Another step along the Hellish road of blame culture and the desperate attempt by some to shift said blame.  All necessary, of course, to provide framework for the inevitable bonanza for lawyers in the various courts.

Thirty-nine people have been killed and many more are missing after a 7.4-magnitude quake hit off the Guatemala's Pacific coast.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20243894

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20285901

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake has rocked central Burma, with at least 12 people feared dead and dozens more injured.

A volcano in New Zealand, Mt Tongariro, has erupted,

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10849028.

More about the eruption of Mt Tongariro here,

http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/21/15332545-volcano-erupts-in-new-zealands-lord-of-the-rings-park?lite,

plus it's time-lapse video,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5dL32AX84I&feature=youtu.be.

Breaking news, a 7.3 magnitude quake off the East coast of Japan. 

One of the many active volcanoes of Kamchatka, Russia, Tolbachik has been erupting since 27th November (2012). Kamchatka forms part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245648/Plosky-Tolbachik-volcano-erupts-NASA-satellite-captures-red-hot-lava-flowing-Russia.html?ito=feeds-newsxml.

Great images. Thanks for posting it.

Eruption Update for December 17, 2012: Tungurahua, Lokon and Tolbachik:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/12/eruption-update-for-december-17-2012-tungurahua-lokon-tolbachik/,

plus a video of Tungarahua:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEGpvgY5xYU&feature=youtu.be.

Surprised these haven't been posted here:

Here is the 2012 Volcanic Year in Review, 

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/2012-volcanic-year-in-review/#more-143110.

It was a quiet year for volcanic activity.

A powerful earthquake of 7.7 magnitude has hit SE of Alaska, with a tsunami warning issued for parts of the coastline of Alaska and British Columbia.

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=299637.

Follow the latest updates here,

http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/77-earthquake-off-alaska-january-2013.

The tsunami warning has been cancelled.

Tolbachik volcano in Kamchatka is said to be forming a lava lake.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9796842/Erupting-Russian-volcano-creating-a-lava-lake.html.

This volcano has been erupting since 27th November 2012.

UPDATE: According to a local volcanologist, the above is not true! It's just a newspaper sensation! 

Well that's newspapers for you!