A powerful earthquake has struck southwestern China.
The death toll has soared to nearly 9,000, according to the official news agency Xinhua. State media say the magnitude-7.8 quake toppled eight schools in Sichuan province, trapping hundreds of pupils under rubble. A hospital and several chemical plants had collapsed. In one county, Beichuan, 80 percent of the buildings had been destroyed. The quake's epicentre was in a mountainous region 100 kilometres from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Its rail and aviation services were shut down and telephone and Internet services were disrupted. The quake was felt across a swathe of southeast Asia as far away as Thailand's capital Western media 'demonises' China ...
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Bail denied for arms suspect Bout ... Bangkok. The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei province has not been affected, according to its operators. An Olympic Games spokesman said venues in Beijing and six other host cities around China are undamaged.
(Deutsche Welle)
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