My own feeling is that you should use information closer to the players. using broad information is perfectly okay, but unless players are actually taking an interest in what's going on, they'll simply shrug. So generate that interest. You say there's been an earthquake? So why not have refugees turning up with one or two strange tales to tell. If the players still shrug, do a Marco Polo on them - have the NPC reveal something valuable or powerful, lamenting that much was left behind. go from there.