KAKAMMPI News

SYDNEY, Australia — A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck northern Vanuatu on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said, but authorities said it was not expected to trigger a tsunami. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers, hitting about 300 km north of the capital Port Vila at around 3:37 p.m. (12:47 p.m. in Manila). Centered near a sparsely populated cluster of islands, the USGS said there was a "low likelihood of casualties and damage" from the tremor. A hotel receptionist in Port Olry, some 98 kilometers from the epicenter, told AFP she felt a "little earthquake" and "saw the ground shaking" but was not aware of any damage. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was "no tsunami threat from this earthquake". Earthquakes are common in Vanuatu, a low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that straddles the seismic Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is an arc of intense tectonic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and acro...

WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday approved Japan's request to buy 400 Tomahawk missiles, part of Tokyo's bid to bolster defenses despite fresh dialogue with China. The US State Department said it was approving the $2.35 billion sale that includes two types of the Tomahawk missiles, which have a 1,600-kilometer range. The State Department said the sale was aimed at "improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region." The sale "will improve Japan's capability to meet current and future threats by providing a long-range, conventional surface-to-surface missile with significant standoff range that can neutralize growing threats," it said in a statement. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary committee in February that his government was seeking 400 Tomahawk missiles as part of a major defense push. Japan has been alarmed by China's growing military clout,...

SEOUL — North Korea said Wednesday it had succeeded in putting a military spy satellite in orbit after two previous failures, as the United States led its allies in condemning the launch as a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions. A rocket carrying the satellite blasted off Tuesday night from North Phyongan province and "accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit", state-run news agency KCNA reported. Images in state media showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiling and waving, surrounded by white-uniformed scientists and engineers who cheered and clapped after watching the successful blastoff. The United States led condemnation of the launch, saying it was a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions, while South Korea responded by partially suspending a 2018 military deal with the North, saying it would resume surveillance operations along their border. Japan said that Pyongyang's claims of success could not immediate...

MANILA — Local disaster officials reported on Tuesday that damage to roads in Sarangani province from the magnitude 6.8 earthquake last week has reached an estimated P21.9 million. The highest recorded damage to provincial roads occurred in Malapatan town, reaching P9.1 million. Other towns that suffered damage include Glan (P8.9 million), Malungon (P3.6 million), and Alabel (P240,000). The damage cost assessment to the five-story municipal hall building in Glan is ongoing. The building sustained significant damage and has been declared unsafe for use by the Bureau of Fire Protection. The port in Glan is presently closed and not advisable for use due to substantial damage, including the collapse of the left wing. Authorities are awaiting the results of the assessment being conducted by structural engineers. The Glan Padidu Central Elementary School is also considered unsafe for occupancy due to the severe damage it sustained. Authorities said that the Sarangani Provincial Hospi...

MANILA — Nearly 20 families in Glan, Sarangani were displaced by huge ground fissures following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake last week, Mayor Victor James Yap Sr. said Wednesday. "For those na maraming bitak, hindi na po namin pinapabalik," Yap told ANC. "Hinahanapan na po namin sila ng malilipatan nila, mapapagtayuan ng kanilang mga bahay." (We are not sending back families to areas with many ground fissures. We are looking for a new location where they can build their houses.) The mayor said they are prioritizing rebuilding some 2,000 houses in the town that sustained damage after the major quake. Some of the affected families are staying with their friends or relatives, he added. Yap appealed to the national government for help, noting their calamity quick response fund is now at just P7 million and that the municipal hall has been severely damaged by the quake, affecting their relief operations. The death toll from the Mindanao earthquake rose to 11 on Tuesda...

MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Philippine National Police Maritime Group (PNP MARIG) on Wednesday rescued 17 crew members of Vietnamese-flagged cargo vessel Viet Hai Star in the waters off Balabac, Palawan. According to the PCG, Viet Hai Star was carrying 4,000 tons of rice when it ran aground approximately 810 yards (around 740 meters) off Balabac Port. It departed Ho Chi Minh City and was going to Cagayan de Oro City when the crew discovered a leak on the starboard side of the bow. The joint search and rescue team was able to bring the 17 crew members to the Balabac port early morning Wednesday. The PCG's Marine Environmental Protection Unit said it did not detect any oil leaks or spills from the damaged ship. The PCG also reported that as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Vietnamese vessel was already half submerged.

BEIJING — China and Japan must "properly manage" their differences, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting in California, state media reported Friday. Beijing and Tokyo must "follow the trend of the times, focus on common interests, properly handle differences," Xi told Kishida in San Francisco, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The Chinese leader said the two nations must "commit themselves to building a Sino-Japanese relationship that meets the requirements of the new era". "Peaceful coexistence, generational friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation, and common development are the right direction in the fundamental interests of the Chinese and Japanese peoples," Xi said. Since establishing ties, Xi said that "relations between the two countries, despite the stormy times, have maintained the momentum of development, bringing benefits to the people of the two countries". They ...