21.   A major earthquake jolted a remote, mountain region in eastern Iran on Saturday, and an official in the stricken area said casualties were heavy.

22.   Aid and rescue workers have been rushed to the stricken areas, the agency reported.

23.   Amid the grief in communities throughout the stricken area, life was slowly returning to something resembling normal.

24.   Armed guerrillas in civilian clothes sealed off the stricken area and warned people to stay away, fearing delayed detonation from bombs dropped by the jets.

25.   Badr Eddin Taha, governor of Khartoum state, appealed to local non-governmental organizations to help citizens in the stricken areas.

26.   Biak and the other stricken areas are on the northern part of the Indonesian half of New Guinea island.

27.   Black smoke billowed from the stricken area.

28.   Black smoke billowed from the stricken area, consisting of a series of underground, concrete tunnels where the guerrilla group is believed to store weapons.

29.   Both have made well-publicized tours of stricken areas, striving to show their concern and steering clear of partisan rhetoric.

30.   City officials said their main priority would be to clear major streets and highways of debris so that relief supplies could reach the stricken area quickly.