Earthquakes

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A strong earthquake rocked southern Iran on Wednesday, sending tremors across the Persian Gulf and shaking the skyscrapers of Dubai. Iranian state television reported that four persons were killed and 26 others were injured. The country's seismological center said a magnitude 6 quake struck at 3:30 p.m., with the epicenter about 850 miles south of the capital Tehran, in the region of Bandar Abbas. Bandar Abbas is also one of Iran's main ports and home to a large oil refinery that primarily serves the domestic market. The city's residents, reached by telephone, said the quake caused panic and prompted many to run to the parks.

TOKYO (AP) — A magnitude 7 earthquake hit northern Japan on Thursday morning, triggering a small tsunami that apparently caused no damage, Japan's Meteorological Agency said. There were no reports of injuries. The agency said the quake hit at 9:21 a.m. local time off the eastern coast Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island at a depth of about 12 miles. A 4-inch tsunami rippled at the shore about 35 minutes after the quake. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and experts believe Tokyo has a 90% chance of being hit by a major quake over the next 50 years.