China quake toll 19, over 200 hurt A Canadian woman among injured

At least 19 persons were killed and nearly 250 others injured after a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a mountainous region in China’s southwest Sichuan province, with rescuers evacuating over 45,000 tourists from the area, according to the official media.

The temblor that struck the popular tourist destination in Jiuzhaigou County last night was followed by another 6.6- magnitude quake  in the far northwestern region of Xinjiang province, more than 2,000-km away.

Jiuzhaigou, or Jiuzhai Valley, is a national park famed for more than 140 lakes whose waters range from crystal-clear to turquoise, lying at the feet of forest-clad mountains.

The death toll in the quake in Sichuan has risen to 19, with 247 injured, including 40 seriously, authorities said.

The injured included a French man and a Canadian woman. The exact number of casualties of foreign nationals in the disaster was not immediately known.

Iran appoints 3 woman to important government positions

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has brought three women into the government aftr facing severe criticism on social media for submitting an all-male list of cabinet members to parliament for approval.

Massoumeh Ebtekar, head of Iran’s department of environment in Rouhani’s first term, was appointed vice-president for women and family affairs. Laya Joneidi was named vice-president for legal affairs while Shahindokht Molaverdi was made the president’s assistant for civil rights.

Rouhani had mentioned the importance of women’s rights in campaign speeches before the presidential election in May when he was reelected. The appointments are likely to tamp down some of the criticism that Rouhani faced from supporters on when he failed to announce any female ministers in his cabinet.