All posts tagged: Japan

Philippines earthquake kills 15, prompts tsunami fears: All to know | Earthquakes News

Philippines earthquake kills 15, prompts tsunami fears: All to know | Earthquakes News

Published by Sam Flores

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines off the island of Mindanao, prompting tsunami risks in several countries.  At least 15 people were feared dead as a result of the tremors. Here is all we know about the earthquake and its immediate aftermath: Where in the Philippines did the earthquake hit? The quake hit early in the morning, shortly before 7:40am local time on Monday (23:40 GMT Sunday), according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicentre was offshore, 32km (20 miles) west of Maasim in Sarangani province on the southern tip of the Philippines’ Mindanao island. The earthquake occurred at an estimated depth of 33km (21 miles). Schools were reopening in the Philippines after a long break, and the tremors were felt strongly in a dozen provinces as far from the epicentre as 420km (261 miles) in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. By late morning local time, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had reported 138 aftershocks, the highest at a magnitude 6.7. What do we …

Tsunami alert issued in Japan after huge 8.2-magnitude earthquake | World | News

Tsunami alert issued in Japan after huge 8.2-magnitude earthquake | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A tsunami advisory has been issued across large parts of Japan after a powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Philippines on Monday morning. The quake hit at around 8.37am near the island of Mindanao, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, prompting immediate warnings of potentially dangerous sea level changes across the region. Authorities warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre could reach Japan, with the earliest impacts expected to hit Miyakojima by 11am, followed by other coastal areas further north later in the day. The advisory covers a wide stretch of coastline, including areas in Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie, Wakayama, Kochi, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, reports The Japan Times. The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents and workers in affected coastal areas to move away from shorelines and river mouths immediately, warning that tsunami waves can arrive repeatedly and intensify without warning. Officials also stressed that those working at sea or along the coast should stop operations at once and evacuate to higher ground. Separately, the Pacific …

The Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi Rumor Mill Lands in Tokyo

The Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi Rumor Mill Lands in Tokyo

Published by Sam Flores

Now, a breakthrough. Portraying the couple at their best were not paparazzi, fans, or photographers hired for red carpets and covers, but cooks, waiters, and caterers. The first selfie was shared on the Instagram profile of Udon Shin, a restaurant in Tokyo. Jenner and Elordi sport matching looks, both in casual black t-shirts. The comments filled up with well wishes and surprise: “this is how i found out they’re dating???”; “the restaurant just made it official”; an imagined conversation between the two: “Hey babe do you wanna go to Hawaii for the beach and then get noodles in Japan after?” Then it was time for Seirinkan, another restaurant that shared photos with the two stars. In one they pose together with the owner of the restaurant; in the other they chat amiably with him. Again, the comments section filled up: “this is actually boots on the ground journalism !!” and “they are so aesthetically pleasing together.” There was no shortage of questions as to the authenticity of the images, with onlookers wondering if artificial intelligence …

Another day passes with Auburn student still missing in Japan, parents say

Another day passes with Auburn student still missing in Japan, parents say

Published by Sam Flores

Japanese police trudged through deep mud Thursday in another unsuccessful day searching for a missing Auburn University student, who vanished after an argument over artificial intelligence, his family said. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was last seen Friday at the Kyoto train station, and his disappearance has prompted a massive search by police and local volunteers, the family has said. His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said Friday on Facebook that her son was last known to have entered the mountainous forest area near Yamashina, Kyoto. “It is now Day 7,” she said. “While there are water sources throughout the area, food is limited, making it critical that we continue searching as quickly as possible.” She urged “hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts” to assist in the search. Earlier, she said rescuers searching for her son were “incredibly thorough in the difficult conditions.” “It’s been a long, stressful day,” she said in a post on Thursday. “Today, dozens of Japanese police officers searched …

Japan could force demolition of ‘illegal’ mosque inaugurated by Pakistan’s ambassador

Japan could force demolition of ‘illegal’ mosque inaugurated by Pakistan’s ambassador

Published by Sam Flores

A mosque that officials say was illegally constructed in the northwest of Tokyo and approved for demolition has sparked scrutiny after it became operational following its inauguration by Pakistan’s ambassador to Japan. The “Ramadan Grand Mosque” was built on a 4,500sqm-plot in a rural area of Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture classified as mountain forest in an urbanisation control zone. Pictures of the mosque show a large white dome-shaped structure standing amidst a vast green field in a rural area. Kawagoe mayor Hatsue Morita said this week that the city “cannot tolerate the current situation” and is working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. “It is an illegal building constructed without permission in an urban development control area, and we are working under the policy that we cannot tolerate the current situation,” she said, according to Sankei News. “We want this building to be demolished as soon as possible and we are considering how to guide them,” she said. The case has become one of the most contentious planning disputes involving a mosque in …

Lost WWII submarine discovered off the coast of Japan

Lost WWII submarine discovered off the coast of Japan

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. The wreck of an American submarine from World War II has been found off the coast of Matsua Island, Japan. The USS Herring (SS-233) currently rests over 300 feet down in the Pacific Ocean, where it is sitting upright and “maintains a high degree of integrity,” according to United States Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). The discovery was announced exactly 82 years after the vessel sank, based on evidence collected from an international team of researchers.  Herring’s final mission The Herring was first launched from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine on January 15, 1942, and officially commissioned on May 4, 1942. The vessel completed eight war patrols in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the war. Herring sank seven enemy ships, …

Japan rejects ‘new militarism’, says China is rapidly arming | News

Japan rejects ‘new militarism’, says China is rapidly arming | News

Published by Sam Flores

Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi accuses China of lacking military transparency and stresses the importance of dialogue for regional stability. Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026 Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has dismissed claims that Tokyo is pursuing “new militarism” and accused China of rapidly expanding its military with limited transparency. China continues to increase its defence spending at a high level, Koizumi said on Sunday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “China’s external approach and military activities are matters of serious concern for ⁠Japan and the international community at the same time,” he added. “Think about it. There’s a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers. Japan has neither of such weapons, and yet Japan is labelled ‘new militarism’?” Koizumi said Japan’s record since World War II “speaks for itself”, citing its adherence ‌to international law and commitment to the United Nations Charter alongside efforts to uphold a “free and open international order”. In May, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called …

No Dong Jun, but plenty of China at Shangri-La Dialogue

No Dong Jun, but plenty of China at Shangri-La Dialogue

Published by Sam Flores

Recalling a “frank and fruitful discussion” with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun last year at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus talks in Kuala Lumpur, Koizumi reiterated that Japan believes it is essential to have “persistent, candid dialogue and communication” without turning away from difficult issues. Koizumi added that the Japanese defence ministry would continue to use “every available opportunity to communicate firmly with the Chinese side”. “Please give my best regards to my counterpart Dong Jun,” he said, addressing Chinese delegates in the audience. At the summit a day earlier, Major General Meng criticised Japan’s efforts to revise its “pacifist constitution” and the three non-nuclear principles, as well as its pursuit of the deployment of allied nuclear weapons on Japanese territory. “Today, some forces continue to openly glorify war crimes, promote distorted narratives of WW II history, attempt to challenge the verdicts of the Tokyo Trial, and seek to whitewash the history of aggression,” Meng said. “Some have even taken concrete steps to break through the constraints of the post-war peace framework,” he added. He …

The strait may reopen, but global confidence may not return | Opinions

The strait may reopen, but global confidence may not return | Opinions

Published by Sam Flores

United States President Donald Trump’s claim that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been largely negotiated may calm markets temporarily. But the deeper significance of the current crisis lies elsewhere. The issue is no longer only whether trade routes remain open but who has the power to condition access to them. The specific terms of any agreement may evolve, and any diplomatic arrangement may still be delayed, contested or revised. But the broader pattern is already visible: Strategic trade routes are becoming more politically managed, commercially exposed and geopolitically contested. The danger is not necessarily that diplomacy fails. The more important risk is that it succeeds just enough to disguise a weaker order as stability. Temporary calm is not the same as strategic stability. Calm can be negotiated; stability must be trusted. The most important shift, therefore, is not from war to peace but from disruption to governance. Iranian plans for an authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz and exert greater influence over routing decisions and possible transit tolls show that …

Japan seeks dialog, rejects neo-militarism label: defense minister

Japan seeks dialog, rejects neo-militarism label: defense minister

Published by Sam Flores

Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on May 29, 2026. (Photo by JAM STA ROSA / AFP via Getty Images) Jam Sta Rosa | Afp | Getty Images “Japan’s door to dialog is always open” to the international community even as it increases defense spending and revises its arms exports guidelines, according to defense minister Shinjiro Koizumi. Speaking at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Koizumi said that Tokyo has consistently respected international law, adding that “Japan’s path as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by the international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims because it is a fact.” He also said about accusations Japan is engaging in “neo-militarism” that there’s “nothing further from the truth.” China’s defense ministry on May 28 had called on the international community to jointly contain Japan’s “neo-militarism,” according to state media outlet Xinhua. Japan has recently taken steps to expand its defense posture, including lifting its ban on lethal arms exports and mulling changes to Article 9 of its …