Earthquake in Taiwan kills at least 2
HONGKONG — A powerful earthquake struck Taiwan 10 minutes before midnight on Tuesday, causing buildings to collapse in the city of Hualien and killing two people, according to the authorities.
The 6.4-magnitude quake was recorded at 11:50 p.m. and was centered about 14 miles northeast of Hualien, a city of 110,000 on Taiwan’s east coast, the United States Geological Survey reported.
A 60-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man were killed, according to the National Fire Agency, part of Taiwan’s Interior Ministry. In addition, 202 people were injured, 27 of them seriously. The agency said it had extracted 149 people trapped in rubble. It said that 40,000 people were without water, and 645 without electricity.
Assange’s asylum
QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador on Tuesday assured Julian Assange that its grant of diplomatic asylum remained in place, allowing the WikiLeaks leader to remain in the country’s London Embassy where he fled to avoid deportation in 2012.
A U.K. judge earlier Tuesday had refused to overturn an arrest warrant for Mr. Assange that prompted the Australian to seek refuge in the embassy in Kensington five and half years ago.
Following the judge’s decision, Mr. Assange reported via an unverified Twitter account that he’d been sent a package with an “unknown white powdery substance and a threat” addressed to him. Kensington and Chelsea police, also via Twitter, reported they were investigating.
Ecuador said in a statement from its Foreign Ministry that it will continue to extend asylum to Mr. Assange “as long as the danger to his life persists” and will continue efforts to find a satisfactory solution for the two countries “respectful of human rights.”
Daimler apologizes
German carmaker Daimler publicly apologized Tuesday after its Mercedes-Benz brand caused an outcry in China by quoting the Dalai Lama in a social media post.
The move by the automaker is the latest example of a foreign company being cowed by the growing power of a critical, but increasingly nationalistic, consumer market. Many in China view the Dalai Lama as a dangerous voice for separatism in a region, Tibet, that they consider an integral part of their country.
The post on the Mercedes-Benz Instagram account, which was widely viewed before being deleted, carried the hashtag “#MondayMotivation” and showed a white Mercedes car on a beach. It featured a quote popularly attributed to the Dalai Lama: “Look at the situations from all angles, and you will become more open.”
The Instagram post provoked an outcry from Chinese internet users, many of whom pledged to boycott the Mercedes brand. Though China blocks Instagram, a photo-sharing social network owned by Facebook, many users circumvent those controls by using virtual private networks.
China typically responds furiously when a foreign leader, celebrity or company meets with the Dalai Lama or mentions him. Beijing accuses him of seeking independence for Tibet, but the spiritual leader insists he is only seeking the autonomy promised by the Chinese government.
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