Haiti must learn to live with earthquakes: experts

A powerful earthquake jolted China’s Sichuan province Saturday near where a devastating quake struck five years ago, killing at least 70 people and leaving more than 2,000 hurt, prompting worries the death toll will climb.

Long thought to be a slow process, a new study published in Nature Geoscience says that gold veins are produced in an instant by earthquakes. Scientists have long known that veins of gold and other precious minerals form around fault lines, but it was generally thought that this process took an extremely long time. However, the new study shows that quick changes in pressure could cause the gold to form, essentially, instantaneously.

Colombian pop star Shakira has donated $400,000 to rebuild a school that was severely damaged in the January 2010 quake that leveled much of the Haitian capital.The singer signed an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank, which will match her contribution to rebuild the Elie Dubois school, one of the island's oldest, built in the early 20th century."I am delighted to have the opportunity to help you make your dream come true," Shakira told about a hundred students and nuns from the school, speaking in French.

LUSHAN, China — The tent village that sprang up in two days to house quake survivors in mountain-flanked Lushan is no ordinary refugee camp. China’s full range of disaster response is on display: Trucks with x-ray equipment, phone-charging stations, bank tellers-on-wheels — even a tent for insurance claims.

In hospitals in the Dominican Republic, which borders Haiti, survivors of last week's earthquake are spilling over in wards and operating theaters.Aguena Mondesi is just one young Haitian looking for relatives she believes made it to a facility in Santo Domingo looking for help."I've lost trace of 14 relatives, including my mother Dasina. I have no idea what happened to them. I can't stand it anymore. I'm going to cry," she told AFP."I was told my family's home fell over and in the rubble noone saw any body or anybody injured," she added.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was due in Haiti on Sunday to give a boost to the impoverished Caribbean nation struggling to rebuild from last year's quake and decide its future leaders.The chief US diplomat, who traveled to Port-au-Prince days after a devastating temblor killed 220,000 people over a year ago, was to meet outgoing President Rene Preval as well as candidates in the disputed November polls.She will also visit a cholera clinic.

Donor countries are facing a daunting challenge this week as they gather for a conference that hopes to deliver more than three billion dollars to rebuild Haiti, where much of the earthquake-shattered capital lies in ruins.More than 100 countries will take part Wednesday at the "International Donors Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti." It was to be led by Haitian President Rene Preval, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton serving as co-hosts.

Donor countries are facing a daunting challenge this week as they gather for a conference that hopes to deliver more than three billion dollars to rebuild Haiti, where much of the earthquake-shattered capital lies in ruins.More than 100 countries will take part Wednesday at the "International Donors Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti." It was to be led by Haitian President Rene Preval, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton serving as co-hosts.