Japan was assessing damage Tuesday and cautioning people of potential aftershocks after a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused injuries, light damage and a tsunami in Pacific coastal communities. At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Most of them were hit by falling objects, public broadcaster NHK reported. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters an emergency task force was formed to urgently assess damage. "We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can", she said. At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Takaichi pledged the government would continue its utmost effort and reminded people they have to protect their own lives. The 7.5 magnitude quake struck around 11:15 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan's main Honshu island. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.6 magnitude and said it occurred 44 kilometers (27 miles) below the surface. A tsunami of up to 70 centimeters (2 feet, 4 inches) was measured in Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, just south of Aomori, and waves up to 50 centimeters struck other communities in the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. NHK reported the waves damaged some oyster rafts. The agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said about 800 homes were without electricity and Shinkansen bullet trains and some local lines were suspended in parts of the region in the early hours of Tuesday. East Japan Railway said it is aiming to resume bullet trains in the region later Tuesday. Power was mostly restored by Tuesday morning, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co. About 480 residents sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base and 18 defense helicopters were mobilized for a damage assessment, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said. About 200 passengers were stranded for the night at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, NHK reported. Part of a domestic terminal building was unusable Tuesday after parts of its ceiling cracked and fell to the floor, according to the airport operator. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said about 450 liters (118 gallons) of water spilled from a spent fuel cooling area at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant in Aomori, but that its water level remained within the normal range and there was no safety concern. No abnormalities were found at other nuclear power plants and spent fuel storage facilities, the NRA said. JMA cautioned about possible aftershocks in the coming days. It said there is a slight increase in risk of a magnitude 8-level quake and possible tsunami occurring along Japan's northeastern coast from Chiba, just east of Tokyo, to Hokkaido. The agency urged residents in 182 municipalities in the area to monitor their emergency preparedness in the coming week, reminding them that the caution is not a prediction of a big one. Monday's quake occurred just north of the coastal region where the magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in 2011 killed nearly 20,000 people and destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. "You need to prepare, assuming that a disaster like that could happen again," JMA official Satoshi Harada said. Smaller aftershocks were continuing Tuesday. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.6 and later a 5.1 quake in the hours after the initial temblor. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
09 December,2025 12:49 PM IST | Tokyo [Japan] | APUS President Donald Trump on Monday warned that Europe was moving in "very bad directions", building on concerns highlighted in his administration's new national security strategy, which criticised the continent for over-regulation and mass migration. Trump took aim at what he described as a "nasty" 140 million dollar EU penalty against Elon Musk's X platform, admitting he did not have full details but using the issue to underscore broader worries. "Look, Europe has to be very careful. (They're) doing a lot of things. We want to keep Europe Europe," Trump told reporters at the White House. He repeated that "Europe is going in some bad directions. It's very bad, very bad for the people. We don't want Europe to change so much. They're going in some very bad directions." Those remarks come after the latest national security strategy warned of "civilisational erasure" caused by migration and stated the administration would be "cultivating resistance to Europe's current trajectory within European nations." The document signalled a harder stance toward traditional partners in Europe. The strategy has fuelled growing differences between Washington and European capitals over how to end the conflict in Ukraine. European officials fear the United States could pressure Kyiv to give up territory to Russia. Moscow welcomed the shift, calling the updated document "largely consistent" with its own view. Trump's position reflects views repeatedly expressed by Musk, a former ally, who has issued controversial comments about migration in the European Union. After X received the fine for violating EU digital rules, Musk said the bloc should be "abolished", prompting Brussels to call his comments "completely crazy". Responding once more to questions about the penalty, Trump said, "I don't think it's right," while adding, "Elon has not called me to ask for help on that one," and indicating he would seek further information. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 09:00 AM IST | Washington | ANIUS President Donald Trump has said that India should not be "dumping" rice into the United States market and he will "take care" of it, while stressing that tariffs will solve the "problem" easily. Trump held a roundtable in the White House on Monday with representatives of the farming and agriculture sector as well as key members of his cabinet, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. He announced USD 12 billion in federal aid for farmers. Meryl Kennedy, who runs her family's agribusiness Kennedy Rice Mill in Louisiana, told Trump that rice producers in the southern part of the country are "really struggling' and that other nations are "dumping" rice into the US. When asked by Trump which countries are dumping rice into America, Kennedy, sitting next to the President, replied, "India, and Thailand; even China into Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico used to be one of the largest markets for US rice. We haven't shipped rice into Puerto Rico in years." Kennedy said that this has been happening for years and did not start during the Trump administration. "But unfortunately, we're seeing it in a much bigger way now," she said. She said that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are working, 'but we need to double down', to which Trump said, "You want more, I understand". Trump then turned to Bessent and said, 'India, tell me about India. Why is India allowed to do that? They have to pay tariffs. Do they have an exemption on rice?' "No sir, we're still working on their trade deal," Bessent replied. Trump then said, "But they shouldn't be dumping. I mean, I heard that. I heard that from others. They can't do that." Kennedy then told Trump there's a World Trade Organisation case against India. Trump asked Kennedy to give him the names of the countries dumping rice into the US and instructed Bessent to note down the names. "India. Who else?" Trump said. "India, Thailand, China into Puerto Rico, not into the continental US, but into Puerto Rico. Those are the main culprits," Kennedy said, adding that American farmers can feed the US as well as nations around the world, but "we need fair trade, not free trade". Trump said this will be 'so easy to settle'. "It's solved so quickly with tariffs to these countries that are illegally shipping. It's solved. Your problem is solved in one day. That's why we have to win the Supreme Court case," he said, adding that this problem will be solved in 'one day'. Lower courts in the US have ruled that Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs on nations around the world is illegal, and the case will now be decided by the Supreme Court. "It's so unfair. They go out of business. They put everyone out of business," Trump said. Trump said that America lost half of its car industry and chip industry because these products were being manufactured in other countries, and previous administrations did not impose tariffs on these imports into the US. "It's the same thing with rice. It'll be good, will get it solved very quickly. We just need the countries. Just give us the names of the countries. Tariffs, again. It solves the problem in two minutes," the president said. Kennedy then said that they have "bought" the largest brands at retail, too, so they have an incentive to subsidise their products. When Trump asked, "Who did that?" she said, "Indians". "We'll take care of it. It's so easy," Trump said. India is the largest producer of rice -- 150 million tonnes -- and has a 28 per cent share of the global market. It is also the top exporter, with a 30.3 per cent share of global exports in 2024'2025, Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) data shows. According to information on the website of the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India exported about 2.34 lakh tonnes of rice to the US in the 2024 fiscal, less than 5 per cent of its total global basmati rice exports of 52.4 lakh tonnes. West Asia remains the dominant destination for Indian rice, it said. Among the rice varieties that India exports globally, 'Sona Masoori' is preferred in markets such as the US and Australia. Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India, the highest in the world, including 25 per cent for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. Indian Rice Exporters Federation National President Prem Garg had termed the 25 per cent reciprocal tariff as a temporary "hurdle" for rice shipments and had stated that India still retains a pricing advantage over competitors like Vietnam and Pakistan. "This tariff is a temporary hurdle, not a long-term roadblock. With strategic planning, diversification, and flexibility, Indian rice exporters can protect and even expand their presence in the US market," Garg had said earlier this year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
09 December,2025 08:55 AM IST | New York | PTIA recent deep-sea mining test unexpectedly led to the discovery of large numbers of previously unknown species living 4000 metres (13,123-feet) below the surface. The findings indicate that the overall ecological impact of the mining activity was milder than feared, but there was still a decline in biodiversity along the tracks left by the mining vehicle. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:51 AM IST | Stockholm | AgenciesUnitree Robotics, the Chinese firm that first captured global attention with its agile robot dogs and viral videos, has now unveiled a humanoid with new boxing skills. In a recent demonstration, the company’s 6-foot ‘H2’ humanoid demonstrated its high-power actuation by executing aggressive moves such as punches, kicks, and knee strikes. Interestingly, the robot was powerful enough to break parts of the opponent, a smaller G1 model humanoid developed by Unitree itself. Earlier, on October 13, the Unitree G1 humanoid demonstrated its balance and control, executing complex actions like backflips and somersaults — often using its hands for support. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:48 AM IST | Beijing | AgenciesThailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. US President Donald Trump pushed the Southeast Asian neighbours to sign a truce agreement in October, but tensions have continued to simmer. Thailand said that more than 50,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters, while Cambodia said that residents of several villages near the border have been evacuated. The latest round of clashes that took place along the border on Sunday. On Monday, Thai army spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said the Cambodian troops fired first into Thai territory in multiple areas. He said at least one Thai soldier was killed and about eight other soldiers were wounded, and civilians were being evacuated from the affected areas. “Thailand used aircraft to strike military targets in several areas to suppress Cambodian supporting fire attacks,” he said. The Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata said the Thai military attacked the Cambodian troops first, and that Cambodia did not retaliate during the initial attacks. Neth Pheaktra, the Cambodian Minister of Information, said fire from Thai forces killed four Cambodian civilians and injured about nine others. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:46 AM IST | Bangkok | AgenciesThe first giant panda cub born in Indonesia is nursing well and showing signs of good health. Taman Safari Indonesia released videos and photos showing the newborn being cuddled by his mother. The mother, 15-year-old Hu Chun, gave birth to Satrio Wiratama — nicknamed Rio — on November 27 at the park in Cisarua, West Java province. The adult pandas, Cai Tao and Hu Chun, arrived in Indonesia in 2017 on a 10-year conservation partnership with China. There are less than 1900 giant pandas globally. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:38 AM IST | Jakarta | AgenciesA woman who blackmailed South Korean football superstar Son Heung-min by claiming she was the mother of his child was jailed for four years on Monday. The woman, surnamed Yang, extorted 300 million won ($200,000) from Son last year by threatening to go public. She splurged the cash on luxury goods, before she and an accomplice surnamed Yong tried to extort a further 70 million from the Los Angeles FC star. Son contacted the police, leading to their arrest. On Monday the Seoul Central District Court Sentenced Yang, who is in her 20s, for blackmail. Co-conspirator Yong — with whom she was reportedly in a romantic relationship — was given a two-year term for attempted blackmail. The two have been in custody since May. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:35 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy was set to meet the French, German and British leaders in London on Monday as Kyiv’s European allies try to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in thorny talks on a US-backed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was due to gather with Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the British leader’s 10 Downing St residence. Zelenskyy said late Sunday that his talks with European leaders this week in London and Brussels will focus on security, air defence and long-term funding for Ukraine’s war effort. The leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the US to deter Russia from attacking again. US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Zelenskyy “hasn’t read” a US-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump was critical of Zelenskyy after US and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks on Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the US administration’s proposal. Trump suggested that the Ukrainian leader was holding up the talks from moving forward. As diplomatic efforts continued, Russian forces continued to assault Ukraine over the weekend. At least four people were killed in drone and missile strikes on Sunday. Meanwhile, Russian air defences destroyed 67 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday. The drones were shot down over 11 Russian regions, it said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 December,2025 08:31 AM IST | London | AgenciesA powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan on Monday, triggering a tsunami of up to 40 centimetres in coastal communities in the region, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. The agency said the magnitude quake struck just east of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan's main Honshu island, and just south of Hokkaido island. It said a tsunami of 40 centimetres struck the Hokkaido prefecture town of Urakawa and the Aomori prefecture port of Mutsu Ogawara. Several people were injured at a hotel in the Aomori town of Hachinohe, public broadcaster NHK reported. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a brief comment to reporters, said the government set up an emergency task force to urgently assess the extent of damage. ¿We are putting people's lives first and doing everything we can," she said. Nuclear power plants in the region were conducting safety checks, NHK reported. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 December,2025 09:58 PM IST | Tokyo | APMore than 30 people were killed and at least 20 others injured in a bomb explosion in eastern Congo after a confrontation between the Congolese army and a pro-government militia, despite a recently signed peace deal being hailed as a significant step towards stability, news agency AP reported. Residents and civil society representatives told AP that soldiers of the FARDC (the Congolese army) and members of Wazalendo, a militia group that has been supporting the army against insurgents, exchanged fire before an explosion rocked Sange town in South Kivu on Sunday evening. Eastern Congo, particularly the region bordering Rwanda, remains one of the world’s most volatile conflict zones, with more than 100 armed groups battling for control of mineral-rich territories. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is among the most prominent. More than 7 million people have been displaced, according to officials. The deadly blast occurred less than a week after a US-brokered peace agreement was finalised in Washington to end the fighting between the Congolese armed forces and the M23 rebels. However, residents, civil society groups and analysts say hostilities have continued on the ground. “FARDC soldiers were coming from the front lines and wanted to reach the city of Uvira,” said Faraja Mahano Robert, a civil society leader in Sange, adding, “Once in Sange, they were ordered not to proceed, but some disagreed. That’s when they started shooting at each other, and then a bomb exploded, killing many people.” Many residents have since fled towards Burundi for safety, eyewitnesses said on Monday. “This morning we woke up a little better, but people are still leaving the Sange area,” said Amani Safari, a local resident, adding, “To the east of the town, there were clashes between the Wazalendo and the FARDC; two FARDC soldiers were killed around 7:30 AM.” Another resident, David Kaserore, said: “It’s difficult to distinguish between the enemy and the FARDC, as they are killing all the civilians. We demand that the government end this war. We are tired.” The Congolese army has not yet responded to AP’s requests for comment. Meanwhile, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda in a speech before parliament on Monday of violating the peace agreement and “organising the plundering of our natural resources and destabilising our institutions”. Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met US President Donald Trump in Washington last week to endorse the peace accord, described by the White House as a “historic” step. The pact builds upon an initial agreement signed in June. “The very next day after the signing, units of the Rwandan Defence Forces conducted and supported heavy weapons attacks launched from the Rwandan town of Bugarama, causing significant human and material damage,” Tshisekedi alleged, terming the incident an “aggression by proxy” and rejecting claims that the conflict is an internal rebellion. Despite the agreement, residents say fighting in South Kivu has intensified over the past week. Both the M23 rebels and Congolese forces have repeatedly accused one another of violating the ceasefire drawn up earlier this year. Earlier in 2025, M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, two strategically significant cities in eastern Congo, in one of the biggest escalations of the conflict. According to UN experts, the rebel group is backed by nearly 4,000 Rwandan troops and has, at times, threatened to advance as far as the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, nearly 1,600 km away. (With AP inputs)
08 December,2025 09:11 PM IST | Congo | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
