Magnitude 7.3 Quake Damages Homes in Eastern Indonesia

Hong Kong Protesters Resume Chorus of Opposition to Extradition Bill

HONG KONG—Tens of thousands of Hong Kong people rallied on July 14 in an area popular with mainland Chinese shoppers, as deep-seated anger and frustration at the city government’s handling of an extradition bill. Demonstrators marched in heat of about 32 degrees Celsius (89.6°F) in Sha Tin, a town between Hong Kong island and the border with China, as the protests sweep outwards from the heart of the financial center into surrounding neighborhoods. “These days there is really no trust of China, and so the protesters come out,” said Jennie Kwan, 73. “Didn’t they promise 50 years, no change? And yet we’ve all seen the changes. I myself am already 70-something years old. What do I know about politics? But politics comes to you.” Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule…

JAKARTA, Indonesia—A strong, shallow earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on July 14, damaging some homes and causing panicked residents to flee to temporary shelters. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and authorities said there was no threat of a tsunami.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.3 quake was centered 103 miles southeast of Ternate, the capital of North Maluku province, at a depth of just 6 miles. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.

Indonesia’s national disaster agency said the land-based earthquake didn’t have any potential to cause a tsunami.

Residents leave their homes to find higher grounds following an earthquake in Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia, on July 14, 2019. (AP Photo)

Still, many people ran to higher ground, and TV footage showed people screaming while running out of a shopping mall in Ternate.

Rahmat Triyono, the head of Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami center, said the quake was followed by several smaller aftershocks. The initial quake and aftershocks were also felt in some parts of North Sulawesi province, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage there.

Ikhsan Subur, a local disaster agency official in Labuha, the town closest to the quake’s epicenter, said several hundred people who were afraid of aftershocks fled to take shelter in government offices and mosques.

He said a police dormitory and several houses of villagers in South Halmahera district, near the epicenter, were damaged.

The disaster agency released photos of some moderately cracked ground and a damaged house of a village police chief in South Halmahera.

No injuries were immediately reported, and authorities were assessing the overall damage.

With a population of around 1 million, North Maluku is one of Indonesia’s least populous provinces.

Residents sleep on the ground after leaving their homes to find higher grounds following an earthquake in Gane Utara, North Maluku, Indonesia, on July 14, 2019. (AP Photo)

Indonesia, home to more than 260 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” A powerful Indian Ocean quake and tsunami in 2004 killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

Last week, a magnitude 6.9 undersea earthquake caused panic in parts of eastern Indonesia and triggered a tsunami warning.

By Niniek Karmini

This article is from the Internet:Magnitude 7.3 Quake Damages Homes in Eastern Indonesia

Hong Kong Media Groups March Calling for Stop to Police Violence Against Journalists

Seven media groups took to the streets in Hong Kong on July 14 to protest police violence against journalists during their recent reporting on millions of people pushing back against a controversial government extradition bill. The demonstration was called the “Stop Police Violence, Defend Press Freedom” silent march. Participants, mostly dressed in black with some donning reflective vests, gathered at Harcourt Garden in Admiralty before marching off at around 11 a.m. local time towards the police headquarters building and then the Office of the Chief Executive, also in Admiralty. The seven groups to participate were the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (HKPPA), the Independent Commentators Association, Journalism Educators for Press Freedom, the Ming Pao Staff Association, the Next Media Trade Union, and the RTHK…