Rising waters breach levees and flood evacuated Australian towns
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Residents of southeastern Australia received emergency evacuation orders Wednesday, urging them to leave their homes before water breached levees and flooded towns.
“You should ensure you have left your property,” State Emergency Services said in alerts sent at 5:20 a.m. to the town’s 2,500 residents.
Floodwaters have left 1,000 households without power, and thousands more homes are under threat of cuts as power lines are submerged.
Major earthquake hits remote area of Pakistan at 1:30 a.m. on Wed.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, causing tremors as far away as India.
The quake was centered in the country’s most sparsely populated area, said the United States Geological Service, occurring at 1:30 a.m. local time at a depth of 50 miles.
The closest town to the epicenter was Dalbandin. The remote area was the site of 1998 nuclear tests.
Earthquakes often rattle the region. A magnitude 7.6 quake on Oct. 8, 2005, killed about 80,000 people and left 3 million homeless.
Woman on couch in recreational vehicle killed in plane crash Tuesday
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — A small plane crashed into a recreational vehicle park in South Carolina, killing the pilot and a woman seated on a couch inside an RV.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the pilot was trying to land the single-engine Cessna at an airport Tuesday when he missed the runway.
High-ranking CIA officer convicted, sentenced to 8 more years in prison
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A high-ranking CIA officer convicted of espionage will spend eight more years in prison after pleading guilty to betraying his country a second time.
Harold “Jim” Nicholson was sentenced Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Five other charges were dropped.
Nicholson admitted to using his son, Nathaniel, to collect a “pension” from Russian agents while serving time in federal prison in Oregon.
During tearful testimony, penniless Nicholson said he sought to help his children with student loans and debt.
Students wounded at school when gun in backpack accidentally fires
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — A gun in a 10th-grader’s backpack accidentally discharged when he dropped the bag, wounding two students Tuesday, Los Angeles police and school authorities said.
A 15-year-old girl suffered a head wound and a 15-year-old boy suffered a neck wound, said Deputy Chief Patrick Gannon. Both were hit with the same bullet.
Incoming students are checked by security. It’s unclear how the student entered unnoticed, said district spokeswoman Gayle Pollard-Terry.
Leak at inactive offshore platform near Lake Charles releases gas
LAKE CHARLES (AP) — Federal authorities are monitoring a natural gas leak at an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement says the platform is located 93 miles south of Lake Charles in 173 feet of water. Authorities say the platform has not been in production for nearly a decade and currently is being used to process natural gas.
Investigators say workers spotted bubbling Sunday and discovered the leak. The platform was evacuated, and pipelines were cut off.
A robotic vehicle is being used to determine if the platform can be reboarded safely. If not, a relief well will be drilled.
Managers of newest Baton Rouge riverboat casino announced Tuesday
(AP) — Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. has chosen managers for a planned $357 million riverboat casino and hotel in Baton Rouge.
The Las Vegas-based company announced its team Tuesday. The casino is scheduled to open in December and will compete with two other riverboat casinos. Plans call for a gambling floor, restaurants and outdoor festival grounds.
 
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