Japan is battling its worst wildfires in more than 30 years as blazing infernos continue to scorch thousands of hectares of land each day.
Local media reported Monday that firefighters, supported by military helicopters from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, are struggling to contain multiple fires raging in the forested areas around the northeastern city of Ofunato.
According to public broadcaster NHK, the fires, which began last Wednesday, have already burned approximately 2,100 hectares. In the past 24 hours alone, another 3,000 hectares of land have been consumed by the flames.
Firefighting efforts are underway both from the air and on the ground as thick smoke drifts toward nearby residential areas. At least one person has been reported killed, and more than 80 buildings have sustained damage due to the wildfires. Nearly 1,200 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters as authorities work to manage the crisis.
“We are concerned about the spread of the fires. We believe in the power of firefighting from the air and the ground. We'll try to put out the blazes,” Ofunato Mayor Fuchigami Kiyoshi said in a statement.
Local officials and emergency services continue to monitor the situation closely as they coordinate efforts to protect lives and property. The sustained efforts by firefighters and military support underscore the severity of the situation, with the wildfires posing significant challenges amid unpredictable weather conditions.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it will provide on-site passport and consular services to settlers based in the West Bank on Friday 27 February. Th...
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday (25 February) for a two-day visit during which he will meet with his Israeli counte...
A Su-30SM fighter jet crashed during a scheduled training flight in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region on 25 February, with both pilots ejecting safely, ...
South Korea and the United States will conduct joint military drills, known as Freedom Shield, from 9 to 19 March, military officials from both countr...
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has taken responsibility for his past ties to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting ...
Relations between Russia and Japan have effectively collapsed due to Tokyo’s “unfriendly” stance towards Moscow, the Kremlin said on Friday (20 February), adding that there is currently no dialogue aimed at concluding a peace treaty.
Japan’s parliament has reappointed Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 105th prime minister ten days after a snap general election that handed her party a decisive two-thirds majority in the lower house.
Japan’s ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has secured a sweeping victory in Sunday’s lower house election, cementing her authority and paving the way for major economic and security reforms.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is no longer defined by shock but by scale.
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Four members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed and two others injured on Monday (23 February) in an attack by the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group targeting a checkpoint west of Raqqa in northeastern Syria, the Interior Ministry said.
Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war can be measured not only in lives and territory, but in money. In Part One, the war’s cost was measured in casualties and kilometres. In Part Two, it is measured in billions of dollars.
South Korea and the United States will conduct joint military drills, known as Freedom Shield, from 9 to 19 March, military officials from both countries announced on Wednesday.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has taken responsibility for his past ties to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a town hall meeting with employees of the Gates Foundation, a spokesperson confirmed.
Mexico has dispatched fresh humanitarian shipments to Cuba as fuel shortages deepen under renewed U.S. pressure, while Canada prepares assistance of its own.
UK police have concluded searches at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Windsor Great Park as part of an investigation into alleged misconduct in public office.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a “golden age” for America in his first second-term State of the Union on Tuesday evening, delivering the longest-ever address at more than 90 minutes. Here are the main takeaways.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment