KABUL, Afghanistan - A helicopter belonging to the NATO-led international security force crashed today in western Afghanistan, killing 17 Spanish troops, officials said.

A second helicopter also made an emergency landing and an unspecified number of troops on board were believed to be injured.

The cause of the crash and the emergency landing - both in the desert south of the western city of Herat - were believed to be mechanical failure.

However, Afghan army commander Abdul Wahab Walizada, whose troops are providing security in the area, said the two choppers came too close while flying and the rotor blade of one hit the other.

CARACAS, Venezuela - A passenger plane crashed in remote western Venezuela with 152 passengers aboard early this morning, an aviation official said. It was unclear whether anyone survived.The West Caribbean Airways plane was headed from Panama to Martinique in the Caribbean when its pilot reported engine trouble to the Caracas airport, said Francisco Paz, president of the National Aviation Institute.

SENDAI, Japan - A powerful earthquake shook northeastern Japan today, triggering landslides, sending a shower of ceiling debris into a crowded indoor swimming pool and shaking skyscrapers as far away as Tokyo. At least 59 people were reportedly injured.The 7.2-magnitude quake, centered about 50 miles off the coast of Miyagi state, knocked out power to about 17,000 homes, while high-speed train services in northern Japan were suspended and flights were temporarily grounded at Haneda airport in Tokyo, 185 miles to the south.Many of the injured were at a public pool crowded with more than 200 people, some children on summer vacation. The force of the quake sent pieces of tile, glass and other debris showering over the bathers, cutting some.Two 4-inch tsunami waves hit the nearby coast shortly after noon, and officials expected little damage from the waves.

NEVE DEKALIM, Gaza Strip - Israeli security forces clashed with hundreds of opponents of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip today, arresting dozens of people in the roughest confrontation between troops and settlers since the start of the operation.The confrontation came hours ahead of a midnight deadline for all Jewish settlers to leave the Gaza Strip voluntarily or face forcible removal. Officials said they were hopeful many settlers would leave the area before the deadline, but also issued a stern warning of tough action against anyone who resists."We will make every effort, the army and the police, to have law and order in this process and anyone who acts illegally will be treated according to the law," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told a news conference. He said he expected at least half of Gaza's 8,500 residents to be out by midnight.The army said security forces detained 50 Israelis for clashing with police and soldiers attempting to help Gaza settlers leave, mostly in Neve Dekalim.The three-week operation to evacuate Gaza began Monday. Israel plans to remove all 21 settlements from Gaza and four from the West Bank.