Philippines: Powell wraps up tour, praises terrorism fight

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell finished off his eight-nation Asia tour Saturday and said he has seen progress in cooperation among Southeast Asian nations in fighting terrorism.

“In order to get these terrorists, not only al-Qaida, but other terrorists such as Abu Sayyaf, we have to work with our friends and allies, we have to connect our intelligence systems, connect our law enforcement systems, look at the financial transactions that these terrorist groups use to sustain themselves,” Powell said after a breakfast with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“In that regard, I am very pleased with what we have been able to do with nations around world, but especially here in Southeast Asia.”

Colombia: U.S. to patrol skies during inauguration

A U.S. surveillance plane will patrol above Colombia next week as part of the security plan to prevent a terrorist attack during the presidential inauguration.

Authorities will be on maximum alert in the capital, Bogota, during Wednesday’s swearing-in of President-elect Alvaro Uribe, who has survived several assassination attempts and is despised by leftist rebels fighting in the country’s decades-old conflict.

A P3 aircraft and eight-member crew from the U.S. Customs Service will police the skies above the capital that day for unauthorized aircraft, the U.S. Embassy said. Members of Colombia’s air force also will be on board.

Northern Ireland: Security concerns lead to mail carrier strike

Catholic mail carriers went on strike Saturday in Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second-largest city, citing fears they could be targeted in revenge for the latest killing of a local Protestant.

Union leaders representing Royal Mail workers in Londonderry said one of their Catholic members who delivers mail on Londonderry’s predominantly Protestant east side had been issued with a specific death threat Friday. They decided no mail would be delivered in Londonderry, a predominantly Catholic city of 70,000 people northwest of Belfast, until after an emergency meeting Monday.

The largest outlawed Protestant group, the Ulster Defense Assn., has previously targeted Catholic mail carriers in predominantly Protestant areas.

Haiti: Prison wall breached, 159 convicts escape

Police searched cars and buses Saturday in northwestern Haiti for 159 prisoners who escaped after gunmen drove a tractor through the wall of a prison to free a jailed political activist.

Police fled Gonaives after the jailbreak Friday, and residents locked themselves in their homes as automatic gunfire rang in the streets. People burned down city hall and the courthouse, and authorities acknowledged they had lost control of the town.

On Saturday, police returned with reinforcements and restored calm.

Government officials said the purpose of the prison assault was to free Amiot Metayer, a former ally of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who turned against the president after he was jailed July 2 on charges of burning down houses of a rival gang.

Tokyo: Moderate earthquake jolts eastern Japan

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 shook Tokyo and nearby cities Saturday, but there were no reports of damage or injuries, authorities said.

The 8:24 a.m. quake was centered about 280 miles below the seabed in the Pacific Ocean about 430 miles south of Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said.

There was no risk of tsunami, powerful waves caused by seismic activity, the agency said. No damage or injuries were reported from the offshore quake, police said.

An earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher can cause considerable damage when centered near heavily populated areas.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, sitting atop four tectonic plates.