Tokyo, Aug 1: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 struck off Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Saturday, the country’s weather agency said.

The temblor occurred at 11:48 a.m. local time off Aomori’s Pacific coast at a depth of 80 km, measuring 4 on Japan’s seismic scale of 7, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The quake’s epicentre was located at a latitude of 41.3 degrees north and a longitude of 142.0 degrees east, reports Xinhua news agency.

No tsunami advisory was issued.

This comes close on the heels of another powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture at around 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday, registering an intensity of 7, the highest on the Japanese seismic scale, in the hardest-hit areas, causing widespread damage across the prefecture.

Earlier on Friday, the prefectural government announced that the death toll from a powerful earthquake has risen to 35.

At a disaster response headquarters meeting held Friday morning, Kumamoto Prefecture Government officials announced that 35 people had died, including those whose deaths are still being investigated to determine whether they were caused by the strong tremor.

Meanwhile, travelling from Yatsushiro to Uki, another city severely affected by the disaster, Xinhua reporters observed buckled and cracked roads, malfunctioning traffic signals and long queues at gas stations. Many people waiting for fuel said they intended to spend the night in their vehicles.

In the Ogawa district in Uki City, a civic activity centre had been converted into an evacuation shelter after the earthquake, where nearly 500 evacuees, many of them elderly people and children, were staying.

Families sat on the floor surrounded by backpacks, clothing and bottled water. Some leaned against walls to rest, while others laid out sleeping mats in preparation for the night. More than a dozen portable toilets had been installed outside.

Tehran, July 31: The Iranian army said it launched drone strikes against US facilities and assets at Sheikh Isa Air Base in southern Bahrain.

In a statement published on its website, the army said the strikes targeted the US military’s power generators, navigation systems, and office and backup buildings at the base on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported..

Earlier in the day, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said it had launched attacks against US assets at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, in response to fresh US strikes against Iran on Wednesday night.

The latest clashes came after days of pause in hostilities between the United States and Iran.

Before the pause, the United States had launched multiple waves of strikes against Iranian targets, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and aimed at “degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.” Iran had responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities across the region.

Earlier Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday urged Bulgaria and Cyprus not to allow the United States to use military bases on their territories for attacks against Iran, according to ministry statements.

In a phone call with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, Araghchi said Bulgaria’s parliamentary approval of US tanker aircraft deployment at Bezmer Air Base to support “aggressive operations against Iran” violates international law and friendly bilateral ties.

He cited UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, which considers making territory available for aggression against a third state as an act of aggression.

Petrova said Bulgaria has no intention of participating in war against Iran, and supports diplomacy to reduce regional tensions.

In a separate call with Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, Araghchi stressed the need to prevent “abuse” of foreign bases in Cyprus for “aggression” against Iran.

Kombos said Cyprus has contacted Britain to ensure that British bases on Cypriot territory would not be used against any country.

Islamabad, July 30: The international community must take note of the continued suffering of the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) who have been living under Islamabad’s unauthorised and illegal occupation for decades with their suffering concealed by the occupying authorities through censorship, intimidation, and political repression, a report has detailed.

Pakistan’s ongoing crackdown on people of the occupied region in which dozens of civilians have been killed, injured and arrested has once again showcased the difficult conditions faced by the locals who have repeatedly held protests demanding basic rights, economic justice, transparent governance and accountability, an opinion piece in ‘Rising Kashmir’ mentioned.

Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of people of PoK, the Pakistani authorities have Instead placed restrictions on the assembly of people, imposed a communication blackout and arrested people. Thousands in PoK have called for freedom from Pakistan and also expressed their desire to become part of India considering the huge development that has been taking place in Jammu and Kashmir under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The report said that the international community must not remain silent at a time when the fundamental rights of the people of PoK are being eroded. An impartial investigation should be conducted into the allegations of killing, arbitrary detention of people, suppression of protests and violence against people and those responsible for violations of human rights must be held accountable.

According to the report, the demands of the people of PoK should not be ignored or suppressed and sustainable peace can only be achieved through respect for democratic values, human dignity, the rule of law and not force or intimidation.

“It is imperative that international human rights institutions, including the UN, not only condemn the illegalities happening in PoJK but also ensure that Pakistan stops all types of brutalities. Action must be taken against all those involved in the killing of civilians,” Parimoksh Seth wrote in the ‘Rising Kashmir’.

“The people of PoJK deserve justice, dignity, the opportunity to live in peace and freedom to decide which country they want to be part of. UN has to ensure that people in PoJK are at liberty to decide their future. However, the UN has failed to act and has just become a puppet organisation,” he added.

Over 40 people have been killed and dozens injured in PoK during the ongoing brutal crackdown by Pakistani forces amid escalating unrest in the region.

Citing reports, the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) on Wednesday said that around 40 civilians were killed, while several others were injured and arbitrarily arrested between July 27 and 28 in Rawalakot, Mirpur, and other areas of the occupied territory.

Expressing grave concern, the group alleged that more than 100 people have been killed since June 5, several hundred have been critically injured, and hundreds have reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance by the Pakistani security forces.

Condemning the atrocities by Pakistani forces, the UKPNP said that the “use of excessive or unlawful force against peaceful civilians would constitute serious violations of international human rights law and may amount to crimes under international law.”

The group called on the UN, the European Union and the wider international community to take immediate steps to “help protect civilians, support impartial and independent investigations into the reported incidents, and encourage respect for international human rights obligations.”