Sinkholes everywhere: Chinese Man Dies as Pavement Disappears Beneath His Feet

You know that phrase people sometimes use in times of great embarrassment when they wish they could disappear or the ground would just swallow them up? It turns out it’s not so great when that actually happens in real life.

Caught on camera from several angles, footage of an incident that occurred in Guangdong, China this week shows a wide stretch of pavement collapse in on itself at the precise moment a pedestrian was walking by. With no hint of warning, the ground beneath the man’s feet him suddenly disappears, swallowing him up and leaving nothing but an enormous gaping hole.

Occurring at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday this week, the 8 by 5-metre (26 by 16ft) stretch of pavement collapsed as a 25-year-old man walked across it. The man, who is believed to have worked in the area as a security guard, was killed in the incident.

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/03/30/chinese-man-dies-as-pavement-disappears-beneath-his-feet-%E3%80%90video%E3%80%91/

Montreal Airport Sinkhole: Two Cars Swallowed At Trudeau International

Two cars fell into a sinkhole that opened up Friday in a parking lot near Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

The cars didn't completely disappear — the nose of one of the cars slipped into the hole while the side of the other car was partially submerged.

A spokesman for Montreal's airport authority says the hole is just under a metre deep and covers an area of about five metres long and three metres wide.

Francois Asselin says it's located in an outdoor employee parking lot and stressed it won't disrupt business at the airport.

No one has been injured and the cars were pulled out by mid-afternoon.

Police and firefighters have cordoned off the area in case the hole widens.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/29/montreal-airport-sinkhole-trudeau-international_n_2981378.html

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 21:48:02 UTC
Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 09:48:02 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
20.902°S, 176.583°E
Depth
32 km (19.9 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
227 km (141 miles) ENE of Ceva-i-Ra, Fiji

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.1
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 21:43:19 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 01:43:19 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
40.467°N, 126.153°W
Depth
10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Region
OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances
160 km (99 miles) W of Ferndale, California

EU, IMF resisting merger of Greek banks NBG, Eurobank: paper

Greece's international lenders have asked Athens to halt the merger of National Bank (NBGr.AT) with Eurobank (EFGr.AT), worried that the resulting lender would be too big for the state to deal with, daily Kathimerini reported on Saturday.

The paper said the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund troika had raised issues over the size of the merged entity relative to Greece's gross domestic product (GDP) and the banking sector as a whole.

Two banking sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Reuters that doubts had been raised.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-greece-nationalbank-idUSBRE92T08020130330

Investors shun Europe

Investors bailed out of both European and emerging market equities going into the last week of the first quarter over worries involving Cyprus's bailout and its impact on the euro zone crisis, EPFR Global data showed Friday.

Funds dedicated to Russia, which is exposed to declining commodity prices and the euro zone crisis, had their worst week since the third quarter of 2011, while emerging Europe equity funds saw over $100 million pulled out for the second week running, according to weekly EPFR data through Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/29/us-investing-fundflows-epfr-idUSBRE92S0EL20130329

North Korea escalates tensions vowing to shut down industrial zone

Principal killed in Pakistan school attack

NATO strike kills at least one child in Afghanistan

Small businesses spell big problems for Italy and Spain

Small companies struggling to repay loans in Italy and Spain signal bigger problems on the horizon for the euro zone after the dust has settled on Cyprus's last-ditch bailout this week.

Defaults by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), easily the biggest employers in Spain and Italy, are rising at a worrying clip, spelling trouble for the banks and two countries at the heart of Europe's debt crisis.

"You can be sure that if these companies' bad debts rise, you're going to see more bad loans to families, and credit card bills that won't be paid," said Javier Santoma, finance professor at Spain's IESE business school.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/28/us-italy-spain-banks-idUSBRE92R03K20130328

Maduro calls Venezuela opposition "heirs of Hitler"

Venezuela's acting President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday called the country's opposition "heirs of Hitler," accusing them of persecuting Cuban doctors working in the South American country the way Jews were persecuted in Nazi Germany.

His barbs added to weeks of insults in the run-up to the April 14 presidential elections triggered by the death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez this month. Polls show Maduro with a double-digit lead over opposition rival Henrique Capriles.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-venezuela-election-idUSBRE92T0AR20130330

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake MYANMAR - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 20:04:49 UTC
Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 02:34:49 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
23.104°N, 95.950°E
Depth
33.8 km (21.0 miles)
Region
MYANMAR
Distances
59 km (36 miles) WNW of Mogok, Myanmar

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake GUAM REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 18:03:47 UTC
Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 04:03:47 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
12.218°N, 143.902°E
Depth
34.6 km (21.5 miles)
Region
GUAM REGION
Distances
147 km (91 miles) SW of Merizo Village, Guam

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 17:58:49 UTC
Sunday, March 31, 2013 at 02:58:49 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
7.112°S, 129.269°E
Depth
166.7 km (103.6 miles)
Region
KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA
Distances
244 km (151 miles) WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN PERU - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.4
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 17:30:48 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 12:30:48 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
9.404°S, 79.039°W
Depth
43.9 km (27.3 miles)
Region
OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN PERU
Distances
60 km (37 miles) SW of Chimbote, Peru

Delhi Rapes Surge 'Shows New Confidence In Cops'

A surge in reported sex attacks in New Delhi has been put down to women feeling more confident that their allegations will be taken seriously in the wake of the widely-publicised gang rape of a student on a bus.

Between January 1 and March 24 this year, the number of reported rapes in the Indian capital rose by 148% to 359.

During the same period, the number of alleged sex assaults rose by 590%, to 794.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071783/delhi-rapes-surge-shows-new-confidence-in-cops

North Korea: What happens if Kim Jong-un acts on his threats?

In the event that the 'bellicose rhetoric' of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un turns into something more serious, the opening hours of conflict could be 'pretty ugly,' defense analysts warn.

Veteran North Korea watchers, citing what they see as increasingly troubling signs coming from the dictatorial regime, are voicing concerns that its new young leader, Kim Jong-un, could do something ill-advised, even start a war.

On Friday North Korea renewed what the U.S. has condemned as its “bellicose rhetoric,” saying Kim had ordered the nation’s missile forces to prepare to strike the United States and South Korea.

In response to the prospect of North Korea following through on this and other marginally less dire threats, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that the US military “will unequivocally defend, and [is] unequivocally committed to the alliance with, South Korea.”

But if hostilities were in fact to erupt, how might they play out?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2013/0329/North-Korea-What-happens-if-Kim-Jong-un-acts-on-his-threats?nav=87-frontpage-entryNineItem

Aggressive talk from North Korea concerns U.S. leaders

The latest round of threats exchanged by North Korea and the United States is dragging on longer and taking on a more virulent tone than in the past, provoking deep concerns among American officials and their allies.

Following blustery warnings by Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s 30-year-old leader, and videos depicting North Korean attacks on the United States, the Obama administration took the unprecedented step this week of sending two stealth bombers to South Korea as part of an ongoing military training exercise.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/aggressive-talk-from-north-korea-concerns-us-leaders/2013/03/29/85dec134-989c-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_print.html

Northern Ireland 'Explosion' Investigated

Police in Northen Ireland are investigating reports of an explosion in Lurgan, County Armagh.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071837/northern-ireland-explosion-investigated

Colville Schoolboys 'Plotted Rape And Murder'

A US judge has ruled that two boys, aged 10 and 11, will stand trial on charges of planning to rape and murder a classmate.

The schoolboys had a handwritten plan listing seven steps leading up to the killing of a female classmate, according to Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen.

That list was submitted as evidence at their mental capacity hearing on Friday.

The judge decided that the pair understood the nature and consequences of their actions and would stand trial in juvenile court.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071761/colville-schoolboys-plotted-rape-and-murder

Stun grenades explode as Palestinians protest land confiscation by Israel

'Only rabbit from hat can save Cypriot deposits'

Cyprus details heavy losses for major bank customers

Major depositors in Cyprus's biggest bank will lose around 60 percent of savings over 100,000 euros, its central bank confirmed on Saturday, sharpening the terms of a bailout that has shaken European banks but saved the island from bankruptcy.

Initial signs that big depositors in Bank of Cyprus would take a hit of 30 to 40 percent - the first time the euro zone has made bank customers contribute to a bailout - had already unnerved investors in European lenders this week.

But the official decree published on Saturday confirmed a Reuters report a day earlier that the bank would give depositors shares worth just 37.5 percent of savings over 100,000 euros. The rest of such holdings might never be paid back.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-cyprus-parliament-idUSBRE92G03I20130330

More threats from North Korea

Protesters under arrest in Russia

Rhinos In UK Facing Threat From Poachers

Police have stepped up security at two wildlife parks in southeast England in response to a plot to hunt rhinos.

The parks in Kent - Port Lympne and Howletts - have also called for volunteers to help them carry out 24-hour patrols.

There are 20 black rhinos at the parks out of just 45 in the whole of Europe.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071786/rhinos-in-uk-facing-threat-from-poachers

'Bedroom tax' and welfare cuts protesters take to streets across UK

Several hundred people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday to protest against the government's welfare cuts and the controversial "bedroom tax".

Simultaneous protests were held in towns and cities across the UK ahead of the cuts scheduled to come into force in April. In Glasgow, around 2,500 people, including trade unionists and people from disabled groups, marched from Glasgow Green to George Square in the city centre.

The "bedroom tax", which is due to be introduced next month, will entail a cut in housing benefit for claimants whose home has a spare room.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/30/bedroom-tax-welfare-cuts-protests

Dead fishes found at beach in Kuala Belait

Dead fish have been found scattered along the end of a beach near Tanjung in Kuala Belait, Borneo Bulletin reported.

The rumour on the cause of this phenomenon is due to poisoning is not true.

According to reports, fishermen were seen using the ‘Pukat Buyut’ during the wee hours of morning and the smaller fish caught by the fishermen were left on the beach to rot.

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/03/30/dead-fishes-found-at-beach-in-kuala-belait/

Russia urges US and North Korea to show restraint

Russia has urged the US and North Korea to show restraint after Pyongyang said it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea in a further escalation of its bellicose rhetoric.

"We hope that all parties will exercise maximum responsibility and restraint and no one will cross the point of no return," said senior Russian foreign ministry official Grigory Logvinov on Saturday.

On Friday the Pentagon declared that the US was flly capable of defending itself and its allies against a missile attack from North Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong-un, had declared that rockets were ready to be fired at American bases in the Pacific. Kim's words came in response to the US flying two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers over the Korean peninsula this week.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the Foreign Office warned North Korea that its statements would lead to further isolation.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/30/russia-us-north-korea-restraint

Member of SEAL team that killed bin Laden dies in parachute accident...

A Navy SEAL from the elite SEAL TEAM 6 was killed and another SEAL injured Thursday night during a parachute training accident in Marana, Arizona, the military said. Details of the accident are not immediately available.

One SEAL was pronounced dead on arrival at the University of Arizona Hospital after the accident near Pinal Airpark. The second remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The deceased SEAL was identified as Special Warfare Operator Chief Brett D. Shadle, 31, the Naval Special Warfare Command announced. A resident of Elizabethville, Pa., Shadle was assigned to a Naval Special Warfare unit based on the East Coast.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/29/17520371-member-of-seal-team-6-killed-another-seal-injured-in-parachute-accident?lite

August 06, 2011
25 members of SEAL Team 6 die in chopper crash...

President Barack Obama said Saturday that the deaths of Americans in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan are a reminder of the "extraordinary" price the U.S. military is paying in the decade-long Afghan war.

Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite unit as the Navy SEALs who killed former Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden, U.S. officials said Saturday.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/08/06/afghan-president-31-americans-killed-in-helicopter-crash/

US takes North Korean threat 'seriously' as Pyongyang enters 'state of war'

The White House said on Saturday that it takes North Korea's latest saber-rattling threats seriously while cautioning that Pyongyang has a long history of bellicose rhetoric.

North Korea's latest bout of angry rhetoric included a vow that it is entering a "state of war" with South Korea a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed off on an order putting its missile units on standby to attack US military bases in the South.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the White House national security council.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/US-takes-North-Korean-threat-seriously-as-Pyongyang-enters-state-of-war/articleshow/19294626.cms

Asteroid heading to Earth? Pray, says NASA

NASA chief Charles Bolden has advice on how to handle a large asteroid headed toward New York City: Pray.

That's about all the United States - or anyone for that matter - could do at this point about unknown asteroids and meteors that may be on a collision course with Earth, Bolden told lawmakers at a U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee hearing on Tuesday.

An asteroid estimated to be have been about 55 feet in diameter exploded on February 15 over Chelyabinsk, Russia, generating shock waves that shattered windows and damaged buildings. More than 1,500 people were injured.

Later that day, a larger, unrelated asteroid discovered last year passed about 17,200 miles from Earth, closer than the network of television and weather satellites that ring the planet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/20/us-space-astroids-idUSBRE92J02520130320

NATO air strike kills two children, nine suspected Taliban in Afghanistan

A NATO helicopter supporting Afghan security forces killed two children and nine suspected Taliban fighters on Saturday, officials said, a month after President Hamid Karzai forbade troops to call for foreign air support.

The deaths reopen an often heated debate between those who blame NATO air strikes for civilian deaths and others who argue that NATO air support is vital for protecting vulnerable Afghan security forces.

Afghan police had been patrolling in the southeastern town of Ghazni when they came under attack by insurgents, NATO spokesman Major Adam Wojack said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-afghanistan-airstrike-idUSBRE92T03020130330

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 11:41:43 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 05:41:43 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
11.501°N, 87.001°W
Depth
51 km (31.7 miles)
Region
NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
Distances
61 km (37 miles) WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua

North Korea declares 'state of war' with South

Landslide Buries Dozens in China

Christopher Knafelc leaped onto subway tracks to save man, 63, who fell - as other passengers stood and watched

Colin Rawlingson arrested after confronting shop staff who sold legal highs to his addict daughter

A father who tried to stop a shop from selling a legal high to his troubled teenage daughter ended up being arrested after losing his temper with staff.

Colin Rawlingson was worried about the health of his 17-year-old daughter Nicole after she confessed she had become addicted to the drug Sky High, which gave her terrifying mood swings.

So on Tuesday he went to the shop where she said she had bought to the drug in an attempt to persuade staff to stop selling the legal high to the underage girl.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301153/Father-arrested-confronting-shop-staff-sold-legal-highs-daughter-addicted-drug.html

Adrian Callen claimed £73,000 in benefits despite owning TEN properties

A landlord who fraudulently claimed over £73,000 in benefits despite owning ten properties has been ordered to pay back nearly £30,000 today.

Adrian Callen, 57, claimed he had no income other than benefits and had just £250 in savings.

But the grandfather was actually raking in thousands of pounds in rent from ten flats he had bought - worth around £100,000 each.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301181/Landlord-claimed-73-000-benefits-despite-owning-TEN-properties.html

Coronavirus New virus is MORE deadly than Sars, warn scientists after second Briton dies taking death toll to 11

A new virus which has claimed the life of a second Briton is potentially more deadly than Sars, scientists have warned.

The mysterious coronavirus, which has emerged in the Middle East, attacks the respiratory system and was only identified six months ago.

So far there have been 11 deaths - with the World Health Organisation this week saying a second British man has died.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2301082/New-virus-MORE-deadly-Sars-warn-scientists-second-Briton-dies-taking-death-toll-11.html

Slovenian bailout 'is inevitable': Second tiny EU state caught in fallout from Cyprus banks crisis

The Cyprus bailout crisis could lead to yet another country’s banks being put in peril.

The cost of borrowing in Slovenia tripled last week amid market fears for the future of eurozone countries.

Government bond rates soared from 1.2per cent to 4.26per cent, putting the future of the country’s nationally owned banks at risk.

‘Slovenia is now inevitably heading to a bailout, the eurozone shot itself completely in the foot following the Cyprus issue,’ said Tim Ash, head of European research at Standard Bank.

The International Monetary Fund said the country’s banks ‘are under severe distress’ due to the size of bad loans sitting on their books.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301214/Slovenian-bailout-inevitable-Second-tiny-EU-state-caught-fallout-Cyprus-banks-crisis.html

U.S. official slams N. Korea's 'warmongering rhetoric'

North Korea's threatening rhetoric has reached a fevered pitch, but the Pentagon and the South Korean government have said it's nothing new.

"We have no indications at this point that it's anything more than warmongering rhetoric," a senior Washington defense official said late Saturday.

The official was not authorized to speak to the media and asked not to be named.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/30/world/asia/north-korea-us-threats/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Heavy fighting as rebels claim to take control of Syrian town

Protests against Mursi in Cairo

Anti-Muslim violence spreads across central Myanmar

First international arms trade treaty blocked

Iran, Syria and North Korea on Friday prevented the adoption of the first international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global conventional arms trade, complaining that it was flawed and failed to ban weapons sales to rebel groups.

To get around the blockade, British U.N. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant sent the draft treaty to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and asked him on behalf of Mexico, Australia and a number of others to put it to a swift vote in the General Assembly.

U.N. diplomats said the 193-nation General Assembly could put the draft treaty to a vote as early as Tuesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/29/us-arms-treaty-un-idUSBRE92R10E20130329

U.S. B-2 bombers sent to Korea on rare mission: diplomacy not destruction

The stealthy, nuclear-capable U.S. B-2 bomber is a veteran of wars in Iraq and Libya, but it isn't usually a tool of Washington's statecraft.

Yet on Thursday, the United States sent a pair of the bat-winged planes on a first-of-its-kind practice run over the skies of South Korea, conducting what U.S. officials say was a diplomatic sortie.

The aim, the officials said, was two-fold: to reassure U.S. allies South Korea and Japan in the face of a string of threats from North Korea, and to nudge Pyongyang back to nuclear talks.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-korea-north-usa-b-idUSBRE92S0IE20130330

North Korea says enters "state of war" against South

North Korea said on Saturday it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea in a continuing escalation of angry rhetoric directed at Seoul and Washington, but the South brushed off the statement as little more than tough talk.

The two Koreas have been technically in a state of war for six decades under an armistice that ended their 1950-53 conflict. Despite its threats few people see any indication Pyongyang will risk a near-certain defeat by re-starting full-scale war.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-korea-north-war-idUSBRE92T00020130330

Cyprus Depositors May Never get their Accounts Unblocked

Big depositors in Cyprus's largest bank stand to lose far more than initially feared under a European Union rescue package to save the island from bankruptcy, a source with direct knowledge of the terms said on Friday.

Under conditions expected to be announced on Saturday, depositors in Bank of Cyprus will get shares in the bank worth 37.5 percent of their deposits over 100,000 euros, the source told Reuters, while the rest of their deposits may never be paid back.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/30/us-cyprus-parliament-idUSBRE92G03I20130330

Coalmine Gas Blast Kills 28, Injures 13 in Northeast China

Twenty eight people were killed and 13 injured after a blast caused by a methane gas ripped through a coalmine in China's northeast Jilin Province on late Friday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

There were a total of 41 miners working underground at the Babao Coal Mine in the city of Baishan when the explosion hit the coalmine at around 10:40 p.m. local time.

A spokesman with the provincial work safety and supervision bureau said all injured were taken to hospitals and their injuries were not life threatening.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20130330/180339898/Coalmine-Gas-Blast-Kills-28-Injures-13-in-Northeast-China.html

Bitcoin: Cyber Currency Surge Amid Eurozone Crisis

As the eurozone is rocked by the crisis in Cyprus, a cyber currency called Bitcoin has seen a surge in popularity from people looking for an alternative place to invest their money.

Bitcoins are basically virtual money which can be earned or bought. They were created four years ago by a hacker who remains anonymous.

There are no banks to control them, people just exchange them directly with each other over the internet. That makes them difficult to tax, trace or freeze.

In the last month, the Bitcoin has more than doubled in value.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071652/cyber-currency-surge-amid-eurozone-crisis

China: Tibet Gold Miners Buried Under Rock

A landslide has crashed down a Tibet mountainside and buried 83 workers in a gold-mining area, according to Chinese state media.

A vast three kilometre long section of land, with a volume of two million cubic metres, slid down a slope and buried the workers' camp in Maizhokunggar county, east of the Tibetan capital Lhasa.

Some 1,000 police, firefighters and doctors were sent to the disaster site, at an altitude of 4,600 metres, the official Xinhua agency said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071660/china-tibet-gold-miners-buried-under-rock

IDS: Welfare Reforms Won't Cut Benefit Bill

Iain Duncan Smith has admitted that controversial welfare reforms due to come in next week will not cut Britain's benefit bill.

The Work and Pensions Secretary said that, unlike other European nations, the "reality is that this country is not cutting welfare" because he is simply "managing" the increase in handouts.

He added that "all those on benefits will still see cash increases in every year of this Parliament".

http://news.sky.com/story/1071663/ids-welfare-reforms-wont-cut-benefit-bill

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 06:23:56 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 06:23:56 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
30.145°S, 179.322°W
Depth
298.8 km (185.7 miles)
Region
KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
Distances
147 km (91 miles) NNW of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake FIJI REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 05:31:24 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 05:31:24 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
20.348°S, 177.905°W
Depth
554.1 km (344.3 miles)
Region
FIJI REGION
Distances
89 km (55 miles) ENE of Ndoi Island, Fiji

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake TAJIKISTAN - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.0
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 05:11:33 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 10:11:33 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
37.416°N, 72.146°E
Depth
201.8 km (125.4 miles)
Region
TAJIKISTAN
Distances
33 km (20 miles) ENE of Roshtqal'a, Tajikistan

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude ML 4.2
Region CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION
Date time 2013-03-30 05:04:18.6 UTC
Location 27.69 N ; 18.28 W
Depth 20 km
Distances
98 km SW of Fuencaliente de la Palma, Spain / pop: 1,894 / local time: 05:04:18.6 2013-03-30

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake TIMOR REGION, INDONESIA - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 05:03:43 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 01:03:43 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
10.514°S, 123.712°E
Depth
10.5 km (6.5 miles)
Region
TIMOR REGION, INDONESIA
Distances
40 km (24 miles) SSE of Kupang, Indonesia

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude ML 4.0
Region CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION
Date time 2013-03-30 04:33:35.0 UTC
Location 28.09 N ; 18.04 W
Depth 2 km
Distances
48 km SW of Fuencaliente de la Palma, Spain / pop: 1,894 / local time: 04:33:35.0 2013-03-30

5.6 Magnitude Earthquake MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
5.6
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 01:50:49 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 09:50:49 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
9.954°N, 126.231°E
Depth
90.4 km (56.2 miles)
Region
MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
Distances
84 km (52 miles) ENE (77°) from Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.8
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 00:50:18 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 12:50:18 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
23.864°S, 179.830°E
Depth
544.1 km (338.1 miles)
Region
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
Distances
386 km (239 miles) SSW of Ndoi Island, Fiji

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.5
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 00:40:32 UTC
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 05:40:32 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.871°S, 100.278°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Distances
1297 km (805 miles) SE of Easter Island, Chile

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND - 30th March 2013

Magnitude
4.3
Date-Time
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 00:34:43 UTC
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 05:34:43 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.806°S, 99.678°W
Depth
10 km (6.2 miles)
Region
SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Distances
1330 km (826 miles) SE of Easter Island, Chile

4.1 Magnitude Earthquake CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION - 30th March 2013

Magnitude ML 4.1
Region CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN REGION
Date time 2013-03-30 00:30:35.9 UTC
Location 27.69 N ; 18.26 W
Depth 18 km
Distances
97 km SW of Fuencaliente de la Palma, Spain / pop: 1,894 / local time: 00:30:35.9 2013-03-30

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND - 29th March 2013

Magnitude
5.0
Date-Time
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 23:15:31 UTC
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 04:15:31 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
35.666°S, 99.762°W
Depth
9.7 km (6.0 miles)
Region
SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
Distances
1314 km (816 miles) SE of Easter Island, Chile

The Theft of Cyprus, Begins with US Ends with YOU

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA - 29th March 2013

Magnitude mb 4.7
Region KEPULAUAN BABAR, INDONESIA
Date time 2013-03-29 23:13:03.0 UTC
Location 7.03 S ; 129.53 E
Depth 126 km
Distances
386 km SW of Tual, Indonesia / pop: 39,502 / local time: 08:13:03.0 2013-03-30

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake BANDA SEA - 29th March 2013

Magnitude
4.7
Date-Time
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 23:13:03 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 08:13:03 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
6.995°S, 129.441°E
Depth
122.3 km (76.0 miles)
Region
BANDA SEA
Distances
232 km (144 miles) WNW of Saumlaki, Indonesia

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 29th March 2013

Magnitude
4.6
Date-Time
Friday, March 29, 2013 at 22:15:18 UTC
Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 08:15:18 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location
22.042°N, 144.321°E
Depth
106.9 km (66.4 miles)
Region
VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
Distances
176 km (109 miles) NNW of Farallon de Pajaros, Northern Mariana Islands

Nine Hundred Pigs Killed In Dorset Farm Fire

Up to 900 pigs have died in a major fire which ripped through a piggery at a farm.

Firefighters fought a blaze for up to three hours after being called to Seaborough Manor, near Beaminster, Dorset.

A total of 50 firefighters were on the scene at the height of the fire which swept through the 330ft long piggery, destroying it.

An investigation into the cause is under way.

http://news.sky.com/story/1071647/nine-hundred-pigs-killed-in-dorset-farm-fire