Photo: The wall of a building is seen partly damaged following an earthquake in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture northern Japan, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s northern coast on Thursday, the meteorological agency said.

The quake — off the eastern coast of the Iwate prefecture — had a magnitude of 7.2, upgraded from an initial reading of 6.9, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The quake had a depth of about 50 kilometers (30 miles), it said.

The U.S. Geological Survey also reported the quake, giving its magnitude as 6.9.

The temblor occurred in an area where strong earthquakes have repeatedly been reported in recent months, including one that triggered a weeklong mega-quake caution advisory in December.

Eight people were injured in northern prefectures of Aomori and Iwate, mainly from falling or being hit by falling objects, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

The quake also mildly shook Tokyo, where Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters that her government’s emergency team is “putting people’s lives first,” while assessing information and preparing for relief operations, if needed

Image credit : Associated Press (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — At least 164 people have died and 971 were injured after a pair of powerful quakes rocked Venezuela, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Thursday.

Wednesday evening’s 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.

Buildings were evacuated in places as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.

Footage on state TV showed three children, covered in dust but alive, pulled from the rubble in La Guaira state, which Rodríguez described as a “disaster zone” and one of the areas hardest hit by the quakes because of the large number of collapsed buildings.

Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which sits north of Caracas on the coast.

She said officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

Kenya has signed a $1.2 billion deal with China Road and Bridge Corporation to expand Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

The country’s transport minister, Davis Chirchir said that Nairobi had appointed Africa’s Trade and Development Bank and the Africa Finance Corporation to arrange financing for the project that will nearly triple the airport’s capacity to 22 million passengers a year.

The plan includes a new passenger terminal and the rehabilitation of existing runways and aprons.

In 2024, Kenya was forced to put the project on hold when it cancelled a deal with India’s Adani group after US bribery and fraud indictments against its founder, Gautam Adani.

The resumption of the project comes as Nairobi’s position as East Africa’s leading aviation hub is under threat from Rwanda and Ethiopia, both of which are increasing investment in their own airports in an effort to bring in more airlines and passengers.

The plan includes a new passenger terminal and the rehabilitation of existing runways and aprons.