The Oakland Post

News Briefs

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A look at significant current news events from around the globe:

United States

The earthquake that shook the East Coast Aug. 23. has produced at least 18 aftershocks ranging in strength, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The aftershocks have ranged in magnitude from 4.5 to 2.0 following the strongest earthquake the East Coast has seen since World War II. The largest aftershock produced was last Thursday, which was a 4.5 magnitude  and was felt by nearly 1,100 zip codes. Aftershocks are usually small tremors that can take place weeks or months after the original quake. Millions of people from Georgia to Canada felt the original quake.
Libya

Moammar Gadhafi may have lied about the death of  his adopted baby daughter, Hana, in a 1986 U.S. airstrike. The strike hit Gadhafi’s home in Tripoli, in retaliation for the Libyan-sponsored bombing. Gadhafi  showed two American journalists a photo of a dead baby and said it was his adopted daughter. Diplomats have questioned the claim, but Gadhafi kept the story alive over the years. When Libyan rebels took over Tripoli last week, they found a room in Gadhafi’s house with Hana’s birth certificate and pictures of a young women with the name written on the back of them. Hana’s whereabouts are currently unknown, but many believe she is still alive.

Estonia

Estonia President Toomas Hendrik Ilves was re-elected on Monday by Estonia’s parliament. This will be the second five-year term the president has served. The president received 73 votes, while his opponent received 25. One vote was blank and two were disqualified in the vote. The results were read by the speaker of the 101-seat Parliament. This was the first election where a presidential candidate has managed to received two-thirds majority since Estonia declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ilves was a favorite heading into the election. Estonia joined the eurozone on Jan. 1., and now has one of the best-performing economies in the bloc.

China

Nineteen miners were trapped for a week underground and were pulled to safety Tuesday in northeastern China. Rescuers are still searching for three more miners. Teams brought up each man on a stretcher, their faces were blackened and eyes were covered to avoid damaging exposure to the sun. The provincial governor greeted each of the 19 and told them the rescue work was continuing. Survivors were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. The miners said they were able to keep their helmet lamps operating for the 165 hours they were trapped.