Six In The Morning

Indian Ocean earthquake may have triggered others around the globe, scientists say


By Hristio Boytchev, Thursday, September 27, 2:58 AM
A powerful earthquake under the Indian Ocean on April 11 was followed by a series of smaller earthquakes around the globe, including off the West Coast, pointing to a possible chain reaction that many geologists found surprising. “I didn’t think this could happen,” said Ross Stein, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Calif., who co-authored a study published Wednesday in the science journal Nature describing the trigger effect of the quake. The team of scientists led by Fred Pollitz compared global records of earthquakes before and after April 11.

Chinese court upholds $2.4 million fine against Ai Weiwei
A Chinese court ruled that artist and dissident Ai Weiwei will have to pay a $2.4 million tax evasion fine. Many view the fine as a way of silencing Ai's criticisms of the government.

By Reuters / September 26, 2012
A Chinese court upheld a $2.4 million tax evasion fine against China's most famous dissident Ai Weiwei on Thursday, in a case that has badly tarnished the country's already poor human rights reputation. "It's an extremely shameless court," Ai, whose 81-day detention last year sparked an international outcry, told reporters. "It didn't respect the facts or give us a chance to defend ourselves; it has no regard for taxpayers' rights," he said, adding he did not know whether now he had to pay to entire fine though he suspected he did.

German court warns Catholics: pay church tax or face expulsion
Judges back bishops' cash demands over grassroots opposition

TONY PATERSON BERLIN THURSDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2012
A German court gave its backing yesterday to a decree by the country's Catholic bishops declaring that believers who refused to pay an eight per cent church tax could not be considered Catholic and would automatically lose the right to receive Holy Communion and a religious burial. The verdict, which was delivered by Germany's chief administrative court in Leipzig, was a bitter defeat for Germany's grass-roots Catholics and conservative church campaigners who had denounced the bishop's decree as "pay and pray" and claimed it sent "the wrong signal".

Are Iran's nuclear sabotage fears justified?
German tech giant Siemens has rejected Iranian accusations that it is sabotaging the country's nuclear program by delivering booby-trapped technology. Observers say the charges could be justified.


Nuclear scientists killed in mysterious circumstances, and a computer virus that disabled entire nuclear power plants. Iran has taken several heavy blows to its controversial nuclear program in recent years. Now Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian Parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, has expressed fears of a new threat. On Saturday (22.09.2012), he accused Munich-based technology firm Siemens of sending nuclear components to Syria that had been booby-trapped with explosives. "The devices were meant to explode after they went into operation in order to destroy our systems," said Boroujerdi.

Deep Read: The party's over for Somalia's pirates
The empty whisky bottles and overturned, sand-filled skiffs that litter the Somali shoreline are signs that the heyday of Somali piracy may be over.

26 SEP 2012 12:23 - SAPA-AP
Most of the prostitutes are gone, the luxury cars repossessed. Pirates talk more about catching lobsters than seizing cargo ships. Armed guards aboard cargo ships and an international naval armada complete with aircraft that carry out onshore raids have put a huge dent in Somali piracy and might even spell the end of the scourge. One piracy expert said it's too early to declare victory. But the numbers are startling: In 2010, pirates seized 47 vessels. This year they've taken only five.

Plastic debris reaches Southern Ocean, previously thought to be pristine
Researchers on 70,000-mile voyage to investigate climate change say effect of humans is now 'truly planetary'

Zoe Holman guardian.co.uk, Thursday 27 September 2012 07.00 BST
The first traces of plastic debris have been found in what was thought to be the pristine environment of the Southern Ocean, according to a study released in London by the French scientific research vessel Tara. The finding comes following a two-and-a-half-year, 70,000-mile voyage by the schooner across the Atlantic, Pacific, Antarctic and Indian Oceans, to investigate marine ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change. "We had always assumed that this was a pristine environment, very little touched by human beings," said Chris Bowler, scientific co-ordinator of Tara Oceans. "The fact that we found these plastics is a sign that the reach of human beings is truly planetary in scale.