California winds easing after sparking fires, power outages

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A windstorm that fanned brushfires, toppled trees and left thousands of Californians without power focused its remaining energy Wednesday on the southern end of the state, where forecasters warned of the additional threat of heavy rain and flash flooding. Strong winds that began Tuesday...

Fierce California winds fan fires, topple trees and trucks

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — Months-old embers from a deadly California fire were blown back to life Tuesday by powerful winds that raked the state and prompted safety blackouts to tens of thousands of people. Firefighters chased wind-driven blazes up and down the state, trees and trucks were toppled,...

Businesses reopen as searchers dig in Indonesia quake rubble

MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) — Grocery stores, gas stations and other shops were reopening Wednesday in a quake-hit Indonesian city where debris still covered streets and searchers continued to dig in the rubble for more victims. Immediate food and water needs have been met and the local government has started...

Earthquake injures 3 in Argentina; tremor also felt in Chile

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck in northwestern Argentina near the border with central Chile, injuring at least three people, authorities said Tuesday. Two children and an adult were hospitalized in San Juan province in Argentina after the quake hit just before midnight...

After seeing floods, Indonesian leader visits quake zone

MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) — Relief workers struggled Tuesday to clear the rubble of collapsed buildings on an Indonesian island where a strong earthquake killed at least 90 people and left thousands homeless. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake on Friday was one of a series of recent disasters to hit Indonesia....

Strong quake shakes Argentina, Chile; no reports of injuries

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck in northwestern Argentina near the border with central Chile just before midnight Monday, shaking people in parts of both countries. There were no reports of injuries or serious damage, though some power outages were reported in the quake area. The U.S....

USGS says magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes northwestern Argentina near border with Chile

Freezing temps bring Europe traffic chaos, smog, avalanche

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Extreme cold has hit large parts of Europe, with freezing temperatures cracking railroad tracks in Poland, snow blanketing the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul and smog spiking as more coal was being burned to generate heat. In Switzerland, a skier who had been buried by an avalanche...

Aid effort intensifies after Indonesia quake that killed 84

MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) — Aid was reaching the thousands of people left homeless and struggling after an earthquake that killed at least 84 people on an Indonesian island where rescuers intensified their work Monday to find those buried in the rubble. More rescuers and volunteers were deployed in the...

Indonesian teams find more bodies from quake that killed 78

MAMUJU, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian rescuers on Sunday retrieved more bodies from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled by a strong earthquake, raising the death toll to 78, while military engineers managed to reopen ruptured roads to clear access for relief goods. More heavy equipment reached the...