Fingers crossed that the Japan death toll in the earthquake, tsunami, will not cross 60 and that the 10 nations in the path of the tsunami will be left undamaged.

While we close Live! news for today, stay tuned to rediff.com for both news, features, videos and some truly fantastic pictures.

Breaking news: Thousands of people have fled their homes in northeastern Indonesia after being warned that a large tsunami triggered by a Japanese earthquake could pound their shores. But a meteorological official says only a 10-centimetre wave hit the North Maluku islands and caused no known damage or injuries. However, a second, larger tsunami might be on the way.

Alerts were issued along a long stretch of Indonesia's coastline, triggering widespread panic after today's massive 8.9-magnitude quake in Japan.

Indonesia was hardest hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed more than 230,000 lives. Minor waves have also begun hitting the Philippines, the country's chief seismologist said.

Pictured: An oil refinery in Japan catches fire

Two must-watch videos that will give you the extent of devastation in Tokyo.

When Japan shook

Hand of God washes cars in Japan

And the waves came in...

Sirens sounded in Hawaii, tsunami likely to hit anytime now.

Tweets from bbc.co.uk

Some people in Hawaii are now using the hashtag#hitsunamito talk about the tsunami alert.Ryan Ozawain Honolulu tweets: "Water sold out by second siren at Mililani Wal-Mart. Bread shelves bare."

PRwahine in Hawaii tweets: "Hard to describe the feeling of waiting to know if all my belongings will soon be limited to what is in my car."

The tsunami is expected to hit Hawaii at 6 pm IST.

Just in:

-- 18,000 stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport with 700 flights to and from Japan cancelled.

-- 2,000 residents near Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan urged to evacuate, reports Kyodo News. The fire in the Onagawa N-plant has been contained.

-- This is Japan's worst earthquake in a 100 years.

In India:

In a relief to former Commissioner of Police Hasan Gafoor, the Bombay High Court today stayed summons issued by a Chandigarh court against the senior cop in connection with a defamation complaint filed by the father of Inspector General (Konkan region), Parambir Singh.

Parambir's father had alleged that Gafoor, in an interview to a magazine in November 2009, claimed that senior police officers including Parambir had refused to be part of the operation against terrorists during the 26/11 terror attacks.

And more from the inane brigade

Shane Warne: Goodnight-everything crossed for people in japan and for the people who have a tsunami warning. No more natural disasters please-can't cope

Rajdeep Sardesai started the morning thinking it would be a slow news day and then we get a global tsunami!

Deepak Chopra Wishing safety to all affected by Tsunami The world may need to rally together for rescue efforts Many countries may be affected.

Japan update at this hour:

-- Death toll up to 50

-- Fires across 80 locations in Japan.

-- All airports shut, army called in.

-- World markets fall after Japan quake and massive tsunami

-- Constant aftershocks in Japan

-- No public transport in Tokyo

-- The tsunami was 33 ft high -- approximately 3 building floors.

A control room has been established in the Embassy of India, Tokyo which can contacted on phone numbers 00813 32622391 to 97.

And a tweet:

Harneet Singh RT @Kudsia_Kahar If u have a relative in Japan & can't get through call Wisma Putra Operations Room at 03-8887 4570/4770, 03-8889 2746/2830

However the Ministry of External Affairs has said all 25,000 Indians in Tokyo are safe.

She knows she faces fierce competition from other models desperate to represent Great Britain at the MissUniverse contest. But Shanna Bukhari also faces another battle against religious zealots who have told her she should 'rot in hell'.

For Miss Bukhari, 24, is hoping to make history by becoming the first Muslim to represent Great Britain at the beauty pageant, reports the dailymail.co.uk.

Read more

Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha: Kanimozhi: We r answering everything...cooperating unlike many other political leaders.I am not worried.we hv not put pressure on anyone.

It may be remembered that DMK MP Kanimozhi and her stepmother Dayalu Amman had been questioned by the CBI this morning.

Twit gyan after the Japan quake, tsunami...

barkha dutt: watching images of tsunami on tv makes you feel helpless, small, irrelevant. Like the universe has a larger plan and you arent part of it

dia mirza Horrified. Powerful reminder of human vulnerability. #PrayingforJapan

atul kasbekar The Earth has had enough...

Neil Nitin Mukesh Been watching CNN. 8.9 magnitude quake is huge. Floods are so bad.

Why was Delhi college girl Radhika Tanwar killed?

Here's why.

A mentally disturbed youth from UP wanted to avenge the humiliation he suffered when he was beaten up for stalking her three years ago.

The alleged murderer has been identified as Vijay alias Ram Singh (25), hailing from Viswan village in Sitapur.

Police zeroed in on Vijay after investigators detained his two friends -- Tabrez and Ashraf -- who allegedly harboured and helped him flee the capital on March 10, two days after Radhika (20) was shot dead outside Ram Lal Anand college in south Delhi where she was studying.

"He is learnt to have been involved in stalking women in his village," H G S Dhaliwal, Deputy Commissioner of police (South), said.

His two friends, who were detained told police that he was beaten up three-and-a-half years ago in Naraina village by a local for allegedly harassing Radhika and he wanted to avenge the humiliation, Dhaliwal said.

"He had a deep grudge against Radhika and used to tell his friends whenever he gets an opportunity he will take revenge," Dhaliwal said.

Happening now: CBI ends interrogation of DMK MP Kanimozhi. Remember she and her stepmother, Dayalu Amman(Karunanidhi's wife) were called in for questioning in the cash trail in the 2G scam.

News flash: All the 25,000 Indians in Tokyo are safe.

Meanwhile, news from the World Cup. Spectacled hottie, Captain Daniel Vettori will miss New Zealand's World Cup Group A tie against minnows Canada at the Wankhede Stadium on March 13 because of a knee injury,but is hoping to be fit for the last league game against Sri Lanka at the same venue here on March 18.

A small 4.6-magnitude quake has hit Hawaii, while the state is still under tsunami warning from the Japan quake.

Hawaii is expected to be hit by a tsunami at 6pm IST. Coastal areas have already been evacuated. Nine schools on Kauai have been opened as holding areas for visitors and others who must evacuate tsunami inundation zones.

An advisory from the Hawaii government says residents have been told to take precautions to preserve life and property. Residents and visitors who are not in tsunami inundation zones are asked to stay where they are to keep roads as clear as possible for evacuation efforts. Those who are in a tsunami inundation zone have been told to move to higher ground.

Just hours after the Delhi police detained two men, who allegedly helped the killer escape, news now comes in that the name of the accused is Vijay alias Ramsingh (surname not known yet) from Sitapur and is believed to be mentally unstable.

The police said the man is still absconding and is believed to be around to 26 years.

Yesterday, the police said they had 'some specific leads' about the identity of the man who shot dead a young girl, Radhika Tanwar,outside her college on Tuesday morning.

Claiming that several 'close friends' of the girl identified the sketch of the accused as a stalker who used to harass her three years ago, the police said that they are on the 'right track'.

This eyewitness account comes from Captain Utpal Haldar whose ship was moored atTokyo harbour when the 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan.

"Vessel experienced very heavy and multiple tremorsduring the earthquake. Our our vessel was docked at the Tokyo harbour when it happened. The vessel and all crew are safe.

The ship lurched back and forth five feet and we immediately called the mooring station and tried to keep the vessel anchored well by tightening the mooring ropes. '

Since another tsunami is expected to hit the Tokyo bay, all ships have to leave immediately. We are now making arrangements to leave the berth. It will be safer in anchorage, since at the bay, there is always a chance that mooring lines may break or the vessel may hit ships docked alongside."

Or so this tweet says...

Pragya Tiwari: Had to coordinate with Arundhati Roy on something and found out she is in Japan just before I heard the news. Sincerely hope she is alright.

It's a scandal that almost destroyed former US president Bill Clinton's career and left it permanently tainted.Fifteen years on, Clinton's former intern Monica Lewinsky has not got married or had children because she is reportedly still in love with him and 'always will be'.

Read the delicious gossip

Coming right after the immense tragedy of Japan, this may jar, but they are both newsmakers, so here it is. We'll keep it short.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have have split after almost five years together.

A 19-nation tsunami alert had been issued. The next few nations to be hit by tsunamis are Taiwan in 30 minutes, Indonesia at 4.30 pm, Hawaii at 6 pm, New Zealand at 10.50 pm, Australia at11.15 pm.There is a warning of multiple 10-ft high tsunamis. Coastal areas in Hawaii have been evacuated. Risks of landslides, mudslides.

18 people have been confirmed dead in Japan; the magnitude of the earthquake has been revised to 8.8 on the Richter scale. Aftershocks are still being felt in Japan.

Watch the tsunami strike on the guardian.co.uk

Shame!

A sessions court in Mumbai has granted India's biggest tax evader (US$ 8billion estimate) Hasan Ali Khan bail. The Court slammed the Enforcement Directorates proof -- 700-pages of documents -- saying they it was insufficent and shoddy evidence.

Income tax officials recovered documents and a laptop in January 2007 that indicated that he had $8 billion in an account with UBS in Zurich. The court today asked the ED how they had arrived at figure, to which the ED said they had got the figure from the I-tax department.

The ED also said it did not have 100 per cent evidence, but prima facie they had proof against Hasan Ali.

The court also said the ED had not bothered toreinvestigate and corroborate the alleged proof it had on the accused.

He was the arrested only in December 2008 for submitting false information to obtain a passport, but he was released on bail in January 2009. He was finally arrested on Monday.

Russia has evacuated 11,000 people, coastal areas in Hawaii evacuated,ahead of a multi-nation tsunami alert.

In Japan hit by the world's fifth biggest earthquake (another FYI for you) Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that the country's disaster management operations have been activated to counter the after effects of earthquake-cum-tsunami.

Kan has urged citizens of the country to remain calm and asked those immediately affected to relocate to higher ground.

Victoria Cowie, who is just 11, has discovered she has a higher IQ than genius Albert Einstein, reports dailymail.co.uk. The schoolgirl scored 162 on the test, two points higher than the physics legend behind the general theory of relativity. Incidentally, Bill Gates, had scored 160, while Stephen Hawking is also believed to have an IQ of 160.

Read

As long as he has money, and there's still space left on his body, film buff Miljenko Parserisas Bukovic will continue inking his body with tattoos of pretty womanJulia Roberts' face. He has got 82 tattoos so far..

Read(Not pretty, this man)

On to other news, but we'llreturn for updates of the Japan quake, tsunami.

Charlie Sheen has finally confirmed yesterday what the world has known for weeks... "I'm losing my mind."

Read the sun.co.uk story

The company that's not just a noun, but also a verb, steps in...

Google Person Finder available after earthquake in Japan to help you get information about loved ones.http://goo.gl/rlR07

FYI: The last time a big one hit Tokyo was in 1923, when the Great Kanto earthquake claimed more than 140,000 lives, many of them in fires.

In 1855, the Ansei Edo quake also devastated the city.

In 1995 Kobe earthquake killed more then 6,400 people.

The last big earthquake (9.1) and tsunami was the one in Phuket in 2004 that killed over 2,20,000. Over 10,000 people died in Indian alone.

From that disaster emerged this story of a little heroine, who saved thousands, only because she paid attention to what her teacher taught her in school.

Read the story of Tilly of the tsunami

Hours after we told you, here's the news, albeit in detail, from PTI.

ISI head, Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, a close aide of Pakistan Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, is heading for a likely and rare second term.

The new two-year extension to Kayani's favourite General is sought to be given citing serious internal and external security challenges faced by the country.

Pasha, who was given a year-long extension last year, is set to retire on March 18.

ISI chief's new extension will come on the heels of an unprecedented three-year extension given to his chief Kayani.

India news: The second round of the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has been postponed in view of the Assembly elections in India and ongoing pro-democracy movements in West Asia and North Africa.

Scheduled to be held in the beginning of April, the dialogue will be now rescheduled for the earliest available opportunity.

Not about the tsunami, buthere's an indicator what will happen ifGujarat CM Narendra Modi everbecomes PM -- India for Gujaratis only.

His tweet:

Narendra Modi: have setup 24X7 helpdesk at IGI airport & Guj Bhawan for stay/transport etc for Gujaratis evacuated from #Libya.

Quick takes

-- Earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale hits north-east Japan, followed by a killer tsunami.

-- Fire breaks out after quake.

-- 13-ft tsunami strikes; warning of 10-ft high tsunami wave.

-- Japan begins assessing its nuclear safety; five nuclear plants shut.

-- A large ship swept away by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, the epicentre of the quake.

-- Rail, air, port services shut in Japan

-- Massive power failure as 40 lakh buildings without electricity

-- Epicentre 400 km off Tokyo.

-- No tsunami warning for India.

-- Most airports in Japan shutdown

Watch the tsunami hit Japan from this Al Jazeera video.

Ironically, it's a sunny day in Japan and unless you are watching TV or listening to radio, residents of the some of the areas denued by the tsunami, will have no idea what's about to hit them.

Also see the pictures on rediff.com

Updates from quake-struck Japan: Anearthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale has struck Japan (scroll down for that news). Many have been injured in the quake, while smoke bellowed from one. Narita airport closed.

A tsunami has hit northern Japan in Onahama city in Fukushima. TV images show scores of cars floating in the harbour,while more cars, trucks and houses were swept away by the raging waters. Four-metre waves have lashed the quake hit area, while 10-metre tsunami alert has been issued.

Specifice tsunami warning issued not just for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the US state of Hawaii.

Remember Bradley Manning? The allegedsource of WikiLeaks who has been detainedin a military base in Virgina and stripped naked every night and made to parade in front of officers, nude...

This treatment began March 2, reports guardian.co.uk, when Manning was informed that his attempt to have his harsh treatment in prison ameliorated had been unsuccessful.

An edited version of his description of what happened next, from the guardian.co.uk. Read

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Japan off its northeastern coast this morning, shaking buildings in Tokyo for several minutes and forcing people out of their home, and prompting a tsunami warning. No reports of casualties yet.

Japan's meteorological agency warned that a tsunami as high as 20 feet could strike the coast, closest to the epicenter. Smaller tsunamis of up to 50 centimeters reached some coastal communities.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami warning was in effect for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island and the Northern Marianas. A tsunami watch has been issued for Guam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and U.S. state of Hawaii.

We told you earlier that Nippon Life Insurance Co planned to buy a 26 percent stake in Reliance Life Insurance for about $724 million. Now, details are in.

Reuters.com says Nippon Life, which incidentally, is Japan's largest life-insurer, is in talks with Reliance Capital, the parent of the Indian insurer, to acquire the 26 per cent stake, the maximum allowed for a foreign company in India.

Both Nippon Life and Reliance Capital declined to comment. Reliance Capital is an Anil Ambani company.

Reliance Capital has said in the past that it was looking to bring in a strategic investor for its life insurance unit ahead of a possible initial public offering.

Ex-McKinsey director Anil Kumar today testified he leaked secrets about the premier consulting firm's clients in exchange for 1 million USD over a period to his friend and ex-Wharton classmate Raj Rajaratnam, the main accused in the biggest insider trading case in decades.

"Rajaratnam kept asking me for that information and I felt that I owed him something given how much money he was paying me," Kumar (51) told the jury on the third day of the trial on how he was secretly hired as a consultant in 2003 in violation of McKinsey rules.

The central question of the case is whether the 53-year-old Sri Lankan-born billionaire and Galleon Group founder earned USD 45 million by using leaked confidential information. Rajaratnam has denied any wrongdoing saying his strategies were based on "public information".

Dayalu Ammal, M Karunanidhi's second wife (Alagiri and Stalin's mom) was escorted into the DMK headquarters for questioning a while ago. Wearing a bright orange and green sari.

Dayalu owns a 60 per cent stake in Kaliagnar TV, Kanimozhi owns a 20 per cent stake, while the MD Sharad Kumar owns a 20 per cent stake.

In Libya

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi have made major gains against anti-government rebels, pushing them from two key areas, reports the bbc.co.uk.

The Gaddafi regime had claimed that the city had fallen after days of bombardment. And rebels have fled from the oil port of Ras Lanuf in the east. Col Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam warned the rebel stronghold of Benghazi that government troops were on their way.

News flash: The Supreme Court issues notice to Chhattisgarh government on Binayak Sen's bail plea asking the government to reply in four weeks.

Haven't heard of Binayak Sen? Read this since you've just crawled out from under a rock

A tour around the world's troublspots and there are many...

A relative of Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been mistakenly killed by Nato troops in southern Afghanistan, reports the bbc.co.uk. Yar Muhammad Khan was at his home in Dand district near Kandahar city when he was shot dead in an overnight raid. Nato says it is investigating the incident.

India today test fired its nuclear-capable ballistic missile 'Dhanush', with a range of 350 km, from a naval ship off the Orissa coast, defence sources said.

The missile was fired by Indian Navy personnel as part of user training exercise.

"The single-stage ship-based missile was flight-tested at around 10:05 am and the trial was conducted from a naval ship off Orissa coast in the sea at a spot between Paradip and Puri," the sources said.

Contrary reports coming in: One says Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Amman will be questioned, the other says no.Let's staypositive and stick with the questioning story, but will keep you posted.

FYI: Kalaignar TV, which is was launched as a political project by the DMK following a rift with the Maran brothers -- Dayanidhi and Kalanidhi.

The Marans control Sun Network, which has a commanding share in Tamil Nadu, as well as the biggest cable network Sumangali Cable Vision. DMK leadership thought of promoting and launching Kalaignar TV as a counterbalance to Sun's domination of TV viewership.

Achcha, the Marans also have a connect with Karunanidhi.

Their father, Murasoli Maran, was the son of Karunanidhi's sister. Which means Alagiri andStalinare their uncles and Kanimozhi their aunt.

A colleague quips M Karunanidhi's biggest crime isbigamy. And his biggestpunishment.

The CBI is questioning DMK MP Kanimozhi (daughter of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi) in connection with investigations into the 2G spectrum scam. Kanimozhi's interrogation taking place in Chennai at the DMK headquarters.

What the CBI is likely to ask her is the cash trail of Rs 206 crore from Shahid Balwa's DB Realty to Kalaignar TV which has Kanimozhi on its board with a 20% stake. Sharat Kumar, managing director of Kalaignar TV, has already been summoned by the CBI on March 8.

Swan Telecom which is owned by DB Realty was allegedly favoured by sacked telecom minister A Raja with a spectrum licence. Balwa has denied that funds from the company which found its way into Kalaignar TV was part of a quid pro quo.

FYI: Dayalu Ammal, Karunanidhi's wife, is Kanimozhi's stepmother; Alagiri and Stalin's mother.

We begin the day with some great news. The CBI has begun questioning DMK MP Kanimozhi and her stepmother, Dayalu Ammal in conncection with the 2G scam. Kanimozhie is DMK chief M Karunanidhi's daughter.

The CBI had announced yesterday that Kanimozhi would be questioned before the end of this month, but her stepmother would be let off. However, both mother and daughter are being questionedin the trail of the investment made by DG Realty's Shahid Balwa who is being investigated in the scam in Kalaignar TV, in which Kanimozhi holds a stake.