Japan urges evacuation of small island as 1,000 quakes hit region

Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake on Thursday, the latest of more than 1,000 recent jolts to hit the area.

Residents were urged to evacuate to "a school playground in Akuseki Island", a municipal official told AFP. Akuseki is part of the Tokara island chain south of Kyushu region, which has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21. No major damage has been reported.After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted. On Thursday, a 5.5 magnitude quake struck near Akuseki. The previous day a jolt of the same size was also recorded.

Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. There was no tsunami risk from Thursday's quake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area occurred in Sept 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA.A Mexican mayor says 'I do' to a reptile for prosperity In the southern Mexican town of San Pedro Huamelula, a unique celebration takes place each year: the symbolic marriage between the town's mayor and a live alligator-like reptile.

This ritual, rooted in more than 230 years of tradition, represents the union of two of Oaxaca state's indigenous cultures - the Chontal and the Huave - and is believed to bring prosperity to the community.This year, Mayor Daniel Gutierrez took part in the ceremony, marrying "princess girl," a female caiman, a reptile that closely resembles the alligator.