GLOBAL SNAPSHOT

1 Quake shakes NZ

WELLINGTON: A strong magnitude-7.1 earthquake rattled the coast of New Zealand’s North Island on Friday morning, triggering a small tsunami and shaking items from shelves but not causing any major damage or injuries. It was widely felt throughout the North Island and was followed by a series of aftershocks. The quakes caused plenty of turbulence in the ocean, but not any large waves

2 Leader critically ill

TASHKENT: Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov is critically ill, prompting speculation that Central Asia’s most populous nation is preparing for its first transfer of power since independence. Karimov, who has ruled in an authoritarian style since 1989, has been in hospital since he suffered a stroke on Saturday.

3 Rebels advance

BEIRUT: Syrian rebels captured new ground in a lightning advance on the central city of Hama and suspected government air strikes killed 25 civilians in the surrounding province. Up to 200 gunmen were allowed safe passage to rebel-held areas.

4 Volcano on Ceres

LOS ANGELES: A NASA craft has spied what appears to be an inactive volcano on the surface of Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The volcano is about half as tall as Mount Everest and last erupted a hundred million years ago.

5 Rally for referendum

CARACAS: Venezuela’s opposition is vowing to keep up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after flooding the streets of Caracas with demonstrators in its biggest show of force in years. Protesters are calling for a referendum later this year.

6 Boy on wrong flight

NEW YORK: A woman in New York says she hasn’t stopped crying since an airline mistook her 5-year-old for another child and flew him to the wrong city. The child that was presented to Maribel Martinez in New York was supposed to be in Boston. Instead, Martinez’s son, Andy, was sent there and it took hours for the airline to figure out where he was and return him home safely.

7 Britain could stay

LONDON: Britain could still stay in the European Union if public opinion shifts away from Brexit over the next few years, Tony Blair has said. Speaking to a French radio station, the former prime minister said the British people “have the right” to change their minds on the result of the June referendum. “Who made a rule that we have to stop the debate now,” he said.