Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits central Japan, no tsunami warning
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits central Japan, no tsunami warning/node/2522401/world
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits central Japan, no tsunami warning
This aerial photo shows temporary housing for evacuees set up in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture on January 31, 2024, almost one month after a major 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture. (AFP/File)
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits central Japan, no tsunami warning
Updated 03 June 2024
AFP
TOKYO: A strong magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook central Japan on Monday but there was no tsunami warning, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
The shallow jolt, which hit at 6:31 am (2131 GMT), was centered in the Noto Peninsula, where a devastating quake on January 1 killed more than 230 people.
Local officials said there were no immediate reports of damage but they were still collecting information, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Monday morning’s earthquake was followed around 10 minutes later by a second, smaller magnitude-4.8 shake in the same area, the JMA said.
The operator of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in the region said it had suspended operations to check for damage, according to NHK.
The broadcaster warned that many buildings in the coastal Sea of Japan region might have been previously damaged in the powerful January earthquake and its aftershocks.
The January 1 quake destroyed and toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula just as families were celebrating New Year’s Day.
Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Japan is one of the world’s most tectonically active countries.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.
Still, even large quakes usually cause little damage thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations in the world’s number four economy.
How Pope Francis touched a migrant’s heart, saying ‘we’re all the same people’
Updated 8 sec ago
“In the eyes of Pope Francis, we are not migrants, we’re all the same people,” not Filipino or Indian or Asian, said Abano Francis, himself the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, placed the plight of migrants and refugees at the heart of his moral agenda
VATICAN CITY: Diane Karla Abano, a Filipino migrant living in Rome, has vivid memories of the day that Pope Francis touched her heart and made her feel at home, kissing her two young daughters during an audience in St. Peter’s Square in May, 2018. “The moment that I reached out to the pope and saw his smile, I don’t know, all the hurt, all the pain that I felt, it changed into happiness and hope,” Abano said, her voice breaking and tears welling in her eyes as she showed photos of the event. “In the eyes of Pope Francis, we are not migrants, we’re all the same people,” not Filipino or Indian or Asian, said Abano. She was back in St. Peter’s Square this week, queuing up with tens of thousands of other mourners to pay her last respects to a man whose brief blessing proved transformative. Francis, himself the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, placed the plight of migrants and refugees at the heart of his moral agenda during his 12-year papacy, personally intervening to assist asylum seekers and pushing governments to do much more to help. He repeatedly spoke out for the poor and marginalized, and criticized countries that shunned migrants. His first trip outside Rome after he was elected pope in 2013 was to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa to pay tribute to the thousands of people who had drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe and a better life. In 2016 he visited the Greek island of Lesbos and brought a dozen Syrian refugees back to Italy with him on his plane. In 2021, he flew to Cyprus and again ensured safe passage for a group of 50 asylum seekers. Among them was Grace Enjei, who had escaped fighting in her native Cameroon in 2020 and had ended up stranded in the so-called “buffer zone” that divides the island as she sought to reach territory that falls within the European Union. Just before the trip, Vatican officials told her that the pope had learnt of the plight of those caught in a legal limbo, and had arranged for them to be relocated to Italy. “We were so happy, like, we were singing the whole night, we were dancing, we were celebrating actually. Something so, so, so good, like it was real good, we were so happy,” said Enjei. Days after she arrived in Italy, Enjei was unexpectedly invited to celebrate Pope Francis’ birthday. “He was like ‘these are the people from the buffer zone?’ and we were like, ‘Yes, yes, yes’. He said, ‘Oh, you guys are welcome, I heard about your story, and I was so touched, so I needed to do something’,” Enjei said.
BRIDGES NOT WALLS The late pope repeatedly urged political leaders to defend migrants, saying their safety should take precedence over national security concerns. In 2015 he became the first pope to address the US Congress, where he recalled his own migrant background and said it was natural for people to cross borders in search of better opportunities for them and their families. “Is this not what we want for our own children?” he said. “I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants.” In 2016 he publicly clashed with Donald Trump — who was then campaigning for his first term in the White House — over his plans to build a wall between the United States and Mexico to keep out migrants. “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis told reporters. Trump, who will attend the pope’s funeral on Saturday, said at the time that it was “disgraceful” for a religious leader to question a person’s faith. Francis was critical again as the US president began his second term, telling American bishops in a letter in February that he disagreed with migrant deportations. The pope faced resistance not just from politicians, but also sometimes from within his own Church with a number of parishes, especially in Eastern Europe, unhappy over his call for religious communities to take in refugees. But speaking from her new home in Rome, Enjei stressed the positive impact that Francis had on so many people, not just herself. “It’s not only about me. He has helped so many people, and we thank him for the fight he’s fighting for the migrants. We really appreciate and thank him so much,” she said.
Sheikh Mohammed visits UAE pavilion at Osaka-Kansai Expo
Dubai ruler praises the pavilion’s design, which draws inspiration from the traditional ‘Al Areesh’
“Today I also met with our unsung heroes and our mission at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan,” Sheikh Mohammed noted
Updated 11 min 13 sec ago
Arab News Japan
OSAKA: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the UAE Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan on Friday.
The Dubai Ruler said on X, “I was delighted today to visit Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. I was even more delighted to visit the UAE Pavilion at the Expo.”
The Dubai ruler praised the pavilion’s design, which draws inspiration from the traditional ‘Al Areesh’, — the ancient houses built from palm fronds and trunks
“I admired the design of our national pavilion, which is inspired by the palm tree and is based on a new concept of ‘Al Areesh’, the ancient houses built from palm fronds and trunks. The content of Al Areesh, however, speaks about our projects in space, our future initiatives in the health sector and our progress in sustainability projects. Our pavilion represents our commitment to the authenticity of the past and our passion for the future,” he added.
He highlighted that while the structure honors tradition, its content showcases the UAE’s ambitious projects in space, health care innovation, and sustainability initiatives.
He also extended special thanks to Sheikha Mariam bint Mohammed bin Zayed for her supervision of the pavilion’s design and development, noting her excellence in presenting the UAE’s story to the world.
I also met today with our unsung heroes and our delegation at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, who welcome over 15,000 visitors daily, sharing our story with the world and making new friends for our country every day.
“Today I also met with our unsung heroes and our mission at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, who welcome more than 15,000 visitors daily, conveying our story to the world and adding new friends to our country every day,” Sheikh Mohammed noted.
“Our relationship with Japan dates back to 1972. Today, our relations with all countries of the world are strong through our global participation and hosting of international events. We also share our unsung heroes, young men and women, who travel the world to convey our story, our identity, our culture, and our passion for the future,” he added.
NEW DELHI: The first army-to-army talks between the Indian Army and the Royal Saudi Land Forces have resulted in an annual defense cooperation plan that includes joint drills, expert exchanges, and operational logistics, India’s military said on Friday.
The talks took place in New Delhi on April 23-24.
“Discussions focused on the annual defense cooperation plan, covering joint exercise Sada Tanseeq, training, military education, domain expert exchanges and engagements in areas of mutual interest,” the public information arm of the Indian Ministry of Defense said on X.
“Both sides also explored avenues of collaboration in operational logistics, battlefield management systems & niche technologies to enhance interoperability and capability development,” it said.
The Sada Tanseeq exercise, the first edition of which took place in Rajasthan in January and February, aims to enhance interoperability and joint operational capabilities between the two nations’ land forces, particularly in semi-desert terrain.
The exercise involved 90 troops from both sides focusing on training for operations under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which pertains to actions regarding threats to peace, breaches of peace and acts of aggression.
The talks in Delhi followed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia and meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this week.
During the visit the two sides expanded the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council to include a ministerial committee for defense cooperation and agreed to enhance defense industry collaboration.
“It is significant that the first army-to army staff level talks were held immediately after the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the crown prince, who decided to form a ministerial-level defense cooperation committee to give a push to already deepening defense and strategic relations between India and Saudi Arabia,” defense and strategic affairs expert Ranjit Kumar told Arab News.
“The two countries have already conducted joint army exercises in 2021 and 2023. Later, the navies of the two nations have also organized two rounds of joint naval exercises. These are indicative of growing proximity between the Indian and Saudi defense forces, which may lead to new strategic equations in the region.”
Monitors said the epicenter was near the Pacific coast of Esmeraldas
Updated 25 April 2025
AFP
QUITO: A shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Ecuador early Friday, the US Geological Survey reported, and was felt as far away as the Andean capital Quito.
AFP reporters felt the shake before 7:00 am local time (1200 GMT).
Monitors said the epicenter was near the Pacific coast of Esmeraldas, at a depth of about 35 kilometers (22 miles).
There were no immediate reports of victims or severe damage and Ecuadoran authorities said there was no tsunami risk.
Ecuador sits on one of the most geologically active zones on Earth, and the fault between the Nazca and South American plates runs along its coast.
UN food, refugee agencies plan deep cuts as funding slashed, memos show
The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding cuts from major donors, led by the US
WFP director Stephen Omollo said that the cuts were necessary due to the “unprecedented funding environment“
Updated 25 April 2025
Reuters
GENEVA: The UN agencies for food and refugees plan deep cuts due to an unprecedented plunge in funding, including from former top donor the US, internal memos sent to staff show, raising questions about how to maintain hunger relief.
The humanitarian sector has been roiled by funding cuts from major donors, led by the United States under President Donald Trump, and other Western countries as they prioritize defense spending prompted by growing fears of Russia and China.
The World Food Programme, a Rome-based UN agency, warned last month that 58 million people are at risk of extreme hunger or starvation unless urgent funding for food aid arrives. Millions of people facing acute food shortages in Sudan could be affected, the WFP said on Friday.
In an internal memo sent to staff on Thursday and seen by Reuters, WFP director Stephen Omollo said that the cuts were necessary due to the “unprecedented funding environment,” with the 2025 donor outlook at $6.4 billion, or a 40 percent reduction versus last year. He did not name any countries responsible.
“We remain concerned that the situation shows no sign of improving,” he said, adding that the planned cuts might not be sufficient and that further downsizing was being explored.
“In this challenging donor environment, WFP will prioritize its limited resources on vital programs that bring urgently needed food assistance to the 343 million people struggling with hunger, and increasingly facing starvation,” the WFP said in a statement to Reuters.
The United States, Germany, Britain and the European Commission have been among the top donors in recent years, its website showed. WFP, like many United Nations agencies, relies entirely on voluntary donations.
The note to staff from UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) chief Filippo Grandi dated April 23 said that it planned an overall reduction in costs of 30 percent and that the number of senior positions would be cut in half.
“We will have to close some country offices, instead covering these countries through strengthened multi-country office structures,” Grandi said.
UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler told a Geneva press briefing that the agency has been severely affected by funding uncertainty. “We have had to respond to this by stopping a lot of work we have been doing in the field,” he said.
A second spokesperson later added that UNHCR was undertaking a comprehensive review of its operations, staffing and structures, declining to give a timeline since the review is ongoing.
