UPI NewsTrack TopNews July 23, 2008

Japan hit by quake, 115 injured

TOKYO, July 24 (UPI) -- A strong earthquake rocked northeastern Japan early Thursday, injuring at least 115 people, authorities said.

The 6.8 magnitude temblor struck about 12:26 a.m. local time in Iwate and Aomori prefectures, the Kyodo news agency reported. The epicenter was was in the northern coastal area of Iwate prefecture and was about 67 miles deep, Kyodo said.

A central government fact-finding team was sent to the affected region and the Iwate prefectural government requested military troops be sent to help provide disaster relief.

The National Police Agency said 15 of the injured people were in serious condition. Many of the injured were struck by falling glass, police said.

Train service in the region was suspended, roads in the Tohoku region were temporarily closed, up to 10,000 households were without power and four fires were reported to have broken out.

Kyodo said there were no reports of any damage to nuclear facilities in the quake-hit areas.

EU freezes aid to Bulgaria

BRUSSELS, July 23 (UPI) -- The European Union punished Bulgaria Wednesday, freezing $800 million in aid for failing to root out organized crime and corruption.

EU officials also warned Bulgaria, which just joined the organization 18 months ago, it stands to lose $11.2 billion over the next six years if it doesn't improve its anti-crime efforts, The Guardian reported.

The EU also said Romania's judicial reforms have been limited but stopped short of withholding aid, the British newspaper said.

Observers said the reports sent a message to other nations seeking membership in the commission, including Croatia, Serbia and Turkey.

"With anti-corruption reform faltering since EU accession, the cases of Bulgaria and Romania show that EU membership is no magic bullet," Transparency International, the anti-corruption campaign, said in a statement.

Bush briefed on defense issues

WASHINGTON, July 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush discussed a range of issues with his military advisers in the Pentagon's high-security "tank" Wednesday, his press secretary said.

Dana Perino said Iraq, Afghanistan, care for veterans and military families and plans for the Pentagon were among the agenda items when Bush met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other top-level aides.

"The tank" is a secure conference room in the Pentagon.

Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the military briefing is one the president receives "every quarter or so." The last time was March 28.

While he couldn't provide details, Morrell said the meeting afforded the president and his military team the opportunity "to discuss at length how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are progressing, what other security threats may be emerging around the world, and how our brave troops and their families are holding up under the strain of repeated and lengthy deployments."

Troop levels in Afghanistan were high on the agenda, Morrell said. The Joint Chiefs of Staff were to outline whether or not they can provide the three additional combat brigades the commanders seek "any time soon," Morrell said.

He said they are committed to providing "an unknown but not significant number" of additional forces to Afghanistan next year.

Dolly hits Texas with 100 mph winds

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MIAMI, July 23 (UPI) -- Hurricane Dolly blasted ashore in southern Texas near Brownsville Wednesday afternoon packing 100-mph winds after raking South Padre Island.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the hurricane washed over the island around 1:30 p.m., and later hit the mainland about 35 miles north-northeast of Brownsville. At 4 p.m. CDT, Dolly's eye was about 50 miles north of Brownsville, moving northwest at 8 mph.

After leaving the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Dolly's winds decreased to 85 mph, back into Category 1 status, forecasters said. Further weakening was expected as the system moved inland, the report said.

Hurricane-force winds extended 35 miles from the eye, while tropical storm-force winds reached out up to 140 miles, the forecasters said.

"Persons are advised not to venture outdoors during the relative calm of the eye because winds will soon increase quite rapidly," the report said.

The National Weather Service estimated as much as 12 inches of rain had fallen over portions of southern coastal Texas and forecasters warned of coastal storm surge flooding 6 to 8 feet above normal tide levels along with dangerous battering waves.

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