'Racial Diversity Should not be a Trend,' Naomi Campbell Says

FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2016, file photo, model Naomi Campbell, center, arrives at BET event. AP
FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2016, file photo, model Naomi Campbell, center, arrives at BET event. AP
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'Racial Diversity Should not be a Trend,' Naomi Campbell Says

FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2016, file photo, model Naomi Campbell, center, arrives at BET event. AP
FILE - In this Oct. 21, 2016, file photo, model Naomi Campbell, center, arrives at BET event. AP

Racial diversity in fashion has improved in recent years, but the industry must not treat it like a catwalk trend, British model Naomi Campbell told Reuters in an interview. One of fashion's most recognizable faces, Campbell has long spoken of discrimination in the industry where she has worked for 33 years. The 49-year-old Campbell was the first black model to appear on the covers of French Vogue and Time magazine. She was also the first black model on the cover of American Vogue's key September issue.

Asked how the industry had changed, Campbell said: "In so many ways, but most importantly the diversity. It's finally sunken in, but now we hope people don't think it's in for a trend, like clothes are in for a season and out for a season, that's not going to happen."

Referring to equal pay, she added that "It's improved absolutely, I can't say it hasn't. There's still some ways to go."

Campbell began her career as a teenager and has modeled for fashion heavyweights, such as Versace, Chanel, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, among many others. She has also championed African designers and co-produced April's Arise Fashion Week in Lagos, Nigeria. Asked if African designers were finally getting recognition, she said: "We're on our way, but, we're not there yet."

One of the five major supermodels of the early 1990s, Campbell has featured on the covers of more than 500 magazines. However she wrote in this month's British Vogue she only recently began feeling more at ease in her own skin. "Just because I'm a model doesn't mean that I felt comfortable," she told Reuters.



Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

 People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
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Japan’s Chief Meteorologist Calls Rumors of a July Earthquake a Hoax, Urges People Not to Worry

 People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)
People watch a 3D video advertisement display with a giant cat's graphics installed in the famed Shinjuku shopping district Friday, June 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP)

The head of Japan's meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a “hoax," urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still cannot predict any quake or tsunami.

“At the moment, it is still impossible to predict an earthquake with specific timing, location or its magnitude,” Japan Meteorological Agency Director General Ryoichi Nomura told reporters. “Any such prediction is a hoax, and there is absolutely no need to worry about such disinformation."

Nomura was referring to rumors in Hong Kong and other Asian cities of a major earthquake or a tsunami in July in Japan have led to flight cancellations and reductions in service, affecting tourism.

He said it was “unfortunate” that many people are affected by the disinformation, though he sympathized with the sense of unease that the people tend to develop toward something invisible.

The rumor originates from a 2022 Japanese comic book “The future I saw,” which features a dream foreseeing a tsunami and is also available in Chinese. The chatter began spreading earlier this year through social media, mainly in Hong Kong.

The author previously gained attention for allegedly predicting the 2011 quake and tsunami in northern Japan, which killed more than 18,000 people.

Japan, which sits on the Pacific “ring of fire,” is one of the world's most quake-prone countries.

Last summer, a panel of seismologists noted a slight increase in the probability of a megaquake on Japan’s Pacific coasts. The government organized an awareness-raising week but only triggered panic buying, beach closures and other overreactions and complaints.

While it is important to inform people about the science, Nomura said, it is also necessary for everyone in this quake-prone country to take early precautions.

“In Japan, an earthquake can occur anytime, anywhere,” Nomura said. “So I ask everyone to take this opportunity to ensure your preparedness for a major quake.”