Powerful Earthquake Rocks TaiwanA 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Taiwan on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths but some damage has occurred to buildings and major bridges, and power was cut off near the epicenter.
The quake struck at about 8:20 a.m. (7:20 p.m. Wednesday ET) in a mountainous region about 25 miles northwest of Taitung, on the southeast coast, and 40 miles east of Tainan and Kaohsiung on the southwest coast.
The region, which includes Maolin National Scenic Area, is recovering from a direct hit by Typhoon Morakot that killed hundreds in August. The typhoon dumped more than two feet of rain, causing serious mudslides in the south, including one that buried the village of Shiao Lin under 50 feet of mud.
Thursday's quake was followed by several aftershocks, the largest reaching 4.8. The initial 6.4 quake rumbled to the surface from 14 miles deep. The Taiwan Ministry of Interior and the National Fire Agency said electricity was cut off near the epicenter but had no further information.
Residents in southern Taiwan reported cracks in some buildings and major bridges. Train service was also disrupted in some areas, Taiwanese media reported. Residents in the capital Taipei, 155 miles to the north, also felt the shaking.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in the 13,892-square-mile island - about the size of the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware combined - which sits across the juncture of the Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plates.
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the same general region in December. The island took a double hit on December 26, 2006, when earthquakes of 7.1 and 6.9 magnitude hit eight minutes apart.
The largest recorded quake to strike Taiwan was an 8.0-magnitude quake in 1920, but the worst earthquake disaster stemmed from a 7.1-magnitude quake in 1935 that killed more than 3,200 people -- followed by a 6.5-magnitude quake that killed more than 2,700 people three months later.
More recently, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,400 people in 1999.
South Korea: North Korea Crossed Border To Hunt Defector
South Korea's military says several North Korean soldiers crossed the border into the South this week, apparently to pursue a defecting soldier.
Military spokesman Park Sung-woo said Thursday the North Korean soldiers crossed the border about an hour after a fellow soldier fled to the South on Tuesday. He says they retreated after South Korean soldiers fired warning shots.
Park says North Korean soldiers did not return fire. He says the defector is being questioned.
More than 18,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War. They rarely cross the heavily armed border and instead defect via China and other countries.
The last soldiers to defect were in 2008.
A convicted sex offender charged Wednesday with murdering 17-year-old Chelsea King while raping or attempting to rape her was linked to the crime by DNA from specimens found in her clothing, a state Justice Department spokeswoman said.
The break led to the weekend arrest of 30-year-old John Albert Gardner III as thousands of people still held out hope that an extensive search would find the teen alive even though she had not been seen since last Thursday.
Prosecutors declined to answer questions about the evidence against Gardner. However, California Department of Justice spokeswoman Christine Gasparac told The Associated Press Gardner was identified after the semen from clothing found by investigators was run through a national database.
On Wednesday the 30-year-old Gardner stood silently in court, wrists shackled to his waist and eyes mostly cast downward, showing no emotion as an attorney entered pleas of not guilty in the potential death penalty case.
San Diego County prosecutors charged Gardner with one count of murder with a special circumstance allegation that the crime occurred in the commission of rape or attempted rape.
A second count of assault with intent to commit rape was filed in connection with a December attack on another female.
The victim's parents, Brent and Kelly King, struggled to maintain their composure as they watched the courtroom scene. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said a decision on whether to seek the death penalty would be made later.
Gardner's public defender, Michael Popkins, did not address reporters. Superior Court Judge Joseph Brannigan ordered that Gardner, previously convicted in a 2000 molestation, be held without bail.
The Lake Elsinore man was arrested Sunday as a huge search was under way in a wilderness park in northeastern San Diego, where King's car was found parked Thursday night with her belongings inside.
A body was finally found in a shallow lakeside grave on Tuesday, and authorities said they believed it was King, although formal identification by the coroner was pending.
Dumanis said the case has "rocked San Diego."
Early Wednesday, a spray-painted message was found on the garage at the home of the suspect's mother. It said, "Chelseas blood is on you. Move out." Police did not know who painted it.
Gardner lived at the Rancho Bernardo home in 2000 when he molested a 13-year-old neighbor. The home is down the street from an elementary school and near the park where King was last seen Thursday wearing running clothes.
A piece of paper taped to the front door told visitors to leave.
Drivers Complain That Toyota's Fixes Didn't Work
At least 15 Toyota drivers have complained to U.S. safety officials that their cars sped up by themselves even after being fixed under recalls for sticky gas pedals or floor mat problems, according to an Associated Press analysis.
The development raises questions about whether Toyota's repairs will bring an end to the cases of wild, uncontrolled acceleration or if there may be electronic causes behind the complaints that have dogged the automaker.
Although the allegations were unverified by the agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday it was contacting people who have complained about acceleration problems even after repairs were done under two large recalls. The agency wants to hear from others who have had similar troubles, it said.
Saab Left With Just 500 Cars On Sale In US
Saab's near-death experience has left it with just 500 cars for sale in showrooms across the United States, a figure the company wants to boost in coming years, CEO Jan Ake Jonsson said Tuesday.
"That number should probably be 5,000," Jonsson said at the Geneva Auto Show, where he appeared with the CEO of the Dutch automaker Spyker, which in December took over Saab and gave it a new lease on life.
General Motors Corp. sold Saab Automobile AB to Spyker Cars NV for $74 million in cash plus $326 million worth of preferred shares in Saab. The deal was completed last month.
Saab sold just 39,000 cars globally last year, down from 94,000 a year earlier as the loss-making company decided to take nearly 20,000 units out of worldwide inventory last year, Jonsson said. The automaker plans to produce 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles this year, about two-thirds of those the Saab 9-3 compact executive car, and aims to reach levels of 120,000 by 2012, when it rolls out the new 9-3.
'Sexting' Investigation Hits Atlanta Private School
The Lovett School in Atlanta is facing a investigation involving students sending inappropriate pictures through texts.
Police said that a female eighth grade student sent an inappropriate photo of herself to a male eighth grade student. The boy is accused of sending the inappropriate photo to his friends and the friends sent the photo to other students at Lovett the week of Feb. 22.
One student who received the photo notified a teacher, which prompted the school's investigation. The Lovett School said it is preparing to notify parents Thursday about the incident. Atlanta police are investigating if any laws were broken in the incident, and said "that every student who passed the inappropriate photo to another could be charged with misdemeanor child pornography."
Sexting is the process of sending text messages that includes sexually related material including photos and/or video. Sexting can result in charges of criminal solicitation and corruption of a minor, in addition to possession of child pornography. People convicted of sexting could be sentenced to prison.
Newlyweds Spend 1st Night In Jail
A newlywed Massachusetts couple spent their wedding night in separate jail cells after police said the bride tried to run over an old flame of the groom.
Police say 22-year-old Hyannis resident Marissa Ann Putignano-Keene tried Monday to run over the other woman and the woman's son in a parking lot. The intended victim later told police that she had previously been in an intimate relationship with the groom.
Police say the couple got married at Barnstable Town Hall and split a bottle of Champagne afterward.
The bride was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Her husband, 37-year-old Timothy Keene, was riding in the car with her and was charged with disorderly conduct. Both were released Tuesday. It was unclear if either had hired an attorney.
AP; Reuters; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Cape Cod Times, http://www.capecodonline.com
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