Many feared trapped in quake-hit Japan mall
Emergency responders searched early on July 29 for people feared trapped in a shopping mall in Japan after a major earthquake toppled buildings, sparked fires and reportedly killed one person and injured more than 100.
Private broadcaster TBS reported that a “considerable number” of people were feared dead inside the mall in the town of Kashima after the fire brigade said that the second floor collapsed in the 7.1-magnitude tremor on the afternoon of July 28.
As night fell, regional officials said they believed 10 people were unaccounted for in the mall, public broadcaster NHK reported.
It earlier cited police as saying between 20 and 30 of the mall’s employees could not be contacted.
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Trump’s irritation with Israel’s Netanyahu highlights strains, as leaders meet at White House
PHOTO: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump voiced irritation with Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of their White House meeting on July 28, complaining that details of the Israeli prime minister’s planned talking points on Iran had surfaced publicly, in a fresh sign of strain between the two leaders.
Asked about reports that Netanyahu wanted to talk to him about Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Iran’s main nuclear sites, Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname, “I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.”
“Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?” Trump said, in an interview with Fox & Friends.
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Shanti Pereira misses out on women’s 100m final at Commonwealth Games
PHOTO: COMMONWEALTH GAMES SINGAPORE/LIM WEIXIANG
National sprinter Shanti Pereira missed out on a place in the women’s 100m final at the Commonwealth Games on July 28.
In cold and rainy conditions at the Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, the 29-year-old clocked 11.40 seconds to finish fifth in the third semi-final of the women’s 100m event and 14th overall.
Australia’s Torrie Lewis was quickest in the semi-finals in 11.00sec, just ahead of Audrey Leduc of Canada (11.01). Third best was England’s Amy Hunt, who won the third semi-final with 11.02sec.
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Ukrainian foreign minister says he warned Iranian counterpart against escalation, support for Russia
PHOTO: AFP
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on July 28 he called his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchi, following Iran’s denunciation of a Ukrainian drone attack on one of its ships, warned him against escalation and told him to end all support for Russia.
“I emphasised the necessity to refrain from any escalatory steps, as well as to end any support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. This war is illegal and it must end,” Sybiha wrote on X of his conversation with Araqchi.
Araqchi confirmed on X that he had been assured by Sybiha that the attack on the Iranian ship was unintentional and that Kyiv did not seek escalation.
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Amnesty condemns ‘escalation’ in Iran death sentences
PHOTO: AFP
Amnesty International condemned on July 28 an “escalation” in executions by Iranian authorities, hours after the Islamic republic said two protesters had been hanged.
Iran’s judiciary announced the hanging of the two men on charges relating to anti-government protests that peaked in January, with media reporting they were executed in public. “The death sentences of Abolfazl Sepahi and Amir-Hossein Safari were carried out this morning,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.
Amnesty said in a statement that their execution, “following the arbitrary execution of at least three other protesters last week, marks a further escalation in the authorities’ use of the death penalty to quash dissent”.
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