62 killed in Sri Lanka blast (Second Lead)

COLOMBO – At least 60 policemen and two Chinese nationals were killed Friday in a massive blast in containers filled with explosives at a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, the Daily News reported quoting a military official.

The toll in the blast at the Karadiyanaru police station, some 260 km from Colombo, has risen to … Read : 62 killed in Sri Lanka blast (Second Lead).

Hurricane Karl reaches Category 3 strength in the Gulf of Mexico; now a major hurricane

Hurricane Karl now a Category 3 storm in the Gulf

MIAMI – Hurricane Karl has strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it roars toward ports and oil installations on Mexico’s Gulf Coast.
Karl’s maximum sustained winds increased to near 120 mph (195 kph) early Friday with some additional strengthening possible before the hurricane makes landfall.
Karl is … Read more »»».

Government says 60 feared killed in accidental blast in eastern Sri Lanka

Government: 60 feared killed in Sri Lanka blast

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Three containers filled with explosives meant for road construction detonated Friday outside a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, killing as many as 60 people in a blast government officials called an accident.
Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Ubaya Medawala said it was unclear what triggered …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

BP’s Gulf oil well close to being plugged for good after relief well intersects it

Gulf oil well on verge of being plugged for good

NEW ORLEANS – After five months, the oil well that had spewed thousands of gallons into the Gulf of Mexico is on the verge of being plugged once and for all.
A relief well drilled nearly 2.5 miles beneath the floor of the Gulf of Mexico intersected … Read : BP’s Gulf oil well close to being plugged for good after relief well intersects it.

13th century slab of stone carving stolen from Goa

PANAJI – A historic one-metre-long stone slab with carvings of battle scene, dating back to the late 13th century, has been stolen from a remote village in north Goa. Only a museum could have stolen it, an archeology official said here Friday.

The state government has launched an investigation into the disappearance of the stone …. Original article  : 13th century slab of stone carving stolen from Goa.

Pakistan’s largest city Karachi gripped by fear, mourning after politician killed in London

Fears of violence in Pakistan after London slaying

KARACHI, Pakistan – Pakistan’s largest city came to a near-halt Friday amid fears of violence following the slaying in London of a senior politician from the local ruling party. Witnesses said a shop and two buses were set on fire, in signs of rising tension.
Gas stations, schools and …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Sri Lanka: Accidental blast kills more than 20 including 2 Chinese

Sri Lanka: Accidental blast kills more than 20

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – An accidental blast triggered by industrial dynamite intended for use in road construction killed more than 20 people Friday in eastern Sri Lanka, including two Chinese nationals, a government spokesman said.
The blast took place in the Batticaloa district, a former conflict area where the … Original source on Gaea Times at : Sri Lanka: Accidental blast kills more than 20 including 2 Chinese.

British team in Punjab to probe murder case

PHAGWARA – A special four-member team of the British police has come to this Punjab town to probe a nearly three-year-old murder of an Indian origin British woman, allegedly for dowry.

Led by David Reid, the team reached Punjab Thursday and recorded the statements of the woman’s family members, who have alleged she was harassed … Read : British team in Punjab to probe murder case.

60 feared dead in accidental explosion in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO – At least 60 people were feared killed when a stock of dynamite exploded Friday inside a police station in eastern Sri Lanka, a military spokesman said.

Major General Udaya Medawala said the explosives detonated on a truck in the Karadiyanaru police station, 260 km east of Colombo.
The dynamite were intended for road construction … Read more »»».

Officials to assess whether tornado touched down in NYC storm that killed 1, disrupted trains

Probe into whether tornado hit NYC in deadly storm

NEW YORK – Residents, utility crews and railroad workers were cleaning up debris Friday after a brief but fierce storm barreled through the city, tearing up trees, stripping roofs from homes, disrupting train service and killing at least one person.
The National Weather Service was to dispatch investigators …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Residents return home as crews slow advance of forest fire in southern Sierra Nevada

Residents return home as crews slow fire’s advance

LAKE ISABELLA, Calif. – Hundreds of California residents have been allowed to return to their homes in mountain communities in the southern Sierra Nevada where a forest fire burned more than 8,100 acres.
Fire officials called off evacuation orders Thursday as a fierce air and ground attack helped slow … Original article on : Residents return home as crews slow advance of forest fire in southern Sierra Nevada.

BHU student threatens suicide, four arrested for ragging

LUCKNOW – Four students of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi have been arrested, one year after they assaulted and stripped a physically challenged youth and forced him to perform obscene acts that were even filmed by them, police said Friday.

The arrests came after the affected student, a native of Bihar, threatened to … Read this article on Gaea Times at : BHU student threatens suicide, four arrested for ragging.

Brooklyn Storm Creates Havoc

STATEN ISLANDS (GaeaTimes.com)- A powerful tornado struck Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan on Thursday evening. The National Weather Service issued a warning to the residents in the area at around 5:30pm. The NWS reported that the storm touched down at Staten Islands and caused extensive damage in the area. Wind speeds up to 70mph were …. Read the original article  : Brooklyn Storm Creates Havoc.

Orissa newspaper owner being framed, say media, opposition

BHUBANESWAR – A newspaper publisher was arrested here for allegedly duping a student, but media groups and opposition parties are protesting the move and allege that he has been framed for writing against the government.

Bikash Swain, the owner, publisher and printer of vernacular Oriya daily Suryaprava was arrested Thursday for allegedly duping a student of … Original source on Gaea Times at : Orissa newspaper owner being framed, say media, opposition.

NYC Tornado Disrupts City Life, Claims life of One

NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com) — Last Thursday evening New York City faced a powerful tornado which caused several damage across the city. It even claimed the life of one person while injuring several others.
According to reports, the storm was a tornado with a funnel cloud. Although the National Weather Service had issued a Tornado warning …. Read the original article  : NYC Tornado Disrupts City Life, Claims life of One.

Remains of 20 people found in Malaysian farmhouse

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian investigators probing the murder of four people have stumbled upon bones that could belong to as many as 20 people.

The Malaysian Police have linked a fifth murder, that of an ethnic Indian woman, with those of four who were slashed and burnt last week at Banting in Selangor state.
Two … Read : Remains of 20 people found in Malaysian farmhouse.

New system to monitor seismic activity in northeast

AGARTALA – An ambitious project to modernise the seismic monitoring system in India’s northeast — said to be the sixth most quake-prone belt in the world — has been taken up by the union ministry of earth sciences (MoES), officials said here Friday.

“A VSAT-based real time seismic monitoring network (RTSMN) over the northeast consisting of …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : New system to monitor seismic activity in northeast.

Experts warn of earthquakes in Bangladesh

DHAKA – Scientists at the Dhaka University Earth Observatory have recorded 10 tremors in the last one week and warned that more earthquakes can hit the country anytime.

The warning comes after a moderate quake, whose epicentre was at the India-Bangladesh border, shook parts of Bangladesh last Friday.
Two of the milder ones with the epicentre … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Experts warn of earthquakes in Bangladesh.

Rescue, relief intensified after Bihar river breach

PATNA – A day after the Gandak river breached its embankments in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, the government intensified rescue and relief operations as the fear of floods led thousands to flee their homes, officials said Friday.

Floods caused by the breach could affect one million people in Gopalganj, Saran and Siwan district in the coming days …. Read the original article  : Rescue, relief intensified after Bihar river breach.

Peruvian teen admits he murdered 10 people

Lima, Sep 17 (IANS/EFE) A 15-year-old boy in Peru has confessed to killing 10 people, including a pregnant woman, in the past three years, local media reported.

The boy, nicknamed Gringacho, surrendered before the authorities and said he was recruited by a criminal network in the city of Trujillo, 570 km north of Lima, when he [..] Read the original article: here.