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Quake in western China kills 400, buries more
BEIJING (AP) – A series of strong earthquakes struck a far western Tibetan area of China on Wednesday, killing at least 400 people and injuring more than 10,000 as houses made of mud and wood collapsed, trapping many more, officials said. The largest quake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey as magnitude 6.9. In the aftermath, panicked people, many bleeding from their wounds, flooded the streets of a Qinghai province township where most of the homes had been flattened.
Vatican goes into damage control mode over abuse
VATICAN CITY (AP) – The Vatican has gone into full-fledged damage control mode in the priest sex abuse scandal ahead of the pope’s first foreign trip since it erupted. Officials are promising surprising new initiatives. The pope’s personal secretary is speaking out. And bishops around the world are being told to report abuse cases to the police. The revved-up strategy comes as the Vatican tries to stem the damage from weeks of revelations about priests who raped and molested children – and the church officials who kept it quiet – before the pontiff’s visit to Malta this weekend. Abuse victims on that majority Roman Catholic Mediterranean island are seeking a papal audience and apology.
As Poland mourns, leaders ponder new election
WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Lawmakers have decided to wait until after Sunday’s state funeral for President Lech Kaczynski to decide when to hold an early election to replace him. Under Polish law, such a ballot is required to pick a successor to Kaczynski, who was killed Saturday in a plane crash in western Russia. He was traveling with many lawmakers and other Polish elite to a commemoration of the systematic executions of thousands of World War II Polish officers by Soviet secret police in and around the Katyn forest.
Lexus GX 460 rated ‘do not buy,’ Toyota halts sale
WASHINGTON (AP) – Toyota Motor Corp. has suspended sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports warned car shoppers not to buy the sport utility vehicle because handling problems could lead to rollover accidents during sharp turns. Toyota said Tuesday it had asked dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the SUV while it conducts its own tests on the GX 460. About 6,000 GX 460s from the 2010 model year have been sold since the vehicle went on sale in late December, and an estimated 1,600 of the SUVs are at dealerships.
Cyclone kills 68 people in eastern India
CALCUTTA, India (AP) – A cyclone packing speeds of more than 100 mph (160 kph) demolished tens of thousands of mud huts in villages in northeastern India, killing at least 68 people, officials said Wednesday. The cyclone struck Tuesday night in northeastern parts of West Bengal and Bihar states, uprooted trees and snapping telephone and electricity lines, West Bengal Civil Defense Minister Srikumar Mukherjee said. Hundreds of people were injured.
Fed boss has bittersweet message on recovery, jobs
WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke goes to Capitol Hill on Wednesday with a bittersweet message: The economic recovery is taking hold but won’t be strong enough to quickly drive down unemployment. Bernanke’s out-of-the box thinking during the 2008 financial crisis helped prevent the Great Recession from turning into the second Great Depression. Now, however, the Fed chief faces the delicate task of making sure the recovery lasts well after massive government stimulus fades later this year.
Military asserts right to return cyber attacks
WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. must fire back against cyber attacks swiftly and strongly and should act to counter or disable a threat even when the identity of the attacker is unknown, the director of the National Security Agency told Congress. Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, who is the Obama administration’s nominee to take on additional duties as head of the new Cyber Command, also said the U.S. should not be deterred from taking action against countries such as Iran and North Korea just because they might launch cyber attacks.
Watchdog: Obama foreclosure plan leaves many out
WASHINGTON (AP) – A watchdog panel overseeing the financial bailouts says the Obama administration’s flagship mortgage aid program lags well behind the foreclosure crisis and leaves too many families out. The Congressional Oversight Panel says in a report released Wednesday that the administration projects only one million families will end up with lower monthly payments as a result of the program. The report says six million families are more than two months behind with their payments, and 200,000 more families receive foreclosure notices each month.
Michael Lynche stays in ‘Idol’ judges’ good graces
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The “American Idol” judges don’t regret keeping Michael Lynche out of the jailhouse. The 26-year-old personal trainer from Queens, N.Y., hit the right notes on the Fox singing competition Tuesday with his stripped-down version of Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto.” Lynche previously impressed the panel with a dramatic rendition of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” but received the fewest viewer votes last week and was subsequently saved by the judges.
Suns beat Nuggets, get homecourt edge in 1st round
PHOENIX (AP) – Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points and Steve Nash had 18 points and 10 assists before sitting out the fourth quarter while the Phoenix reserves completed a 123-101 rout of the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night that gave the Suns homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Nation News 