A 7.8-magnitude quake has struck the central coast of Ecuador, killing hundreds of people and trapping many others.
At least 233 people have been confirmed dead so far, with hundreds more injured, the country's president Rafael Correa said.
A state of emergency has been declared in six provinces and the government says the death toll is expected to rise.
Five helicopters and 80 buses are taking 4,000 police to the affected areas, according to the country's home ministry.
Authorities say the quake is the most powerful to hit the country in decades.
It has caused "considerable damage" near the epicentre, as well as in the country's biggest city of Guayaquil.
Parts of the capital, Quito, were also without power or phone services for several hours.
A tsunami alert was issued but later lifted.
Hydroelectric dams and oil pipelines in the OPEC-member nation have been shut down as a precautionary measure.
In Pedernales, a town of 40,000 people near the epicentre, looting broke out after dozens of buildings were flattened.
Mayor Gabriel Alcivar, who has pleaded for help, said: "This wasn't just a house that collapsed, it was an entire town."
Passengers at Guayaquil airport ran out of terminals when they felt the tremor.
"Lights fell down from the ceiling. People were running around in shock," said Luis Quimis, 30, who was waiting to catch a flight to Quito.
Maria Torres, 60, in northern Quito, said: "Oh, my God, it was the biggest and strongest earthquake I have felt in my whole life.
"It lasted a long time, and I was feeling dizzy. I couldn't walk ... I wanted to run out into the street, but I couldn't."
Among those killed was the driver of a car crushed by an overpass in Guayaquil.
President Correa has cut short a visit to the Vatican, and called on Ecuadoreans to show strength while authorities monitor events.
The quake struck at around 8pm local time on Saturday, about 173km west-northwest of Quito and just 28km south-southeast of Muisne, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake also rattled northern Peru, according to authorities.
Across the Pacific in Japan, a 7.3 magnitude tremor struck Kumamoto province on Saturday, killing at least 32 people and causing widespread damage, in the second major quake to hit the island of Kyushu in just over 24 hours.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Francois Hollande set to sign new arms deal in Cairo
French President Francois Hollande is meeting his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo on Sunday to boost military ties.
The leaders are set to sign an arms deal worth more than $1bn following months of negotiations.
As part of its deal with France, Egypt will receive fighter aircraft and navy vessels. In the past two years, the Egyptian government has spent billions of dollars on French weapons and other hardware as part of efforts to bolster its military.
"Sisi wants first from France, international legitimacy," Christian Makarian, a leading French journalist, told Al Jazeera.
"Secondly, he wants military help and France is in a very good position to supply aircraft and ships," he said.
Following the 2013 ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi, the US temporarily froze Egypt's military aid forcing the government to turn to Russia, Germany and France.
In 2014 bilateral trade between Cairo and Paris was worth more than $1.4bn. The following year, that figure grew more than 10 percent exceeding $1.6bn.
The leaders are set to sign an arms deal worth more than $1bn following months of negotiations.
As part of its deal with France, Egypt will receive fighter aircraft and navy vessels. In the past two years, the Egyptian government has spent billions of dollars on French weapons and other hardware as part of efforts to bolster its military.
"Sisi wants first from France, international legitimacy," Christian Makarian, a leading French journalist, told Al Jazeera.
"Secondly, he wants military help and France is in a very good position to supply aircraft and ships," he said.
Following the 2013 ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi, the US temporarily froze Egypt's military aid forcing the government to turn to Russia, Germany and France.
In 2014 bilateral trade between Cairo and Paris was worth more than $1.4bn. The following year, that figure grew more than 10 percent exceeding $1.6bn.
Russian Jet 'Barrel Rolls' Over US Recon Plane
The US military says a Russian jet barrel rolled an American reconnaissance plane, in the latest tense encounter between the Cold War-era foes.
US European Command said a Russian Su-27 "performed erratic and aggressive manoeuvres" flying within 50ft of the US RC-135 aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea on Thursday.
The American plane, a militarised Boeing 707 used for electronic intelligence gathering, "at no time crossed into Russian territory", said US European Command spokesman Danny Hernandez.
"The Su-27 closed within 50ft of the wing-tip of the RC-135 and conducted a barrel roll starting from the left side of the aircraft, going over the top of the aircraft and ended up to the right of the aircraft," he said.
But Russia dismissed the claim as "running counter to reality".
It said its air defences had to scramble a fighter jet after detecting a high-speed unidentified target over the Baltic Sea heading for its borders.
Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said after making "visual contact" with the Su-27, the American plane changed course away from Russia's borders.
The flight of the Russian warplane was in "strict conformity with international laws ... and there were no emergency situations", Mr Konashenkov added.
But Laura Seal, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the Russian plane endangered all the air crews involved.
"The unsafe and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries," she said.
The incident followed two Russian Su-24 bombers buzzing the Donald Cook, a US guided missile destroyer, in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday.
American military officials said the "simulated attack" fly-bys near the warship were one of the most aggressive interactions in recent memory.
US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned that encounter as dangerous and provocative.
The incidents come as diplomatic tensions simmer between Moscow and Washington over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.
Hermaphrodite Kitten Looks For New Home
A kitten handed in to a welfare charity has caused a stir - after vets discovered it is a hermaphrodite.
Nine-week-old Bellini was part of a litter taken in by a cats protection home in St Helens, Merseyside, in February, when just a few days old.
It was initially thought Bellini was male but, during the neutering process, vets discovered female as well as male genitalia.
Adoption centre manager Sonia Scowcroft said staff did not know whether to refer to Bellini as a boy or girl.
"I was pretty stunned, it's so unusual," Ms Scowcroft said.
"I have seen over 3,000 cats during my time at Cats Protection and only seen one other hermaphrodite cat. I certainly never thought I'd see two.
"We have got used to calling Bellini a boy, but really it is up to his new owner to decide what they think is best. Either way, he is an absolute cutie pie and will make a really lovely pet."
Although being hermaphrodite should not cause any health issues for Bellini, he, or she, does have a slight heart murmur.
This means a new owner will need to ensure the cat has regular veterinary checks.
Having formed a close bond with litter-mate sister, Daiquiri, the pair hope to be homed to a new owner together.
Sarah Elliott, the home's central veterinary officer, said: "Hermaphrodite - or intersex - cats do not frequently occur so Bellini is one of the more unusual cats to be found.
"This may arise through mosaicism - which is when a kitten's cells divide unusually while it is a growing embryo.
"Such mosaicism may result in a cat with either male or female reproductive organs and genitalia, or a pair of mixed reproductive organs and genitalia.
"Bellini appears to be in the last group with a mixture of both."
Anyone who lives in the St Helens area and would like to offer Bellini and Daiquiri a home can contact Cats Protection on 01744 817718 or email sthelens@cats.org.uk.
For elsewhere in the UK, cat adoption details can be found at www.cats.org.uk/find-a-cat to view cats in need of homes near you.
UN: Yarmouk civilians risk starvation and dehydration
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said on Saturday it is "greatly alarmed and concerned by the desperate humanitarian consequences being inflicted on civilians" since the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) launched an attack on the al-Nusra Front 10 days ago.
"The fighting has been intense, and is taking place in the most densely populated areas of Yarmouk, with the use of heavy weapons, explosive devices and weapons of indiscriminate effect," Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesperson, said in a statement.
Yarmouk, set up as a camp for Palestinian refugees in 1957, has with time developed into a residential neighbourhood inhabited by both Palestinians and Syrians.
It had some 200,000 residents before the start of the uprising that turned into a civil war five years ago.
Of the more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees who lived in the country before the uprising, more than 50,000 have fled and another 3,200 have been killed, according to estimations by the UK-based Action Group for Palestinians in Syria.
In April 2015, ISIL invaded the camp in coordination with al-Nusra and took control of an estimated 90 percent of its territory. However, ISIL subsequently pulled out most of its fighters and stationed them in nearby neighbourhoods in southern Damascus.
The Jafra Foundation, a Yarmouk-based humanitarian group, estimates that a mere 5,000 to 8,000 residents remain at the camp today.
According to the Jafra Foundation, at least 20 homes were burned down on Wednesday alone, and ISIL torched a hospital and the medical supplies inside it.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jafra coordinator Wesam Sabaaneh said four civilians were killed as of Wednesday, including two who were beheaded by ISIL fighters.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jafra coordinator Wesam Sabaaneh said four civilians were killed as of Wednesday, including two who were beheaded by ISIL fighters.
More than 50 ISIL fighters and a dozen from Nusra were killed during the clashes.
Yet, UNRWA's Gunness warned the number of fatalities could be much higher now.
"Without humanitarian access to the camp, it is impossible to be precise about numbers of fatalities and injuries," he said
Yarmouk is one of at least 18 communities besieged by government forces or armed groups across Syria. An estimated 400,000 people live in areas with no or little access to sustained humanitarian aid, according to UNICEF.
On Saturday, the UN was able to reach Darayya, a town besieged for more than three years, in order to access the urgent humanitarian needs.
Planes also dropped food packages into Kefraya and al-Foua, Shia towns in the Idlib province currently encaged by Nusra, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"The fighting has been intense, and is taking place in the most densely populated areas of Yarmouk, with the use of heavy weapons, explosive devices and weapons of indiscriminate effect," Chris Gunness, UNRWA spokesperson, said in a statement.
Yarmouk, set up as a camp for Palestinian refugees in 1957, has with time developed into a residential neighbourhood inhabited by both Palestinians and Syrians.
It had some 200,000 residents before the start of the uprising that turned into a civil war five years ago.
Of the more than 500,000 Palestinian refugees who lived in the country before the uprising, more than 50,000 have fled and another 3,200 have been killed, according to estimations by the UK-based Action Group for Palestinians in Syria.
In April 2015, ISIL invaded the camp in coordination with al-Nusra and took control of an estimated 90 percent of its territory. However, ISIL subsequently pulled out most of its fighters and stationed them in nearby neighbourhoods in southern Damascus.
The Jafra Foundation, a Yarmouk-based humanitarian group, estimates that a mere 5,000 to 8,000 residents remain at the camp today.
According to the Jafra Foundation, at least 20 homes were burned down on Wednesday alone, and ISIL torched a hospital and the medical supplies inside it.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jafra coordinator Wesam Sabaaneh said four civilians were killed as of Wednesday, including two who were beheaded by ISIL fighters.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Jafra coordinator Wesam Sabaaneh said four civilians were killed as of Wednesday, including two who were beheaded by ISIL fighters.
More than 50 ISIL fighters and a dozen from Nusra were killed during the clashes.
Yet, UNRWA's Gunness warned the number of fatalities could be much higher now.
"Without humanitarian access to the camp, it is impossible to be precise about numbers of fatalities and injuries," he said
Yarmouk is one of at least 18 communities besieged by government forces or armed groups across Syria. An estimated 400,000 people live in areas with no or little access to sustained humanitarian aid, according to UNICEF.
On Saturday, the UN was able to reach Darayya, a town besieged for more than three years, in order to access the urgent humanitarian needs.
Planes also dropped food packages into Kefraya and al-Foua, Shia towns in the Idlib province currently encaged by Nusra, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
African Union troops in Somalia kill four civilians
African Union (AU) troops have killed four civilians travelling in a car in southern Somalia, sparking protests.
The incident took place near Bulla Marer, 60km (37 miles) south-west of the capital, Mogadishu.
The dead include an 80-year-old woman and her nine-year-old granddaughter who were sick and were travelling to the capital, Mogadishu, for treatment.
The AU Mission said scared soldiers had opened fire when the car failed to stop at a roadblock.
Abdiwahid Ibrahim Maalim, the son of the elderly woman killed, said she and the granddaughter were in the car with two of his friends, one of them the driver, when the troops killed them.
Residents of Lower Shabelle have protested, denouncing the killings.
The African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) confirmed the deaths but said it did not believe the four were deliberately killed.
Amisom spokesman Col Joe Kibet told BBC Somali that the driver had defied an order to stop.
Amisom has more than 22,000 soldiers and police, the majority from six African countries, deployed in Somalia to protect the government there.
Ireland Border Brexit Fears 'Scaremongering'
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has insisted border arrangements between Ireland and the UK would not change if the public votes to leave the EU.
She dismissed claims that Brexit would prove negative for trade between the countries - and even harm the peace process - as "scaremongering".
Mrs Villiers told Sky News' Murnaghan show that leaving the EU would not alter the free flow of "goods and people" over the only land border with the UK.
She offered reassure after Ireland's former prime minister, Bertie Ahern, voiced strong concerns over the consequences of an Out vote.
He said it would be "regressive" and "negative in every way".
Mr Ahern said: "We'd be the only place that has a land border with Britain - of course others would exploit and expose it. They'd have to check people."
Mr Ahern went on: "From a trade point of view it would be a customs border - it's regressive, negative."
But Mrs Villiers, a Brexit campaigner, told Sky News that no changes to border arrangements would be needed.
"I believe that the land border with Ireland can remain as free-flowing after a Brexit vote as it is today," she said.
"There is no reason why we have to change the border arrangements in the event of a Brexit because they have been broadly consistent in the 100 years since the creation of Ireland as a separate state.
"It's in the interest of both countries to keep an open border and there's no reason for that to change if the people of this country were to exercise their freedom to vote to leave the EU."
The border concerns came as Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb warned that families would face "disastrous" consequences if the UK left the EU.
Mr Crabb, who replaced Out campaigner Iain Duncan Smith in the Cabinet in March, predicts there would be factory closures, an exodus of businesses and job losses.
He said Brexit would cause "economic rupture".
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Crabb warned: "Lost jobs and livelihoods take an enormous, indelible toll on families and communities.
"No one should be complacent about the potential consequences for working people and their families if Britain votes to exit the EU. This is not a theoretical debate."
It is the first official weekend of campaigning ahead of the referendum on 23 June.
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