A powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck central region of Chile during the early hours of Saturday, killing around 47 people. The quake near Conception took place at 3.34 a.m., when most of the citizens were asleep. Conception, second largest city of Chile, is 221 miles from Santiago, capital of Chile and has a population of over 200,000 people.

Death toll may rise, says Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who urges people to stay calm. However, according to the US weather department, Chile, along with Ecuador and Peru, faces immediate threat of Tsunami. The department later added few areas of Colombia, Central America, and Antarctica to the list. Japan too warned major regions of Pacific about the impending tsunami to Costa Rica and Panama.

The increased sea level indicates that a minor tsunami was generated during the quake. The event could have been more disparaging and coast could have witnessed major destruction; however, the level did not rise further.

Few buildings collapsed in Santiago and there was no power in some portion of the city. Phone likes were down as well, which created more chaos and confusion among people. A new channels confirmed tremors in Argentina as well.

None of the weather department around the world is expecting a tsunami on the eastern coast of US and Canada.

However, they are constantly monitoring the situation.

Powerful earthquake hit Indonesian island of Java destroying at least 63 people lives.   No less than 300 people are injured and death toll may rise as many houses buried inside the ground due to mudslide.

The United States Geological Survey stated a magnitude to 7.0 badly damaging 700 houses. Building and houses in several villages of West Java collapsed. Medical team has been sending off to the city. Destroyed possessions include mayor’s house and a mosque. Quake did sense Jakarta 200km to the north where hundreds run away to streets from offices and shops. District of Cianjur was one of the badly hit area 100km south of Jakarta with 40 people missing while other were dead due the building collapsed in Tasaikmalaya in the town of Sukabumi. Death toll could rise, as contact with remote areas has not yet set up. Interaction with coastal areas cut down even though those are supposed to be most affected ones. Rescue team is trying to find survivors in many areas of West Java. Quake felt 500 km away from its epicenter in Surabaya second largest city in Indonesia. Seismologists witness slight rise in sea level at Pelabuhan Ratu signifying a sense of small tsunami. December 2004 tsunami killed more than 200,000 people approximately in Asia due to an earthquake occurred in the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of fire most lively areas for earthquakes and volcanic in the world.

According to the latest reports the Taiwanese president confirmed that the total number of casualties caused by the flood and mudslides could cross 500. Out of the total 500 people killed, 400 are from a single village. The village of Hsiaolin was hit by a massive mudslide that leveled all but two houses. One can only realized the magnitude of the damage that has happened in Hsiaolin after visiting the place. The village has been converted into a river bed with no structure standing. The entire village has been engulfed by a mud avalanche and is expected to be 20-30 meters deep. It is expected that nearly 400 people are still buried under the mud at the village site. The mud avalanche was so strong that it took with it a 17 meter bridge. The rescue teams reaching the site have a mammoth task ahead for them, they have not got a single clue on where to start digging. Even if they would have reached the site in time, they still would have not been able to do much.

In the last few days thousands of people have been moved to safer shelters by airlift, yesterday alone 2000 people were airlifted to safer locations. Most of the effected areas are in the mountains and the only way to reach them is by helicopters. As the weather is clearing the authorities are speeding up the rescue process. Most of the roads and bridges connecting these locations have been totally destroyed. As many as 34 bridges and 253 sections of road have been destroyed by flooding and it will take a minimum of three years to rebuild them.

Typhoon Morakot caused damages worth US $ 910 million and the reconstruction cost could well exceed US$ 3.65 billion. As the Typhoon passed over the island nation it unleashed more then 200 cm of rain which caused massive flooding and mud avalanches.

Schools, Junior Colleges, Multiplexes, Single Screen Cinema Halls and even some shopping malls have been closed on a temporary basis to avoid the spread of the swine flue H1N1 virus. Schools, Junior colleges and even private coaching classes have been ordered to close down for a week. All Multiplexes and single screen cinema halls will remind closed for next three day.

Mumbai considered as the financial and commercial capital of the country has till now reported 3 deaths due to the deadly virus. The state of Maharashtra has had 11 deaths of the total 19 in the country. The state Chief Minister confirmed there is no state of panic and this step is only a prevention measure. He also said that this decision to shutdown after many residents and public bodies came back to the minister with the same suggestion. As per the minister this would only impact four working days the remaining three of the seven days are holidays.

Most of the people who have been confirmed as cases of swine flu have contracted the virus outside country.  As per the latest reports Bangalore reported its first swine flu death on 13th August. The death toll in the country due to the H1N1 has now increased to 21.

Four bombs kill more then 40 and injured more then 200 people in two cities of Iraq.

More then 130 people were wounded and 23 people were killed as the Northern city of Mosul was stuck by two truck bombs. In the city of Baghdad two truck bombs went off close to construction sites killing 16 people and injuring more then 80 people. Most of these killed were labors who had gathered for work at the start of the day.  This comes after the Friday attacks in Shia dominated areas when 36 people were killed.

The Mosul blasts happened in village of Khaznah and happened at around 0100 hrs GMT. Khaznah is just 20 kilometers fro Mosul. The blast of such high intensity that they destroyed 30 houses belonging to the small Shia Shabak ethnic group. Death toll is expected to rise as it is believed that some people are still stuck under the rubble. Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq and is of mixed Shia and Sunni Muslims. Mosul is the capital of Ninewa province and is located 405 kilometers north of Iraqi Capital Baghdad.

Mohammed Yusuf, 39 leader of the Boko Haram the Nigerian version of Taliban has died in police custody; human right campaigners have called the killing unlawful. Boko Haram has been blamed for the unrest in north eastern Nigeria which has resulted in hundreds of people dead. The group like Taliban is against western education and wants to convert Nigeria into an Islamic state and also wants to implement a strict version of Islamic Sharia Law.

Mohammed Yusuf was killed in a shootout by the security forces when he tried to escape. This was confirmed to the Nigerian Television by Moses Anegbode, regional Asst. Inspector-General of Police.

This mass unrest in North Eastern Nigeria started on Sunday in Bauchi and then spread to the other towns. There have been several gun battles since Sunday between the Islamic militants and Government lead security forces. Hundreds of militants have tried to attack government and police buildings and have more then 300 people dead, but some estimate that the death toll could have even exceeded 600. Nigeria has a population of 150 million which is equally split with Muslims dominating the North and Christians dominating the South.

The ex-British Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s wife, Cherie Blair has contracted the suspected H1N1 virus that compelled her to call off a host of public appointments. Cherie Blair, a human rights barrister by profession had to cancel her visit to a ceremony held at Liverpool Hope University with whom she has had good amity. She was due to collect an honorary degree at the University located in North-west England on Friday.

Blair had begun feeling below par since the beginning of the week and was reported to have been identified with carrying the swine flu virus on Tuesday. The Sun newspaper has reported that Cherie Blair had been administered a course of Tamiflu by the doctor after being diagnosed with the swine flu virus.

There have been no reports of either her husband or children showing any symptoms of swine flu. The Health Protection Agency has stated on Thursday that there has been a steady rise of death toll from 17 the previous week to the current standing 26 in England and 3 in Scotland.

Britain is bearing the worst brunt of the swine flu epidemic with 55,000 fresh reported cases in the past week.

With the Health Minister, Juan Manzur confirming the death toll from the A(H1N1) virus mounting to a humongous 86,the official estimate and constantly rising. There have been close to 2, 677 confirmed swine flu cases so far. The provincial health minister, Claudio Zin has suggested reducing one-on-one contact especially in mass crowds and gatherings to avoid matters escalating out of hand.

Argentina is the only country in the southern hemisphere to be severely bolted by the severity of the deadly virus with a relatively high rate of morbidity. Argentina now stands third in row for swine flu mortalities after US and Mexico where the pandemic first made its presence felt and has lately outdone even Canada.

As the epidemic spreads its deadly roots during the winter season, many Argentines preferred to remain homebound, several churches in Bolivia including the Bolivian Roman Catholic Church called off weekday masses. Churches in East Santa Cruz city, the hot bed for the virus, having greater than two-thirds of the country’s reported swine flu cases had the bishopric propose that adulators steer clear of the church and rather listen to the mass on television or radio.

Commercial institutions comprising banks, trade quarters, courts, stock exchange were closed for a day all over Argentina. This coalesced with the Independence Day holiday on Thursday, summing up to a four-day holiday weekend wherein most preferred not to venture into crowds or meet up outsiders.

The President, Cristina Fernandez announced a day’s leave to federal public workers with many government organisations followed the day off, along with the densely populated Buenos Aires province. The government has increased the winter vacations twofold to make it one month in case of schools. Expecting women and several susceptible employees have been given leave for 15 days.

Many cinemas have been closed, public occasions have been put on hold and restaurants have devised the policy to maintain a 3-yard distance in between tables.

China’s majority racial faction, Han Chinese went on a rampage donning meat hatchets, spades and clubs as they skimmed the streets of Urumqi, the regional capital of West China, trying to seek vengeance on the minority Muslim Uighurs, who had earlier created pandemonium by battering up people that eventually escalated to the country’s nastiest racial aggression ever seen in decades.

Riots initially erupted on Sunday, taking the death toll to more than 156 people. Fresh hostility broke out once again on Tuesday despite throngs of paramilitary troops taking stringent steps to normalize situation that involved the detaining of 1400 people.

Elements of the Uighur group assaulted people close to the Urumqi railway station, while women in head gears staged demonstrations opposing the arrests of their kin in parts of the city.

A curfew was further imposed following a gang of 1000 Han Chinese who ventured on the streets armed to the teeth to reach the Uighur neighbourhood. They were dispersed by the police who fired tear gas shells. The Han Chinese people had reportedly bought bottled water with them fearing that the Uighurs might poison their drinking water.

These violent outbursts have been a major shame for the Chinese headship who are busy putting in order the arrangements for the 60th anniversary of communalist rule that preaches the founding of a peaceable society.

Unrestricted media coverage showing brutality has further added fuel to the fire. The Government believes that the riots occurred due to inciting of a section of people by the World Uighur Congress that have their roots in Germany and US.

Traffic restraints have been enforced and people have been instructed to stay off the roads between 9pm Tuesday to 8am Wednesday to avert any disarray.