Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Papua New Guinea

Map of Papua New Guinea

CNN - A preliminary 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Monday morning off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

The quake struck around 9:39 a.m. and was centered 131 kilometers (81 miles) east of Wewak, which is on the northern coast of the Pacific nation, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Its depth was reported at 16 kilometers (9 miles).

The Japan Meteorological Agency - which had an identical measure for the quake's strength -- noted on its website that "there is a very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami" as a result. It said any tsunami likely would not be over half a meter (20 inches) high.
"However at some coasts, particularly near the epicenter, high tsunamis may arrive (larger) than our estimation," the agency said on its website.

But within about two hours after the quake struck, the Japanese agency reported there were no such warnings or advisories still in effect.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any threats or warning, noting on its website that there was no danger of a tsunami striking Hawaii. Similarly, the Australia tsunami warning center said there was no threat to that nation.

In the last 30 days there were a few powerful earthquakes. On July 20 an quake measuring 6,2 struck Kyrgyzstan an Uzbekistan. Another natural disaster happened yesterday - earthquake with magnitute of 6,1 jolted Japan.

Strong Quake Jolts Japan

Map of Japan

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 jolted central and eastern Japan on Monday, but it did not issue a tsunami alert.

Series of earthquakes keep jolting the earth! Two weeks ago we wrote about quake that hit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan.


The quake, which occurred at 11:58 p.m. (10:58 a.m. EDT), was also felt in Tokyo. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The focus of the tremor was 20 km (12 miles) below the surface of the earth, off the coast of Shizuoka prefecture, about 200 km west of Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said.

All reactors at Chubu Electric Power's Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka are shut after Prime Minister Naoto Kan called for its closure, citing research showing that the area is at particularly high risk for a major earthquake within the next few decades.

No abnormalities have been reported from the Hamaoka plant, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

This is another strong earthquake that jolted Japan after the destructive quake hit on March 11.
It was one of the most powerful and massive earthquakes in the last years.
An earthquake with magnitute around 9 (Richter) jolted the east cost of Japan, causing great damages, triggering an enormous tsunami and killing hundreds. This earthquake will be remembered as the most destructive quake in Japan's history. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was badly damaged after the earthquake, followed by the tsunami. 

This series of massive quakes changed so many lives.

We are with you Japan! Stay strong!

Libyan Rebel Commander Abdel Fattah Younes Killed

Abdel Fattah Younes

BBC - The military commander of the Libyan rebels fighting to topple Col Muammar Gaddafi has been killed the, rebel National Council says.

General Abdel Fattah Younes was an ally of Col Gaddafi  for many years.

NTC head Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Gen Abdel Fattah Younes was killed by assailants, and the head of the group responsible had been arrested.

He said Gen Younes was summoned for questioning about military operations, but never made it to the meeting.

Reports said Gen Younes was suspected of ties to pro-Gaddafi forces.

Two aides to Gen Younes, Col Muhammad Khamis and Nasir al-Madhkur, were also killed in the attack, Mr Jalil said, adding that there would be three days of mourning in their honour.

The exact circumstances of the killings were unclear, and Mr Jalil did not say directly that the assailants were allied with Col Gaddafi.

Gen Younes is a former Libyan interior minister who defected to the rebel side in February. He was also part of the group that helped bring Col Gaddafi to power in 1969.

Some unconfirmed reports said Gen Younes and two aides had been arrested earlier on Thursday near Libya's eastern front.

Shortly after the announcement of Gen Younes' death, gunmen entered the grounds of the hotel in the eastern city of Benghazi where Mr Jalil was speaking, reportedly firing into the air before being convinced to leave.

Earlier on Thursday, rebels said they had seized the strategically important town of Ghazaya near the Tunisian border, after heavy fighting with Col Gaddafi's forces.

They reportedly took control of several other towns or villages in the area.

The rebels are struggling to break a military deadlock five months into the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule.

Rebels control most of eastern Libya from their base in Benghazi and the western port city of Misrata, while Col Gaddafi retains much of the west, including the capital, Tripoli.

Late on Thursday AFP news agency reported explosions shaking the centre of Tripoli, as state TV reported that planes were flying over the Libyan capital.

Nato, acting under a UN mandate authorising military action for the protection of civilians, has carried out regular airstrikes in the Tripoli area.

Meanwhile, the South African ambassador to the UN, Baso Sangqu, warned that supporters of the rebels were in danger of violating UN sanctions.

His comments came a day after Britain granted the rebels diplomatic recognition and said it would unblock £91 million ($149m) in frozen Libyan oil assets for the rebels.

"We have noted the calls for Gaddafi must go," Mr Sangqu said. "We maintain that such statements do not bring us any closer to a political solution."

The BBC's Barbara Plett reports from the UN that the growing trend to grant diplomatic recognition to the Libyan rebels is facing opposition on the Security Council, and that moves to back the rebels will further polarise Council members.

Portugal has become the latest of about 30 countries to have recognised the NTC.

You can learn more about Libya's past problems here and here.

Earthquake 6,2 Richter Hit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan

An earthquake measuring 6.2 rocked south-western Kyrgyzstan and eastern Uzbekistan early today, triggering panic in the region, seismologists and witnesses said.

The quake hit in the middle of the night at 1:35am (local time) shaking the region some 400 kilometres south-west of the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, with the epicentre 42 kilometres south-west of the Uzbek town of Fergana, the US Geological Survey said.

"We were woken up by a noise and strong jolts which lasted for about 40 seconds. The house began to shake," said Albek Seitov, a resident of the Kyrgyz town of Och in the Fergana Valley.

"I thought it was a dream, a nightmare. I went out in the street like my neighbours. Everyone is afraid, panicking," he said.

The quake struck the border region at a depth of just 9.2 kilometres, rocking Fergana which has some 200,000 residents.

"The people were scared and went out onto the streets. It lasted for a few seconds. There are cracks on the ceiling and the paint has started to fall off in my home," said Abdullah, who did not want to give his family name.

Another Fergana resident, Sukhrob, said the tremors had stopped, but people were frightened of returning home.

"I haven't seen houses destroyed. But the people are still outside, they're afraid of going home," he said.

The earthquake centres in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan could not be contacted early on Wednesday and there were no immediate reports of victims or serious damage to property.

The Fergana Valley is an area shared uneasily by Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek ethnic groups and the scene of periodic violence and unrest since the 1991 Soviet collapse.