In brief: Quake registers 6.3 in eastern Mexico
VERACRUZ, Mexico – A strong earthquake shook much of eastern Mexico on Tuesday, but there were no reports of damage or injury.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.3 quake was centered in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, about 260 miles east-southeast of Mexico City. The epicenter was 59 miles below the surface.
The 5:46 a.m. quake was felt strongly in the Gulf port city of Veracruz, where frightened people ran into the streets, and hotels in the tourist zone were evacuated. It rocked buildings at least as far away as Mexico City.
Crews back off fire amid clashes
CAIRO – Heavy gunfire between warring militias prevented firefighters from battling a massive inferno in Libya’s capital Tuesday, despite calls for a cease-fire to end the worst violence in the capital since the country’s 2011 civil war.
The blaze engulfing oil depots started in the crossfire of fighting over Tripoli’s international airport, a weekslong battle between rivals mirroring the militia violence that’s plagued the rest of Libya since the downfall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
A cease-fire deal mediated by Tripoli’s City Council fell apart hours after they declared it, leaving council members pleading with the militias to withdraw from at least a nearly 2-mile radius to allow firefighters to fight the blaze. The government ordered firefighters to withdraw amid new clashes.
A senior official with Libya’s state-run oil company, said up to 21 million gallons of oil and liquid natural gas are in the area, as well as gas cylinders used for cooking.
Canada says hack had Chinese origin
TORONTO – Chinese hackers infiltrated the computer systems of Canada’s top research and development organization, the Canadian government said Tuesday.
Canada’s Treasury Board said a “highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor” hacked into the National Research Council, which partners its scientists, engineers and business experts with private industry to bring new technologies to market.
The Canadian government said NRC’s computers have been isolated from the rest of the government’s systems as a precaution. The government said one of Canada’s spy agencies, the Communications Security Establishment, detected and confirmed the cyberattack.
The NRC said it would not release further information, citing security and confidentiality reasons.