World briefs

INDONESIA A strong earthquake has hit off the coast of western Indonesia, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.0 quake hit Saturday at a depth of 30 kilometers. It was centered 88 kilometers (55 miles) southeast of Sinabang, a town on the east coast of Simeulue Island, which lies off the west coast of Sumatra island. In 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

PHILIPPINES A strong typhoon was blowing over the Pacific Ocean in the northeastern Philippines and may induce heavy rains, but is too far off to hit land, officials said. Typhoon Neoguri was blowing with sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour and gusts of 220 kph late yesterday about 840 kilometers off Cagayan, a rice- and tobacco-producing province. The storm is expected to blow northwest and will be about 500 kilometers northeast of Batanes province in the Philippines’ northern tip today. It will then likely blow toward southern Japan later in the week.

IRAQ A man purporting to be the leader of the Sunni extremist group that has declared an Islamic state in territory it controls straddling Iraq and Syria has made what would be his first official appearance, delivering a sermon at a mosque in Iraq’s second-largest city, according to an online video. The move comes as the group moves to consolidate its hold over the area of its self-declared caliphate.

NIGERIA Thirteen people have been killed in overnight attacks by gunmen in two counties on the Kenyan coast, where last month al-Qaida-linked militants claimed responsibility for killing 65 people, the Kenya Red Cross says. More on Nigeria on p15

SWITZERLAND Olympic leaders meet today to decide which cities make the cut in the race for the 2022 Winter Games. It should be an easy choice. After a series of voter rejections and city withdrawals, only three contenders are left standing — and the future of one remains uncertain. The International Olympic Committee executive board is expected to keep all three remaining candidates: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; and Oslo. Also on the agenda for the three-day meeting in Lausanne is an update on Rio de Janeiro’s delayed preparations for the 2016 Olympics and possible venue changes for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

ENGLAND Lewis Hamilton won a crash-hit British Grand Prix  to cut Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg’s lead in the drivers’ championship from 29 points to just four after the German had his first non-finish of the season. Hamilton, the 2008 champion, started sixth on the grid. The British driver leapt to fourth on the opening lap before it was red-flagged, and suspended for an hour, following a crash involving 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Felipe Massa of Williams. Hamilton then took the lead after 29 laps as Rosberg retired with gearbox failure. Hamilton came home 30 seconds clear of Finn Valtteri Bottas of Williams, who started 14th.