1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
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1 Killed as Earthquake Strikes Indonesia’s Java

A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)
A resident inspects the ruins of a house destroyed by an earthquake in Java, Indonesia. (AP file photo)

One person was killed on Friday when a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s island of Java, said the US Geological Survey.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the national disaster management agency, said at least one person had been killed, several homes damaged and a hospital evacuated. He posted photos of people scouring collapsed buildings. There have been unconfirmed reports of more casualties.

He also said there were reports that buildings had collapsed in the city of Tasikmalaya in western Java and in several western Java districts.

"Houses and other buildings are damaged in many areas," he said in a statement.

People ran out of buildings in panic in many areas and Indonesian television showed heavy traffic on roads as people left coastal areas.

The USGS said the epicenter of the 6.5 magnitude quake was located at a depth of 92 km (57 miles), about 52 km southwest of Tasikmalaya.

The disaster agency said the quake activated early tsunami warning systems in the south of Java, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no tsunami had been detected.

Tremors were felt in central and west Java and caused minor damage to some buildings. The quake swayed buildings for several seconds in the capital Jakarta.

Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island, is home to more than half of its 250 million people.



Trump Says Israeli Strike on Iran Could Happen

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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Trump Says Israeli Strike on Iran Could Happen

President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minn. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he is still urging Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal, but that he is concerned a “massive conflict” could occur in the Middle East if it does not.

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump said in response to a question from a reporter about a potential Israeli attack. "Look, it’s very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump offered guarded optimism that a conflict could still be avoided, and said he's urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off from taking action for the time-being.

“As long as I think there is a (chance for an) agreement, I don’t want them going in because I think it would blow it," Trump stated.

Trump said he felt it was necessary for his administration on Wednesday to direct a voluntary evacuation of nonessential personnel and their families from some US diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.

“We have a lot of American people in this area. And I said, we got to tell them to get out because something could happen soon,” Trump said. "And I don’t want to be the one that didn’t give any warning, and missiles are flying into their buildings. It’s possible. So I had to do it."

Iran said it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility, ratcheting up tensions with the UN on Thursday immediately after its atomic watchdog agency censured Iran for failing to comply with nonproliferation obligations meant to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.

“Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry and Atomic Energy Organization said in a joint statement.

The censure by the International Atomic Energy Agency, its first in 20 years over Iranian non-compliance, could set in motion an effort to restore sanctions on Iran later this year.

Trump had previously warned that Israel or America could launch airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiators failed to reach a deal on Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.

A sixth round of Iran-US talks is scheduled to begin Sunday in Oman.