Bam is too distant, its concerns too peripheral, for its agony to have much effect on building techniques in vulnerable cities like Tehran, where developers and regulators pay scant attention to best practice.

ECONOMIST: Now wait for the political tremors

Some of those listening to him were sub-contractors to the Patton Group and they raised their concerns about the knock-on effect that the building firm's apparent collapse would have on their businesses.

BBC: 190 jobs to go at Patton Group in Ballymena

"This explosion... generated an effect on the structures of the floors of the building, first pushing them up and then causing them to fall, and that was the primary cause of deaths in the building, " he said.

BBC: Mexico Pemex blast blamed on build-up of gas

Granted, Mr. Zuckerberg was in Italy enjoying his honeymoon, but I still wonder whether some words to the millions of small investors he personally encouraged to invest in his vision might have had an ameliorating effect on the troubles Facebook has to this day in building stakeholder confidence.

FORBES: Leaders Apologize

And what effect will this have on Ferguson's own team re-building?

BBC: Beckham's transfer options

An analysis of the effect of hurricanes on a sample of retail, energy, home building and insurance stocks shows that shares within those industries have behaved in line with the traditional strategies that were again apparent by today's market action.

FORBES: Katrina's Silver Lining

Its building of a first aircraft carrier was part of that and would have a profound effect on the balance of forces in the region, he said.

BBC: US says China's navy has been less aggressive in 2011

It has insisted that the two bodies should stop "empire building" and better inform their staff ahead of the new police service of Scotland coming into effect on 1 April.

BBC: MSPs urge police bosses to end power struggle