The number has escalated, along with crude futures, to the highest since the options started trading in July 2009 amid worsening civil unrest in Libya and rare demonstrations in Saudi Arabia. "If you look at the volatility and increase in money for call options in the last month or so, it does suggest that market participants are now more worried about the upside," said Yingxi Yu, a Singapore-based commodity analyst with Barclays Plc. "People are also quite concerned about protests spreading across different parts of the region."

Saudi Arabia produced 9.71 million barrels a day in 2009, one-third of OPEC output and almost six times as much as Libya, according to BP Plc's Statistical Review of World Energy. Websites have called for a nationwide "Day of Rage" on March 11 and March 20, Human Rights Watch said February 28. Protests in five of the kingdom's eight immediate neighbors have prompted King Abdullah to boost spending on housing, social welfare and education to curb unrest in his country.

"The price of oil is going to go up, whether you like it to or don't," said Juerg Kiener, chief investment officer at Swiss Asia Capital Ltd in Singapore. "If Saudi Arabia fails, then I say you have a fire in the house. They gave out $30 billion of money so maybe they'll buy time. But I don't see the problems disappearing."

An extreme "SuperMoon" is when the moon is full or new as well as at its 100% greater mean perigee (closest) distance to earth. By this definition, last month's full moon, this month's and next month's will all be extreme "SuperMoons". There were SuperMoons in 1955, 1974, 1992 and 2005. These years had their share of extreme weather and other natural events. Is the Super Moon and these natural occurences a coincidence? Some would say yes; some would say no.

I'm not here to pick sides and say I'm a believer or non-believer in subjects like this, but as a scientist I know enough to ask questions and try to find answers. We obviously know that there are scientific laws that say the moon affects the Earth (ie tides). There are also less proven theories that propose that the moon affects the Earth in other ways (ie abnormal behavior during a full moon). Can the Super (full) Moon contribute to extreme weather and other natural phenomenon?

AccuWeather Facebook fanpage member Daniel Vogler adds, "The last extreme super moon occurred on January 10th, 2005, right around the time of the 9.0 Indonesia earthquake. That extreme super moon was a new moon. So be forewarned. Something BIG could happen on or around this date. (+/- 3 Days is my guess)" So what can we expect this time? Earthquakes? Volcanic eruptions? I guess we can only wait and see.

The magnitude 6.3 quake hit close to the surface within three miles (5km) of central Christchurch on 22 February. It shattered homes, heritage buildings and office blocks, and caused 166 confirmed deaths. Officials say the toll is expected to rise to more than 200 as rescuers continue to search for bodies trapped in the rubble.

Earthquakes can cause sections of earth to liquefy and push up to the surface as watery silt. In Christchurch, 260,000 tonnes of silt have already been scraped away. "There are some parts of Christchurch that can't be rebuilt on," the prime minister, John Key, told reporters. "The liquefaction damage from the earthquake is so great and the land damage is so significant we can't remediate it."

Work crews are still clearing rubble from the earthquake, which cut water and power services across the city. Almost all electricity supplies have been restored, but residents are being told to boil tap water because of the risk of contamination. Officials say about 70,000 people - one-fifth of Christchurch's population - have left the city temporarily as a result of the quake.

Figures from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, which are often used as a proxy for hedge fund activity, showed that short dollar positions surged from 200,564 contracts in the week ending February 22 to 281,088 on March 1. This meant that the value of bets against the dollar on the CME rose $11.5 billion in the week to March 1 to $39 billion, $3 billion more than the previous record of $36 billion in 2007.

In contrast, speculators have added to their euro holdings amid expectations that the European Central Bank will soon raise interest rates to head off rising inflation. Jean-Claude Trichet, ECB president, said last week that "strong vigilance" was warranted, a phrase used throughout the bank's 2005-08 rate-tightening cycle to pave the way for a rate increase at the next governing council meeting. That strengthened the market view in financial markets that the ECB could raise rates at its April meeting and the euro last week rose to a four-month high of $1.3997 against the dollar, taking its gains from a 16-week low of $1.2871 in January to nearly 9 per cent.

"Dollar bears have become a marauding horde," said David Watt, analyst at RBC Capital Markets. Given the continued losses for the dollar this month, he said it was likely that investors had since added to their bets against the US currency, short of an "absolutely stunning" reversal in sentiment. "We may be seeing a turn in the longer-term outlook for the dollar - for the worse," said Kit Juckes, head of FX strategy at Societe Generale. He said the US Federal Reserve was likely to react more dovishly to a supply-side inflationary shock caused by rising oil prices than other central banks.

Washington's request is in line with other US military co-operation with the Saudis. The royal family in Jeddah, which was deeply involved in the Contra scandal during the Reagan administration, gave immediate support to American efforts to arm guerrillas fighting the Soviet army in Afghanistan in 1980 and later - to America's chagrin - also funded and armed the Taliban.

But the Saudis remain the only US Arab ally strategically placed and capable of furnishing weapons to the guerrillas of Libya. Their assistance would allow Washington to disclaim any military involvement in the supply chain - even though the arms would be American and paid for by the Saudis. The Saudis have been told that opponents of Gaddafi need anti-tank rockets and mortars as a first priority to hold off attacks by Gaddafi's armour, and ground-to-air missiles to shoot down his fighter-bombers.

Supplies could reach Benghazi within 48 hours but they would need to be delivered to air bases in Libya or to Benghazi airport. If the guerrillas can then go on to the offensive and assault Gaddafi's strongholds in western Libya, the political pressure on America and Nato - not least from Republican members of Congress - to establish a no-fly zone would be reduced.

But Saudi Arabia is already facing dangers from a co-ordinated day of protest by its own Shia Muslim citizens who, emboldened by the Shia uprising in the neighbouring island of Bahrain, have called for street protests against the ruling family of al-Saud on Friday. After pouring troops and security police into the province of Qatif last week, the Saudis announced a nationwide ban on all public demonstrations. Shia organisers claim that up to 20,000 protesters plan to demonstrate with women in the front rows to prevent the Saudi army from opening fire.

Just three days into the job, Germany's new interior minister is already causing his government a headache after wading into a highly delicate debate about multiculturalism and claiming Islam was not a key part of the German way of life. "Islam in Germany is not something supported by history at any point," Hans-Peter Friedrich told journalists on his first day as Thomas de Maiziere's replacement on Thursday.

Friedrich was speaking in the context of a probe by German authorities into last Wednesday's killing of two US airmen at Frankfurt Airport, in which it is believed the 21-year-old Kosovan suspect Arid Uka was a lone operator motivated by radical Islamist beliefs. His comments were a play on words, turning on its head an earlier remark made several months ago by German President Christian Wulff, who said Islam now "belongs to Germany" because of the 4 million Muslims who live there.

Friedrich's foray into the subject of immigrant religion and multiculturalism is in tune with comments made by other European leaders recently. British Prime Minister David Cameron said last month that multiculturalism has failed in Britain and left young Muslims vulnerable to radicalization, arguing for a more active policy to heal divisions and promote Western values.

Germany is home to Western Europe's second-biggest Islamic population after France. The single biggest minority is Turkish. In contrast to the situation in Britain or France, where simmering racial tensions sometimes explode into violence, German Muslims live relatively peacefully alongside mainstream society, but a lack of integration has long posed a problem.

The province is near Bahrain, the scene of protests in recent weeks by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni rulers. "Twenty-two were arrested on Thursday plus four on Friday... This was all in Qatif," said rights activist Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, who heads the independent Saudi-based Human Rights First Society. He later said one had been freed. Mugaiteeb said the interior ministry had released Shi'ite cleric Tawfiq al-Amer, arrested last week.

A Shi'ite activist in the province's main town of Qatif, who did not want to be named, also said he knew of 22 arrests. Interior Ministry officials could not be reached for comment. Protests started in the area of Qatif and neighbouring Awwamiya and spread to the town of Hofuf on Friday. The demands were mainly for the release of prisoners demonstrators say are held without trial. Saudi Shi'ites complain they struggle to get government jobs and benefits given to other citizens.

The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies the charges. The kingdom's Council of Senior Clerics issued a statement on Sunday backing an interior ministry warning on Saturday that said demonstrations violated Islamic law. They also said signing reform petitions "violates what God ordered."

The authorities are used to Shi'ites taking to the streets in their communities but fear protests catching on in major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah.

The UN's top humanitarian official also demanded urgent access to the town of Misrata after fierce fighting there. Rebels have been trying to fight off a counter-offensive by Gaddafi forces. Colonel Gaddafi's forces have been attacking both near Tripoli and in the east after recent rebel gains. A statement from Mr Ban's office said the UN secretary general "notes that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence, and calls for an immediate halt to the government's disproportionate use of force and indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets".

The statement continued: "He stresses that those who violate international humanitarian law or commit grave crimes must be held accountable." Mr Ban has appointed Jordan's former foreign minister, Abdelilah Al-Khatib, as his special envoy "to undertake urgent consultations with the authorities in Tripoli and in the region on the immediate humanitarian situation," the statement said.

A local doctor told the BBC that 21 dead and more than 100 wounded had arrived at his hospital, which he said was also targeted by government troops. He said the fighting went on for at least six hours. "They bombed all the houses with heavy weapons. They intentionally gunned and exploded our drug store. They bombed even around our hospital but fortunately nobody was injured. More than five mosques which I know are bombed."

Residents have called for the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent Colonel Gaddafi's air force from attacking. In the US, ex-ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson and ex-national security adviser Stephen Hadley were among those advocating the supply of arms to rebels. An estimated 200,000 people - mostly foreign workers - have fled the country, creating a humanitarian crisis along Libya's border with Tunisia.

Brent crude gained $1.53 to $117.40 per barrel, near its recent $119.89 high. Meanwhile Asian stock markets suffered on fears rising energy prices could derail the global recovery, with the Nikkei ending the day 1.8% lower. Shares also fell in Hong Kong, Sydney and Bombay, as concerns mount that the continuing unrest in Libya could send oil prices even higher.

The US has indicated that it is considering tapping its oil reserves as one way to help ease soaring prices. But even that news failed to calm the markets as investors remained jittery about the unrest spreading to other oil-producing nations. "The concern is that with what we are seeing in Libya, it's purely fear driving the market," said Jonathan Barratt of Commodity Broking Services.

"Each time the price moves up a little, people are forced into the market. Once it's feeding itself, it will continue to rise," he added. Mr Barratt said US crude prices could peak at $120 a barrel, but only if further supply disruptions did not take place.

Saudi Arabia's worst nightmare - the arrival of the new Arab awakening of rebellion and insurrection in the kingdom - is now casting its long shadow over the House of Saud. Provoked by the Shia majority uprising in the neighbouring Sunni-dominated island of Bahrain, where protesters are calling for the overthrow of the ruling al-Khalifa family, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is widely reported to have told the Bahraini authorities that if they do not crush their Shia revolt, his own forces will.

The opposition is expecting at least 20,000 Saudis to gather in Riyadh and in the Shia Muslim provinces of the north-east of the country in six days, to demand an end to corruption and, if necessary, the overthrow of the House of Saud. Saudi security forces have deployed troops and armed police across the Qatif area - where most of Saudi Arabia's Shia Muslims live - and yesterday would-be protesters circulated photographs of armoured vehicles and buses of the state-security police on a highway near the port city of Dammam.

Like almost every other Arab potentate over the past three months, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia suddenly produced economic bribes and promised reforms when his enemy was at the gates. Can the Arabs be bribed? Their leaders can, perhaps, especially when, in the case of Egypt, Washington was offering it the largest handout of dollars - $1.5 billion (800 million pounds) - after Israel. But when the money rarely trickles down to impoverished and increasingly educated youth, past promises are recalled and mocked. With oil prices touching $120 a barrel and the Libyan debacle lowering its production by up to 75 per cent, the serious economic - and moral, should this interest the Western powers - question, is how long the "civilised world" can go on supporting the nation whose citizens made up almost all of the suicide killers of 9/11?

The Arabian peninsula gave the world the Prophet and the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans and the Taliban and 9/11 and - let us speak the truth - al-Qa'ida. This week's protests in the kingdom will therefore affect us all - but none more so than the supposedly conservative and definitely hypocritical pseudo-state, run by a company without shareholders called the House of Saud.

The ban follows a series of protests by Saudi Shiites in the kingdom's east in the past weeks mainly to demand the release of prisoners they say are long held without trial. Saudi Arabia's Shiite minority mostly live in the east, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter and is near Bahrain, scene of protests by majority Shiites against their Sunni rulers.

Saudi Shiites complain they struggle to get senior government jobs and other benefits like other citizens. The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies these charges. Last week, King Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month medical absence and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in an apparent bid to insulate the kingdom from protests spreading in several Arab countries.

Mr Soros also predicted the Iranian regime would be overthrown in the "bloodiest of the revolutions". Libya produces 1.6 million barrels of oil per day and is the 17th largest producer in the world. And Colonel Gaddafi's hold on power has been dependent on the billions of dollars in oil revenue that pour into the country. Talking of the wave of governments being challenged in North Africa and the Middle East, Mr Soros said: "What has caused the revolutions is a revulsion against a corruption that is fed by the misuse of natural resources like for instance in Libya."

"Transparency and even more importantly accountability in the use of natural resources is what you need for people living in those countries to get the benefit of those national resources. Libya produced enormous wealth which Gaddafi took as his own and now the people rebelled against it. What is happening today in the Middle East is very similar to what happened in the former Soviet Union in 1989-91. But then it was a regime hostile to the West that was destroyed by the revolution," he said.

"Now it is regimes supported by the West, so the West has to regain the allegiance of the people in those countries by actually supporting the transition to democracy. It's very important that Europe and the US should be in front of the revolution rather than behind it because if they are behind it, they are going to lose the allegiance of the new regimes that are emerging and if they are properly supported they will be democratic regimes and it will be a tremendous improvement."

The shareholders have been surprised by the swift gear-change in HSBC's review of its domicile but some have already told the bank that they would support the move. The loss of HSBC's headquarters in London, although threatened for months because of the increase in financial regulations, would be a severe blow to the Coalition which, despite some of its 'banker bashing' rhetoric, is relying on a private-sector-led recovery.

One top institutional investor in HSBC told The Sunday Telegraph: "HSBC has a review of its domicile every three years, normally it's a formality, this time we were told that a move is now more than likely." Another shareholder added: "Instinctively we were very surprised by the change of tone. But you can't argue with the numbers. Moving to Hong Kong could deliver a 30 per cent premium [to the share price] overnight."

An HSBC spokesman said: "London is ideally positioned as an international financial centre and we have been clear that it is our preference to remain headquartered here. However, we are routinely asked by institutional investors about the costs of being headquartered in the UK and it's clear that the City's competitive position needs protection."

"Senator Obama campaigned hard in New Hampshire but he apparently didn't like what he saw," Romney says in prepared remarks. "He certainly didn't learn from it. Instead of lowering taxes, he raised them. He wrapped businesses in red tape, he grew government, he borrowed trillions of dollars, and he made it clear that he doesn't like business people very much."

"He created a deeper recession, and delayed the recovery. The consequence is soaring numbers of Americans enduring unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies. This is the Obama Misery Index, and it is at a record high. It's going to take more than new rhetoric to put Americans back to work - it's going to take a new president."

Joining the crowd was liberal filmmaker Michael Moore, who praised the protesters gathered in the battle over union bargaining rights as joining the history of the American labor movement. Walker, a Republican, has proposed increased payments for health care and pension benefits for public workers and stripping their unions of most of their collective bargaining rights, a move he says is necessary to address a budget gap of $3.6 billion for the coming two years.

The warning notices, sent on Friday to at least 13 unions, do not represent actual layoffs for the state's 300,000 public employees but take the war of words between the newly elected governor and state Democrats to a new level. Moore told the crowd, which was smaller than it has been the last two weekends of the ongoing protests, that the nation was awash in wealth, concentrated in the hands of a few, but the public has been cowed into not standing up for itself.

"Madison is only the beginning," Moore said. "The rich have overplayed their hand."

"There was no revolt, until now here in Wisconsin," he added. Behind-the-scenes negotiations have failed to produce a compromise. Just one Democrat is needed for a quorum. The absent Democrats have been threatened with $100-a-day fines and the prospect of being arrested and taken to the Senate if they return to Wisconsin. With no action expected on the bill, Walker said he will be forced to send out layoff notices to 1,500 state employees, saving some $30 million.