Mild tremors continued to rattle Saurashtra and Kutch region on Monday, a day after a tremor measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale shook many parts of the state.

Parts of north Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch here on Sunday afternoon received mild tremors with people in Saurashtra rushing out of their homes.

WORLD Bank on Tuesday launched a new catastrophe loan facility and revised an existing contingency credit line designed to help increase its business with middle-income countries. The World Bank board on Tuesday approved the Catastrophe Risk Deferred Drawdown Option that will give middle-income countries access to emergency funds in the event of a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake. Countries stricken by disaster will be able to access funding of up to $500 million once a state of emergency is declared. Countries may qualify for the loan facility if they have a hazard risk management programme already in place that is monitored by the World Bank. World Bank president Robert Zoellick said the facility was an example of how the institution could be useful to middle-income countries, a diverse group that includes fast-growing economic powerhouses like China. In September, Mr Zoellick cut the price the World bank charged on its loans and simplified a complex set of fees and waivers for emerging economies, which were increasingly tapping global capital markets for funding. "These financial product enhancements reflect the World Bank Group's commitment to using creative ways to expand resources for our country partners,' Mr Zoellick said. "As our client relationships with middle-income countries become more sophisticated, the World Bank is responding with development solutions that share knowledge, build markets and institutions, and provide capital,' he added. The World Bank board separately also approved changes to its existing Deferred Drawdown Option (DDO), a pre-approved line of credit for countries which do not immediately need the funding but have access to it in the future in case of an unforeseen event. Only two countries

An earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale hit some parts of the district this noon. However, no loss of life or property was reported. This is the first earthquake since the past one year. "Several residents rushed out of their houses at around 1.13 pm, when the quake was felt, claimed Kuldeep Singh, a local resident. The quake lasted for about 20 seconds.

A mild earthquake caused by coal mining shook the western German state of Saarland, causing damage to buildings but no injuries. A police spokesman in the Saarlouis region on the French border said the earthquake measured 4.0 on the Richter scale, the strongest on record in the area, and had knocked over chimneys and caused electricity outages yesterday. After the quake, roughly 1,000 demonstrators gathered near the epicentre in Saarwellingen, the police said, to demand an end to mining work which has sparked dozens of small tremors this year alone.

A mild earthquake caused by coal mining shook the western German state of Saarland on Saturday, causing damage to buildings but no injuries. A police spokesman in the Saarlouis region on the French border said the earthquake measured 4.0 on the Richter scale, the strongest on record in the area, and had knocked over chimneys and caused electricity outages. After the quake, roughly 1,000 demonstrators gathered near the epicenter in Saarwellingen, police said, to demand an end to mining work which has sparked dozens of small tremors this year alone. (Writing by Noah Barkin)

Homo sapien as an urban, undeveloped species >> From 1950 to 2000, the urban population of the world quadrupled

An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale hit the Indonesian island of Java in the early hours of May 27, 2006. More than 135,000 houses were destroyed and an estimated 647,000 people were

Seismic zoning map for the country underestimates risk

On October 8, 2005, a powerful earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, rocked Pakistan and India's northern border. More than 30,000 died and there was widespread damage. The death toll is

Pages