The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has issued a security message warning U.S. citizens to avoid the Pacific resort of Acapulco because of violence and protests. Demonstrators protesting the disappearance of 43 students in Iguala in September have blocked highways leading to Acapulco, hijacked buses and blockaded the airport. 2 Hotel explosion: A suspected gas leak touched off an explosion in the basement of the Hyatt Regency Churchill in London, injuring 14 people and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of hotel guests, authorities said Saturday. The blast just before midnight Friday caused extensive damage to the basement and ground floor. 3 Earthquake: A strong earthquake struck a lightly populated, mountainous area of China on Saturday, killing at least four people, injuring 54 others and collapsing homes, officials said. Plague deaths: A plague outbreak has killed 40 people on the island nation of Madagascar, with 119 people diagnosed with the bacterial disease since August.