Wilma Now Most Intense Atlantic Storm Ever
Oct 19 8:53 AM US/Eastern
By FREDDY CUEVAS Associated Press Writer
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras

Gathering strength at a fierce pace, Hurricane Wilma swirled into the most intense Atlantic storm ever recorded Wednesday, a Category 5 monster packing 175 mph wind that forecasters warned was "extremely dangerous."

Wilma was dumping rain on Central America and Mexico. A hurricane watch was in effect for the east coast of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, parts of Cuba and the Cayman Islands, and forecasters warned of a "significant threat" to Florida by the weekend.

"All interests in the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula should closely monitor the progress of extremely dangerous Hurricane Wilma," the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
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Strong Earthquake Hits Japan; No Injuries
Oct 19 9:11 AM US/Eastern
TOKYO
A strong earthquake rocked eastern Japan late Wednesday, shaking buildings in Tokyo and nearby areas, but there was no immediate report of injuries or damage.
The earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, was centered 24 miles below the sea off the coast of Ibaraki prefecture, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Japan's meteorological agency earlier put the magnitude at 6.2 from the quake, which hit at 8:50 p.m. (7:50 a.m. EDT). There was no danger of tsunami, it added. Story

Pakistani quake toll could be 100,000
By Muhammad Najeeb,
Islamabad
A staggering 100,000 people could have died in the devastating Pakistani earthquake, even as officials Monday gave out varying figures of the toll.
While a military spokesman put the figure at 100,000, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and a foreign office spokesperson separately placed it at 40,000.
"Over 40,000 people have so far been reported killed and many remain missing. The exact number of victims will probably never be known," Aziz told reporters here. The administrator of Pakistani Kashmir said 80,000 people had died in his province alone while his North West Frontier Province (NWFP) counterpart said 20,000 people had died in his state. the rest