TOKYO: A powerful earthquake rocked Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides that crushed homes, knocking out power across the island, and forcing a nuclear power plant to switch to a backup generator.
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Hokkaido at 3:08 a.m. at the depth of 40 kilometers (24 miles), Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. The epicenter was east of the city of Tomakomai but the shaking also affected Hokkaido’s prefectural capital of Sapporo, with a population of 1.9 million.
The Japanese national broadcaster NHK, citing its own tally, reported that 125 people were injured and about 20 were feared missing. Hokkaido’s local disaster agency put the number of injured at 48.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said a man was found without vital signs in Tomakomai, but his status was unclear. Several people were reported missing in the nearby town of Atsuma, where a massive landslide engulfed homes.
Reconstruction Minister Jiro Akama told reporters that five people were believed to be buried in the town’s Yoshino district. Some of the 40 people stranded there were airlifted to safer grounds, NHK said.
Aerial views showed dozens of landslides in the surrounding area, with practically every mountainside a raw slash of brown amid deep green forest.
Airports and many roads on the island were closed following the early morning quake.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that 25,000 troops and other personnel were being dispatched to the area to help with rescue operations.
National broadcaster NHK showed the moment the quake struck the city of Muroran, with its camera violently shaking and all city lights going black moment later. In Sapporo, a mudslide on a road left several cars half buried.
Power was knocked out for Hokkaido’s 2.9 million households. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko told reporters that the extensive power outage was caused by an emergency shutdown of the main thermal power plant that supplies half of Hokkaido’s electricity.
Utility officials were starting up hydroelectric plants, Seko said, adding that he hoped to get power back “within a few hours.” In the meantime, authorities sent power-generator vehicles to hospitals so enable them to treat emergency patients, he said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that the authorities were doing their utmost to rescue and assess damage after receiving hundreds of calls about people missing and buildings collapsing.
The central government set up a crisis management taskforce at the prime minister’s office.
Three reactors at the Tomari nuclear plant were offline for routine safety checks, but they are running on backup generators that kicked in after losing external power because of the island-wide blackouts, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said. Spent fuel in storage pools was safely cooled on backup power that can last for a week, the agency said.
The powerful earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 that hit northeast Japan destroyed both external and backup power to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, causing meltdowns.
20 feared missing as earthquake in northern Japan causes landslides
20 feared missing as earthquake in northern Japan causes landslides
- The magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southern Hokkaido at 3:08 a.m.
- 25,000 troops and other personnel were being dispatched to the area to help with rescue operations
Palestine’s Red Crescent chief tells UK’s Prince William of humanitarian crisis in Gaza
- The prince meets representatives of the organization and the British Red Cross to discuss the challenges aid workers face in the territory
- They tell of the worsening conditions in Gaza, increasingly urgent humanitarian requirements, and the need to protect medical teams
LONDON: Younis Al-Khatib, the president of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, held talks with the UK’s Prince William during an official visit to Kensington Palace in London on Monday.
William, the Prince of Wales, met Al-Khatib and other representatives of his organization, along with members of the British Red Cross, to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and explore ways in which international humanitarian efforts might be enhanced.
The prince’s guests described the worsening conditions in Gaza, the increasingly urgent humanitarian needs in the territory, the challenges faced by aid workers and the need to protect medical teams, the Palestine News Agency reported. They also reviewed the efforts being made to help those affected by ongoing Israeli attacks.
Al-Khatib said that more than 1,600 Palestine Red Crescent Society employees and volunteers continue to work under extremely hazardous conditions in Gaza to provide emergency medical services and distribute relief supplies. Since the war in Gaza began in late 2023, he added, 28 Red Crescent personnel have been killed amid the Israeli attacks or while performing their duties.
The meeting was part of ongoing coordinated efforts by the Red Crescent to highlight the escalating crisis in Gaza, where more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed during the ongoing conflict, most of them women and children.
‘This is My City’: Fighter Abdulaziz bin Moammar eyes success in front of hometown fans in Riyadh
- The rising amateur star will face Hassan Ahmed of Egypt at PFL MENA 2 on July 4 at the Green Halls
- The Saudi’s latest challenge follows a debut victory against Algerian Fares Hamdani at PFL MENA 1 in Jeddah in May
RIYADH: When Abdulaziz bin Moammar steps inside the world-famous Professional Fighters League SmartCage at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh on July 4, it will not be just another fight for him.
The amateur standout will be competing in front of a hometown crowd for the first time and he is looking forward to the landmark experience.
“Fighting in Riyadh isn’t just another bout, it’s a responsibility,” he said of his clash with Hassan Ahmed of Egypt at the Green Halls. “This is my city, this is where I grew up, and my real fans are here.”
Bin Moammar expects to feed off the unique energy that will be generated by that hometown crowd on fight night.
“Competing in front of (local fans) gives me a different kind of energy, so there’s no room for hesitation or retreat,” he added.
A dangerous grappler with a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and combat sambo, the fighter used his elite ground game to emerge victorious against Fares Hamdani from Algeria at PFL MENA 1 in Jeddah in May. It marked a successful start to his amateur MMA career, and he said the debut win helped boost his confidence and determination.
“That fight in Jeddah was an important first step,” bin Moammar said. “It gave me confidence. The win sparked a deep drive in me to continue.”
With his maiden PFL win in the books he is now looking ahead to another tough test, his showdown on Friday with the dangerous Ahmed, who has a 3-1 amateur record.
“Now, in Riyadh, the challenge is bigger and the expectations are higher,” bin Moammar said.
He revealed that to ensure he is at his fighting peak, he has had to make some difficult sacrifices for his training regimen.
“I’m in an intense local training camp in Riyadh, fully dedicating my time to preparation,” he said.
“It’s kept me away from my family and it hasn’t been easy, but I believe that every sacrifice I make today will pay off tomorrow. The camp is physically and mentally exhausting but I’m determined to show the best version of myself in the SmartCage.”
When the bout begins on fight night, bin Moammar guaranteed that he will be fighting backed by the strength of all the young fighters in the Kingdom with dreams of making it big one day on the global stage.
“I promise to fight with the spirit of every young Saudi who dreams of excelling in this sport,” he said. “The journey is long and going professional is no easy task but I’m ready to go all the way. Your support is my greatest weapon.”
Tickets for PFL MENA 2 are available now at webook.com.
Pakistan abolishes electricity duty in bills to ensure tariff transparency
- The move aims to simplify the billing structure, make it easier for consumers to manage power costs
- It follows launch of a mobile app that allows power consumers to record, submit their meter readings
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has abolished electricity duty in power bills from the month of July, the country’s energy ministry said on Monday, in a bid to ensure transparency in tariff.
Power Minister Awais Leghari had written letters to chief executives of all provinces and informed them about the decision to discontinue the collection of electricity duty, according to the ministry.
He said high electricity tariffs were already a challenge and the additional burden of various levies further complicated the billing structure, making it difficult for consumers to manage their power costs.
“As part of this initiative, the Power Division has decided to discontinue the collection of electricity duty through electricity bills starting from July 2025,” Leghari was quoted as saying.
“We request provincial governments to explore alternative mechanisms for collecting provincial levies and duties, rather than relying on electricity bills as a collection channel.”
He said the federal government was making structural reforms to reduce tariffs such as renegotiating contracts with Independent Power Producer (IPP) and lowering the Return on Equity (ROE) for government-owned power plants, according to the energy ministry statement.
Leghari sought support from the provincial chief ministers in removing the complexity arising from multiple charges, taxes and duties being collected through consumer bills.
“He expressed the confidence that this will not only make electricity bills more transparent and easier to comprehend but also ensure that consumers are paying only for the cost of electricity, rather than a mix of other charges,” the statement read.
Pakistan has aggressively pursued reforms in its energy sector recently, which has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses. These problems have led to blackouts and high electricity costs throughout the country, especially during the summers when demand peaks.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a mobile application that allows power consumers to record and submit their meter readings themselves, with the government saying the initiative will lead to more transparency in the system and reduce overbilling.
Electricity bills are generated in Pakistan every month by readings obtained from power meters installed at homes and businesses. These readings show the number of electricity units consumed during a monthly cycle and are taken by meter readers employed by power companies.
Pakistani power consumers have frequently complained of overbilling and incorrect readings taken by meter readers.
“This app... is a revolutionary technological reform whose benefit will reach every consumer in every home,” Sharif said at the app’s launch.
More than 15,000 Syrian refugees return home from Jordan in May
- UNHCR reported that the figure represents a 45 percent increase compared to April
- Jordan has received about 628,000 Syrian refugees, according to UNHCR figures as of December 2024
LONDON: More than 15,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have returned to their home country from Jordan since May.
The UNHCR reported that the figure represents a 45 percent increase compared to April, when nearly 10,500 Syrian refugees entered the country through Jordan’s Jaber border crossing.
Since the collapse of the Assad regime in December, 75,000 Syrian refugees have returned home from Jordan alone, which is more than one percent of the estimated six million Syrians who fled the country during the civil war that began in 2011.
As of March, the UN estimated that nearly 1.2 million Syrian refugees and internally displaced people have returned home following the change in power in Damascus.
The UNHCR announced the transfer of thousands of refugees from Jordanian communities and refugee camps to Syria in May, marking a significant increase from April, according to the SANA news agency.
Jordan has received about 628,000 Syrian refugees, according to UNHCR figures as of December 2024.
Week of heavy rains and floods across Pakistan kills 46 people
- The deaths from the past week include 13 tourists from a family of 17 who were swept away Friday
- Other four family members were rescued from the flooded Swat River in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
PESHAWAR: Nearly a week of heavy monsoon rains and flash floods across Pakistan has killed at least 46 people and injured dozens, officials said Monday.
The fatalities caused by abnormally strong downpours since Tuesday include 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13 in eastern Punjab province, seven in southern Sindh, and four in southwestern Balochistan, the National Disaster Management Authority and provincial emergency officials said.
“We are expecting above-normal rains during the monsoon season and alerts have been issued to the concerned authorities to take precautionary measures,” said Irfan Virk, a Pakistan Meteorological Department deputy director.
Virk said that forecasters cannot rule out a repeat of extreme weather like the devastating floods in 2022. Rains inundated a third of the country, killing 1,737 people and causing widespread destruction.
The deaths from the past week include 13 tourists from a family of 17 who were swept away Friday. The other four family members were rescued from the flooded Swat River in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Rescuers found 12 bodies from the group and divers continued searching Monday for the remaining victim, said Bilal Faizi, a provincial emergency service spokesman.
The incident drew widespread condemnation online over what many called a slow response by emergency services.
On Sunday, the National Disaster Management Authority had warned of potential hazards and advised people against crossing rivers and streams.
