Earthquake in China kills 19
Compiled from news services
BEIJING — Stranded tourists and residents struggled Wednesday to clear roads and cope with power cuts caused by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 19 people and injured 247.
The magnitude 6.5 quake struck a mountainous region near a national park that is one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Rescuers dug through rubble with their hands and used detectors to search for signs of life. The Tuesday night quake knocked out power and phone networks, complicating efforts to locate and evacuate survivors.
Mostof the deaths and injurieswere recorded in Zhangzhatownship, near toJiuzhaigou or Jiuzhai Valley,a national park that attracts visitors from Chinaand overseas.
Among the injured, 40 were listed in serious condition, according to the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture government in Sichuan.
On Wednesday morning, another strong earthquake struck far northwestern China, some 1,360 miles from Jiuzhaigou, injuring 32 people, two of them seriously, and damaging more than 1,000 houses, Xinhua reported.
Israeli PM holds rally
JERUSALEM— In a speech Wednesday before thousands of supporters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, embroiled in graft investigations, railed against “the left” and “the media that serves it,” contending that they had ganged up to overthrow him.
Theoccasion was a rallyintended as a show of strengthorganized by loyalistsfrom Mr. Netanyahu’sLikud Party. Governmentministers, legislators and about 3,000 activists attended.
After one of Mr. Netanyahu’s closest former aides recently turned state’s witness in two cases involving suspicions of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, analysts said it appeared more likely that the prime minister would ultimately be charged.
Egg investigation
BRUSSELS— Dutch authoritiesknew as far backas November that someeggs in the country werecontaminated with aninsecticide, and they failedto notify their Europeanpartners then, Belgium’sagriculture ministersaid Wednesday.
Robvan Lint, the inspectorgeneral of the Dutchfood safety authority,said that while the authorityreceived an anonymoustip in November about the illegal use of pesticide to disinfect stalls, “therewas not a single indication that Fipronil couldalso be in eggs.”
Dozens of producers in Belgium and the Netherlands are being investigated for eggs containing Fipronil, which is dangerous to human health, though there have been no related cases so far.
Pakistani PM leaves
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s ousted leader, Nawaz Sharif, began a homecoming journey Wednesday, leaving for Lahore along with thousands of his supporters in a bold display of political power.
Mr. Sharif may be taking a considerable risk with the public departure. Political violence and terrorist attacks are not uncommon in the country. In 2007 Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister, was assassinated after a political rally in Rawalpindi.