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Seven dead, hundreds injured in most powerful Taiwan quake in 25 years

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By Francesca Hangeior

At least seven people were killed and more than 700 injured Wednesday by a powerful earthquake in Taiwan that damaged dozens of buildings and prompted tsunami warnings that extended to Japan and the Philippines before being lifted.

Officials said the quake was the strongest to shake the island in decades, and warned of more tremors in the days ahead.

“The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands,” said Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center.

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Strict building regulations and widespread public disaster awareness appear to have staved off a major catastrophe for the earthquake-prone island, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

Wu said the quake was the strongest since a 7.6-magnitude struck in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

Wednesday’s magnitude-7.4 quake hit just before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) putting the epicentre 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien City, at a depth of 34.8 kilometres.

Three people among a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said.

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Separately, the drivers of a truck and a car died when their vehicles were hit by tumbling boulders, while another man died at a mine.

The National Fire Agency said all the deaths occurred in Hualien county, and that so far 736 people had been injured in the quake, without specifying how seriously.

Social media was awash with shared video and images from around the country of buildings swaying as the quake struck.

“It was shaking violently, the paintings on the wall, my TV and liquor cabinet fell,” one man in Hualien told broadcaster SET TV.
Dramatic images were shown on local TV of multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilting after the quake ended, while a warehouse in New Taipei City crumbled.

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The mayor there said more than 50 survivors had been successfully plucked from the ruins of the structure.

Local TV channels showed bulldozers clearing rocks along the main route to Hualien, a mountain-ringed coastal city of around 100,000 people that has been cut off by landslides.

The main roads leading to the city pass through an extensive series of tunnels — some of them kilometres long — and officials said many people and vehicles could be trapped inside.

“We must carefully check how many people are trapped and we must rescue them quickly,” president-elect and current Vice-President Lai Ching-te told reporters in Hualien.

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President Tsai Ing-wen called for local and central government agencies to coordinate with each other, and said the military would also be providing support.

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SAD! Angry fan k!lls female influencer during live stream

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Tokyo police are investigating the tragic killing of a 22-year-old female influencer who was fatally stabbed during a live stream on a public street.

The horrifying incident, which unfolded in real time, left viewers in shock as they witnessed the attack before the screen went dark.

According to local media reports on Wednesday, the suspect, a 42-year-old man believed to be a longtime follower of the influencer, was arrested at the scene. Investigators found multiple stab wounds on the victim’s body, including injuries to her head and neck.

Eyewitnesses reported that the influencer was engaging with her audience when she suddenly screamed for help. Moments later, sirens could be heard in the background as emergency responders arrived.

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Preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect had been following the influencer’s content for years and may have deliberately tracked her movements based on details she shared about the live-stream. Authorities believe the attack was premeditated.

The suspect reportedly claimed that he had lent the influencer two million yen (approximately $13,450) but had not been repaid. Police are currently verifying his claims as part of the ongoing investigation.

Authorities are urging social media users to exercise caution regarding their online interactions and personal security.

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Security operatives chase away thugs from PDP HQ amid leadership crisis

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Operatives of the Police, Department of State Service, and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps, on Wednesday, cleared thugs from the Peoples Democratic Party’s headquarters in Abuja.

A party source, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to fear of victimisation, revealed to The PUNCH on Wednesday that the thugs were reportedly recruited to block members of the National Working Committee from entering the party headquarters for their meetings.

The crisis within the PDP has deeply affected all party organs, with recent developments seeing Samuel Anyanwu and former National Youth Leader Sunday Ude-Okoye both claiming the position of PDP National Secretary.

While the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld Ude-Okoye as the National Secretary, Anyanwu took the matter to the Supreme Court.

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As a result, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on Monday, with the date to be communicated to the parties involved.

“The party staff, with the support of security personnel, confronted the thugs and dispersed them,” the source said.

At the party’s national headquarters, a reporter from The PUNCH noticed a heavy presence of security personnel.

Around six Nigeria Police, DSS, and NSCDC vans were stationed near Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

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The Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, is currently leading the NWC meeting, with Ude-Okoye attending as the National Secretary.

Details shortly…

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Authentic Lawmakers Resume Sitting At Rivers Assembly After Shutting Out Governor Fubara From Presenting 2025 Budget

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The Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday resumed plenary amid reports that lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, blocked Governor Siminalayi Fubara from presenting the 2025 budget.

A video seen by an online medium showed the lawmakers already seated inside the chamber while Speaker Martin Amaewhule and other officials carrying the mace made their way into the hall.

The development follows an earlier dramatic standoff at the Assembly complex, where Fubara accused the legislators of locking the gates to prevent him from presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

SaharaReporters had reported that the governor, who arrived at the Assembly complex early in the morning, expressed frustration over the situation.

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He stated that he had made multiple attempts to reach Speaker Amaewhule and other lawmakers before his arrival.

“I have made several attempts—by phone calls and through official letters—to reach the speaker and other members. But it is unfortunate that the gate is completely sealed, and there is no sign that anything is going to happen today,” Fubara had said.

He added that the budget presentation was crucial for the state’s development, warning that failure to pass the appropriation bill would disrupt governance and slow ongoing projects.

A video of the incident, shared by a Facebook user, Prince Yemi Itodo, showed the Assembly complex under lock and key, with security operatives reportedly ordered to vacate the premises.

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“The implication is that the state will be run without a budget, which will slow development and lead to financial irregularities,” he wrote.

The blockade is the latest escalation in the ongoing political battle between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, whose loyalists dominate the Assembly.

The crisis has also drawn the attention of President Bola Tinubu, who recently urged both sides to implement a Supreme Court-backed political agreement aimed at resolving the dispute.

Despite Tinubu’s intervention and Fubara’s call for dialogue, Wednesday’s sitting suggests the battle for control of the Rivers State government is far from over.

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