Japan: Record rains in Chiba kill four people as thousands stranded at Narita Airport

Japan: Record rains in Chiba kill four people as thousands stranded at Narita Airport

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the most recent deluge was brought by warm, humid air flowing into the country’s east that combined with cold air above to make atmospheric conditions extremely unstable. The rains are expected to last through late on Friday. “This case was an extremely unusual situation, even by Japan’s historical weather standards,” Chiba…

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Japan PM Takaichi says Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Japan PM Takaichi says Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has criticised Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril islands on Thursday as “absolutely unacceptable”. Russian state media reported that Putin visited Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, one of four islands in the Kuril chain that are claimed by Russia and Japan. Putin’s trip “has worsened Japanese sentiment…

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Japan earthquake death toll hits 18 as teams race to find people missing in damaged mall and paper factory

Japan earthquake death toll hits 18 as teams race to find people missing in damaged mall and paper factory

Kumamoto, Japan — Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 18 people in southwestern Japan. The powerful earthquake that hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu, also left…

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Strong earthquake with 7.1 magnitude strikes southern Japan; tsunami alert issued

Strong earthquake with 7.1 magnitude strikes southern Japan; tsunami alert issued

A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. A tsunami alert was issued. The alert was for a one-meter-(about one yard) high tsunami, according to the Reuters news service. Reuters said the quake struck Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture. The temblor measured at the highest possible level of seven on Japan’s…

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