7.3MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE RATTLES VENEZUELA, LITTLE DAMAGE REPORTED
CARACAS: A powerful earthquake shook Venezuela’s northeastern coast and parts of the Caribbean but likely caused little damage besides knocking out power in some places and toppling supermarket shelves because of its depth, experts said. The 7.3 quake on Tuesday was the largest to strike Venezuela since 1900, according to the US Geological Survey. But at a depth of some 123 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface, it appeared to have caused only limited damage even near its epicentre a few miles off the Cariaco peninsula stretching into the eastern Caribbean. The quake was felt as far away as Colombia’s capital of Bogota, where authorities briefly closed the international airport to inspect for runway damage. AP
Germany: Russian arrested over alleged bomb plot
BERLIN: German police on Wednesday detained a Russian man suspected of planning a bomb attack in Germany after turning to radical Islam, prosecutors said. Magomed-ali C, arrested in a raid on his apartment in Berlin, had stored large quantities of the explosive triacetone triperoxide in October 2016, a statement by the general prosecutor’s office said. REUTERS
Saudi Arabia seeks death penalty for rights activists
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor is seeking the death penalty against five human rights activists from the kingdom’s Eastern Province currently on trial in a secretive terrorism court, activists groups said. Among the detainees is Israa al-ghomgham, whom Saudi activists said was the first woman to possibly face the death penalty for rights-related work. REUTERS
Car with gas canisters hits Dutch town hall, driver dies
THE HAGUE: Police said a car carrying two gas canisters has crashed into the town hall of the small Dutch town of Bemmel and burst into flames. One person, believed to be the driver, was found dead at the scene. Rene Bierman, a spokesman for firefighters, told national broadcaster NOS that one of the gas bottles exploded in the crash, causing the fire.
AP
Zimbabwe top court hears appeal against poll result
HARARE: Zimbabwe’s opposition argued in the top court on Wednesday that the presidential election results must be thrown out, alleging that only “massive doctoring” of the vote kept Emmerson Mnangagwa in office. Mnangagwa won with 50.8% of the vote — just enough to meet the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off against opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.