Earthquake hits Sumatra Island
AP, Jakarta
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island in Bengkulu province today.
The quake struck at 9.14 am the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said. The epicentre was 61 km southwest of Bengkulu city, 556 km from capital Jakarta with a depth of 16 km under the sea, Xinhua news agency reported.
AP, Jakarta
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island in Bengkulu province today.
The quake struck at 9.14 am the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) said. The epicentre was 61 km southwest of Bengkulu city, 556 km from capital Jakarta with a depth of 16 km under the sea, Xinhua news agency reported.
Drought threatens California
AFP, Los Angeles
Last winter, El Nino-driven storms dumped much-needed snow and rain over California, boosting reservoir levels and fueling hopes the parched state’s four-year drought might end. But despite the brief respite, experts say the record drought is here to stay.
US deploys B-52 bombers against ISIS
AFP, Washington
The US Air Force on Saturday deployed Cold War-era B-52 bombers to bolster the fight against the ISIS group in Syria and Iraq, stepping up efforts to defeat the extremists.
The B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, which arrived in Qatar, were based in Saudi Arabia and last flown operationally in May 2006 as part of the war in Afghanistan, air force officials said.
