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Several dead in Japan after magnitude 7.1 earthquake causes blast at mall
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, knocking out power to thousands of homes, rupturing roads and causing a blast at a shopping mall where police say several people are presumed to have been killed and others remain trapped, as authorities warned of a risk of strong aftershocks.
One hospital reported more than 50 injuries after the earthquake on Tuesday afternoon, public broadcaster NHK said, and several more people were hurt when the tremors derailed a high-speed train.
A tsunami warning was initially issued but later lifted, and Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants.
“We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
“I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.”
Around 300,000 people have been instructed to go to evacuation centres, the disaster management agency said, while Takaichi said 3,600 soldiers would be deployed to help with the disaster recovery as aftershocks continued to rumble.
Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu have been suspended for safety checks, while the runway at the Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with “no prospect of resuming operations” according to a notice on the airport’s website.
The worst incident appeared to be the explosion at an Aeon Mall in Kumamoto.
Kazuya Tsurunaga told broadcaster TBS he heard the explosion while cleaning up dishes broken by the earthquake inside a pub about 300 metres (980 feet) from the mall.
“It was a huge impact,” he said. “A large cloud of smoke billowed up, and because the wind happened to be blowing and the wind direction was towards the shop, the area around us was in a state like volcanic ash was falling.”
An Aeon spokesperson said customers and employees were evacuated right after the initial quake and the cause of the ensuing explosion was unclear.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged those in the quake-hit areas “to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude”, adding that the government was working to assess the extent of damage “as quickly as possible”.
The Japan Times reported that cities in Kumamoto, as well as the neighbouring prefectures of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki, all felt strong shaking.
The earthquake’s epicentre was located in the city of Uki, just south of the city of Kumamoto, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles).
Companies, including Sony and TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, have plants in the quake’s path. There was no immediate clarity on whether any infrastructure was damaged. Sony and Fujifilm also evacuated staff from their plants in the area, the Nikkei newspaper reported.
Leading energy supplier Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 homes had lost electricity as a result of the earthquake, while railway company JR Kyushu said it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.
Two large earthquakes in Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured 2,739, according to an official count. Some portions of the stone walls at the already-under-repair Kumamoto Castle also collapsed as a result of Tuesday’s quake, an official at the castle’s office said.
(Aljazeera)
Muhammad Shazad has broken the record for the fastest first-class century by a Pakistani batter, reaching the mark in just 49 balls.
The right-hander smashed eight sixes and 12 fours in his innings of 114 off 62 balls for Pakistan Television against Kingsmen Academy at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on the opening day of the third round of the President’s Trophy.
This is Shahzad’s sixth first-class century in 21 matches. Batting at No. 5, he walked out when PTV were struggling at 34 for 3 and struck a 143-run stand with Mohammad Taha, who made 43. Shahzad has also played 22 List A matches and 26 T20s. He made his PSL debut for Islamabad United in the 2025 season, playing six matches.
Misbah-ul-Haq previously held the record for the fastest first-class century by a Pakistan batter for his 56 ball effort against Australia in the second Test at Abu Dhabi in 2014. Misbah, at the time, levelled Viv Richards’ record for the fastest Test century. But that record was broken two years later by Brendon McCullum, when he made a 54-ball century against Australia in Christchurch in the second Test of the series.
Shahzad has come through the PCB’s age-group programme, playing for Pakistan’s Under-16 and Under-19 sides. He played in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa.
(Cricinfo)
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Showerss above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 SEPTEMBER 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 September 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The Deep Depression over the West-central and adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal is moving west-northwestwards and is currently crossing the North Andhra Pradesh and adjoining South Odisha coasts of India.
Although this system will not have a direct impact on Sri Lanka, the prevailing rainy conditions in the southwestern part of the island are expected to continue due to the wind flow towards the system.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts. Heavy showerss above 100 mm are likely at some places in the above areas.
A few showers will occur in North-central province and in Mannar district.
Strong winds of about (40-50) kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the Central hills, the North-central and North-western provinces and in Trincomalee, Hambantota and Matale Districts.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum has broken three world records en route to winning gold in the women’s 49kg (108lbs) competition, which saw India’s Mirabai Chanu win an elusive Asian Games medal by finishing second.
Ri gave North Korea its first gold of the games in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday, joining an elite club of four weightlifters who have won three Asian Games gold medals.
The 28-year-old hauled 94kg above her head in the opening snatch discipline – the first official segment of the competition where athletes lift a barbell from the floor to an overhead position in a single motion. The lift was 1kg heavier than the previous world record of 93kg.
Ri followed it up by breaking the world record twice in the 115kg clean and jerk – a two-part movement where a barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders and then pushed overhead. The 4ft-7in (139.7cm) weightlifter hoisted 116kg and 121kg above her head.
Ri’s total lift of 215kg obliterated the old world record total by 7kg.
She is the fourth lifter, and first woman, to win three Asian Games weightlifting golds and joined Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri (1966-74), South Korea’s Kim Tae-hyun (1990-98) and Iran’s Behdad Salimi (2010-18), who all won three gold medals. No athlete has won four weightlifting gold medals.
In the same category, India’s Chanu finally won an Asian Games medal at the third time of asking. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The 32-year-old is India’s most decorated weightlifter, with three Commonwealth gold medals and a silver to her name, along with multiple global titles.
She lifted a total of 198kg after a snatch of 87kg and a clean and jerk of 111kg, while Indonesia’s Diana Tri Wijayana took bronze with a total of 191kg, comprising 88kg and 103kg.
Chanu’s silver also ended India’s 28-year wait for a weightlifting medal at the games since Karnam Malleswari won silver in 1998.
(Aljazeera)
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Showerss above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts
Mirabai Chanu wins Asian Games silver as Ri breaks weightlifting record
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