Water supply back on in Chinese city
HARBIN, China, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Water service has been partially restored to the Chinese city of Harbin, which has been without water since Wednesday.
The capital of Heilongjiang Province was forced to shutdown its water supply system after the Songhua River, which supplies water to city's 3.8 million residents, was contaminated with toxic benzene and nitrobenzene.
The massive spill occurred after an explosion at a petrochemical plant in nearby Jilin Province Nov. 13.
Water was partially restored Sunday with Zhang Zuoji, governor of Heilongjiang Province, taking the first drink.
The water quality now meets national standards, local environmental authorities told the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Officials said it would take some time for the city to recover its full water supply capacity. A sufficient supply will be available during peak usage hours in the morning and evening. The rest of the time, however, the water supply will be limited.
Strong earthquake shakes southern Iran
BANDAR ABBAS, Iran, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- A strong earthquake hit southern Iran Sunday, killing at least five people and nearly destroying five villages.
The 5.9-magnitude quake struck Qeshm island, home to 120,000 people, and the city of Bandar Abbas, the BBC reported.
The quake was felt in the neighboring Gulf states of Oman and the UAE.
Iran sits in a volatile earthquake region and is regularly struck by damaging quakes.
The island's governor said additional damage was caused by a landslide that followed the powerful earthquake.
Allawi: Iraq abuse as bad as under Saddam
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi says human rights abuses by the Baghdad government are as bad today as they were under Saddam Hussein.
Militias are operating within the Shia-led government, torturing and killing in secret bunkers, he told Britain's Observer newspaper.
His comments come two weeks after 170 detainees were found at an interior ministry center. Some were allegedly suffering from abuse and starvation.
Allawi said the militias had infiltrated the police and warned that their influence could spread throughout the government.
Allawi was Iraq's first interim prime minister but failed to win January's election. He has since formed a coalition to contest next month's parliamentary elections, the BBC reported.
Arrests in plot against Saddam trial judge
KIRKUK, Iraq, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Iraqi authorities in the northern city of Kirkuk are holding eight men charged with plotting to kill a judge in the trial of former dictator Saddam Hussein.
Hussein's trial is scheduled to resume Monday after a six-week break but lawyers for Saddam may seek a second delay.
Two defense lawyers in the trial have been killed.
Police said the suspects had a letter from Hussein's former deputy ordering the assassination of Judge Raed Juhi when they were arrested Thursday in Kirkuk, the BBC reported.
Juhi prepared the case against Hussein and is one of the few officials in the trial to appear in public.
