Connect with us
Monday,31-March-2025
Breaking News

International News

Japan’s new ruling party leader unveils executive lineup

Published

on

Fumio Kishida, the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), unveiled a lineup of party executives on Friday.

Kishida was elected LDP President on Wednesday and is guaranteed to be installed as the new Prime Minister when Parliament convenes for an extraordinary session on October 4, with the ruling coalition controlling both chambers, reports Xinhua news agency.

Many key positions were filled with close allies of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, including Secretary-General Akira Amari, 72, and policy chief Sanae Takaichi, 60, local media reported.

Amari, a veteran lawmaker who has held a number of Cabinet positions, resigned from economic and fiscal policy minister in January 2016 because of graft allegations involving over 14 million yen ($126,000), and Opposition parties said on Friday they would launch a team to re-investigate the allegations.

Amari is part of the so-called 3As, a trio of LDP heavyweights also including Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso, who was named the LDP’s vice president.

Takaichi, who aimed to become Japan’s first female prime minister and ended up losing the LDP leadership election, is also close with Abe and holds conservatives views.

She will be responsible for drawing up the party’s campaign pledges for the general election as chairwoman of the Policy Research Council.

Tatsuo Fukuda is set to become chairman of the General Council, the LDP’s decision-making organ.

The 54-year-old man is a relative greenhorn serving only his third term in the House of Representatives. His father, Yasuo Fukuda, and grandfather, the late Takeo Fukuda, both served as Prime Ministers in the past.

Kishida has said he would find a good balance of young and veteran lawmakers in choosing his executive lineup.

Toshiaki Endo, 71, a former minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, was named head of the Election Strategy Committee.

Taro Kono, 58, vaccination minister who went to a runoff against Kishida in the LDP election, was appointed head of the Public Relations Headquarters.

disaster

India stands in solidarity with people of Myanmar: PM Modi

Published

on

New Delhi, March 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over the catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar, which has resulted in the loss of over 1,000 lives.

In a post on X, PM Modi posted, “Spoke with Senior General H.E. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar. Conveyed our deep condolences at the loss of lives in the devastating earthquake.”

Under its Act East policy, India has launched ‘Operation Brahma’ to provide urgent relief to Myanmar. On Saturday, more than 15 tonnes of essential aid were dispatched following a series of powerful tremors that wreaked havoc on Friday.

Highlighting India’s unwavering commitment to assisting its neighbours in times of crisis, PM Modi further added, “As a close friend and neighbour, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour. Disaster relief material, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue teams are being expeditiously dispatched to the affected areas as part of Operation Brahma.”

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the initiation of Operation Brahma, confirming that the first tranche of humanitarian aid had reached Yangon Airport on Saturday morning.

“Operation Brahma gets underway. First tranche of humanitarian aid from India has reached the Yangon Airport in Myanmar,” the EAM posted on X.

The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised India’s role as a first responder, stating that the relief consignment included tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, hygiene kits, generators, and crucial medicines.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) transported the relief material aboard a C-130J aircraft from Air Force Station Hindon. The package comprises ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, solar lamps, generator sets, and vital medical supplies such as paracetamol, antibiotics, syringes, gloves, and bandages.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Bangkok is closely monitoring developments in neighbouring Thailand, where tremors were also recorded. Officials confirmed that there have been no reports of any Indian citizens being affected.

The Embassy advised Indian nationals in Thailand to contact emergency services if needed, assuring that all Embassy staff in Bangkok and the Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe.

Continue Reading

disaster

1,002 killed, 2,376 injured in devastating earthquake in Myanmar (Ld)

Published

on

Mandalay, March 29: At least 1,002 were killed, 2,376 were injured, and 30 remained missing in the earthquake that rattled Myanmar, according to the Information Team of Myanmar’s State Administration Council on Saturday.

Rescue efforts have intensified in Myanmar despite severe disruptions to transportation and communication networks following a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday afternoon.

The quake, which originated near Sagaing, triggered 12 aftershocks ranging from 2.8 to 7.5 in magnitude, further worsening conditions in the affected areas.

The devastation has been widespread, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, northeastern Shan State, Sagaing, and Nay Pyi Taw among the hardest-hit regions, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Myanmar government has declared a national emergency as emergency responders work tirelessly to assist those in need.

A critical transport link, the Yangon-Mandalay highway, suffered severe damage near Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay, making relief operations challenging.

People have resorted to using the older Yangon-Mandalay road to arrive at the quake-hit areas and facilitate rescue efforts. Additionally, the collapse of buildings in Mandalay Airport and sections of the highway has further disrupted travel between Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar’s two largest cities.

Rescue teams, including fire service personnel from lower Myanmar, have arrived at the severely affected areas like Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay. However, damaged infrastructure, power outages, and disruptions to phone and internet services have complicated relief efforts.

International assistance has begun arriving. A Chinese rescue team landed in Yangon on Saturday morning to support Myanmar’s emergency response and provide aid to affected communities.

As authorities and rescue teams work around the clock to assist those impacted by the disaster, Myanmar faces the daunting task of recovering from one of its most powerful earthquakes in recent history.

With critical infrastructure damaged and essential services disrupted, coordinated relief efforts are urgently needed to help survivors rebuild their lives.

Myanmar leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has called for humanitarian assistance from both local and international communities. On Saturday morning, Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Mandalay to facilitate the rescue operations.

Continue Reading

disaster

Earthquake of magnitude 4.2 jolts Myanmar

Published

on

Naypyidaw (Myanmar), March 29: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on the Richter Scale hit Myanmar on Friday at 11:56 pm (local time), according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).

In a post on X, the National Center for Seismology wrote, “Earthquake of magnitude: 4.2, On: March 28, 2025, 23:56:29 IST, Latitude: 22.15 N, Longitude: 95.41 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

As per the NCS, the latest earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km, making it susceptible to aftershocks.

The NCS reported the earthquake was recorded at Latitude 22.15 N and Longitude 95.41 E.

Earlier on Friday, Myanmar was jolted by a series of tremors, including a major earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter Scale that occurred at 11:50 am (local time).

The powerful tremor was felt in Bangkok and several parts of Thailand, with eyewitness reports and local media accounts noting that hundreds of people rushed out of swaying buildings in Bangkok.

Several posts on social media showed water splashing out of swimming pools due to the quake’s intensity.

According to the NCS, the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km and was recorded at Latitude 21.93 N and Longitude 96.07 E.

In a post on X, NCS said, “Earthquake of Magnitude: 7.2, On: March 28, 2025, 11:50:52 IST, Latitude: 21.93 N, Longitude: 96.07 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Myanmar.”

The earthquake at around 11:50 a.m. IST was followed by an aftershock of 6.4-magnitude minutes later.

The NCS said that an earthquake of magnitude 4.9 on the Richter scale hit Myanmar, saying that it was the third aftershock, following the first 7.2 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Video obtained by CNN from Myanmar appeared to show a road bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River, which runs through Mandalay, collapsing into the river in a cloud of dust and water.

Shallow earthquakes like this one are more dangerous than deeper ones due to their greater energy release closer to the Earth’s surface, causing stronger ground shaking and increased damage to structures and casualties, compared to deeper earthquakes which lose energy as they travel to the surface.

Although Myanmar is an earthquake-prone country, there has not been proposed an official national seismic hazard map.

Due to the collision between the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates, Myanmar is an area with a high seismic hazard level.

According to the earthquake parameters summarised by the International Seismological Centre around 140 events with magnitude greater than or equal to 3.0 have taken place in Myanmar and its vicinity every year from 1990 to 2019. Thus, it is evident that Myanmar is vulnerable to hazards from moderate and large magnitude earthquakes, including tsunami hazards along its long coastline.

Continue Reading

Trending