Earthquakes

Magnitude 5+ Earthquakes - Global

6.1 Earthquake hits the Kermedec Islands off New Zealand.

5.9 Earthquake hits the North Pacific Ocean.

5.5 Earthquake hits southern Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.1 Earthquake hits central Alaska.

5.0 Earthquake hits central Iran.

5.0 Earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

5.0 Earthquake hits Fiji.

5.0 Earthquake hits Sichuan-Yunnan border region, China.

Fukushima Update

Japan's nuclear regulator has upgraded the rating of a leak of radiation-contaminated water at its tsunami-wrecked nuclear plant to a "serious incident" on an international scale.

Nuclear Regulation Authority official Yukiko Fukui said on Wednesday the severity of the August 19's leak was raised to level 3 from the original level 1.

300 tons (300,000 liters, 80,000 gallons) of water had escaped from one tank and some may have reached the sea through a rainwater gutter.