Earthquakes ..love Japam...! [ 2605 ]

Magnitude 6.8 quake hits Japan

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 2, 2012 -- Updated 1039 GMT (1839 HKT)

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit 468 kilometers (302 miles) south-southwest of Tokyo on Sunday.

(CNN) -- A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck off the coast of Japan on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
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The earthquake hit 468 kilometers (302 miles) south-southwest of Tokyo at a depth of 348 kilometers, according to the USGS.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami warning.
The USGS gave the quake a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 before downgrading it to 6.8.
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Japan lies along the Pacific "ring of fire," an area of high seismic and volcanic activity stretching from New Zealand in the South Pacific up through Japan, across to Alaska and down the west coasts of North and South America.
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Last year, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan, leaving thousands of people dead or missing. The March 11 earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves and sparked a nuclear crisis.

Paris : Iran’s missile tests., ‘bad signal’..[ 2604 ]

Paris considers ‘bad signal’ Iran’s missile tests

Topic: Iran's nuclear program

Paris considers ‘bad signal’ Iran’s missile tests/ REUTERS/ Jamejamonline/Ebrahim Norouzi

PARIS, January 2 (RIA Novosti)

France considers Iran’s test of a long-range missile as “a bad signal”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

Earlier on Monday, Iran test-fired a long-range coast-to-sea missile called Qader (Mighty) and a surface-to-surface long-range missile Nour (Light). The test was conducted during the naval exercises in the Persian Gulf.

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“We regret the very bad signal sent to the international community by the missile test that Iran conducted during its naval exercise. We remind of freedom of navigation in straits and the need to maintain a favorable climate in respect to this freedom,” Valero said.

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“The development of Iran’s ballistic missile program raises a serious concern for the international community,” he added.

France supported the U.S. sanctions against Iran. 

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These sanctions allow U.S. president to cut off from the US financial system foreign firms that do business with Iran’s central bank.

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On November 21 French President Nicolas Sarkozy proposed to stop buying Iran’s oil and freeze its central bank assets. He added that the sanctions might be accepted by the next meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Iran:long-range missiles in Gulf drill ,,,[ 2603 ]

UPDATE 3-Iran test-fires long-range missiles in Gulf drill

Mon Jan 2, 2012 5:05am EST
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* Drill shows Iran could hit Israel, U.S. bases
* Tensions rising over Iran's nuclear programme (Adds context, second missile)
By Ramin Mostafavi
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TEHRAN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday it had successfully test-fired two long-range missiles during a naval exercise in the Gulf, flexing its military muscle to show it could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region if attacked.
In response to mounting Western pressure over its nuclear ambitions, Iran started a naval drill in the Gulf last week and warned that it could shut the Strait of Hormuz if sanctions were imposed on its oil exports, the country's main revenue source.
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The 10 days of naval wargames and the warning over the Strait, a narrow Gulf shipping lane through which 40 percent of world oil passes, have rattled oil markets and pushed up crude prices.
Analysts say Iran's increasingly strident rhetoric is aimed at sending a message to the West that it should think twice about the economic cost of putting further pressure on Tehran.
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"We have successfully test-fired long-range shore-to-sea and surface-to-surface missiles, called Qader (capable) and Nour (Light) today," Deputy Navy Commander Mahmoud Mousavi told state television.
Tehran denies Western accusations that it is trying to build atomic bombs, saying it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the Islamic state's nuclear row with the West.
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TIGHTER SANCTIONS
Iran said on Monday it had no intention to close the Strait of Hormuz, but it has carried out "mock" exercises on shutting the vital waterway.
"No order has been given for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But we are prepared for various scenarios," state television quoted navy chief Habibollah Sayyari as saying.
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The U.S. Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain, said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strategic waterway.
Mousavi said observers from the country's closest Arab ally, Syria, would attend the last day of its 10-day naval exercise.
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The European Union is considering following the United States in banning imports of Iranian crude oil. U.S. President Barack Obama signed new sanctions against Iran into law on Saturday, stepping up the pressure with sanctions on financial institutions that deal with Iran's central bank.
If enforced strictly, the sanctions could make it nearly impossible for most refiners to buy crude from Iran, the world's fourth biggest producer.
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The U.N. Security Council has already imposed four rounds of global sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities.
Iran has so far shown no willingness to change its nuclear course but Iranian media reported on Saturday that nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili would write to the EU foreign policy chief to say Tehran was ready for fresh talks on its nuclear programme.
Talks between Iran and six world powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - stalled in January. 
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Additional reporting by Hossein Jaseb; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Blackbirds found dead in Arkansas town ...[ 2602 ]

Dozens of birds found dead in Arkansas town for second straight New Year's Eve

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 1, 2012 -- Updated 2232 GMT (0632 HKT)

Between 50 and 80 blackbirds reportedly died overnight Saturday in Beebe, Arkansas.

(CNN) -- For the second year in a row, dozens of blackbirds died overnight Saturday in Beebe, Arkansas, apparently after being startled by New Year's Eve fireworks, an official with the state's Game and Fish Commission said Sunday.

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Tests will be conducted to determine the official cause of death, said Ginny Porter with the Arkansas Game and Fish commission. Porter said between 50 and 80 birds were reported dead.

Beebe, about 40 miles northeast of Little Rock, is an area through which the birds migrate and is home to a large roost. The fireworks set off Saturday were located near the south side of the roost, according to Porter. Blackbirds have poor night vision and do not typically fly at night, according to the game commission.

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A much larger bird kill was reported in Beebe last New Year's Eve when about 5,000 birds were found dead in a square-mile area. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma after the otherwise healthy birds became disoriented and flew into stationary objects such as trees and buildings.

CNN's Kara Devlin contributed to this report.

Russian strategic missile carriers ...[ 2601 ]

Rare footage shows Russian strategic missile carriers in mid-air


rianews την 26 Δεκ 2011
This rare video footage shows strategic bombers and missile carriers of the Russian Air Force in mid-air.