Central New Zealand shaken by strong quake

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck near Taupo this afternoon and was felt widely throughout the country. File photo / NZ Herald

 A deep seated earthquake measuring magnitude 6.5 struck central New Zealand on Tuesday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said the tremor of magnitude 6.5 struck at 3.36 p.m. (0336 GMT).

The government institute said it was centred 30 kms (18 miles) east of the holiday town of Taupo, close to the volcanically active area of Mount Ruapehu.

The quake was 150 km below ground level.

New Zealand scientists record around 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which on average around 20 top magnitude 5.0.

The country has been more alert to earthquakes since the South Island city of Christchurch, was struck by two devastating quakes in September last year and in February this year. The latter killed 181 people and caused an estimated NZ$15 billion of damage. 


The Prime Minister's press secretary, Lesley Hamilton, said the quake was felt strongly on the ninth floor of the Beehive.
Briar Charmley, private secretary for the Attorney-General on the 19th floor of Bowen House in downtown Wellington, said the building swayed more than in any previous earthquake she had felt in her 12 months in the office. 

Others compared the quake given to the 2.9 magnitude shock that struck Auckland on Friday.
"Aucklanders make a big deal over a 2.9 that felt like a gust of wind all over the news. Wellingtonians brush off a 6.5," Keegan Check said.

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Zawahri appointed al Qaeda leader: report

EDITOR'S NOTE: REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY CONTENT THE VIDEO FROM WHICH THIS STILL IMAGE WAS TAKEN. Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri speaks from an unknown location, in this still image taken from video uploaded on a social media website June 8, 2011. REUTERS/Social Media Website via Reuters TV

Osama bin Laden's long-time lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahri, is now the leader of al Qaeda.

The Egyptian-born Zawahri vowed earlier this month to press ahead with al Qaeda's campaign against the United States and its allies, in what appeared to be his first public response to bin Laden's death in a US commando raid in Pakistan in May.



Zawahri, whose whereabouts are unknown, had been seen as bin Laden's most likely successor.

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Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress to Be Exhibited at Palace

There's no doubt that the most buzzed-about dress of the decade is Duchess Catherine's wedding gown, and now fans of the royal couple can see the historic garment with their very own eyes beginning July 23.

The dress was kept under lock-and-key along with its details and designer up until the Duchess's entrance at her April 29th wedding to the Duke of Cambridge, 28. The gown, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, will be on display at Buckingham Palace during the annual Summer Opening, according to a release from the Royal Collection Press Office.

"The Duchess chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing," the Royal Collection Press Office said. "Her Royal Highness worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress."
Calling it "the experience of a lifetime," Burton explained that "Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day. "The team at Alexander McQueen are very proud of what we have created."

The 29-year-old royal and her gown, made from ivory and white satin-gazar, received praise from some of the fashion world's most renowned designers:

"The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor," Karl Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily. "I love the modest veil with the Queen Mother's Thirties scroll tiara and balanced volume of the whole gown. She's radiant; She never was so beautiful."

"Kate's dress was beautiful," Donatella Versace said. "She looked very regal."

Her shoes, by Alexander McQueen, and her diamond earrings, by Robinson Pelham, will also be a part of the display. Joining the wedding ensemble will be the Duke and Duchess's multi-tiered wedding cake, created by Fiona Cairns, a Leicestershire-based cake designer. The exhibit will be on display through October 3, 2011.

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