL ISLANDS at a depth of 74 km (46 miles), the quake hit at 03:09:18 UTC Thursday 5th July 2012
The epicenter was 150 km (93 miles) SSW from Severo-Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands, Russia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Lost in space: Astronomers left baffled after cosmic dust orbiting star disappears

Of all the things to lose track of, a stretch of space dust measuring hundreds of millions of miles across is surely one of the biggest.

Scientists are at a loss as to how an enormous ring of space dust - which could make up planets like ours - has disappeared from view around a star 450 light years (six trillion miles) away from Earth.

Astronomers have monitored the star, with the decidedly un-catchy name of TYC 8241 2652, for 25 years before the glowing dust started to fade away over a period of two-and-a-half years.

Now, telescopic images have confirmed the almost total disappearance of the dust cloud, reported in the scientific journal Nature.

'So much dust orbiting so close to a young star implies that rocky planets similar to the terrestrial planets of our own solar system were in the process of forming around this star,' lead researcher Ben Zuckerman of the University of California said. Read More

UKBA 'Not Aware' Of Migrant Removal Figures

The UKBA is ordered to do more to establish how many of the 150,000 migrants refused permission to stay in the country have left.

At least 150,000 migrants have been refused permission to stay in the UK but the authorities do not know how many have left, a watchdog has said.

John Vine, chief inspector of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), said there is no clear strategy to find out what proportion of this growing number remain in the country illegally.

He also said tracking these absconders down and removing them from the country is not seen as a priority for the agency - and that there is no clear plan to ensure the cases do not just become another backlog to deal with.

"There are over 150,000 cases nationally of migrants who have been refused an extension of stay in the UK," he added.

"The agency does not know how many of these individuals have left the country or who are waiting to be removed. Read More

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake CRETE, GREECE - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has struck CRETE, GREECE at a depth of 35.4 km (22 miles), the quake hit at 23:46:35 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 46 km (28 miles) ESE of Palaikastron, Greece
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck the SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA at a depth of 97.9 km (60.8 miles), the quake hit at 23:39:18 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 0 km (0 miles) Northeast of Kalapadua, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE at a depth of 265 km (164.3 miles), the quake hit at 23:28:08 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 140 km (86.8 miles) Southeast of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE at a depth of 11.4 km (7.1 miles), the quake hit at 22:57:16 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 28 km (17 miles) Northwest of Lebu, Chile
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck the ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA at a depth of 52.3 km (32.5 miles), the quake hit at 22:13:51 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 40 km (24.8 miles) West of Amatignak Island, Alaska
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake has struck OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE at a depth of 23 km (14.2 miles), the quake hit at 22:06:59 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 37 km (22.9 miles) Northwest of Lebu, Chile
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake ANGUILLA REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS - 4th July 2012

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake has struck the ANGUILLA REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS at a depth of 88.4 km (54.9 miles), the quake hit at 21:29:25 UTC Wednesday 4th July 2012
The epicenter was 7 km (4.3 miles) ESE of Stoney Ground, Anguilla
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Head found in Montreal park belongs to Jun Lin

Montreal authorities have confirmed that a severed human head found in a city park over the weekend belongs to murdered Chinese student Jun Lin.

A tip led homicide investigators on Sunday to Angrignon Park, a vast green space in Montreal's south western region, where they found what appeared to be a human head, near a small lake.

Forensic testing on the remains concludes that "what was found is actually related to the 11th homicide on our territory — that is, the Magnotta case," said Montreal Const. Anie Lemieux.

Toronto-area native Luka Magnotta has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other alleged offences in Lin's death.

Lin was a Chinese national and Canadian resident who was a student at Montreal's Concordia University until he disappeared in late May.

His torso was found shortly after in a Montreal trash pile, while other body parts were shipped to the offices of Canadian federal political parties and Vancouver schools.

Lin's head remained missing until Sunday's grisly discovery. more

'US ships available for Iran missiles'-News Analysis-07-03-2012

US cover up in DR Congo: Why block information on war crimes?-Africa Today-07-03-2012

Olympic Games militarizing the UK

Cambodian children dying from mysterious illness

40 dead in Iraq bombings

Russian rope jumping: 133 people in record joint jump

'ACTA a fat cat law to screw the people'

4 year Old Girl rescued from well in China

A four-year-old girl has been rescued from a ten-metre-deep well in China's Xiaoyi City.
. Report by Sophie Foster

Mexico declares emergency over new bird flu outbreak‎

The Mexican government has declared a national animal health emergency in the wake of a new outbreak of bird flu that has affected some 1.7 million fowl, leaving around 870,000 dead.

“We have activated a national animal health emergency with the goal of diagnosing, preventing, controlling and eradicating the Type A, sub-type H7N3 bird flu virus,” the country’s agriculture ministry said.

The declaration implies that farmers would have to quarantine and slaughter the infected birds. Contaminated products are to be destroyed, while unaffected poultry are to be vaccinated.

It is unclear how many of the 870,000 dead birds were culled by farmers or killed by the virus.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization also confirmed the outbreak of the epidemic.

The H7N3 virus was detected in the western state of Jalisco, Mexico’s largest chicken-farming region, which produces 11 per cent of the country’s poultry meat and 50 per cent of its eggs. Read More

H5N1 outbreak in Xinjiang, China

The OIE has reported that HPAI has been flagged in the western province of Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China. The outbreak took place on a farm, and approximately 155,000 birds of the 156,440 susceptible cases have been destroyed.

Dr Zhang Zhongqui, director general of the China Animal Disease Control Centre, aligned with the Veterinary Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture reported the outbreak to the World Organisation of Animal Health on 2 July 2012 a reoccurrence of HPAI.

The outbreak has not been resolved, and standard quarantine measures are being carried out. Some 116,327 Xinjiang birds have been vaccinated in response to the outbreak.

The Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, China’s national reference laboratory for avian influenza has isolated the virus, has identified the serotype as H5N1 through . Source

Graeme Jarman is sentenced to life with a minimum 35-year term for killing pensioner Judith Richardson

A self-confessed "psychopath" was today jailed for life with a minimum term of 35 years after he was found guilty of bludgeoning a pensioner to death with a hammer.

Graeme Jarman struck Judith Richardson, 77, at least 30 times after forcing his way into her flat in Hexham, Northumberland.

Jarman, who consistently denied murder during his trial at Newcastle Crown Court, fled the scene with Miss Richardson's handbag, sparking a major manhunt before he was arrested in Filey, North Yorkshire, a fortnight later.

He was convicted by a 11-1 majority by the jury, which began it deliberations on Tuesday.

Jarman showed no emotion as the jury foreman delivered the verdict, reached after seven hours of deliberation.

Judge Mr Justice Openshaw said the defendant clearly "presents an extreme danger to women" and may never be released from jail.

He added that Jarman "has shown not the slightest regret or remorse" after taking the life of "an entirely decent, respectful member of the community".

The judge said: "He must have struck the first blow with the hammer almost as soon as he entered the flat.

"She suffered truly appalling injuries with her skull fractured by the blows.

"The violence used was extreme." Read More

Heavy rain forces 25000 to evacuate in SW Japan

OSAKA - About 25,000 people were forced to evacuate homes in Japan's Kyushu island Wednesday due to threats of landslides or flooding caused by heavy rainfall that continued from Tuesday morning, local press said.

According to Japan's public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai, a total of 16,800 people in the city of Hita in Oita Prefecture were urged on Wednesday morning to leave home due to rising water levels of nearby rivers.

The city ordered the residents to evacuate from their homes the previous day and decided to take the similar measure Wednesday because of the continuous rainfall brought by a seasonal rain front.

Meanwhile, in Fukuoka Prefecture, more than 7,600 residents were advised to evacuate in the city of Asakura where landslide hit some houses in the previous day.

In Saga Prefecture, a car fell into a swelling canal on Wednesday morning. The driver of the car was rescued but remained in critical condition. Read More

Bangkok refinery closed after explosion and fire‎

An explosion at an oil refinery in an industrial area of Bangkok has sparked a massive fire, sending a thick column of smoke into the air that could be seen across the Thai capital.

There were no reported injuries in the blast and subsequent fire, which prompted the government to close the 120,000 barrels-a-day refinery for at least 30 days.

Early investigations by operator Bangchak Petroleum suggested the blast was caused by an oil or gas leak, according to the company's president Anusorn Sangnimnuan.

"There are no injuries. We assume oil or gas leaked out and somehow it caught fire," he said.

"I don't think the cause was human error, it was caused by equipment."

Emergency services said there had been no casualties, but Bangkok authorities distributed masks to thousands of nearby residents to prevent smoke inhalation.

Responding to the blast, Industry Minister Pongsawat Sawadiwat said the refinery will be shut for at least a month. Read More

Saudis are buying nuclear-capable missiles from China

debkafile’s military sources report that Saudi Arabia has set its feet on the path to a nuclear weapon capability and is negotiating in Beijng the purchase of Chinese nuclear-capable Dong-Fen 21 ((NATO-codenamed CSS-5) ballistic missile.

China, which has agreed to the transaction in principle, would also build a base of operations near Riyadh for the new Saudi purchases.

As we reported last year, Saudi Arabia has struck a deal with Pakistan for the availability on demand of a nuclear warhead from Islamabad’s arsenal for fitting onto a ballistic missile.

Riyadh owns a direct interest in the two most active Middle East issues: Iran and Syria.
Iran’s nuclear weapons program has been advancing for two decades regardless of countless attempts at restraint by every diplomatic tool under the sun and a rising scale of sanctions – to no avail.

Tehran marches on regardless of impediments. In Istanbul, Tuesday, July 3, the six powers and Iran failed the fourth attempt to reach an accommodation on Iran’s nuclear program. more

Manitoba highway Closed following Landslide, Canada

Manitoba has closed a section of a highway near the Saskatchewan border after a large section of the road collapsed.

Highway 83, near Asessippi Provincial Park about 200 kilometres northwest of Brandon, collapsed Sunday, leaving a hole that's nearly four metres deep, according to witnesses.

Crews had been working to fix problems with the highway for several days when a large section of road collapsed on Sunday, according Rick Goraluk, a councillor in nearby Shellmouth.

"It's quite a mess," said Goraluk, who also operates Asessippi Beach & Campground nearby. "It looks like something you see after a California earthquake."

Goraluk said a recent storm may have washed away part of the unstable road, which he said had been dropping a few centimetres every day before the collapse. He said problems with the road have persisted for years, and it's hard to say how long it could take to fix. Read More

Dozens of sinkholes plague Hernando County in Debby's wake, Florida

Parts of the Suncoast Parkway are still shut down because of flooding due to Tropical Storm Debby, but what's underneath the water is also a source of concern for Hernando County residents.

Road depressions and sinkholes, which are already a problem in Hernando County, are an even bigger issue since Debby dumped several inches of rain last week.

Nearly 200 sinkholes have showed up throughout Hernando County. Officials said they have received 56 sinkhole reports, many of which have multiple sinkholes at one location.
Headley Wilks is among those residents who now have to deal with sinkholes on their personal property.
"I was surprised," he said. "All I can say is there's nothing you can do about it."

Within days, Wilks said he had two sinkholes appear near his home, including one in his backyard that appears to be about 12 feet wide and more than 15 feet deep.

Wilks also lives near one of the sinkholes that opened on Mariner Road. As a result, he has to endure detour traffic until it is repaired. Read More

Swine Flu: Concern grows over H1N1 outbreak in Bolivia infecting more than 900 Killing 11

LA PAZ — An epidemic of H1N1 flu has infected almost 900 people and claimed 11 lives in Bolivia, health officials said Tuesday.

Although most of the cases occurred in the last few weeks, the outbreak does not rise to the level of a national epidemic, officials said.
"At the national level, the situation is under control. The most affected area is in the west," Johnny Rada, director of the ministry of health's epidemiology service, told AFP.

According to official tallies, 873 cases have been reported across the country, of which 606 are in the western department of La Paz and 60 in the department just south of it, Oruro.
There have also been 167 cases reported in the large eastern department of Santa Cruz, and 36 in central Cochabamba department.

A health alert has been issued for La Paz and Oruro, which, according to Rada, will permit health workers to intensify preventative measures.

Deputy Health Minister Martin Maturano also urged Bolivians to take precautions, such as eating well and frequently washing their hands. Read More

Squirrel Creek Fire grows to 14 square miles, Wyoming

A wildfire burning south of Laramie that has forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes has grown to 14 square miles.

Fire information officer Larry Helmerick says the Squirrel Creek Fire continues to threaten nearly 300 homes and more than 200 other buildings.

The fire is burning on the eastern flanks of the Snowy Range.

Helmerick says air tankers and firefighting crews on the ground helped bring the blaze to 12 percent containment as of late Tuesday night.

The fire began on June 30 and has destroyed one home and three outbuildings. It is among several major fires burning in the state. Source

Colorado wildfire now 50 percent contained, has destroyed 189 homes

LOVELAND, Colo. | A wildfire that has charred nearly 92 square miles in northern Colorado since it began 10 days ago is now 50 percent contained, authorities said.

Firefighters faced dangerous conditions across much of the Rocky Mountain region Monday, as they toiled in hot, dry weather to battle the blaze, which has now destroyed at least 189 homes — the most in the state's history.

Eight more homes were found Monday to have burned in the fire near Fort Collins.

The wind was relatively calm Monday, despite forecasts of gusts of up to 50 mph, fire information officer Brett Haberstick said. Temperatures, however, were in the mid-90s, and the relative humidity was extremely low at 3 to 5 percent, he said.

Other wildfires were burning in warm, arid weather from Wyoming to Arizona to Southern California, where a blaze that prompted the evacuation of at least 150 homes was 30 percent contained Monday.

Fire officials warned that the 907-acre fire in eastern San Diego County still threatens 200 houses, sheds and other buildings. The fire has destroyed at least one home.

In Colorado, another fire that started Sunday in the foothills west of Colorado Springs prompted evacuations of cabins, a Boy Scout camp and a recreation area near the Elevenmile Canyon Reservoir, which provides water to the Denver area. Read More