COLOMBO, April 11 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka has canceled all leave for all hospital staff working in coastal hospitals and placed them on high alert, the health ministry said in a statement here on Wednesday after a tsunami warning.

The government has also disconnected electricity and suspended railway services to coastal areas after issuing a tsunami warning following a massive 8.6 magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia.

The State …

COLOMBO, April 11 (Xinhua) — Sri Lanka has disconnected power supply and suspended railway services to coastal areas after issuing a tsunami warning following a massive 8.6-magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia’s northern Sumatra, government officials said here on Wednesday.

The state Ceylon Electricity Board has disconnected electricity to all coastal areas to prevent fire and other disasters following the tsunami warning, according to the Government Information Department.

Railway services to coastal areas have also been stopped to prevent any …

Commander Rosi with the Navy said two aircrew safely ejected from the plane that was based in Oceana. Both pilots have been taken to a nearby hospital, according to reports from the scene.

Witnesses say two apartment buildings near the crash site are on fire, and rescue workers are searching for potential casualties. Military police is also on site. Interstate 264 has been closed down. Thick black smoke can …

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Xinhua) — The 13-year-old daughter of U. S. President Barack Obama is safe in Mexico following a strong earthquake there, a White House spokesperson said on Tuesday.

“In light of today’s earthquake, we can confirm that Malia Obama is safe and was never in danger,” said a spokeswoman for First Lady Michelle Obama.

Malia, Obama’s elder daughter, is on spring break vacation with friends in Mexico.

Strong tremors …

HONG KONG, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) — An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale occurred at 14:33 GMT on Wednesday near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

The epicenter was initially determined to be near 35.2 degrees north latitude and 141.4 degrees east longitude, about 150 kilometers east-southeast of Tokyo.

There are no reports so far about casualties or property damage.

A deadly 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit the area on March 11 last year has left …

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) — Severe storms hit U.S. South on Monday, killing at least 2 and wounding over 100 people.

Among the affected states, Alabama took the biggest hit, with both casualties of the storms occurred in the state, one in Oak Grove, another in Clay. Houses flattened, windows blown out of cars, and roofs peeled back in the areas where the storms hit.

According to the Birmingham News, in Clay, northeast of Birmingham, an initial sweep of neighborhoods found about …