BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Rain started to fall along the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Dolly — upgraded in force from a tropical storm — closed in on towns straddling the Texas-Mexico border.

Powerful quake injures 102 in Japan

(CNN) -- A strong earthquake injured 102 people and destroyed 31 buildings in northern Japan on Thursday, authorities said.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake rattled north-central Japan, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Elderly residents were among the injured, including a 72-year-old woman who was hurt when a closet fell on her head and an 83-year-old man who fell out of bed and hurt his spine, police said.

In addition to destroy buildings, the quake caused landslides in six locations and forced the cancellation of train service in affected areas.

The quake lasted for up to 40 seconds, The Associated Press reported.

About 6,700 homes were left without electricity after the earthquake caused a blackout, AP cited Disaster Minister Shinya Izumi as saying.

Meteorological Agency official Takashi Yokota warned of possible aftershocks from Thursday's quake, according to AP.

The quake struck about 12:26 a.m. (10:26 a.m. ET Wednesday), and its epicenter was in eastern Honshu, about 25 km (15 miles) east-northeast of the town of Morioka and 80 km (50 miles) south of Hachinohe, the USGS said.

Although the quake was classified as "strong" by the USGS, data showed its center was 111 km (69 miles) below Earth's surface. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and generally can cause more damage than those further underground.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency said there was no danger of a tsunami.

A 7.2-magnitude quake struck northern Japan's Iwate Prefecture last month, killing at least 10 people and injuring more than 200. At least 12 were missing as a result of the June 14 quake, buried in the rubble of a secluded resort in neighboring Miyagi Prefecture.

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Second typhoon bears down on Taiwan

* Story Highlights
* Typhoon Fung Wong approaches Taiwan, whipping up waves, triggering rock slide
* Experts: If it stays present course, it will hit central and eastern Taiwan early Monday
* Storm comes one week after tropical storm Kalmaegi killed 19 people, left 6 missing
* Next Article in World »

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Earthquake rocks L.A.

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake has struck just east of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The strength is considered moderate and can damage buildings. CNN L.A. Bureau Chief Pete Janos said: "At its height, the building was doing some good swaying back and forth." developing story

Texas braces as tropical storm warnings cover coast

Story Highlights
* NEW: Much of Texas under tropical storm warning
* NEW: Hurricane watch issued for parts of Louisiana coast
* Storm could be close to Texas' coast Tuesday, forecasters say
* Follow Edouard's path with CNN's Hurricane Tracker

(CNN) -- Forecasters expanded warnings along the Texas Gulf coast early Monday as Tropical Storm Edouard picked up speed.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River westward to San Luis Pass, Texas. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area in the next 24 hours.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami expects Edouard, which started as a depression in the Gulf of Mexico early Sunday afternoon, to reach coastal Galveston, Texas, by Tuesday morning. Edouard will likely reach near-hurricane strength before landfall, the hurricane center said.

A hurricane watch -- which means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours -- was issued, reaching from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana to Port O'Connor, Texas.

At 5 a.m. ET, the center of the tropical storm -- the fifth one this season -- was located about 185 miles (300 km) southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana and about 295 miles (475 km) east-southeast of Galveston, the hurricane center said.
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The storm was moving west at about 9 mph (15 km/hr), while its maximum sustained winds neared 50 mph (85 km/hr), the hurricane center said. See a projection of Edouard's path »

Edouard is expected to dump up to 4 inches of rain along the Louisiana coast and as much as 6 inches over southeastern Texas, the center said.

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Tornado leaves three dead in France

Story Highlights
* Tornado kills at least three people in northern France
* Tornado collapsed some homes and uprooted trees along its path
* It swept through the Lille region's town of Hautmont and three other villages

LILLE, France (AP) -- A fierce but short-lived tornado has left at least three people dead in northern France.

Inhabitants of four regions are assessing the damage after the tornado collapsed some homes and uprooted trees along its path.

The tornado swept through the Lille region's town of Hautmont and three other communities shortly before midnight Sunday.

The local prefecture said 13 people had been hospitalized for injuries and three others were dead as a result of the tornado. In addition, officials say a 76-year-old man whose house was among those destroyed in Hautmont has killed himself, but they could not yet comment on his motive.

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One dead, four missing after Tokyo sewage surge

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- One worker died and four others were missing Tuesday in Tokyo after being sucked down a manhole when sewage water suddenly rose because of a thunderstorm, rescue officials said.

The victim died in a hospital after being found unconscious, floating in a river about two miles (three kilometers) from the manhole, officials said.

Search operations continued for the four missing workers, Tokyo Fire Department spokeswoman Masami Komura said.

A sixth worker was able to escape on his own when sewage water suddenly surged to where the men were repairing the manhole in Toshima Ward of southeastern Tokyo, she said.

A thunderstorm hit the Tokyo area Tuesday, and the weather agency has issued warnings of more heavy rain and flooding.

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100 die in Vietnam flash floods

(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday.

Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday.

The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing.

Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm.

Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday.

The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

August 14, 2008 -- Updated 1853 GMT (0253 HKT)

Ocean 'dead zones' becoming global problem

Story Highlights
# Science journal reports more than 400 dead zones around the world
# Dead zones have too little oxygen for life
# "It has severe consequences for ecosystems," scientist says
# Pollution-fed algae is the cause of most of the world's dead zones

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Like a chronic disease spreading through the body, "dead zones" with too little oxygen for life are expanding in the world's oceans.

"We have to realize that hypoxia is not a local problem," said Robert J. Diaz of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. "It is a global problem, and it has severe consequences for ecosystems."

"It's getting to be a problem of such a magnitude that it is starting to affect the resources that we pull out of the sea to feed ourselves," he added...

Read on

August 18, 2008 -- Updated 0157 GMT (0957 HKT)

Typhoon Nuri on path to hit Philippines

Story Highlights
* Typhoon Nuri to make landfall within the next 24 hours
* Nuri packing winds of 120 km/h and gusts of up to 150 km/h
* Eye of typhoon expected to move across northern areas on Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- The Philippine weather bureau is reporting Typhoon Nuri is on track to make landfall over the northern provinces within the next 24 hours.

Nuri is packing winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) and gusts of up to 93 miles (150 kilometers) per hour. It is moving quickly toward the north of main Luzon island.

The head of the weather bureau, Nathaniel Cruz, said on Tuesday that Nuri is on the path to slam ashore near northeastern Cagayan province, where a storm alert has been raised to warn fishermen to stay out of the sea.

The eye of the typhoon is expected to move across the Calayan group of islands and Ilocos Norte province on Wednesday, before heading across the South China Sea toward Guangdong, China.

Fay looks like it could be a 'boomerang storm'

FORT PIERCE, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fay moved just off the east coast of Florida early Wednesday after spawning at least seven tornadoes that ripped across sections of the state, the National Hurricane Center reported.

read on

Florida braces for another pounding from Fay

Story Highlights
* Tropical Storm Fay expected to make another landfall in Florida Thursday
* Rainfall could reach 30 inches in some areas, forecast says
* Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asks for federal aid

Read on

August 25, 2008 -- Updated 0400 GMT (1200 HKT)

Bush declares 'major disaster' in Florida

Story Highlights
# NEW: Flooding prompts Sunday evacuations in northern Florida
# President Bush declares a "major disaster" area in Florida on Sunday
# Forecasters warn storm could still drop up to a foot of rain along its path

(CNN) -- Flooding caused by the former Tropical Storm Fay prompted evacuations in parts of northern Florida on Sunday as what was left of the storm stalled over southern Mississippi.

Also Sunday, President Bush declared a "major disaster" in Florida, which Fay had pounded for days. The move made the counties of Brevard, Monroe, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie eligible for federal funds.

Severe flooding in the Florida Panhandle counties of Jefferson and Wakulla led local officials to order evacuations there Sunday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said...

Read entire article

Flood rages through 1,000 Indian villages

Waiting for rooftoop rescue 1:00
The Kosi River is flooding Bihar, India, forcing residents to wait on rooftops for rescue.
• World News - International Headlines, Stories and Video from CNN.com

SOLAR ACTIVITY: Warning. This story contains material that may make you feel very small.

For the past two days, a colossal prominence has been dancing along the northwestern limb of the sun. "Here's a photo from Aug. 27th," offers Pete Lawrence of Selsey, UK. "The Earth has been added for scale."

"It does makes you feel small, doesn't it?"

Lawrence's photo frames a towering sheet of hydrogen gas stretched 75,000 km high by solar magnetic fields. The foreground is filled by a "shag carpet" of spicules--Texas-sized jets of gas that shoot up from the sun's surface and fall back again on 10 minute time scales. Spicules are the smallest thing in the photo and they're as big as Texas. Have you ever driven across Texas?

Read on

Death toll in India flood rises to 87

Story Highlights
* Over half of the deaths reported in 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday
* Indian army troops use helicopters, boats to deliver supplies, rescue villagers
* Survivor says he lost wife, children, parents, nine brothers
* India says more than 2 million affected, 225,000 homes destroyed by flooding

BIHAR, India (CNN) -- Severe flooding in northeast India has claimed at least 87 lives, the country's home ministry said Thursday.

More than half of the deaths, in the state of Bihar, were reported in the 24-hour period from Tuesday to Wednesday, the ministry's disaster management division said...

Read on

India flood death toll climbs (1:59)
Severe flooding in northeast India has claimed at least 87 lives.

Gustav hits Jamaica; Haiti says 51 dead

Story Highlights
* NEW: Tropical Storm Gustav's center reaches Jamaica's eastern tip
* Haiti raises its death toll from storm to 51
* Tropical Storm Hanna forms in Atlantic; it's eighth named storm of the season
* Gustav's winds near 70 mph; hurricane status expected Friday

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Gustav struck Jamaica with pounding rain and winds just short of hurricane strength Thursday, and Haitian officials raised their death toll from the storm to more than 50...

Read on

Gustav likely to strengthen after becoming hurricane

Story Highlights
* NEW: Gustav likely to strengthen as it pursues projected path toward Gulf Coast
* Storm may threaten more than 1 million people in greater New Orleans
* Gustav expected to be Category 3 status by Saturday
* Tropical Storm Hanna forms in Atlantic; it is eighth named storm of the season

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Forecasters warned that Hurricane Gustav is likely to strengthen further as it pursues a projected path aimed at the Gulf Coast...

Read on

Aid agencies struggling to help in India
The grinding misery triggered by the massive floods in a downtrodden part of northeastern India and across the border in Nepal persist, with government and aid agencies swinging into action to help the 2 million-plus people fleeing high-rising, fast-moving waters. full story

Army rescues flood victims 2:06
The Indian army is doing everything it can to help flood victims. CNN's Sara Sidner witnessed one rescue.

Quake rattles southwestern China

Story Highlights
* 6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes China's southwestern Sichuan province
* No reports of casualties or aftershocks, state media reports
* 7.9 magnitude quake in Sichuan in May killed nearly 70,000

BEIJING, China (AP) -- A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck China's southwestern Sichuan province Saturday, state media said.

The earthquake hit 31 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Panzhihua city in the southwestern corner of Sichuan at 4:30 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said.

A duty officer at the State Seismology Bureau said the quake occurred in a mountainous area and there were no reports of casualties or aftershocks. He did not want to give his name, as is common with officials in China.

The bureau is still gathering information, he said.

On May 12, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in northern Sichuan killed nearly 70,000 people and left 5 million homeless. The region has been hit by scores of aftershocks, keeping people there on edge.

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Gustav prompts talk of altering RNC agenda

Story Highlights
* NEW: President making plans in case he misses convention because of storm
* Sen. John McCain suggests hurricane may affect the Republican convention
* GOP source says convention may turn into a massive telethon
* Gulf state governors already have canceled trips to convention

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Officials with the McCain campaign and the Republican National convention are considering changing the event's agenda as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast...

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